Cod Almighty | Diary

Being Mr Wilkinson

17 December 2019

Domestic Diary has had an idea. Not a very good idea, still less an original one, but an idea nevertheless. I reckon having an old and mediocre idea puts me a step ahead of the board of Grimsby Town.

The club should offer some kind of portal into the lives of Grimsby personalities from history (Present day personalities would be far too scary). It is a bit Being John Malkovich, but to give it family appeal, we cross it with Mr Benn.

To be fair, the club may already be moving in this direction. The release of a limited edition of Town's 1984-85 shirt will give 300 people the chance to spend Christmas afternoon in the park being Paul Wilkinson, as he lifts a siege, lobs a header over Neville Southall and sends one terrace of Goodison Park into delirium and the other three into stunned silence.

No doubt the part of the Mr Wilkinson kit where you get to don a monogrammed tracksuit and stand despondently on a touchline after being thrust into a hopeless cause at a post-Sladian Town, Truro City or Bury will follow. Or not.

There are two reasons why you will find a bit more about politics on Cod Almighty than you might expect in a football fanzine. One is that the experience of supporting a football club is inseparable from the context in which it takes place, a context that is shaped by social, economic and political trends.

The other is that Town's performances have generally been so limp lately (although Dean Summerton took heart from what he saw on Saturday) that contemplating a divided, austerity-riddled Britain is light relief.

Also refusing to separate the political and personal is Howard Pask, who emailed to after Boris Johnson's visit to Grimsby last week: "Did Boris get a personalised shirt? I'm one of those who is distancing himself from the club both physically and financially from the club until further notice as a result of the Brexit Party debacle."

Friday's diary had a huge response. We have already published a counterblast from Janusz Przeniczny and a sympathetic expansion of the theme from Chris Smith. Paul Tuplin is also appreciative: "I would just like to say that I thought Friday's diary was one the best I have ever read and to me every point made hit the nail on the head. Well done West Yorkshire Diary. I don't think even some Tories would disagree with you, although sadly I can think of one who would!"

A Being John Fenty-themed polo-necked pullover and snooker table, anyone?