Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Thursday 18 October 2012

18 October 2012

As many of you will have seen already, the BBC Sport people have today published a survey called Price of Football. Your original/regular Diary has had a little look. Main finding? Um... well... there's nothing very surprising at all. If you dig into it a bit, you might find things that look a bit anomalous. It's probably only a few quid more to buy a season ticket at Blackburn than Accrington, or something like that. But on the whole there's nothing much there. Everywhere's expensive, and it gets more expensive the higher up the leagues you go.

The survey, of course, will prompt some to say: "Well, if it's only a few quid more to watch Blackburn or Man City, why would anyone ever support Accrington or Stockport?"

This is the mindset of the plastic fan. As if being a supporter means choosing a team, in the same way you'd peruse the shelves of Asda's choose the best value-for-money brand of instant mash.

This is the mindset of the unforgiveable cock-ends who walked out on the Mariners when King$ton Communication$ FC reached the Premier League, so they could watch "a better standard of football". They were crossing the Humber Bridge to consume an entertainment product. But in effect they were dropping their pants in the cemetery and taking a dump on their grandparents' graves that was so large it would need planning permission.

Town's youth team are in FA Youth Cup action tonight, with a third qualifying round tie away at Vauxhall Motors. Dunno, somewhere in the north-west? Both Ellis Humble and Blaize Kerr are doubtful with injuries, which immediately leaves the team disappointingly short of spectacularly named players. On the plus side, Caine Winfarrah looks set to start, Oakley Luddington is still progressing well through the ranks, and young Harrison Sky Adidas Ashingborough-Welton is said to be setting the under-10s on fire.

Last up today, an email from Alan Dickens (who styles himself 'Essex and Barrett Exile'). "Where would Town be now if Liam had been fit?" he ponders. "Would we have signed Scott and Ross and Nathan for that matter (never quite understood why Scott Garner went) and would Coulson have gone?" I seem to think Coulson went before Liam got crocked, but the point is a valid one. "I'd like to think we'd be sitting pretty on top of the heap with maximum points - I know real life's not like that but it does make you wonder I suppose the squad is better this season than last and just imagine Liam at centre-forward!!!!!!!!"

You know how it is with the Mariners though, Alan. There's always something that goes wrong. If Liam had stayed fit, Aswad would have done his cruciates. Shorty and Shouty would have been poached by Scunthorpe. A massive meteorite would have reduced Blundell Park to sticks and rubble. Or worst of all: John Fenty would have started doing interviews again.