Cod Almighty | Diary

Sing your hearts out for the lads

12 April 2023

Miss Guest Diary writes: Now that Town have broken through the psychological 50-point barrier and are definitely safe in the division, I have noticed quite a few Tweets about who the poster thinks should or shouldn't play for Town next season. How did these things play out before the internet? Did people write to the local paper to share their views? Or call the local radio station? What I do know is that no-one really cares who Joe Bloggs on Twitter thinks should be in the team, least of all anyone at the club who has the power to sign or release players.

I suspect that in the past these speculations were confined to discussions with mates down the pub and that's where they ought to stay. Especially when there is talk about "getting rid of" players as if they were an infestation of rats instead of young men pursuing a career.

Inevitably some players who fans want to stay will go to other clubs because they are in a higher league, or offer more money, or are simply located somewhere else. Others who aren't favoured by the fans will be offered new deals and stick around to give people something to moan about next season. 'Twas ever thus. I'm still smarting about Wayne Burnett being released over 20 years ago. But in the interim there have been many other players who have been favourites, some of whom stayed a few seasons and others, like Carl Magnay or Pádraig Amond, who came and went in a season.

Long gone are the days of long contracts and stable squads in the lower leagues. During Alan Buckley's first spell as manager in the early 90s hindsight makes me believe that the squad stayed the same for several years, but that is undoubtedly a false memory. Maybe it just feels like that because John McDermott was playing when I first saw Town and he didn't retire for another 17 years. Imagine that? Actually I do imagine that with Harry Clifton, but I wouldn't begrudge him going elsewhere if it meant he could further his career. As long as he came back to us in the end, like Gary Croft did.

I've also seen some complaints about the new songs being sung at away games. I admit I'm not too keen on the one about Grimsby putting on a show – it's a bit of a dirge at times and also laughably inaccurate when, as for most of the game at Doncaster, Town aren't playing that well. I do really like the Allez, Allez, Allez one, but could someone please let us oldies in on the words. All the youngsters seem to know it but, try as I might, I could not pick up the last line on Monday, no matter how many times I heard it.

Kudos to the young drummer who kept going throughout the game, and for not joining in with some of the crowd who started up one of the old chants about rats and slums. They're probably the same people who think we all want to know which players they want Hurst to "get rid of". Next party stop Tranmere in 10 days time - I've got my ticket, have you got yours yet?

UTM