Cod Almighty | Diary

I believe in miracles

18 February 2016

Devon Diary writes: As we wait for the latest loan signing or free agent to cross the Blundell Park threshold, I'm reminded of a quote by former Derby County manager and Town player Harry Storer: "It's easy to be a good manager – all you have to do is sign good players."

This crops up in both David Peace's The Damned Utd (the novel that inspired the film) and also in For Pete's Sake, the biography of Clough's right-hand man Peter Taylor. Clough and Taylor held Storer in great esteem and rightly too. Like other influential managers such as Bill Shankly and I guess Old Big 'Ead himself, he could sum up the big issues of football in a few words; probably what we call soundbites these days.

It's a good point and one we ought to file away for next time we criticise our manager for not bringing in a new player or two in the transfer window or conversely for bringing in a player when we believe we ought to stick with our pack rather than twist. We should also note it because Storer is one of us. He started his professional career with Town, spending a couple of seasons with us between the wars before moving on to Derby, the club with which he made his biggest impact as a manager. 

Ever quotable, Harry Storer also said this: "I have a team of bastards, and I am the biggest bastard of all."

Clough himself frowned on the roughhouse tactics of Leeds when he managed Derby County – but he clearly took it on board after being sacked as Leeds manager. At Forest, while still encouraging the 'beautiful game' and a 'defence to attack' approach he understood that a successful team needed steel from the likes of Kenny Burns. We have many skilful players but when I comes to it, who do we have who will really mix it in a scrappy game? Should Town be looking to add a hard bastard too? Is that the difference between our current squad and promotion, rather than adding another striker? Hmmm. Is it even possible to play like that these days? Would a Bob Cumming make the same impact today? Could he?

"Nobody ever says thankyou" is my final Harry Storer quote and one that has also been used as the title of a Clough biography. He was musing on one of the few certainties in football management – the sack – but maybe we should take this on board. Maybe we ought to buck the trend and say 'thanks' to Paul Hurst. Thanks for stopping the slide, thanks for making the team good to watch again and thanks for bringing us back to a position where we are expecting more rather than accepting more of the same. Thanks too for managing to bring in some quality players despite our geography and other handicaps. I dunno, maybe it would be better than moaning at him?

By the way, have you seen I Believe in Miracles? As Wicklow pointed out yesterday; regardless of your generation or allegiance to any one team, if you love football you need to see it. There are far more links between Town and Forest than are on display in this film, but if you're looking for some local interest then in addition to the obvious (Garry Birtles), Austin Mitchell is the first face on screen. Give it a go if you haven't already, maybe treat yourself to a double bill with The Damned United.

In the news today it's interesting to note that, like Bill Shankly and Harry Storer before him, another former employee of Grimsby Town is carving out an impressive managerial career. Craig Shakespeare is assistant to Claudio Ranieri at Leicester and it's great to see the club keeping faith with the staff who got them to the top of the Premier League. Well done, son!

Anyway, what's happening at the club? Nowt really, so like Cloughie used to do with Forest, let's have us a few days off from the football. Maybe watch a film (not that film) and rediscover just how great the game was in the 1970s.

Up the Mariners!