Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Wednesday 8 May 2013

8 May 2013

You know how yesterday, I promised to get down from the pulpit? Unfortunately for you, I only said next week... No, relax. Your Middle-Aged Diary has been called into unexpected action, but, responding with all the alacrity of a millionaire forced to come on as a sub in a friendly international, I am all preached out.

The big news in Grimsby is that Craig Disley has signed a new one-year contract... actually, the only news in Grimsby is that Craig Disley has signed a new one-year contract. It is particularly welcome as it means we currently have a squad peculiarly well adapted to return the Mariners to the real glory years of the 1930s, with a 2-3-5 formation.

Elsewhere, the news seems to have been overshadowed by the retirement of Alex Ferguson. At the time of writing, exactly 76,972 people have made a joke on the social media associating the manager of their club with the vacancy at Manchester United.

On Twitter, Lloyd Griffith has calculated that during the quarter-century Ferguson has been in charge at Old Trafford, the Mariners have got through 22 managers. The need for managerial stability is a truism, although there have been times when, while hoping in the abstract for the carousel to stop, one really does hope you don't get lumbered with the baggage that happens to be next to you when it does. Suppose it had come to a grinding halt when Nicky Law was in charge? Give them time, however, and you do see people mature into the role, as they can no longer blame their predecessors for the state of iniquity they inherited and have to concentrate on making their own decisions come good.

It will be interesting to hear the excuses the next manager of Manchester United tries to conjure up though.