Cod Almighty | Postbag
Postbag: slave to the corporate dollar
11 November 2005
Good day to you fine letter readers and welcome to yet another late edition of the postbag. Finally I've escaped the shackles of slavery that have stopped me doing a letters page for the last few weeks. I have to go back in the cellar next week though...You know the drill, send an email to postbag@codalmighty.com to see your name on these most hallowed pages. Unless you're a Newcastle fan, in which case, just go and have a little cry somewhere else instead of moaning at me, thank you very much. See ya.
Cross words
Clue from the Mail on Sunday (9th Oct) crossword - "Team that knocked Tottenham Hotspurs out of the second round of this year's Carling Cup (7, 4)". Any ideas?
from Miss B
Piles of agony
What a perfect analogy - the Diary's piles and Anthony Williams in the same breath! Thought I might have a moan about the first half against Wycombe, but as you have accused me of always moaning, thought I'd best not!
from Phil Shorter
Letters Ed responds: Oh go on then Phil, you can have a moan again. There's plenty to moan about at the moment too.
Sir Macca MBE MBA
Does any one know what happened regarding Macca's MBE campaign? I have heard that he will quit football in the summer, and I know that Tony Richardson is due to retire too. Now, how about Mr Fenty rewarding Macca for his loyalty and giving him Tony's job in the commercial section?
What a great figurehead he would be to attract new business to Town.
from Mike
We're gonna win the league one day
How many matches should be played before we should dare to consider ourselves real title contenders?
from Vernon Kettle
Letters Ed responds: Ooh. I think I'll give us 46 matches.
Shirty
I swear there was something in the Telegraph about Franz Ferdinand signing Town shirts for the club to sell, just because one of them has an auntie or something who lives here.
from Scott B
Letters Ed responds: I think their manager was from Grimsby or something. But you're right, it was in the GET.
The New Zealand story
I watched Grimsby during the late 70's early 80's before heading off to Birmingham Polytechnic to study engineering. Work kept me in Brum, where I made plenty of mates through work and social football. One very good friend headed off to Bahrain to work for a couple of years and returned with a new girlfriend soon to be wife. We got onto the where are you from discussion, and fairly soon closed in on, age 10 days apart, born in the same hospital - Not Croft Baker, but St Hughes - I think even closer to Blundell Park!
As you will see from the email address I've emigrated to NZ. Now been joined by my ex work colleague and his Grimsby wife. Living in the same suburb of Wellington. Spend Sunday mornings reading reports of games.
Was lucky enough to be back in the UK a couple of weeks ago for a weekend and managed to see the Boston game.
Great web page - now my wife (a Brummy) will believe me that nunty is a word and not one just made up by my family.
from Paddy Atkinson
Letters Ed responds: Cheers Paddy. Great to here from you - and CA resident statto Andy Holt will be glad to know there's other Town fans in NZ when he emigrates over there in the near future.
Elton's Grimsby
A few months ago I mentioned to your column - to some surprise- that Elton John had a) visited Blundell Park, and b) composed a ditty entitled 'Grimsby' . Not necessarily both at the same time. Anyway - I found the lyrics (by local-ish Bernie Taupin) online. Here they are below. A bit odd aren't they?
from As I lay dreaming in my bed
Letters Ed responds: Across the great divide I thought I heard the trawler boats Returning on the tide And in this vision of my home The shingle beach did ring I saw the lights along the pier That made my senses sing Oh oh grimsby, a thousand delights Couldn't match the sweet sights Of my grimsby Oh england you're fair But there's none to compare with my grimsby Through nights of mad youth I have loved every sluice in your harbour And in your wild sands from boyhood to man Strangers have found themsel
Word games
Please could you tell me what the origins of the term 'Bobby Dazzler' is?
from Esther
Letters Ed responds: Er. I was going to make something up, but I've gone completely blank.
Ol' fat arse is back
Who let Tony Crane anywhere near a penalty?
from Yussef Moursel
Letters Ed responds: Or even: a football pitch?
Craned
Crane's penalty just landed in my garden. I live in Stallingborough.
from Hugh Tipman
All-action Friday football
I've just been watching 'The Last Boy Scout'. Hey, the dvd was only £2.97, and I like those all-action Bruce Willis movies. Anyway, you anti-Friday night football campaigners might be interested to note that the opening sequence features a dreadful sub-Huey Lewis And The News song called 'Friday Night's A Great Night For Football', and features lots of happy, smiling people having a great time. So there.
