Cod Almighty | Diary

A Jolley jape or two

5 March 2018

Good morning everybody, it's the Cod Almighty show, radiating out across the internet in the dawning of the age of a curious new kid in town. Yes, it's the first diary after the sneaky late Friday announcement of young Mr Michael Jolley as the replacement Russ service after Town went off the rails. The queue for Port Vale is next to the paddling pool formerly known as the ticket office. The building ain't crying, no, it's just been cutting onions to make a lasagne.

Meet the new boss, definitely not the same as the old boss, and any resemblance to the old-old boss is purely accidental. Bignot with brains? Hey, what floats our mental Grimbarian trawlers more than an educated, articulate Yorkshireman with an internationalist bent? What an interesting chap, what a fascinating backstory, let this be the first and last word on the Falkirk thing. It's the flip side of Clayton McDonald.

At least the Jolleyboatman has spoken to God, as our erstwhile colleague, Alderman his Worship The Guest Diary, winkled out from the wide world of the web. "What?" you say. As part of his Pro Licence course, young Michael produced a paper on "Sustained Success in Football Management" interviewing, among others, Sir Alan of Buckley. Feeling a sense of long-term calm already? It's a sign! This well-groomed Yorkshireman wants high-intensity, fast, attacking football. Well, there's always next year.

Oh, the short term: Saturday. Town's notoriously unlucky dance with Dame Football Fortune continued as Carlisle managed to clear the snow and produce a playable pitch. Darn it, Mutley, there's no way they'd pass up the chance for three easy points – getting the game in before the new manager dead cat bounce. Same players, same outcome. We really have to salute the 143 who ventured north through the ice and snow, their only goal the northern shore. Me? As a conspicuously consuming metaphor, I stocked up on new underpants. Frayed at the edges and too many holes in the old pants, m'lud.

Let's just forget the past and look to the future. Ten games left and life just got interesting again.