Cod Almighty | Postbag
Why have you come to the letters page?
3 January 2010
The letters page is where you can provide feedback on Cod Almighty features, or provide comments on anything football or Grimsby-ish that are too long for the Diary but too short to be an article. It is a flexible space, and it is all yours, so use it or lose it.
Mariners Player
I thought you might be interested in my recent exchange with the clowns at the "Player" website. My first email just stated that the audio stream will not work in Firefox, Chrome or Safari, which is what I use now after converting to Mac!
As you can see this first reply was obviously an automated response! I particularly like the customer-centric approach in the final response "please do not reply to the email".
I suppose the upside is that at least I can't listen to weekly dose of goalless draws?
UTM!
Graham
Dear Graham,
Thank you for contacting us. To test your account I have had to change your password. Your user details are as follows: [details deleted]
I have tested these on Mariners Player and you should now be able to access the site without any further problems. Please make sure you have entered the username and password correctly and in lower case text.
Check that the internet cookies are enabled in your browser and that the security level is set to medium or lower.
If you have a firewall or similar security device installed on your computer this will need to be configured to allow you to access the site. Please feel free to contact us if we can be of any further assistance.
Occasionally, particularly on machines which have either recently been upgraded, or changed security settings, it is possible for the local Cookies to become corrupted. When this happens, it is best to delete the cookies and allow the originating sites to recreate them.
Best Regards, Mariners Player - Customer Support
Graham sends follow up email about commentary not working again!
Dear Graham, Thank you for your email.
We are aware of the interruptions to the commentary of the last fixture. This is being investigated to ensure that this gets fixed for the forthcoming fixtures.
Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused.
Best regards Customer Services
Another week and still no commentary!
From: Graham King Subject: Audio/Video issues
Just testing the link for today's game and once again the stream starts and then cuts out after 2 minutes. THIS HAPPENS EVERY WEEK AND NOBODY GETS BACK TO ME! I have downloaded the latest version of Flash and emptied my browser (Safari) cache.
Can anyone help me or do I have to cancel my subscription as you clearly can't fix this issue?
Graham King (AGAIN)
Hi, We are still investigating the issues with the live audio commentary feed from this weekend, we are taking this matter very seriously and are working to ensure that the service is available for fixtures this week. We will continue you again as soon as we have any further updates. Please do not reply to the email. Many thanks Colin
from Graham King
Letters Ed responds: Graham adds that he has now been issued with a month's credit, although he has not yet been able to check whether this gives him a month of commentary on unlucky draws and disappointing defeats, or just another month of the commentary cutting out minutes into the action. As I write, there is an advert on the official site, "Player January sale - Now only £17.99", though this may of course be an article about Neil Woods's policy for the transfer window.
The return of Jan
Hi, I've been away for a time, anything exciting happened???
Before my rant, can anyone help? I've been commuting to Hull (in Yorkshire) a lot and to break up the monotony of travel I use the A18 to the bridge (and back). Well there's this guy peddling a yellow three wheeler; what's that about? The furthest West I've seen him is 1/4 mile shy of Humberside Airport and furthest East is on Laceby Rd just approaching Nunns Corner. I see him maybe 3 times a week, mostly travelling West but sometimes East. I need to know, or I'll need therapy!! Is he setting aside my carbon footprint, keeping fit, sad, or lost his driving licence. Please get me out of my misery!!!!!
Talking about misery, I, like lots of others follow a local Team, a Prem Team, and National Team. The Prem Team is to at least watch some football. Well how can I be so crap in my three; Grimsby by living here, Liverpool by choice, and Poland by my father's homeland. There was always a silver lining as one would be doing something great, when the other two were floundering. This year, all 3 are have deserted me, I can't take any more!!! So now you know why I'm excited in finding out about a yellow three wheeler. Anything, something, one-thing. Please!!
from Jan Przeniczny
Letters Ed responds: I'm not sure I can really condone people having Premiership teams, but can anyone trump Jan for unrelieved gloom from all their teams? And what is your personal record for the period of time between reminding yourself "It's only a game" and finding yourself cursing?
Lightning seeds
I particularly liked the reference to the Lightning Seeds in the Shrewsbury preview factfile thingymajig. 'Sense' was on their 'best of' compilation CD and I listened to that non-stop when I was 14 years old (or, to contextualise it for readers who are fortunate enough not to know me, during the 1997/98 season). Most of my memories from being 14 years old are of playing Champ Man 2 on our dodgy PC while listening to that Lightning Seeds album. I only bought it because someone told me it had the 'Goal of the Month' theme tune on it. On our way down to Wembley (the second time) I took a voice recorder on the coach with me, which was a bit weird, but the idea was to parody 95.9FM/1485AM, and we tried to use 'The Life of Riley' as our intro music. It didn't work and the whole thing was embarrassingly rubbish. I've still got the tape somewhere. So, in essence, that song evokes memories of Wembley for me - that, and 'Now 39' with 'Kiss the Rain' by Billie Myers (who, for a long time, I thought was a man).
from Richard Lord
Letters Ed responds: If you have a phone that plays MP3 files, you should be able to transfer it over the phone and then set it as your ringto ... I'm sorry, when I come upon musical references, I always assume its a request for instructions on downloading Up the Mariners.
Cleethorpes dreaming
During the war Chapmans Pond was closed, and us kids would have loved to go there. I always thought it was an old brick pit. We did our strutting at the "trenches"at the end of Hardys Lane, next to the beck.
Good to read about Cleethorpes here in California.
from Bryan Coulter
I am he
Idling away an hour or so on your excellent site before supporting the Durham licensed victuallers. Yes, I was involved with the programme from 1977 for a number of years working with Alec King, without question Town's top performer of the last three decades.
Have been doing similar stuff for Sunderland since the mid 1980's and in many respects supporting them is as much a roller coaster as following Town, who naturally remain one's first love despite their shameful regard for my emotions.
I can confirm the the tale about the Arse 'doing' Bestall in the 1936 semi final. When organising the centenary exhibition at the Central Library in 1978 I received a great deal of support from Alec Hall, Ted Buck, George Tweedy and others of that era. I remember Alec speaking about that game at Huddersfield and suggesting Copping the Arsenal left half man marked Bestall in more ways than one.
I was privileged to have been at a reception for former players during that exhibition, when Jackie B himself, then 78, came over from Doncaster. His team mates still regarded him as their leader even in a social setting.
Another tale recounted to me by Alec concerned overnight stays in Manchester for away games, Pat Glover and half a crown - but I feel there is a 100 year embargo on the detail.
Forays to BP are now few and far between (2/3 per season) though I do manage away games from time to time. My first match was as a lad in October 1956, Johnny Scott netting in the one niller against Port Vale. Used to travel on the Brigg Supporters bus from Grasby, an occasion in itself.
Particular matches to remember - so far: the 7-1 trouncing of Scunthorpe in 1966, Mick Brolly's match winning FLC performance against Everton (1979) and Jim Dobbin silencing the Mags at Sid James Park (1992). All three results were for me totally unexpected and therefore cause for real celebration.
Now time to go to for a seasonal snifter. Please maintain the excellent coverage of Town. My resolution for 2010 is to visit your site weekly and not once a month or so.
Kind regards
from Patrick Conway
Letters Ed responds: Patrick is picking up on a Diary entry from 19 November.