Then again, the next sequence features the club chairman standing in the pouring rain, being quizzed about diminishing attendances. Then one of his players pulls out a pistol, shoots three opposition players, and then blows his own brains out on the goal line. Perhaps you do have a point after all.
from Joseph C Hallenbach
Town on telly
The other week on Match of the Day, Gary Lineker was heard to say:
"...and the goal of the month competition winner is Mr Nigel Finch, who suspiciously has the same name as our producer's dad - except this Nigel Finch is from Taunton, and not from Grimsby..."
So MotD's producer is from Grimmo. You think he'd manage to shoehorn more Town references into the programme, wouldn't you. Do any of your readers know said producer, Ian Finch, or his dad Nigel? In fact, are any of your readers Ian or Nigel? I think Ian Finch should make Lineker mention Grimsby every week from now on.
from Larry Gineker
Burns is Town fan shocker
I was reading through 'The Thundercliffe interviews: John Tondeur', when I spotted this paragraph:
There are some, however, who think Burns is a "limelight-hogging get". Would John echo this? Cue laughter, then: "Me and Burnsy have been friends before he even got the job and he is, believe it or not, a Town fan. He's a producer, it's his programme, he's the one who carries the can." So that's a no then?
Surely this can't be true? Could you shed some light on it please?
from Scott Brummitt
Letters Ed responds: Well, it's true. I think the majority of the Radio Humberside crew are Town fans.
Newcastle erratum
Great piece and largely accurate but if the Fairs Cup isn't a trophy of note then I don't know what is. We won it in 1969 - that was in the days when only champions entered the European Cup and please don't get on to that "where were you when you were shite" track. When our gates were low ALL league attendances were at an all time low. Looking forward to a great game on Wednesday
from Ian Dickinson
A letter from Shearer's boyfriend
Simon Wilson is a tit. I've just read his comments on Newcastle. What a fucking nob head he is, what's he got against Newcastle? I only read a third of his article and have come to the conclusion that this guy is a fucking wanker. Thanks.
from Steve
Letters Ed responds: Thank you. Perhaps next time you'd be better off reading the whole article before writing letters to me with capitalised swear words. Cunt bucket.
More on the geordie blouse
Shearer spoilt what was a fighting display from the Town rear guard. Ok, so Whittle looks to have thrown an arm,but as Shearer said himself - it is a mans game and I can look after myself on the pitch. He proved that he was more subtle than Whittle in the early exchanges claiming he was sorry in catching Whittle with an elbow. He then whined like a Sunday league player for the rest of the game.
Both sides had to dig in and work hard, there did not look a big gulf in class. It took one well worked move and a bit of luck to settle the match. Town can be proud of this cup run and should now kick on to the target of promotion.
from Keith Falla
Where were they when they were shite?
It is always the same. Big team visits 'smaller' team and expects royal treatment. Shearer and Souness have made careers out of bashing people and yet they whinge the minute something doesn't go their way. For once, Town had a ref who thought it better to let the game flow rather than spoil matters with a card. Double his match fee!
And anyway, Newcastle fans best in the world, every Saturday a sell out at St James' - what about the early 90's pre-Keegan. I'm sure I saw Town play them and only 15,000 turned up - don't they remember that?
from Ian Jackson
Sibbo: 50 going on 48
What a week I`ve had. Celebrating my 50th on Wednesday by meeting THE Diary in the Rutland. No! I mean watching the Justin and Alan show at downtown BP, then having a major drinking session on Friday and being too pissed to travel to Northampton.
By the sound of Tony Butcher's match report, being pissed may have been the most suitable state to have watched the game in. It sounds as if we were lucky to get a point at Sixfields and I keep thinking our luck will soon run out. Somehow we're getting better results than last season, whilst being less than convincing. I`m baffled, is anyone else?
I see Colin Cramb notched his tenth goal of the season for that well known Scottish team Stenhousemuir. Would he or any striker have ten by now wearing a Town shirt? Probably not, but I have a bet on with a mate that Michael Reddy will score ten by the end of the season. Somehow I think the glass will have a big head on it.
