Cod Almighty | Article

by Sarah Mann

12 December 2024

You've got to have a dream, for if you don't have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true? Once a Pirate, but not an ugly one, ain't we glad Craig Disley was drawn by the promises of jokers and fools to a place drowning in the oceans of history. All hail the man who kept saving us from a worse tomorrow and led us back to the promised land. Craig Disley: the glue that stopped the rot.

To date in TVFTF's Team of the 21st Century we've had the Da Vinci of defending, a sexy superstar, the divine left foot of Conor Townsend and marvellous McAtee but this instalment needs no frothy nomenclature. This player already has his own.

He is the Ginger Pirlo.

I could probably stop just there. One of the more recent picks, most of you could probably just sit back and savour how good it felt to have Craig Disley battling for us.

The bare bones of scene setting!

Having learned his craft at Mansfield, Bristol Rovers and Shrewsbury a 29-year-old Disley signed for Town a couple of months before the 2011-12 season. Shouty and Shorty had been in charge for about three months and a certain John Shelton Fenty resigned as chairman about three months later. We finished 11th in 2012.

The following season had us reach the final of the FA Trophy in March 2013. Mainly remembered as one of the coldest games I've ever attended – and I sit in the Upper facing the river. We got to the playoffs but were knocked out with a whimper, though apparently we won the battle of the flags. So many memories flooding back.

Where was Disley in all of this? Plying his trade and building his reputation with Town fans. We can talk about him being a box-to-box midfielder who popped up for a few goals but none of that describes what he gave us on the pitch. In an era of fleeting contracts and loanees galore, he was a giant in the centre: encouraging, distributing, defending and pushing forward. All in all, our most influential player of that era.

One game that stays with me was a night game in March 2016 away against Forest Green Rovers. Not the best away game for Town fans on a cold Friday night: more than a 350-mile round trip to a lane in the middle of nowhere. We had been warned beforehand that "No Inflatables" would be allowed. Now I'm not usually one for joining in the silly stuff at matches but we were still in that phase of taking them following 'sharkgate' the previous season. I went in with a deflated Harry Haddock under my coat but I needn't have bothered with the subterfuge. There were hundreds of inflatables of every description and some very disgruntled stewards who had obviously been told to be nice and hand them back if they went onto the pitch.

We weren't necessarily expecting much from the night, FGR were flying high at the time, but as soon as the game started chants of "Fuck BT Sports" ensured that those in the media knew we weren't happy with the move from Saturday afternoon. We were holding out well in a hard-fought game and then, in the 71st minute, Disley soared above the defenders to head home from a Monkhouse cross. Magnificent.

Then there was the post-match interview with our Captain at the second play-off semi-final game at Braintree having come back from losing the first leg. So emotional that he couldn't talk. Something in his eye? I certainly shed a few tears.

It was only when I listened to the VFTF interview with Disley that I could add another reason to my list of why I dislike Russell Slade. He came in for his second spell and a month later Dis was gone. I understand that football is not a sentimental game and for whatever reason Slade didn't want him, but just what was he looking for? When I look at the players used in the following season there was a huge squad with loanees and names I barely or don't remember. What would we have done to have a player with Disley's commitment? In fact, what would we do to have a player with his passion and commitment now?

Following the defeat to Franchise FC in October, our discussion as we walked out was along the lines of "what we're missing in that team is a Disley". A lion with his passion and commitment. Someone who urges his teammates on. I would love to have him on the pitch motivating our current squad because we have talent but we don't always have fire in our bellies. Dis was a player who got everywhere and he didn't give up. If ever there was a player you could rely on to be in the right place at the right time, it was Disley.

For me, you can forget the McAtees, the Amonds and the Bogles; Disley is my clear favourite for the last few years.

Take a bow my captain!

Illustration courtesy of Alex Chilvers