Cod Almighty | Diary

Looking back is for the birds

30 May 2017

Wicklow Diary writes: I assume that if you're reading this, you're not the type that believes a summer break should be just that. It's probably unhealthy to be immersed in GTFC year round, yet here we are. The internet has us ruined. We signed about three new players during my first ten years supporting Town, so transfer speculation wasn't really a thing back then. The summer used to involve scouring the Telegraph back page to see if Nigel Batch was turning out at Grimsby Cricket Club again. 

Later it meant spending all your holiday money on a two-minute phone call to hear from "Grimsby Town Clubcall, home to all the latest Grimsby Town Football Club news, direct from Blundell Park, the home of Grimsby Town Football Club, with daily Mariners updates coming to you live from Blundell Park as it happens on Clubcall where we should remind you that calls are charged at the rate of 58p/min..." If you could hold your nerve to shovel the 20p pieces in (or were on your mum's phone) you could eventually find out that Alan Buckley was looking forward to the new season or that Frank Bridge was considering changing the pitch marking paint suppliers. 

The summer downtime is probably a bit akin to the start of a slow-burner song like 'The Birds' by Elbow. There's a lot of faffing about and kicking your heels, but then it's all worth it when that oh-oh epicness kicks in after about 3:25. I've tried skipping straight to that part but it's just not as epic without the preceding faffing.

So what faffing about have we to catch up on since our last diary? Siriki Dembele's signing from the Nike Academy has been well received. We smalltowners love a big brand. Would the signing have been greeted as enthusiastically if we'd picked up an attacker from Rochdale or Bury who's never played a league game, let alone scored? He's one for the future and let's hope he he's a hit. Just give the lad time and don't expect him to be starting our first game in a front three with Rhys Browne and Ahkeem Rose.  

Siriki's winter parka in Friday's signing photo has raised suspicions that maybe all our business was done a couple of weeks ago

There's a nice interview in the Telegraph with Siriki if you want the details of the move. "The Nike Academy helped me a lot with everything, and I was able to express myself as much as possible while I was there, playing against some top clubs such as Brentford, Liverpool and Manchester City." Wait, Brentford? How long were we away? Not long enough for Nike Academy to get an invite for the Chuckle-Brother Trophy, an idea so bad that I cannot believe the Football League hasn't proposed it yet.

Balancing all that youth is the experienced head of Ben Davies. Ben signed up yesterday for a second season with us. Expect more signings in the run-up to the season ticket launch on Monday as Russ looks to get his business done early. Siriki's winter parka in Friday's signing photo has raised suspicions that maybe all our business was done a couple of weeks ago. The club could just be stringing us along. Regardless, the message on its "Brand New Website" is Stay on gtfc.co.uk from midday today and throughout the week to get the news first. Crikey, if this was Clubcall, Mum's phone bill would be through the roof. 

"You're grand on your own. With two, you're still probably OK. Three is really pushing it. With four, you are guaranteed one bollix who will ruin it for the rest of ye."

A well-known Irish musician was talking about forming bands when he said this but the principle still applies. Our most recent success was built on unity. Paul Hurst nurtured a great team spirit within his squads. It's a delicate process and one that probably explains the July training camp in Devon. It's an unfortunate fact that most of our squad will probably reside outside of GY. A few days could be a good way to bring them together. Mind you, we all know what happened after the last pre-season trip, also to Devon, in 2009. Kinell, is it too late to get the deposit back?

By contrast, last pre-season I felt a bit aggrieved that we didn't have a tour. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail and all that. Look at Hartlepool off to the Canaries and Leyton Orient spending ten days in Italy. There are two teams really going places. Maybe this pre-season tour thing is an early opportunity to fall out and allow festering differences to rip the side apart?

Moving in the right direction after yesterday's play-off final are Huddersfield Town. Well done to a relatively 'normal' club. The GTFC interest came into focus when the game went to penalties; the goalkeeper coaches were Nick Colgan for Huddersfield and Dave Beasant for Reading. Colgan actually made his Town debut on that pre-season tour to Devon. It seems a lot longer than eight years ago doesn't it? I think Conference years must be like dog years. Or prime minister years. Poor old Theresa May is starting to look like the Nazi who drank from the wrong chalice at the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. That's purely incidental though.

Finally, more Devon on the menu. Blackpool won the play-off final that really mattered and that means it is Exeter who complete the line-up for next season. Fixtures are out on 21 June. Or is it 22 June?