Cod Almighty | Diary

1-0 (Groves)

3 August 2021

Foal, loaf, leaf, note, tone, fret, float, feat, ...

The name of our opponents, Alfreton, in Grimsby's latest pre-season friendly, tonight, is well suited to one of those challenges where you have to make as other words as possible out of its letters. Even limiting yourself to four letters or longer, there must be dozens, even before you throw in the "Town".

... towel, fool, wolf, flow, want, wanton, trawl, tolerant, ... 

Ideal family fun for the school holidays, or indeed to wile away a journey to the Derbyshire town.

If you are thinking this isn't a promising start to a topical Mariners diary, then Middle-Aged Diary agrees. I've been reading the Telegraph's write up of Paul Groves's appearance on the DN35 podcast, and am taking lessons in searing honesty.

Listening to the podcast itself is top of my to-do list, and it should be at the top of yours too. Some people have been using the collapse of ITV Digital as a figleaf for their inadequacies for the best part of two decades (It is much easier to get words from the letters J,O,H,N,F,E,N,T,Y if you throw in a swear word). Groves uses it as a spotlight to analyse exactly where he was at, as a manager, at a very difficult time. He takes responsibility, and rather more blame onto himself than he deserves.

Even pointing out the overuse of the word "legend" has become a cliche. For younger readers, think of Craig Disley, though working at a time when the club played at a higher level, which no doubt made leadership both easier and harder. Let's just make the serious suggestion that, while the club is in the mood to give things a new name, renaming our training facilities after Paul Groves would be a reminder to all our players of the standards to which they should aspire.