Cod Almighty | Diary

Town are in the FA Cup Quarter-Finals, you know

10 March 2023

So here we are again, Infrequent Diary here, another Friday looking forward to another mundane league match, getting in the way of the excitement of the FA Cup Quarter-Final.

Struggling Rochdale make their weary way to Blundell Park for their 50th meeting with FA Cup Quarter-Finalists Grimsby Town. Town hold the advantage with 22 wins as opposed to Dale’s 19. I'm sure you can work out that there have been eight draws, although there's no need to now because I've told you. I don't really know why I and others go so big on these stats about previous meetings between clubs and their outcomes because they have no bearing on the match to be played. I mean, the fact that we've only played Brighton once in the FA Cup, and lost, will not influence the upcoming FA Cup Quarter-Final; it was in the 1929/30 season and as far as I know none of our present team were involved in it anyway.

I was going to talk about ticketing for the FA Cup Quarter-Final and the thankless task faced by the club, but Daubney Diary did it far more eloquently than I could in Wednesday's diary; at least it wasn't See Tickets or the Vanarama National League. I just wonder if fans of Eurovision will take to the message boards to vent their fury at not being able to secure a ticket for the annual songfest. Anyway, if you have a ticket for our FA Cup Quarter-Final, sing your hearts out for the lads and remember you are also singing for those of us who can't be there. You can't sing through a telly but it would be ace if we could.

Unlike the message board nesbits, I really can't find anything to moan about. League games have become insignificant because of our appearance in the FA Cup Quarter-Final. Fortunately, very few people will ever remember the hoofball bonanza that preceded the sale of tickets for our FA Cup Quarter-Final. See I've already forgotten we played Newport. Oh, obviously I haven't but I wish I could forget it. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

I sort of hope Rochdale survive in the league. I'm not calling it the EFL, it smacks of newspeak. Orwell would have been proud, what with that and the rewriting of history since football began in 1992. So, back to the matter in hand. Things in that area of Lancashire have not gone well with the demise of Bury and the relegation to non-League and the ownership/financial problems of Oldham Athletic. All within site of the twin towers of United and City.

Anyway I'm just rambling now to make it to a non-existent word count target. I am going for some sort of record for mentioning the FA Cup Quarter-Final.

I'd just like to sign off by mentioning that there is snow in the north west, which may or may not cause Rochdale problems coming over the Pennines. Snow and FA Cup Quarter-Finals could mean Town end up playing a game every other day at the end of the season, but hey we're in the FA Cup Quarter-Final so who really cares.

Up the Mariners.

FA Cup Quarter-Final, that should do it

FA Cup Quarter-Final, just making sure. Brill isn't it?