Cod Almighty | Diary

Let's give it another go

21 January 2016

The news this week that Friends Reunited was going to shut down for good was interesting for a number of reasons – but mainly, I think, because we were surprised to find that it still existed at all.

In a way the story of Friends Reunited is like that of a footballer's career. Alan Striker enjoys a meteoric rise from non-League to the Premiership with big money transfers (to ITV no less) and sponsorship deals and is the talk of the town until a couple of new stars appear on the scene (young bucks such as MySpace or Facebook perhaps) and steal his thunder. He's sidelined until a chance to resurrect his career comes from slightly left of field (a comics publisher) but nobody really notices and he eventually moves back to his first club (founder Steve Pankhurst) on a free before retiring.

Friends Reunited in its heyday was big news – how else would you track down and contact those old school friends you'd lost touch with? How else would you find out how well or badly your arch-nemesis was doing? It also offered users the chance to reconnect with childhood sweethearts and secretly convince each other that a mutual love of Duran Duran back in 1984 was a good enough reason to start an affair and leave one's current spouse.

Of course that sort of thing hardly ever works out, does it? We grow up, we change, we move on, and our married self is so far removed from our younger version that we might as well be meeting someone totally new. Be careful rekindling old flames. Also do not return to lit fireworks or run with scissors.

In some ways trying again with an ex is a little like a club signing a former player. Of course, unless you've been a teammate of John Terry, it's unlikely that infidelity played a part in the original parting of ways – so reconciliation is a little easier. Money or performance aren't anything to bear a grudge over, so when a former club comes calling, a player will often be willing to give it another try, hindsight obviously being somewhat rosy after a separation period. We fans, too, will get misty-eyed over a lot of ex-players, and the mention of Michael Coulson yesterday got many a Town fan on Twitter reminiscing on happier times. Although of course it's far, far better now that it was during his previous stint at Blundell Park.

Now that we've been told by York City that Coulson is going nowhere, the gaffer is going to have to look elsewhere for a goalscoring winger. But it's got me thinking about former players returning to Town. When has it worked and when has it not? Also, in the spirit of the Coulson story, who would like we like to see return and who would we rather didn't? Not because they were awful, mind, but because we don't want our memories spoiling? Here are a few suggestions to kick things off.

As Wicklow mentioned yesterday, Alan Connell was superb for us in 2010-11 and we did well from his transfer to Swindon – but his return at the beginning of last season was pretty disappointing. It raised our hopes but came to nothing. 

Look at Paul Groves, though, and what do I need to say? Two magnificent spells at Blundell Park and undoubtedly one of our greatest ever players. We salute you, sir, and wonder have you spawned any offspring. More recently Conor Townsend is another player who returned for a second stint and did just as well, if not better the second time around. Maybe now that he has spent his first game as a Scunthorpe player glued to the bench and they've booted out the manager who signed him, Mark Robins, perhaps he'll find himself out of favour and looking for a loan for some game time? A third loan to the Mariners? Go on then.

I would love to see Ollie Palmer back at the club, as he played such a big part in the second half of last season. He's not as popular with the Leyton Orient fans as he deserves to be, though. As they've just sacked their manager and been linked with Town target Armand Gnanduillet, maybe Palmer's days with the Os are numbered. Slightly more controversially, I also reckon the Shop could do a job for us. Newport are in a state of constant upheaval and John-Lewis is now playing under his third manager since joining them in the summer. I'm leaving it there or I'll be getting grief for just mentioning him.

I loved Carl Magnay last year – we all did – but his time with us definitely feels like it was a one-shot deal, but a dalliance. Sorry Carl, stick where you are or it'll end in tears. 

So there you go. Jon Nolan has no previous with GTFC, of course, but of those who have, who would you love to see back and who would you give a wide berth? Chip in, drop us a line but let's stick to the football. Keep your former relationships to yourselves – unless you really want to see them on our Postbag page.