Cod Almighty | Diary

Wombles are organised, work as a team, wombles are tidy and wombles are clean but Town still squeaked over the line!

9 May 2023

I was looking forward to a pleasant afternoon yesterday, where nothing much happens and there's nothing much to play for apart from pride; so it turned out to be. The steady drizzle as we drove over meant that there weren't thousands of East Midlanders driving to Skeggy for the day so a smooth run: nice. Lunch at the ground turned out to be probably the best we've had all season and that's a pretty high bar; thanks Cooky Cooks – delish!

I have to say I was more than a little jealous when I saw Wimbledon's mascot. I mean come on, who doesn't love a Womble? Sorry Mighty but you're not even in the same league. I think my affection for our mascot disappeared when there was all that hoo-ha about selling the opportunity to be Mighty under the previous regime. For me he never really got his mojo back after that, although whoever does it now seems to be liked by the little ones and that's what really matters.

I don't often get tearful at football but when little Reggie Aslin took his penalty, I was choked up. How lovely to see him able to do that and long may his recovery continue. Well done to the club, players and Mighty who all looked after him. That's our club at its best.

Equally emotional is the news that Shauny Pearson will be taking on a new role at the club now that he's hung up his boots. It's funny how some players get under your skin and for me, and I think many of us, he's done that. Again, an emotional moment when he left the field for the final time. It was good to see a ref understand the moment for once and clap him off rather than try to hurry him from the field.

All in all a decent day.

I won't go over what we've achieved this season. It's been done to death on social media and those who are still colossally disappointed that we have not made the play-offs as a minimum are not going to change their minds now. That's their prerogative. All in all it's been pretty decent.

On Friday Bottom of the Barrel Diary stated that there isn't a single player he would be really upset to see go, except maybe Harry Clifton. Sorry BOTB but I'm in sentimental mode today. I always feel for players who don't get offered a new deal and, whilst their future might not lie at Town, part of me is sorry to see them go. Not least because too many seem to find their niche elsewhere and score against us when our paths cross again. Sometimes a player we haven't rated comes good, whether it's in a different set up or it just clicks for them. Luke Waterfall must be the obvious example recently. There was much vitriol directed towards him from some fans and then it just all seemed to come together for him and us. Never give up! There again we're Town fans, so that's in our DNA.

UTM!