Cod Almighty | Diary

Look back in love, not in anger

27 October 2015

Always ahead of the game, Cod Almighty has already published a scouting report on our FA Cup first round opponents, St Albans City.

It was Luke Cornwall who drew Paul Ketchley to watch St Albans a decade ago when the Saints, then as now, were playing in the sixth tier of the football pyramid. Four years before that, Cornwall, on loan from Fulham, scored four goals in nine appearances to help keep the Mariners in the second flight.

Looking back, it is clear now that Grimsby were financially out of their depth at the turn of the century. Our resources could buy us defensive organisation and midfield combativity but we didn't really have the budget for a consistent attacking threat. Even a youth set-up and scouting could only take us so far. We developed Jack Lester but when times got hard we cashed him in. We came upon David Nielsen and Mick Boulding, but before we had time to enjoy our finds, bigger clubs snatched them from us. We were left with the fitful, if not always fully fit, self-proclaimed geniuses – Phil Jevons, Terry Cooke, Graham Hockless – and the earnest triers: Mike Jeffrey, Jonny Rowan, David Soames, Darren Mansaram.

For two months in the spring of 2001, Luke Cornwall was a taste of the real thing. But that was as good as his Football League career got. After that, more loan spells but few appearances, lower and lower in the football hierarchy, until he was forced to call it a day. Or perhaps it was his decison.

For here is the paradox of the moderately successful sporting career. When it's over you still have your memories, and the rest of your life to enjoy. For us as fans, who know these people only as players, it is easy to imagine a descent into bitterness. Yet last year, Cod Almighty published a letter from Chris Grocock, a squad member under Mike Lyons and Bobby Roberts. His time at Blundell Park coincided with successive relegations, yet he was still able to write that he was "lucky enough" to play for his hometown club, before getting on with another career.

As Adam Deller wrote for a Theme Team, you hope that every Boxing Day in the household of David Soames, it is a tradition that 'Digger' recounts his winning goal at Derby County, the distance from goal when we took possession growing five yards with each re-telling. Johnny Rowan was on the winning side at Anfield, which is more than Jurgen Klopp can say. They have done things the rest of us can only fantasise about.

Somewhere, last night or this morning, I like to think that Luke Cornwall was raising a wry smile at two of his former clubs being drawn against each other in the cup, before getting on with the rest of his day.