Cod Almighty | Diary

Well the church bells are calling; police cars on fire

6 September 2019

To get anywhere in life, you need to build bridges. Humans have been going places ever since they learnt to bridge life’s rivers and valleys – first with paths, then roads, then aqueducts and viaducts. And then, when it wasn’t possible to build over, they built under, with tunnel systems which spanned cities and even whole bodies of water.

Bringing people closer together has, over time, been the irrefutable trend of humanity. It’s a shame, therefore, that political manipulation, lies and laziness – on both sides of the argument – have led to a situation where this country has been taken almost blindfolded into a chaotic inferno of confusion; where we actively want to isolate ourselves from other people.

We might be a deeply divided nation in the midst of a political and cultural crisis, but it’s Friday and the Mariners play tomorrow so, you know, if your West Yorkshire Diary keeps his fingers in his ears, ignores the television and just focuses on the football, then maybe everything will turn out just fine.

So let’s talk about something nice now. Grimsby Town Football Club continue to build bridges with the fans on social media. Their output on Twitter and Instagram in particular has improved tenfold since the start of the season; it’s almost like someone knows what they’re doing and has a grand plan. As a result, engagement levels have shot through the roof and fans feel better informed and better connected with what’s going on at Blundell Park – so when Matt Green and Elliott Hewitt take time out to visit an unfortunate young fan laid up in hospital then we all get to appreciate the goodwill that goes on beyond the pitch.

And coverage of the women’s team has been comprehensive since its inception. I don’t need to search the internet to know the name of the manager, and I know the first game of their inaugural season in the Lincolnshire League is against Appleby Frodingham Ladies this Sunday at the Oasis Academy Wintringham, 2pm kick-off, because of this article. Thanks for keeping us up to date – and good luck to all involved ahead for their historic match.

Now, back in the day, when the day was anywhere between 1998 and 2002, Crewe were, like us, a plucky second division side. And when the Mariners faced the Alex, there was an unusual sense of expectation because, for once, we weren’t outrageous underdogs.

It won’t be a surprise to any Town supporter to learn that we didn’t cope well with the expectation. On the eight occasions we met Crewe in the league during those four seasons, we managed to win just once. Since being reunited in the fourth division, we’ve played them a further six times and lost four – all to nil, including a 5-0 hammering at Gresty Road when Gavin Gunning was a thing. And I’ve glossed over the two occasions we faced each other in 2009-10 when they put four past us home and away in two heavy defeats. When Paul Linwood was a thing.

With just three wins in our last 18 against the Railwaymen, you can add Crewe to that ever-lengthening list of bogey sides. Our record against them is clearly nothing to write home about, unless it's a postcard to your mum that says "We're shit v Crewe".

But maybe the tide is turning, because two of those three wins have come in the last two years – well, one came in May, when goals from Harry Davis and Joe Grayson helped us close last season out with a very satisfying 2-0 win.

This season, Ludwig Öhman is a thing. The squad feels right. The gap between the players on the pitch and the people in the stands feels like it’s grown closer. There’s good work going on in the community – as always – but now we’re hearing more about it. If this country is intent on burning bridges, then at least we, in this small part of the world, can keep building them.

Enjoy the match tomorrow and UTM!