Cod Almighty | Diary

Imagine tumbleweed rolling across the terraces of Glanford Park

3 October 2017

Middle-Aged Diary is knocking at an open door: the social media are remarkably silent about tonight's game in the empty husk of what was once the Football League Trophy.

Come on, no-one appears to be saying, it's Scunthorpe, the derby. That trumps any boycott, surely? Read between the lines of what Scunthorpe manager Graham Alexander and our own Russell Slade are saying and it is apparent that, if you are taking this match seriously, you are on your own. All your attendance tonight would do is put money in the Iron's coffers and give succour to Football League boss Shaun Harvey, who has taken to boasting that attendances in the trophy this season aren't quite as catastrophically bad as they were last.

However, football supporting is, at its best, a collective experience, and this evening there is no Check-our-Tirade boycott match to attend instead. So if you are stuck at home and at a loose end, here are two positive actions you can take.

First, set aside the money you would have spent tonight, and prepare to spend it at at the Craig Disley benefit match instead. Tweet something along the lines of "Forget B teams, remember Diz" as you do it.

Then consider this quote from Slade about tonight's game: "It's a really good opportunity for those coming in who have not played in recent games to stake a claim. They're all valued players, so I'm hoping they can give me a headache before Saturday."

Harry Clifton, you will remember, made his debut in the last trophy game, and apparently played really well. His reward was to be dropped from the matchday squad. He is a young man trying to make a career for himself so he cannot afford the luxury. But at 7:45 tonight, how about we all give Slade a hollow laugh on his behalf?