Cod Almighty | Diary
The Broadside Man
29 June 2023
Your Guest Diarist returns on a blessedly wet Thursday morning fully breakfasted on fried haslet, new potatoes and the first tomato of the season. Next week, next week the full-on hurly burly starts. And by the end of it the doleful fans who think they know will be forecasting a poor season indeed based on a couple of early pre-season outings that Town didn't win by a hatful. Who will be in goal is of course the burning question - don't look to me for an answer today. The name being bandied around is Jake Eastwood but to those demanding an end to the no-goalie saga whose patience is exhausted by constantly hitting the twitter refresh button I say, I say get a grip! Yes, get a grip, go eat a peach or pick some strawberries, or punt on the Freshney and pick up rubbish. Just stop thinking for a minute and breathe. It will happen when it happens and it will be who it will be. Trust me.
It always seems to be my turn to relay sad news and today is no exception as Bill Meek senior has died at 86. Bill was a true Grimbarian of whom the whole town should be immensely proud. A footballer, a teacher, co-founder of Grimsby Folk club in the early sixties, a musician and a fine folk songwriter who wrote about slices of Grimsby's social history in the great tradition. I first saw Bill perform with the Broadside in the late sixties at Caistor Folk club as an impressionable teenager. The band represented Grimsby proudly at gigs all over the country for many years. And here is my excuse to revive the sweet story of how Bill rang the BBC to get in contact with a virtually unknown Paul Simon and book him to appear at Grimsby Folk club. He even stayed the night. Read the whole lovely tale here. Bill co-wrote (with his mate John Conolly) a song called The Grimsby Lads which says it all. We have lost one of our own.
But as one generation passes we must try to make the world a positive place for the next one and that gives me the chance to say what a brilliant project is the Horizon Youth Zone. When I was a kid a youth club was two hours a week with a broken table tennis table, a few scratched records and some serious bullying. When the Youth Zone opens in two years time there will be over 20 things to do, seven days a week for only 50p a day. And not just stuff to do but also people to talk to who will help kids find a positive place in the world. And this is in Grimsby. A place where nothing ever used to happen. Hats off to the dedicated team who made this dream a reality - if you wanna volunteer and help them just click.
Before I go I should mention that early bird season ticket price end day is tomorrow. Over 4500 tickets sold and with it being a pay day for many I expect web sites might be buckling on the last day. The 5000 mark is well within reach. So given it will be hard to buy even small blocks of tickets together in the popular stands next season it makes my case to allow fans to buy streaming passes for all league matches even stronger. Fans who want the live experience will always turn up at matches but there is a secondary revenue stream to tap and now is the time to do it. And wouldn't it be great if the Horizon Youth Zone got a big screen so all the kids who can't afford a ground ticket could watch Town for 50p? We need to raise the new Grimbarians with all the right traditions, like supporting the Mariners. See yer.
P.S. I should of course, as I know you want to too Gentle reader, send condolences to Bill Meek's sons whom you know as Retro Diary and BOTB diary, as well as to all the rest of the family. Bless you all.