Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Monday 28 January 2013

28 January 2013

Miss Guest Diary writes: It is a truth universally acknowledged that the average Grimbarian is never so happy as when they have the opportunity to feel aggrieved - hence the kerfuffle surrounding Marcus Marshall last week. Anyone would think Luton had tried to steal a priceless heirloom from Town rather than make a legitimate offer to buy a player we'd had on loan for a few weeks. It reminded us here at Cod Almighty of the time back in 2006 when a persistent, but completely false, rumour - undoubtedly started by some messageboard nesbit - that Reddy had been sold to Luton led to him being known ever after as "Luton's Michael Reddy".

But I do think that contrarian spirit of searching out the slight and relishing the chip on the shoulder is responsible, at least in part, for Town's large away following since falling into non-League. Last season the average away support was 427 and this season has already seen some magnificent attendance figures - 1,700 at Lincoln, 370 at Tamworth, and 699 at Cambridge on Saturday. As someone pointed out on Twitter, that last is more fans than Fulham took to Old Trafford at the weekend. I have no figures to back this up but I seem to recall that, when Town were still in the League, matches outside of Yorkshire or the east midlands rarely garnered more than what my partner likes to call "the Town two hundred". Roaring out defiance at the football gods who have cast Town out of the Football League seems to fit right in with the Grimbarian spirit of taking pleasure in adversity.

Of course, Town are beaten in away attendance figures by Luton - apparently the 4,000 they took to Carrow Road to see them beat Norwich in the FA Cup on Saturday was the largest away support at that ground this season. And now they've been rewarded with a glamour tie in the next round against... Millwall. Oh.

Never mind, let's just hope that a large proportion of that following can make it to Blundell Park tomorrow to swell Town's coffers. There should be no shortage of atmosphere at the game, with the Town twitterati already fuming about the Luton manager Paul Buckle's comment to the BBC that "it's back down to Earth on Tuesday night because we're playing at Grimsby in the FA Trophy". He probably didn't mean it in any disrespectful way, but of course the Town fans won't care about that.

Something we should definitely care about is whether Andy Cook is fit to play tomorrow. When he hasn't been on the pitch during the last two games there has been very little attacking threat from Town. I would normally hang around to bring you news of the draw for the FA Trophy semi-finals but I have a date to go shopping. Also, as only one of the fourth round ties has actually been played, it all seems a bit academic at the moment.