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Cod Almighty | Diary

Due diligence? A Google search would have done

18 December 2020

Daubney Diary writes: It's been a long week for all associated with GTFC so like all good soap operas, the end of the week is a good time for an omnibus style catch-up on events surrounding the main characters.

Let's start with the gaffer, Ian Holloway. To some he's still the messiah, others are far from convinced. Yesterday Ian did what many of us do when things start to get too much: he had a vent on social media. Well received by GTFC and beyond, the statement leaves a lot of questions. It certainly isn't the right hook to John Fenty that many have greeted it as, and the suggestion that both the owner and prospective owners "playing politics" caused the head scratching normally associated with Holloway team selections.

The statement does set the scene in the football world beyond the A180 for Holloway to play the "basketcase club" card and write off any responsibility for the state of the club if he walks or gets the boot. More worryingly, there's enough in it for John Fenty to come out as a born again non-chairman and claim mistakes have been made by all sides (just one side), lessons have been learned (they haven't) and it's time to move on together (no, just you).

Let's leave Ian for a moment and talk about John. Last week, the breaking of the Alex May story triggered the majority shareholder's resignation from his council posts. Worringly, as pointed out by Middle Aged Diary, Fenty used the statement to mention he was going to use his new found free time to focus on his football club. The lesson being, you need ethics and morals on the council but not when you're the custodian and safekeeper of the local football club.

There are many unanswered questions about Alex May and his association with Fenty and GTFC, some of them voiced by John Tondeur yesterday. Who knew what, and when, are the most pertinent right now. We can get to who was going to make out like a bandit from subsequent deals later.

As brilliantly explained by Tony Butcher to Matt Dean, (21 minutes in here), another unanswered question is whether May was buying new shares or someone else's. Regardless, the £1million purchase would have made him the largest shareholder of Grimsby Town Football Club. John Fenty, scourge of tyre-kickers and self-styled saviour, attempted to sell control of the club to a fraudster with a history of crime and bankruptcy and a future of deportation from the UK. Grimsby Town deserve much better than Alex May or whatever he is called this week but we also deserve better than John Fenty, his "friend" (May's own description) and now former business partner. 

So what due dilligence was done on this chancer if a Google search suggests you need to run a mile from him, not invite him to Blundell Park for VIP treatment? More questions. What were Philip Day and the rest of the board, including the Mariners Trust, doing? Without an explanation we must assume all must be inept, naive or in on the gig somehow. With the future of the club at stake, are any of the board fit for office in this case?

Can we have some football please? Yes, of course. Let's get back to that Ian Holloway guy. His loyal supporters cite the form shown from January to March as indicative of the true potential of Holloway's GTFC. As we know, the highlight and culmination of that run was a comfortable 2-0 win at the home of tomorrow's opponents, Plucky Scunthorpe United. 

It will be a different side that trots out at Blundell Park, with altogether lower expectations from the fans. This is where the Holloway doubters find their voice. Sure, the spell showed potential but so did the honeymoon periods of Bignot, Slade II and Jolley. Yes his hands were tied by contracts needing covid clauses but surely that should have put the emphasis on recruiting quality over quantity. Regardless, a good manager with Holloway's experience should be able to work with and improve what he has at his disposal. Recognise strengths and weaknesses and plan accordingly. 

More trialists have been training at Cheapside this week as part of Holloway's continuing attempts to recreate the magic of last Spring. Let's hope they don't throw it back in our faces as Greg Halford did if we don't sign them by scoring against us five minutes later. Greg did some tweeting of his own as well yesterday to refute Holloway's reason for not signing him. Mmm.

Derby matches haven't floated my boat since visting Scunny fans spat in my mate Fieldsy's face for the crime of being a fourteen year old queuing for the Arnold Palmer golf on the prom. NE Lincs remains in Tier 3 but at least no crowds means no embarassing fans from either side. An injury to Kevin van Veen means slightly less chance of embarassment on the pitch, from him or Ian Holloway, as well. I'm desperately clinging to little positives here, aren't I? Well here is a genuine one: Ira Jackson's been knocking them in and here's a nice little interview with the Kent Online you may have missed.  

Before I leave you, it's Christmas next week and if you haven't bought Rob McIlveen's First Champions book already, what the hell are you waiting for? Order it here. Now!