Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 1 February 2013

1 February 2013

Twenty-four hours later, I think that's all the John Lewis jokes done. Maybe we need the Ramsdens back in the boardroom now.

I thank you. And that's your original/regular Diary's knowledge of Town's new signing exhausted too. Another striker, though? Seriously?

The arrival yesterday of an eighth recognised forward at Blundell Park had most fans bemused, rather than reprising the exultation that surrounded Ross Hannah's permanent transfer from Bradford the other week. After bemusement, I rather succumbed to the morbid and widely disdained habit of calm, rational thought. I know, I'm sorry. My mind turned back from February 2013 to February 2012, when Town's major shareholder, fridge magnate John Shelton Fenty (Con), said to supporters: "You know that money I promised I'd put into the club? Well, you have to give me your shares now, or I won't."

In the end, of course, the fans caved into blackmail, the inarticulate Tory got his shares and shut up again, and Shorty and Shouty got on with the job. But does anyone remember how long that money was going to last? I'll tell you. Until the end of the 2012-13 season.

So let's hope these eight strikers are worth the money. Let's hope we've finally got enough firepower to break down a mid-table team at home, when Alfreton pop over to BP tomorrow. Because if Town don't crack it this season, and La Fenty doesn't scribe a plan B sharpish, a day may not be long in coming when we will look back and laugh at the idea of Town having eight strikers. Laugh, with the same disbelief we now laugh with at the notion of paying £500,000 for Lee Ashcroft.