Cod Almighty | Diary
Optimism is brave
3 January 2020
When it comes to football — and Grimsby Town more specifically — your West Yorkshire Diary’s natural disposition is cynical. But it hasn’t always been that way.
None of us come into this world immediately mistrustful of the things we're meant to like. You only need to watch some kids play a half-time game of football on the Blundell Park pitch to see how none of them hack another down, or dive theatrically, or waste time. Sadly, the cynicism gets coached into them later down the line.
It requires an awful lot of false promises and ignorance to make me feel as mistrustful as I do about the club I'm meant to love unconditionally. But, sadly, false promises and ignorance have been in abundance since the turn of the millennium, and they aren't simply overlooked or forgotten about just because of one impressive piece of business.
So when Ian Holloway was announced as Town’s new manager on the eve of 2019, I had to work very hard to supress the cynicism and enjoy the news. After all, having given it plenty of thought, I do believe it's a good appointment. I think we all agree on that — including Paul Thundercliffe, who explains how Holloway is just the sort of person this club needs.
I still fear it’s destined to end the way almost all previous managerial appointments have ended because, let's face it, very few managers leave Blundell Park with an enhanced reputation. But I can't deny that Holloway has already had a profound effect on the club and the fans, and I'm not going to deny anyone the feelgood factor or immense positivity that's doing the rounds at the moment.
It's my long-held belief that, at this level in particular, motivation carries you a long way. If you can take a bunch of average fourth division footballers, play them in their best positions and make them feel like they're champions then success won't be far away. As yesterday’s Middle-Aged Diary mentioned, there has been very little criticism of the players’ efforts during this barren spell. A bit of love and affection is probably the one thing they've been missing most, and Holloway should be able to give them that in spades.
While he's made some mistakes in his managerial career (who hasn't?) Holloway has also enjoyed success at a high level and seems a decent, hard-working, principled man. He's different to anything we've had before and it'll be interesting to see how the players react in the next few weeks.
I do genuinely hope all this has a happy ending. I think the board deserve praise for bringing him to Grimsby. However my delight is tempered by their historical inadequacies. This feels like a protracted VAR check — the goal seems good, but the board's future conduct will tell whether we can really celebrate the start of a new era.
With Holloway attending board meetings, it at least puts an experienced football head in among a group of men that have been fumbling around in the dark for too long. It's a small but potentially significant shift in how we operate.
Tomorrow the Mariners travel to Mansfield. The impact Holloway has already had means we'll be taking many more fans than we ordinarily would, and he'll get to see first-hand our superb away following. He might already be acutely aware of our past glories, but tomorrow will give him a good idea of how big this club could be, and how many will back it, if it gets things right on and off the pitch.
Field Mill hasn't always been a happy hunting ground for the Mariners (we’ve lost on our last two visits) but an Omar Bogle penalty won us the game in September 2016 when we were still riding the crest of our promotion wave.
Before that, you have to go back to April 2011 for our last win there, when a debut goal for Charlie I’Anson helped Town to a 2-0 win — our first under Shorty and Shouty.
For now I choose to be hopeful and optimistic, not cynical. Win, lose or draw tomorrow, we know the fans will be in good voice, the manager will be passionate and the players will try their best. And sometimes — sometimes — that's all you can ask for.