Cod Almighty | Diary

You can go a long way without leaving home, and go a long way while staying true to your home

5 June 2024

Grimsby Town are to play Grimsby Borough on 9 July. Match ticket details here, with a special price of £1,100 for anyone making a dreary analogy with "El Classico".

There ought to be a collective name - O'Riordans, perhaps - for those who excel during hard times for the club. During our first years in the Conference, following the 2010 relegation, Coulson's passes anticipating the runs of Liam Hearn brought deft moments of light and excitement. It might have led to something more substantial, but he left for York City when the club, under the leadership of John Fenty, only offered him reduced terms to stay.

Yesterday Coulson, now 36, moved from Farsley Celtic so that he could play closer to home at Bridlington. That is a short train journey for Newbegin Diary and I'm tempted to see him, for Coulson was definitely not just someone who played for Town - the teams of around 2010 were full of them - but a Town player.

Apart from a year at St Johnstone, Michael Coulson has never moved far from Scarborough, where he was brought up and where he began his career. By contrast, Jason Stockwood has travelled far and wide but as the first instalment of his interview by Tony Butcher shows, he has always taken his home with him.

Almost 15 years on from when Michael Coulson first joined Town, we are still at Blundell Park and back in the fourth flight. The same location and the same status, but a step-change in values since the club routinely tried to chisel their best assets.

Bye.