Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Wednesday 4 January 2012

4 January 2012

Those not fully initiated in the world of football may be forgiven for thinking that when a club goes into administration it usually emerges stronger. After all, over 90 per cent of the time (I'm guessing), clubs do emerge from it. Some fall back in it. But, it seems, when you're in trouble and want a clean slate, call in the administrators. They'll sort out everything for you.

The only sticking point, of course, is that ten-point deduction. If you're doing alright on the field, it might not relegate you. Perhaps this is where the Mariners weren't so wise. If someone had a crystal ball in 2003 and could tell us that in seven years' time we'd be in the Conference, going into administration during a season in which we were destined to get relegated anyway would've been quite prudent.

But let's not be silly. No-one had a crystal ball. Taking a ten-point deduction was never an option - certainly not from the fans' perspective. It was all about staying in whatever division we were in at the time. And, more crucially, your West Yorkshire Diary had this unerring belief that Grimsby Town would be one of those few clubs that would fail to emerge from administration simply because it's Grimsby Town.

With Darlington entering administration yesterday for the third time in nine years, it's got everyone talking about creditors, the club, that massive stadium and whether they'll see the season out. After all, the Football Conference has shown in the past that it is unforgiving of financially stricken clubs (see Chester City and Rushden & Diamonds). Those Town fans imbued with all the qualities of a seagull feeding off a whale carcass have been pondering what the league table will look like without the Quakers and whether their expunged results will fuel our push for the play-offs.

If Town were to win at the Shock! Bang! Impact Arena this Saturday and make it four straight league victories, then who knows? After waiting four years for three straight league victories, it's no wonder we're riding the crest of a wave and thinking anything is possible. But there's nothing like a sorry defeat at a relegation-threatened team that we stuffed earlier in the season at Blundell Park to bring us back down to earth. Alfreton had a 5-2 scoreline in their favour on Boxing Day when they beat Tamworth. They're undefeated in five and quite handy at home, but they still have a rubbish defence.

These weird and wonderful times in football make it possible for a player to play against a side he's destined to join on loan six weeks later - and then rejoin his parent club to then play against the team he went to on loan. That's the position our resident banker Anthony Church finds himself in. After spending the last couple of months on loan at Alfreton, he's probably going to line up against them on Saturday following Manny the Cat's tearful departure. I liked Manny. He may have been a scruffy player but his presence in midfield coincided with our upturn in form. I'm not clever enough to analyse how exactly he contributed; I just know that he did. Not many players leave Grimsby saying their career is 'back on track', or that they were 'part of a team having a successful time'. In the meantime Manny plans to advise on whether Britain should intervene in Zimbabwe and oust that dictatorial shit Robert Mugabe.

If you're thinking about travelling down the M1 to Alfreton this weekend, Town's superb new official website has put together a handy travel pack. This basically tells you that adult tickets are £13, the away end is uncovered and Alfreton's not Southport. The club has also reminded us that it's now on Facebook and looking trendier than ever. If it was really trendy, of course, it would join in with #eldingfacts. Ciao!