Cod Almighty | Diary

Keeping the faith

30 September 2024

Miss Guest Diary writes: As I have mentioned before, games in the northwest seem too remote for me, so I wasn't at Carlisle on Saturday to witness the marvellous comeback. Nor did I bother to follow the game very closely. When I saw Town were 2-1 down at half time with a 17-year old in goal I opted instead to tune into YouTube to see the Nottinghamshire cricket team avoiding relegation. I would add that a cricket relegation has nowhere near the impact or significance of a football relegation – in fact the last time it happened to Notts a couple of years ago I barely noticed.

On Saturday, watching the cricket and doing a bit of ironing was sufficient to distract me from the prospect of logging onto Twitter to witness a torrent of negativity and angst about "no back-to-back wins since March 2023" and "no wins on the road since April" (a colossal 5 games!). So imagine my surprise when Mr B dashed into the room at 5 o'clock shouting "We've won! We've won!" recreating, he reminded me, a moment from 1992 when Jim Dobbin scored the late winner at high-flying Newcastle. Even down to the fact that he had been occupying himself during the game by doing the Hoovering.

Of course, I was then straight on to Twitter to see all the jubilation and to search out any clips of the goals. Alas I couldn't find any, but the pictures of Harvey Rodgers celebrating his goal with his shirt over his head and of David Artell hugging Seb Auton warmed my heart. I was also pleased to see a message from Jake Eastwood thanking the medical staff who had treated him, indicating that he was at least up and alert. There's no news yet about Jake's condition and prospects of a return so, with Jordan Wright also injured, the club are allowed to bring in another keeper on loan. According to Artell, they already have a list of potential loan keepers and the process has started. What about Harvey Cartwright, or it he still injured too?

While Mr B was being taken back to 1992 I was reminded of a game which has just had it's 25th anniversary – away at Portsmouth in September 1999. It has to be something special for me to remember an individual game, and this one was. At the time an 18-year old Steve Croudson was second choice keeper behind Danny Coyne, having been promoted from third choice the previous season where he made his debut in a 0-0 at home to Wolves. Danny Coyne was sent off after about 30 minutes and The Kitten came on. Making only his third appearance in the first team, Croudson was immediately called upon to face a penalty which, according to our match report, he very nearly saved. Town went on to win the game 2-1. The winning goal wasn't last-minute but it was surprising, being scored by yard-dog midfielder Stacy Coldicott, one of only three he managed in 221 appearances for Town.

Young Seb didn't have to undergo anything quite as dramatic on Saturday, and reports have it that he acquitted himself very well. A day to remember, capped by receipt of his GTFC Heritage certificate as player number 1439. A big welcome to The Kitten Mk II.

UTM