Cod Almighty | Diary

Losing my religion

5 February 2018

Miss Guest Diary writes: It is now five weeks since I attended a Town game – the longest spell without attending a match since I got my first season ticket 20 years ago. And I really miss it. Over the years I have come to love watching football for its own sake, not just as a Town fan. Currently the only football I see is Premier League matches on TV where a bunch of preening narcissists take it in turns to dive or to try and score a goal from a spectacular free kick. In fact, the best football I've seen this year was in the latest Nick Park film, Early Man. One of the characters even uttered the sacred words £passing and movement".

I am in this situation because, after the dross I witnessed in the 3-0 defeat to Accrington, I vowed not to go to Blundell Park again while Russell Slade is manager. I really thought he would have gone by now, but last week's statement by the board has put that kibosh on that hope. Slade seems likely to be here for the rest of this season, maybe even next.

Why can't I just change my mind and go back? Only a handful of people would know about my U-turn, and none would judge me for it anyway. But somehow I've lost my connection with Town. That was made very plain to me on Saturday when I received a text from my other half to say Jackson had scored and had literally no idea who Jackson was. Once I was as keen as the next fan to get a glimpse of new signings, to be there when they scored their first goal for us. Now I would really struggle to name the whole squad, let alone recognise the players during a game.

Baz Whittleton's call to Radio Humberside, reproduced as a Cod Almighty diary, in which he declared his intention to continue to support the team no matter who is in charge made me feel a little ashamed of my stance. It also made me ponder why I became such an avid match-goer in the first place. I have seen posts on social media urging continued support for the badge or because of the heritage of the club. But it's not in my blood – I'm from Wembley for heaven's sake; I hadn't even heard of Grimsby until I met my partner in 1989.

I concluded that, for me, supporting Town is not tribal, it's familial. I was lucky enough to begin watching in the Buckley era when the squad changed only marginally from season to season. I became attached to certain players and wanted them, and the manager, to do well. This continuity has dwindled over the years but it has still been there to an extent, even through the Conference years. Even last year we still had Pearson, Disley and McKeown: three stalwarts with many years service between them, plus at the start of the season Bogle and Gowling from the promotion team.

My partner and I used to play a game – long since abandoned – of labelling the squad according to whether they were a 'Town player' or simply 'played for Town'. I'm sure you all know exactly what I mean by that, and have your own views on players down the years. Now the only true Town player at the club is McKeown, and he is currently injured.

So the incentive to return is minimal. Until such time as the club has a manager I can respect, I have no desire to watch a bunch of journeymen go through the motions. They may be wearing the shirt and even trying very hard to win, but they are not Town players and it doesn't feel like my team.