Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Wednesday 19 September 2012
19 September 2012
Well, today's tremendously insightful 'news' is that Shorty and Shouty are pleased that we haven't started this season as shit as we started last season. While you might have read that breaking news first on the Grimsby Telegraph's website today, you probably first thought about it about a month ago when a bunch of part-timers failed to absolutely batter us in our second league game (although we still did manage to lose to full-timers in injury time).
So then, with this not-so-shit start to the season in mind, can we agree with Shouty and be relatively pleased with it? I suppose the key word there is 'relative'. Of course, if we're going to compare anything to the start we made last season then not being anywhere near the bottom four right now is a bonus. But then compare that against our hopes and expectations for this season - as well as the weight of history that constantly hangs heavy around our necks - then maybe some would argue that we've not hit the heights that we should be hitting. Are three wins in nine acceptable? Is just one defeat admirable?
At what point, when considering last season, this season, form, playing staff and budgets, do we consider how Town have constantly underachieved in the past decade? I mean, we're always banging on about what we achieved between 1878 and 1998 but this is now our third season in non-League and we spent six years before that in the fourth division. There is a generation out there growing up thinking Grimsby are rubbish. If we ever get back into the Football League we'll get patronised by these youngsters who'll regard us beating Accrington as a bit of an upset.
Sure, we might have had an acceptable start to the season. Yeah, we could be 'in and around' the play-offs come Christmas. But things just go wrong at Blundell Park. They always do. Good start or not, I wouldn't be putting any money on us going up when our star striker is crocked and our top scorers are each stuck on two goals.
In all honesty, your West Yorkshire Diary has struggled to pad out today's entry. There was another of those live web chatty things on the Telegraph's website at lunch today, but I didn't observe it and I didn't take part. I don't ever have time. Who does? Let us know if you've ever taken part in these online chats - I'd like to know what purpose they serve and what the fans actually get out of them.
The club has announced that fans under the age of 15 will be able to go to Friday night's home game against Luton for free if accompanied by at least one responsible full paying adult. There's one potential responsible full paying adult sat here, typing this, who won't be going because the match is being played on a friggin' Friday.