Cod Almighty | Diary

The sporting life is that little bit better today

29 September 2015

It's that time again. Yet again Middle-Aged Diary finds the excuse to paraphrase CLR James: "What do they know of football who only football know."

The occasion this time is the glee provoked by the news that Rotherham United and Steve Evans have parted company. Look at his achievements as a manager – promotions with Boston, Crawley and Rotherham – and you might think that he'd be a catch for any club. However, a more detailed look at his CV exposes more than the occasional misdemeanour, occupational hazards in professional football. These are regular and repeated crimes against the game, up to the level of involvement in systematic cheating. The Rotherham club statement rather suggests that Evans has got something else lined up. But for now, football is in a better place for the removal of that malignant mole.

Nowadays, football pundits tend to prove CLR James's adage. They think that because the only thing they know is football, they are the people solely qualified to pronounce on it. They have a favourite phrase – "it's a results business" – which manages to be wrong on both counts. If it was only about results, we'd not bother to watch. And it can only be a business for some – a minority – because the majority know that it is more than a business.

There is an underlying truth in the famous Grimsby manager's much-repeated quote "Football is not a matter of life and death. It's more important than that." Football is one of the things we choose to do after we have taken care of the business of keeping ourselves alive. It is one of the ways in which we express our humanity. Why then would we want to sully it by having a little worm like Steve Evans playing a part?

Paul Hurst has been quoted at 16/1 to be installed as the new manager of Rotherham, a club where he enjoys a similar status to that of John McDermott at Grimsby. Bookies' odds are no more than a conflation of messageboard gossip at this stage. Let's see how that one develops, but I won't be holding my breath.

Hurst is some way from being a proven success as a manager. Like all of us, he has his strengths and weaknesses. Among his weaknesses are a tendency to tinker with an apparently successful team, and then a reluctance to explain his changes. However, among his strengths is an ability to keep happy even those players who are not getting picked. Pádraig Amond went well beyond the call of tact on Twitter recently, saying Hurst had been brilliant with him. Shaun Pearson is a shade less effusive but still loyal.

CLR James wrote about many things. Grimsby Town were not one of them. Nevertheless, the Mariners have inspired some pretty good writing over the years, and you'll soon be able to read a collection of it in We are Town: Writing by Grimsby fans 1970-2002. It has been compiled on behalf of the Mariners Trust by Cod Almighty's own Pat Bell and Pete Green, so if you like what you read here, look out for the details. They'll be forthcoming next week, but in the meantime you might want to follow @WeAreTownbook on Twitter.

Bye.