Cod Almighty | Diary

A mention in despatches for Jean-Paul Kalala

25 June 2021

Phil Jevons was a walking symbol that even in a bleak season you can have fun. His goal against Liverpool came in the middle of a 10-match winless run in the league. Then in a relegation season he scored a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Barnsley.

It was a game which came with some extra baggage in those days. Some Town fans don't like Yorkies, and given Nestlé's role in promoting formula milk for babies who would really be better off at their mother's breast, who can blame them. Beyond that, it had not been so long before that Grimsby and Barnsley had competed for the prestigious Club Most Likely to be Chanted Disparagingly at Top Flight Teams Facing Relegation Award.

The rest was history. Town were relegated, Jevons was named player of the year and then buggered off to Yeovil Town. Phil Jevons will never be Middle-Aged Diary's favourite player - I'm told he'll get over it - but it is churlish to deny that he is a strong runner to complete our team of players who did well despite going down with the ship. We've had worse pains since than the two relegations we suffered while he was with us, but we've had no nights so heady as Anfield, few days so rampageous as a game in a troubled season when everything suddenly clicks and we sweep aside our opposition with delirious ease.

Marc North too played a large role in a 5-1 win in a relegation season - that was against York, and much less unexpected - and next year starred in a Cup upset: he came on as a sub, equalised with his first touch at Middlesbrough and then got the winner. He wasn't at Blundell Park long: we sold him to Leicester City for a decent fee when he could be spared, after once his departure was our biggest fear. His deeds were soon hidden by better things that came our way, while Jevons was all we could cling to for a long while after.

Billy Cairns, with 16 goals in Division One, came at the very end of the most golden of ages. Unlike both Jevons and North, he stayed: eight years, 221 games and 120 goals in three different divisions for Town. Neville Butt was lucky enough to see him play.

When I started, I thought I knew who I'd vote for to complete the Shone in Adversity XI, but I find that I don't. I'm glad I saw two of them, and I wish I'd seen the third. I'll be guided by you. Vote once, and don't vote too late.