Cod Almighty | Diary

Set the controls for the heart of the Pontoon

23 August 2021

Miss Guest Diary writes: Being a Town fan is starting to feel like being the unpopular kid at school who was never invited to parties. There are some league clubs who have already played five games while we have yet to get the season started. Obviously the cancellation of the game at Bromley couldn't be helped and I wish everyone with Covid a full and speedy recovery, but it's still frustrating. I'm just thankful I held off buying the train tickets.

But there was a little part of me that, for a number of reasons, was pleased at the postponement. The awayday was already spoilt by the kick-off being moved to 5.20 to suit BT Sport (who then replaced our match with one featuring the champions of Serie A!). As a season opener, going to Bromley, with their plastic pitch and their no-doubt high morale from having made the play-offs last season, is one of those footballing banana skins that pundits like to talk about. Having our opening game at Blundell Park against Weymouth (Covid rules permitting) is a much better prospect and a great opportunity for us fans to really get behind the team and put them on the front foot.

So with no Town game to talk about, what's left? Well the DN35 podcasters have been at it again – this time an interview with Debbie Cook, the new CEO. What a breath of fresh air: open, enthusiastic, charming, and obviously thrilled to be part of the club. I loved the anecdote about shopping for the new signings to ensure their store cupboards were full of the right sort of food. I was also encouraged to hear her acknowledge the shortcomings of the ladies facilities – hot water please, before the clocks go back, if possible!

Those Bogle rumours are flying about again following the news story that he has been given permission by Doncaster to speak to another club. There's no sensible reason why he would want to sign for a non-League club at this stage in his career (and Town couldn't afford him anyway), but since leaving Town he has made 112 appearances for eight different clubs and scored 18 goals. For Town he scored 32 goals in 68 appearances. Just saying.

Talking of unaffordable strikers, while watching the highlights from the Bananarama yesterday I heard one of the commentators mention in passing that a striker was on £9,000 a week. To pay that for a year, Town would have to sell an extra 1,560 season tickets at £300 a time. With wages like that being paid in the division, I'm not surprised Paul Hurst hasn't been able to sign any of the "recognised" strikers whose names have been bandied about in the last few weeks. He's going to have to find his own diamond in the rough – exactly as he did with Omar six years ago.

On a completely different topic – what on earth is happening with football kits in the "elite" leagues? I thought a nadir had been reached with one of Man City's away kits a few years ago but Spurs outdid them by a considerable margin at the weekend. What was that? A reproduction of a prog rock album cover? And then there's the diagonal stripes adopted by Crystal Palace. Serie A is just as bad – Inter have swapped their traditional blue and black stripes for a two-tone blue snakeskin effect. Thank goodness for the traditional black and white of the Mariners.

It's now almost 18 months since I saw Town play a competitive game, so this week I'm keeping everything crossed in the hope that we'll be kicking off the season at Blundell Park on Saturday.

UTM