Cod Almighty | Diary

(Keep us) Shape of things to come

30 December 2021

Yay, some fixture news! Firstly, the Halifax home game on the 3rd WILL go ahead, as per the club on Twitter. Secondly, the February midweek visit of Altrincham has been moved forward to our FA Trophy free weekend on Saturday 15th January. Four home games in January bodes well, given our overall home form.

So at long last our unexpected festive winter break, which began for most Town fans with the Chesterfield defeat, or more strictly speaking with the comprehensive Trophy-tonking administered by Stockport, approaches an end. (Subject to negative Covid tests/the weather being OK/any last minute government decision to the contrary). Given the unpredictability of 2021, and 2020 for that matter, forgive my reluctance to believe this Halifax game is actually happening until I rock up at Blundell Park at 2.30pm on Monday.

Hell, I have missed football; I've even reverted to Match of the Day watching. I mean, what is Zaha's problem? Where is the Norwich team? And how odd is it when gazillionaires Chelsea bemoan a lack of fit players? Recall some loanees and shut up, please. I digress, enough of that nonsense division, back to League Five.

I have watched our Mariners play live on a mere 11 occasions during 2021, all this season. One was Macca's testimonial, another a midweek trip to Altrincham. Which leaves nine GTFC home league games in the five months from August to December. Not actually that frequent with recent call offs, and lack of home cup draws. I mean, we were due three more between Stockport away and this weekend for starters. About time we had some home fixtures. Four in January will do nicely.

A quick glance at the table shows that GTFC sit 10th, on a run of recent results that would see us at the foot of most form tables. There's the beginning of a split within the division as the bottom five are almost cut adrift, a feat which, with a few poor results, could strike others in the mid-table area. Admittedly, this could include GTFC, but Wealdstone, Barnet and Aldershot are more likely to suffer next.

Glass half full: a couple of positive results at the start of 2022 could see us not only gain ground on high-flying rivals, but hopefully also see more fall by the wayside. That re-arranged Altrincham match could even condemn them to an unexpected relegation battle.

It seems inevitable the playoff race will continue to lose genuine contenders. This season started with 22 plus Dover. How long until the playoff race reaches 15 or 12? Maybe ten? Results may have seen our expectations downgraded from title contenders to playoff certainties to playoff possibilities these past two months, but in an unpredictable division full of contenders, of shite officials and fine margins, this Diarist remains in the patient pragmatic camp. (Glass Half Paul if you like.) A few months ago, Paul Groves was being touted upon his arrival at Gloucester City as a future Mariners' boss, and look what happened. Its a funny old game. 

Meanwhile, it is too soon for team news, and there's not loads coming out of Cheapside or BP as the club prepare a brand new website. So onto more tenuous Town news: GTFC past play GTFC present on New Year's Day, 3pm as Clee Town (Scott Vernon, Josh Venney and an injured Paul Walker) host Brid Town (Jaz Goundry and Luis Adlard both on loan from GTFC).

That'll do for my festive-ish football fix I reckon.  See you there, or see you in 2022!

UTM