Cod Almighty | Postbag

Postbag: business hours are over

7 November 2007

Hello all friends and DataCo and welcome to another rip-roaring edition of the only postbag that isn't the first to be read by whoever doesn't read postbags. Or something.All bile directed towards DataCo is gratefully received by simply sending an electronic message to postbag@codalmighty.com. Seeya.

Big Arse names

Wonder if you can help me? I was thinking today about one of my earliest (if not my earliest) Town games which was the FA Cup third round tie against Arsenal at home in 1986. It was a bitterly cold evening I seem to remember and after a fantastic game, Town lost 3-4. Could you tell me what the teams were that night? I seem to recall that the Arse had a few big names such as Rix and (I think) Rocastle to name a couple.

from Ben Gresswell

Letters Ed responds: Could I tell you? I think you've mistaken me for someone who knows stuff about anything. Anyone help Ben out?

Daft dad

In response to Mr Dillerstone's letter on 18th October, I have evidence to back up his claim that preventing websites showing football fixtures leads to a drop in attendances. Last Saturday morning I was speaking to my dad just as he was about to get ready to head off to BP for the match. Imagine his surprise when I told him Town had played the evening before.

Now, if there'd been a site on-line, a site clean of the blight of advertising, that he could have checked for upcoming fixtures he could have avoided feeling so silly.

I cannot support Mr Dillerstone in his claim that preventing websites showing football fixtures leads to a loss in earnings, however. My dad's a season-ticket holder.

from Andy Holt

Let's kick DataCo in the face

"If DataCo are allowed to charge people to publish the fixture lists then surely GTFC are allowed to charge DataCo for using GTFC fixtures to make money," writes MJ Dillerstone in this week's postbag.

One of the tactics used by DataCo to try and justify its pointless existence is to point out that it does, in fact, hand over to Football League clubs some of the money it raises by charging people to publish the fixtures.

But if all the clubs are getting the same amount of money, what's the point? Who really benefits? Our club doesn't get a competitive advantage if the same amount of cash is being handed over to Wycombe and Wrexham and everyone else. The net effect is really just a flow of money from the media (or, more precisely, from those media who can afford to pay) to the players.

And, of course, fans have to go to their clubs' official websites (which may or may not be superb) and the mainstream media to find out the fixtures, rather than non-profit sites like ours (which may or may not be more interesting and colourful than the cash-raking efforts of the clubs and Murdochvision and all the rest). The net effect of this is to make the web a little bit duller and impoverished for those of us who see football as something more than an opportunity to maximise revenue streams.

In summary, then: let's kick capitalism out of football.

from Pete Green

Letters Ed responds: You know, they've gone very quiet since their last e-mail. I can only assume they're compiling some sort of legal threat for us all to laugh at.

Top 10 goals

The suspense is killing me...

from James Brotherton

Letters Ed responds: You're not the only one James. WILSON!!!!!

Chapman's Pond isn't in Grimsby

I read your article on Chapman's Pond and the Grimsby dictionary with great interest and amusement, I thought the latter was excellent. Now, call me pedantic, but I've always understood Chapman's Pond to be in Cleethorpes, saying it's in Grimsby is like saying Grimsby is in Yorkshire.

Please be a little more accurate in your articles. On the whole your site is excellent. Having been brought up on Brereton Ave in the 60's and 70's (Park Street end), it brought back many memories of my time there. I moved away about 12 years ago, but return occasionaly to visit family.

from Steve Gilmore

Letters Ed responds: Well, call me pedantic too, but the article doesn't actually say it's in Grimsby, it instead talks about growing up in Grimsby and going to Chapman's.

GY

re: Grimmo dictionary. What about: GY - used by most people in the Grimmo area to name Grimmo, as in "when are ya back in GY".

Not sure if you are still updating this - good job so far mate, I laughed all the way through the list.

from Jon Frow

Letters Ed responds: I'm not sure if we're updating it either. In fact I'm not sure we're updating anything at the moment. WILSON!!!!

Egging on our faces

A few more entries for your Grimmo dictionary:

Gone egging back o'Doigs doesn't have "at" in it by the way, and my mam, who was often said to have gone there, says there was a poultry farm there, which seems to make more sense!

Meggies is not only an area of Cleethorpes, it also refers to people born there, specifically at Croft Baker maternity home. I should know, I am a Meggie!

Mardy, which I agree has a wide origin, is also lengthened to "mardyarse" to describe someone who is mardy.

Anyway, to some new ones:

Big marbles were known as "Bolleys" at Barcroft Street school.

"Inky the Bladder Blower" refered to a fictional person who committed an offence to which no-one will own up. ie. " Who kicked that ball through my window? Nobody? Oh, must have been Inky the Bladder Blower then!"

"I'll cut your kickles off!" I never knew what kickles were, but I could guess. Often said to a child by an exasperated parent.

"Oh Guttenbergs!" Used in place of a swear word, usually by mothers. Rumours were that Guttenbergs were a company down dock that manufactured trawl gear.

My mam also used to warn against sitting too near a fire, because it "would melt your spine", and insisted that too much vinegar would "dry your blood up".

If I remember any more, I'll let you know.

from Martin Tyrell

Everyday is like a slow news day

So, I gather today's a slow news day for the Mariners is it? Great article though, and probably the source of a new t-shirt "Thick Ghetto"

from Rich Mills

Milton not Keyne

As our lads venture south in to the killing fields of Milton Keynes, accompanied only by eighty seven fanatics and those too drunk to know whither they go, it is important that Town fans everywhere send heartfelt pleas to the god of their choice. These pleas should read summat like: destroy the bastard franchise scum in their own foul lair; if we have a choice - England not to qualify and Town to get precious away points. And get the nesbits off of Town's back.

from Neil Desperandum

Letters Ed responds: Well, I think we can all count on England to do us proud and fail to qualify. I'm sure brave John Terry will be brave and put on a very brave John Terry face and tell us about how brave he's being despite England not qualifying - and it won't be that they haven't qualified because of his lack of bravery. No. Absolutely not. It'll be because him and his ilk are fucking shit.