Cod Almighty | Diary

There's no rules in this game. That's what makes it so exciting

26 August 2020

Basque Diary writes: It is finally, in a way, getting to that time of year again. Our League Cup first round fixture versus Morecambe is a week on Saturday. The League season kicks off the following weekend.

Later than usual and, of course, crowdless lower league football is soon to be back on the calendar. As such, the annual season previews are starting to appear in magazines, on websites and social media channels. The ones I have seen so far have the Town firmly in mid-table. Not one of the weakest but definitely not one of the strongest either. I always enjoy Ben Mayhew's various scatter charts but I do wonder how he expects to get an accurate measurement of teams in 2020 seeing as most teams have only played a couple of friendlies and haven't even got near to finishing their transfer business. That is part of the fun this season, despite the fanless grounds: it is a real unknown quantity. The feeling that it could go anyway for any club seems to hold true, such has been the effect of the pandemic.

Yesterday, the DN35 podcast posted a very handy graphic highlighting the Mariners' ins and outs so far this term. Spolier alert - it's very much an outs list. Sadly, Brandon Buckley also features on the list. I can't say I have seen much of Brandon on the pitch but I have heard from several sources that he was supposed to be another prospect coming off Woods' conveyor belt.

It is a shame he couldn't have been offered another year and a loan deal like his peers Harry Clifton and Max Wright who flourished at Grantham and Scarborough and Boston respectively. That system seems to have worked well for us in recent seasons - it is accentuated by Clifton's call-up for the Wales under-21 squad. It is a shame to let someone go without them really having had a proper chance on the pitch.

That said, this year does seem like a year when our remaining YT products will get the chance to flourish. Clifton, Wright, Mattie Pollock and even Joe Starbuck should all get good opportunities. One of my reservations when Ian Holloway signed was whether or not he would develop our youth teamers in to first team regulars when the opportunity arose. With at least four hanging around the first team squad currently I will hold my judgment until the end of his first full season. Rather excitingly though, it would appear, for the first time in years, we have a somewhat clean slate and a chance to kick on.