Cod Almighty | Postbag

Winning runs end, but the memories never die

5 February 2012

Your thoughts this week are largely with Paul Thundercliffe's fine evocation of the Mariners' March 1990 winning run, and there's some other stuff as well.

You can write to Cod Almighty at postbag@codalmighty.com.

1990 and all that: sublime is the word

I really enjoyed Paul's piece on the unbeaten run and subsequent promotion in 1990. The memories flooded back. I was 13 at the time and it was a defining year in so many ways. It heralded the true start of my supporting life as a Town fan (as I was allowed to stand with my mates in the Pontoon without Dad breathing down my neck) and is also the year when music became important.

It will undoubtedly be remembered though for my favourite ever Town team and favourite ever player, who also happened to be 'Diddy' Dave Gilbert. No other Town team has given me as much pleasure to watch or played with such fluidity. Sublime is the word that sums up so much of what that team did on the pitch.

Let's hope those good times are back and back to stay. Up the Mariners.

from Ben Gresswell

1990 and all that: great article, great days

Thanks for that great article. I was seven in 1990 and it was my second season following the Mariners.

I can remember all of those games as if they were yesterday. The hot sunny day against Lincoln as the Pontoon crowd spilled onto the pitch, kicking up a plume of pitch dust from Mark Wallington's penalty-breached goalmouth, the Gilbert goal against Exeter that seemed to roll up the side of the Osmond net before coming to rest and leaving us in the top three, and the Birtles hat-trick against Wrexham, after which I remember wandering about on the pitch before the team emerged from the old directors' box above the flaky red-painted mesh tunnel in the Main Stand.

Great days.

from Matt Woods

1990 and all that: back heel heaven

I should be doing the ironing! However memories of this season first.

Firstly does anybody still have the 'Benny the Docker' T-shirt from this season? Benny on the front and all the away games on the back, I seem to remember. My support for GTFC that season will never be passed. No kids and not married yet meant a Tuesday night away to Hereford, met in the Old ABP club at Grimsby Royal Dock, I seem to remember. An element of Town fans were singing 'we're not paying the poll tax' and other anti-Thatcher songs. A latish goal from Gary Childs and in my youthful exuberance I cleared the cinder track and climbed the fence to celebrate. I watched some of those games recently on YouTube and realised what great football we played with Tony Rees at the centre of things, back-heel heaven.

from Martin Robinson

Letters Ed responds: But does the Old Master make it on to an all-time managers list...?

Lies, damned lies and statistics

I thought you might like to see the weekend FT's article on successful managers. There are two lists, one comparing players' wage bills with the others in the same division, and the other comparing them with all 91 other clubs in the four leagues. It is limited to those who have been managing for at least five years.

In the all four divisions list Russell Slade is at no. 26, Brian Laws at 30 and Keith Alexander at 36. None of them appear in the same division list.

I am not sure what conclusions I draw from this. The CA brains will undoubtedly produce a witty comment.

Best

from Antony Chapman

Letters Ed responds: Hmm, I'm afraid the presence of Alexander the Great on the list precludes sarcasm, but I don't think any of these three can be there for their achievements at Blundell Park, bearing in mind Slade was backed with a pretty generous player budget.

The wrong Steve Jones

I clicked on the link for the evening with Super Clive and Steve Jones on your recent Postbag selection and was disappointed to find out he is simply an ex-Charlton player and not the guitarist of the Sex Pistols.

from Rich Mills

Letters Ed responds: Or indeed the Aberystwyth-born geneticist. Andy Parkinson plays for Aberystwyth Town these days, you know.

Undisclosed

When I heard Ryan Bennett had been sold by Peterborough for "an undisclosed fee" I'm pretty sure I can guess how the phone call between our own John Fenty and that "lovable cockney wheeler dealer" Barry Fry went: "Nah, John, Ryan's knackered. Hamstring, knee, back, you name it, its kaput. We had to pay Norwich to take him off our hands... so yes, that sell-on clause, we're a mill out of pocket now, so if you could send us 250 grand pronto, that would be dandy. Used notes will be best. Ta, John"

UTM

from Bob Pratley

Thanks Bob, and thanks to all our other letter writers this week.postbag@codalmighty.com