Cod Almighty | Diary

Stop Making Sense

4 May 2023

Your Guest Diarist has ticked off most of his life ambitions. I saw Matt Tees in his pomp (though it was not an ambition at the time), I successfully phoned in to Danny Baker's Saturday morning radio show to talk about when I bumped in to Wavy Gravy at a Californian garden fete. I have an entry on The Chain (Joni - Blond in the Bleachers). I have unexpectedly acted as a go-between when my married boss had an affair with a very famous Sky breakfast TV presenter - shit all sorts of things happen when you live a long time. And then there was the occasion when I was interviewed by Peter Levy and Paul Hudson talking about the Grimmo Dictionary because Pete Green was unavailable. That was dodgy in the extreme as I am not even from Grimsby being a simple country joskin from Caistor. But there I was egging at the back o'Doigs with the best of them. And yes, I even had the honour to sit next to John Tondeur in the Main Stand and observe him commentate a Town match. I remember nothing of the match but the single scrawled sheet of paper John had as an aide-memoire lives long in the memory.

But the one thing I never got to do was meet or speak to Burnsie. And now the BBC are dumping him, and other stalwarts, in the most callous, unthinking incomprehensible tin-eared way. Some Town fans over the years have been dismissive, even abusive about this local radio legend. But how the hell can anyone cover Hull, Scunny and Grimsby without someone claiming bias? I never met David but I am convinced he thinks as much of Grimsby as he does of Hull. Back in the day when I was the CA T shirt man I remember getting a paid order from him on the sly and thinking this man has a bit of the Mariners in his soul - he must do. Burnsie's morning show is not really my cup of tea but I know for a fact that he had a loyal listenership. His local sports coverage was rooted in knowledge and enthusiasm and he took all the fans howls of outrage and bias without batting an eyelid. You are gonna miss him when he is gone Gentle Reader whether you think now you will or not. And if the BBC keeps chucking all the time-tested stuff out like they are all over the corporation then they will end up with just some scummy old bath water, mark my words. Thanks David Byrne, for all the Grimsby stuff and for those fabulous albums in the 80s, I play 'em still.

I really agreed with manager Hurst when he told the Telegraph that the problem with signing a big name striker with 20 goals a season running through him like Cleethorpes rock was that chance they get injured after three games or summat and miss the whole season. He pointed out that Orient just went up with goals scored right through the team and the good habit of keeping clean sheets. He is right you know. Everyone loves it when you get a (insert Tees, Drinkell, Mendonca, Lister, Bogle, Amond etc as you see fit). But you can't rely on finding one, affording one, and keeping one fit. So goals from midfielders, goals right through the team. 1-0 (Groves) and all that. Harry needs to aim for 15 next season. You can do it Harry! See yer.