Oh well we can all look forward to an F.A.Cup run and dream of a January trip to mega rich and mega talented Hull. That should get the taste buds tingling. Is anyone up there scared of Justin?
from Sibbo
Stat slack
I reckon Andy is resting on his laurels a bit. It used to be hard work to read his columns, however of late I reckon they have been lacking in the pointless depth I used to enjoy so much.
Come on Andy! Pull your socks up!
from Paul Wright
Foreign invasion
I'm a sixth form student in Bedford and I've been a Town fan to a certain extent for as long as I can remember (albeit a passive one: watching games has been a difficult task - either not living in the country or just being plain lazy). When I did live in Grimsby I went to St James school - you know, along Bargate - to have a boarding school near family (e.g. Grandparents - incredible how many people sited that reason for going boarding to that school). Afterwards I moved away for A-levels.
This weekend, I've decided to make up for that by introducing 12 prospective new fans to the club. Impressed by the Tottenham and - yes - Newcastle games I managed to convince them it'd be worth watching the Mariners, something I know I'll live to regret but there you go. The thing is, not one of these guys apart from the Housemaster, his wife and children are going to be English (and they're welsh, therefore they don't really count either). There'll be 17 to 19 year-olds from Germany (Hamburg and Munich), China (Hong Kong and, ummm, mainland China) and one from Nigeria. Will he be the only black fan in the stadium? I'm pretty sure our Chinese will be the only asians, so that could be quite entertaining.
So can Grimsby get a new Bedford-contingent of fans? There's three that I know of at my college, and it'd be nice to live in an atmosphere where people go "Grimsby? Oh yeah, I know that's a great team!". Am I living in a dreamworld? Yeah, most probably, but a win against Wycombe would be nice anyway.
The only ever game I ever went to was years ago when we were still in the "First Division" and Clive Mendonca helped the team win 3-1 at home.In essence, that means I've never seen Grimsby lose in real life and therefore I reckon we'll win.
from Mo Taylor
Letters Ed responds: I'm not sure Lennie Lawrence's fantastical plans to enter in to the Chinese market ever bore fruition, maybe because of the abject failure of Zhang Enhua. I could, of course, be completely wrong.
Stuck on you
Here is one for you, a Panini sticker from the early 80's of peculiar goings on (I'd love confirmation of the year). Front row - is that Kev Drinkell in the middle left, hands on BOTH NEIGHBOURS KNEES with mutual hand/knee swappage from the player on his right and nothing doing from Bobby Cumming nn his left? Answers, we need them!
from Ian Jackson
Letters Ed responds: Er. Right. Answers. Yes. Ah. Seven? No? Anyone?
Cod Almighty in corporate sell out shocker
"We choose not to compromise the site - visually or editorially - by carrying advertising."
from Billo
Letters Ed responds: Well, you've got us bang to rights there Billo. I can see we'd have to get up pretty early in the afternoon to catch you out. Please don't let it stop you reading the site though. ** This message bought to you by Dave's Shoe and Coat Warehouse: If Dave don't stock 'em, they aint worth wearing **
Great letter
re: Great Expectations. Great article.
from Rich Mills
Don't laugh back in anger
Instead of looking back in anger at what should have been great Town players who for a lot of reasons are instantly forgetable, why not look for a team that has inspired fathers to take their kids to games, and kids to take up the black and white. I will start it off: Harry Wainman, Mike Hickman, Sir Matt Tees. All from an era long ago but all players whos names live on in the memory of kids who are now over 40.
from Keith Falla
Letters Ed responds: That's a good start Keith. Just another few hundred words and you'll have the finished article...
Pre-match tan
When I was a mascot against Notts Co. during the 87-88 season I spent a bit of time meeting the players in the dressing room. Scott McGarvey was laying on a sun bed, a very strange pre-match routine you have to agree!
from James Thundercliffe
Yurp burp
I regularly pop into your site from my current home in Brussels - following the Mariners from a distance seems to be a popular sport these days. Really like what and how you write.
One of my heros is Mark E Smith from the Fall and, by chance, I just found this photo. Could he be a secret Mariners fan or just one of Codalmighty's? I think we should be told!
Greetings from the silvery grey streets of Yurp!
from Mark Taylor
Letters Ed responds: Greetings to you Mark. The photo is all the proof I need.