Cod Almighty | Diary

Happy days were there

6 July 2020

Trentside Diary writes: It was sobering for us all in May when Town announced the retained list, or more accurately the number of players they were letting go. There were players in there who had served us well and we really would have liked to hang on to. We were downhearted, but accepted that no club could keep out-of-contract players on the basis that they would be useful at some unspecified time in the future. It is the same with signing anyone new, and Ian Holloway has confirmed that there will be no signings without a date for a restart.

Town have been in talks with three players. Billy Clarke is keeping his options open and has rejected a new contract. You can't blame him. He came to get a few games, played in fewer, but he has a pedigree and other clubs will be interested.

Max Wright, or "Gwarn Maxy" as he’s known to the bloke who sits behind me, has signed a new two-year contract. Holloway describes him as a "Grimsby lion". Not a good reference Ollie: you need to check out the ones who ran amok in top town a few years ago. Max signing is good news, and I’m pleased for him and the club. I’m also pleased for "Gwarn Maxy" bloke because he seems to have a little crush on him.

And then there’s Charlie Vernam. We’ve taken him to our hearts as he’s blossomed in the last few months but Burton Albion in the third division are after him and who could blame him if he wants to go? The life of a footballer is relatively short and the precarious nature of their contracts is well documented. If you got the chance to do the same job, but better and for more money, you'd be an idiot not to take it.

Ollie is a “little bit brassed off with everything” and I think we all are brassed off with Covid, but if the club wanted to keep Vernam, why on earth didn't they take the option to extend his contract months ago? Apparently, they took advice from the Football League who said we didn’t need to activate the extension yet because the season would be extended or something. Okaaaaaay, but if you really wanted to keep him wouldn't you activate it anyway just to make sure and then try to negotiate additional years? There’s “Billy-Big-Bollocks” talk of legal action against the League for their advice but the reality is we have cocked up and it looks like we have lost Vernam. Bloody hell Town, “Plus ça change” and all that!

UTM!