Cod Almighty | Diary
Support anyone you like but not Manchester United
17 August 2015
How do! Devon Diary here a little earlier than normal this week as I am off to that London tomorrow for a wedding.
A couple of days ago I read an interesting interview with Pádraig Amond by Thomas Sargent in which Town’s new striker talked about his time spent at various clubs in Ireland and Portugal and how he is settling in at both Blundell Park and the town itself. What was great to read was Podge’s observation about the support of his latest team;
"I’ve never seen so many people walking around in Town shirts – there’s no Liverpool shirts, Man United shirts, just Grimsby shirts"
For many Town fans, myself included, this is fantastic news and made me think back to a Saturday afternoon in ‘96 when I was approached by a couple of Millwall fans outside of Swigs in Top Town. They were there for that afternoon’s game and killing some time before heading off to wander down Freemo and Cleethorpes Road to Blundell Park. They had been to Grimsby before and liked to make a day of it, arriving early enough by train to walk from Grimsby to Cleethorpes and have a couple of drinks along the way. We ended up having a beer and a chat about our teams’ chances during which they commented that my shirt was the first they’d seen; I was wearing the old Ciba-Geigy blotchy yellow away kit. Funny what you remember isn’t it but I’d always been disappointed to see kids and whole families in Grimsby wearing the shirts of more fashionable teams such as Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool. Okay, those teams might have been more successful and it might be exciting to watch your team win the Premiership, the FA Cup or the Champions League but is it *really* your team? Surely you could enjoy those games and moments just as much if you were watching as a neutral? What can that success really mean to you if you choose to follow a team solely because it is successful rather than it being where you were born and bred?
When I was younger my Granddad bought me an Easter egg in a Liverpool mug and while they were a truly wonderful team at that time, winning everything in sight and with legends in every position, I didn’t really support them. Yes, I had a soft spot for Liverpool for years because of that mug and they were one of the teams whose results I looked out for on a Saturday afternoon and still do but I believe now that it’s a ‘hook’ to the memory of my granddad that makes me do it rather than any real connection to Liverpool Football Club.
I was talking about this ‘support your local, home team’ principle just recently when I was asked about my own kids – do I expect them to support Grimsby like me or rather should they support their home team which happens to be Torquay United. Hmmm, okay. Parents’ teams are obviously an acceptable exception to the rule, as is the town or city where you might find yourself relocated for some reason. The main point is of course to embrace the smaller teams and you will be able to see the difference your support can make. Shun Manchester United and Liverpool in favour of Altrincham and Tranmere - those are the teams who will welcome you and reward you far more.
All this hippy idealism leads us nicely to Town’s visitors this weekend of course, my local outfit Torquay United; like Town another former league team hoping to return to former glories. The Gulls haven’t suffered quite as much as the Mariners have but right now they are experiencing a particularly difficult period. Last year they were managed by former Grimsby player Chris Hargreaves, a true born and bred lad who made his breakthrough during Alan Buckley’s first period in charge. Chris had a pretty decent career and like his former boss Buckley at Grimsby he attained ‘legend’ status, scoring as he captained Torquay to victory at Wembley in the 2009 conference playoff final. Returning to Plainmoor (It’s always going to be Plainmoor to me – not even the locals call it the Launa Windows Stadium!) early last year he didn’t manage to keep them in League two but was retained by the club, hoping to bounce back. Unfortunately the team didn’t really fire last season and after the club was sold in June the new owners restructured for financial reasons and Chris and his assistants were let go after failing to agree on new terms.
The Gulls are now managed by former Mansfield manager Paul Cox who has a pretty solid record in non-league football but as the club themselves admit they are living hand-to-mouth on what is more like a part-time budget. The club’s drive to cut costs over the summer also saw them disbanding the youth setup, something which upset many of the club’s fans and also the families of the youngsters affected. However, it’s all about the money and if it doesn’t add up then the Gulls could be in big trouble. They’ve assured the league that they will be able to fulfil their fixtures this season and new chairman Dave Phillips has set a figure of 1800 as the average gate they need in order to break even. Despite all this, Cox has put together a reasonable side but the squad comprises a lot of short term loan signings, albeit from higher leagues so consistency might become an issue as the season progresses. A bigger concern will be the loss of club captain midfielder Luke Young for a likely 6 months with a cruciate injury.
It’s going to be a tough season for Torquay but one they’ve started pretty well. I sincerely hope they emerge from it relatively successfully, apart from this coming Saturday of course, as well as the return fixture on 17 October. I will certainly be more than happy to see them take six points from Tranmere and Forest Green though.
Yeah kids, you can support Torquay United with my blessing but of course I'd prefer it if you came to see Grimsby with me and felt the same excitement at Blundell Park which I did at my first game. Just not Manchester United.
Up the Mariners!