Cod Almighty | Diary
Not Purple Rain
19 June 2017
Devon Diary writes: Over the weekend, while the rest of the football world wrestled with the sensational news that Ronaldo has had it with Spain because of some argument about taxes, the only thing that mattered in North East Lincolnshire was that our new shirt was in fact purple and not pink. A bit like that dress a while back which might have been white and gold but was actually blue and black.
New York gypsy punk outfit Gogol Bordello once suggested we start wearing purple and now, a decade or so later, the good folks of Grimsby (and Cleethorpes) have taken that to heart. On Saturday the initial stock of our new third shirt sold out in double-quick time. I'd not considered it before but maybe Gogol Bordello are Town fans after all, as they warn us: "All your sanity and wits, they will all vanish, I promise, it's just a matter of time." Tell me about it. Anyway, if this isn't an awayday sing-song for next season then I don't know what is.
It's still quiet on the transfer front, putting to bed the theory that we had done all of our deals a while back but were holding them back 'til now to give a boost to season ticket sales. We learnt on Friday that Rhys Browne has left us and signed for Yeovil Town where he hopes to get some first-team football. Good look to him. I can't help but worry he's going to score against us next season, especially as we still have a Danny Andrew-sized hole at left-back.
The Beeb's Matt Dean reckons there will be news of a striker and a centre-back this week but he's not elaborating any further than that. There's plenty of speculation on social media about who the incomings might be, ranging from the plausible (players who Slade managed recently) to the frankly ludicrous (Wes Brown!). Liam Wood over at the Telegraph has cobbled together a list of possible strikers which you might cast your eye over if you have a spare minute or two. Matt Green, ex of Mansfield, looks pretty handy but on the whole it's all a bit uninspiring isn't it? Personally, I'd like to see Ahkeem Rose given a chance to prove himself in the senior ranks this season.
Also in today's Telegraph is the welcome news from James McKeown that Russ and the players don't want other teams winning at Blundell Park. There's even mention of it becoming a fortress next season.
Russ is apparently close to appointing one of those sports science coaches that everyone else seems to have but the mention of which at Town in the last year has done little more than flag the departure of the manager. There's mention again of this scientific approach in this article by James Findlater, where we also learn that the worst day of pre-season will be the first Tuesday, as Monday will be used to hand out the kit. I'm presuming anyone whose kit doesn't fit gets extra press-ups or summat? Work 'em hard, gaffer!