Cod Almighty | Diary

The close season and kindness

16 March 2020

Trentside Diary writes: Well that was a strange Saturday. Like close season but with everything held in limbo. Not "like" but actually closed season.

I’m glad we're not in a promotion, play-off or relegation position. The suspense and frustration would be killing us. If they do decide to resume the season in a few weeks, could you imagine if your in-form striker has gone off the boil and you start losing a few and slipping down the league?

There's a lot of speculation what will happen if it can't be resumed and the season is abandoned. I’m sure Liverpool, Leeds, Coventry and Crewe would be happy if the leagues were frozen as they are and they were champions but you would be a bit peed off if you were Swindon on the same points as Crewe but with a game in hand. We'd also enjoy ribbing those teams that they weren't really champions. And what about relegation? There would be some very unhappy teams who still are working hard to avoid the drop.

An alternative would be to treat the season as null and void and start next season with all teams in the same leagues. But replacing Bury would still complicate matters.

I for one hope we manage to play the rest of the matches, not least because the lower league clubs could do with the cash flow. They all budget for three months downtime over the summer but upping that to four and a half months will have an impact. I hope that we're not at the stage of putting our hands in our pockets to bail out the club but I'm also hoping that staff aren't too worried for their own situation. Putting season tickets on sale early would improve cash flow but if the matches aren't played, it's still income that's lost for ever. And some fans will be more worried about getting paid if this runs on, so not everyone could renew now.

I’d be surprised you're reading this but: if you believe there's no such thing as society, you're a selfish bastard or a eugenicist, don't bother reading any further. It is not football but it is about our fans.

Those of us who are living our lives as normally as possible, aren’t stockpiling or trying to sell goods at exorbitant prices on ebay, well done. That's the start of a being a decent human being. But there is more to it than that. A few elderly Town fans and some not in great health were grateful for the match being called off on Saturday because they were nervous about being in close proximity to lots of people. Think of the squash in the entrance to the upper Findus. Don't belittle that nervousness.

A friend of mine went into one of the newish independent bars, popular with Town fans, on Saturday afternoon and was mocked twice for using hand-sanitizer. Come on. Small businesses like these don't want to lose customers, especially with all that's happening, but there's someone who won't be back. You may not care but she works with the elderly and disabled on a daily basis and is doing her bit to protect everyone. If it's you or your mates who think it's banter to have a go at someone you don't know, think again. We're not very nice to each other sometimes are we?

So be nice to each other. Look out for others. fingers-crossed you get through this as unscathed as possible in health and financially.

UTM. Fenty out. Day Out.

Domestic Diary adds: Developing Trentside Diary's theme, Cod Almighty reader David Burton has alerted us to the initiative #footballcares being promoted on Twitter by Jimmy Sirrel's Lovechild. The idea is smply that those fans who are fit and well may want to give a little bit of the time and energy they usually devote to football helping those who need it, including those of course who will miss the weekly contact with their community provided by the game.

We have posted a message on our Facebook site to allow people to share messages and offers of support. We will add more here as we learn more about the help that is on offer and is needed in North East Lincolnshire.