Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 31 May 2013

31 May 2013

In today's exciting clothes news: new clothes! Yes, it's that time of the close season we all look forward to (after season ticket prices have been announced) - the unveiling of the new kit. Ooh, how exciting!

But this year the club has tried a revolutionary approach which involved extensive surveying of the populace of Grimsby to come up with a kit that the local townsfolk would be happy to wear while they're sampling the delights of Freshney Place.

The home kit - a complete break from tradition - is in a chequered light/dark red with a black collar. The famous 'three fish' badge is replaced by a picture of the little known 'red devil' fish on a yellow background. Similarly, the away kit is a light shade of blue with darker blue on the shoulders. Again, the familiar badge has been replaced with a more dynamic design, this time a golden eagle with three stars above it - an image synonymous with the fishing industry in its heyday.

A contact at the club told us that the new shirt "represented a move away from the traditional designs Grimsby fans are used to, towards a more brand-centric design that local football fans will feel more familiarity with."

Pictures have yet to be released.

Matt Cross has answered our plea for correspondence to see us through the summer months, and thus saved me typing more blather. Matt says: "Seeing as tumbleweed is blowing freely through the site this month, I thought I'd answer your call for anecdotage regarding being proved wrong. My own particular humble pie eating moment comes from the season just passed. Specifically the FA Trophy quarter-final vs Luton. Having convinced my long-suffering partner that I was not in fact 'insane' to make the 90-mile round trip every week because we are a team on the up, starting to play some better football, with an improving squad of players (ha!), she decided to see what all the fuss was about and come and sit in the salubrious comfort of the main stand with me for two hours one murky Tuesday evening.

"During the standard football noob initiation (no disrespect meant: she did turn out for Lincoln Ladies as a lass) I had explained that we had a number of loan players to bolster the squad, one of which was everyone's favourite buck-toothed (no offence), bandy-legged (no offence) left/right winger Jamie Devitt. Now, let me make this clear: I have never been in the JD fan club but can see the merits in some of what he did... well, nearly. For me, though, his stepovers and flicks didn't make up for his shockingly bad workrate and the way he ambled back toward our own half when on the cover, to then put in some half-hearted tackle to try and show willing. After explaining these facts to my keenly interested other half and after watching JD give up possession meekly to our opponents Town managed an attack down the left just in front of us.

"At this point my memory becomes a bit hazy. We managed to work our way to the edge of their box and win a free kick. Maybe JD was fouled, maybe it was someone else. Whatever, it doesn't matter. What matters is the fact that Jamie himself stepped up to take the resulting kick in quite a dangerous position. Full of cockiness, I pronounced: 'This kid thinks he's fucking Maradona, but the scoreboard is in more danger here.' Obviously by saying this I sealed the fate of the events occurring in the next 30 seconds as JD measured his kick carefully, stepped up to the ball, and caressed a beautiful curling effort into the top left corner of the goal. All I recall is seeing a flailing hand missing the ball then jumping about like a lunatic for 30 seconds (we all have our own special celebration). No more needs to be said here.

"Nothing was in fact said on the night, just a look, a smile and a raised eyebrow. I thank you."

Good work Matt. I have a similar skill in being able to write off a particular opposition player early on in the game, only to see them play the game of their life against us. I've learned to keep my mouth shut, but unfortunately my brain still has the thought and the outcome is largely the same. I'd make a perfect pundit - in the Alan Shearer mould I think. But with less lip damage.

Have a good weekend all!