Cod Almighty | Diary

Mariner-cana

10 June 2014

All hail Mackreth, Thane of the Lower Findus stand. The weird bookmakers have appeared to our Jack and told him that Town shall be promoted. Tragedy or comedy? Time will tell.

It may have escaped your attention that there is a World Cup starting up in two days' time. It has certainly not escaped the attention of your Middle-Aged Diary's Manchester City-supporting son that the multi-billionaires have bought up rather more of the footballing talent on show in Brazil than the Mariners. However, the links between Grimsby and football's biggest international tournament are stronger than you might think, as a quiz shortly to appear on Cod Almighty will demonstrate.

The 1994 tournament was one of the best World Cups of recent times. At least until all the players wilted in the heat so that matches in the latter stages were slow processions towards a penalty shoot-out. This was no accident. Not only had ex-Grimsby captain Graham Taylor ensured that there was no English involvement (that's not the Celtic chip on my shoulder: for some reason international tournaments are more enjoyable when England aren't there) but it was also a tournament rich in Town-hood.

In the group stages, Brazil boasted a pair of attacking full-backs who were the fulcrum of their play. The world knew them as Jorginho and Leonardo, but Grimsby knew better. With England not needing their services, someone had given Portuguese lessons to McDermott and Croft. When Leonardo was replaced in the knockout phases by a dead-ball specialist, Brazil's play lost its fluidity, though it remains unknown whether Branco's fluid intake resembled that of Tony Gallimore.

Brian Laws, meanwhile, was beginning to exercise his liking for tinkering with the perfectly good squad he had inherited. Confronted with Neil Woods, a skilful and intelligent player but not the quickest of forwards, he began to wonder if moving him further back might be the answer. What better than a close-season tournament to experiment? Kitted out with a blond wig and a passport in the name of Koeman, 'Lightning' tried his hand in the libero role for Holland.

All this is not to mention Alan Buckley. In exile at the Hawthorns? Maybe, but when you watched the hard-working 1994 South Korea team, its teamwork and quick close passing frightening the life out of more illustrious opponents before going down to a narrow defeat, it is hard to believe that he was not already missing the east.

The lesson is clear. The Mariners will be a tacit presence in Brazil, and it is up to you to keep note of it. Any action you see in the next few weeks that bears the stamp 'Made in Blundell Park' should be brought to our attention. We might set up a page for your observations, or they might enliven the Diary, but we want to know that even as you enjoy the action, your heart remains in Grimsby.