Cod Almighty | Diary

Nights are pulling out again. Our mood will lift!

21 December 2021

21st December. 21st of bloody December! How did that happen, eh? I've reached the point in life when years and football seasons seem to fly by, but 21st December already? I don't know about you but with all the lockdowns, tiers and roadmaps I've lost a year somewhere. Was it only a year ago that Runaway was giving the pre-match press conference and there were club statements and chairman's statements pinging around quicker than Michael Reddy in his pomp? All along the lines of "I have set out the three alternative ways of gaining control". It really was. Only two days later Runaway ran away with some weaselly words. The rest, as they say, is history.

What short memories we sometimes have. What would we have done if Town had gone the way of Halifax Town AFC or Aldershot, to name a couple? Would some fans have been having a go less than a year into the rebuild? I can't imagine how hard the slog must have been for those phoenix clubs to get back to their current level. Would Town fans have been screaming for the manager's head? Or grateful that they at least had something to support? I hope the latter but I wonder if that's why we are now seeing such anger.

We didn't go out of business by dint of never speculating to accumulate or improving anything much at all. I wouldn't have wanted an owner throwing money around as it's not sustainable unless you're super rich but ongoing steady investment on and off the pitch would have been nice. The club never seemed a long-term proposition with the previous major shareholder even if it turned that way by default. I was trying to recall when his first interview about wanting to sell was in the Telewag. Ten years ago? If we had gone bust, which I cannot stress enough I would never have wished for, maybe a few of the really angry fans would appreciate what a parlous state the club was in.

We accepted dreadful facilities, often matched with dreadful matchday experiences. A rebuild would have taken years if it had ever got off the ground. That's how bad it was, the club probably about to be sold off for a property speculation deal. Only the anger of fans brought that prospect into the open and made it uncomfortable enough to push the major shareholder towards selling to our new owners. If you need reminding how bad things were, take another look through The Fenty Years Parts 1 2 3 and 4. We're still saddled with those "benign" loans. Benign being gentle and kindly, not harmful in effect. Bollocks. This rebuild will take years. That's regeneration in action. Enjoy the positives and take this awful run on the chin. We'll pick up again.

Game's off tonight as you already know, so spend some quality time with your nearest and dearest in the run-up to the festive period. However you celebrate, have a good one. Merry Christmas Mariners, wherever you are! UTM!