Cod Almighty | Diary

Let there be light

7 August 2019

Miss Guest Diary writes: For the last couple of seasons I have been sat next to a chap in the Pontoon who always has a bet on the outcome of the match. Fortunately for him, it’s only a couple of pounds, because he has never yet been right. We always have a little joke about it, but I can't honestly see the attraction.

The limit of my gambling is a couple of successful punts on the Grand National in the 1970s. I was living in a flat above a bookies at the time; a very odd experience. It was in the days when you could smoke anywhere. I'd get home and all the smoke drifting up through the floorboards made it seem as if someone had been having a party in my flat while I was out at work.

I did once consider putting a bet on Town. It was at an FA Cup game against West Ham during the Brian Laws era. We passed the bookies stall on the way into the match and they were offering some ridiculous odds for Laws to score the first goal. "Ooh, shall I have a fiver on that?" I asked my partner. "Don't bother, he probably won’t even start the game." was his response. Well, I am sure you can all guess what happened next. He has never been allowed to forget this. But as he's someone who thinks a stocks and shares ISA is gambling, I get no sympathy.

So I only sought out that programme about betting – Can You Beat the Bookies? – on iPlayer because it featured Grimsby’s own Lloyd Griffith, and it got four stars in the Guardian TV review. It was fun to spot where Lloyd was wandering about in Cleethorpes, and interesting to learn the lengths people will go in trying to beat the bookies. But the message was clear – gambling is for mugs. If you haven't seen the programme, it’s repeated at 10.35 tonight on BBC1. It’s definitely worth a watch, if only to see Lloyd having to bet against Town to please one of the pundits advising him.

I could tell you that the EFL Trophy competition kicked off last night and that it has a new sponsor. But as I have been boycotting the whole thing since the introduction of under-21 teams a couple of years ago, I won't bother.

Instead I will tell you that Elliott Whitehouse has made the Football League team of the week for our division. By coincidence, he is the pictured player for August on this year's Town calendar. When was the last time the Town calendar featured players in the last third of the year who are still with the club? No, I can’t remember either. So it is a joy to see that the final four months of 2019 are represented by Whitehouse, Charles Vernam, Ahkeem Rose and Harry Clifton (he's one of our own, you know). Roll on Saturday, when I can see them all again.

Oh, and the new floodlights work. They were switched on at the Mariners Trust Q&A event last night. And very fine they look too. UTM.