Cod Almighty | Diary

It's just not cricket

12 May 2025

Miss Guest Diary writes: What was the first thing that went through your mind when you realised after the final whistle in the Wimbledon game that Town's season was done? For me it was when's the fixture list coming out? (It's the 26 June if you don't already know.) That was when I had to acknowledge to myself that following Town might just have taken over my life.

The close season doesn't just mean finding alternative things to do on a Saturday. It means no need to think about the next game, or dwell on the result of the last one; no need to make travel plans for away games, searching out the best route, where to eat, sometimes booking a hotel, arranging meet-ups with friends; no need to make post-match plans in Cleethorpes for home games; no need to check the weather forecast to decide how many pairs of socks to wear; no need to edit match reports on a Sunday; no need to check the media for ticket news or injury news or any sort of Town-related news.

Nothing, zero, zilch for at least six weeks until the fixtures are out and plans for next season can begin. There might be the occasional titbit such as some transfer rumours, or the announcement of a pre-season game or two, or a sale at the club shop, but nothing to really get my teeth into.

My usual summer distraction is cricket at Trent Bridge but the complete shambles that is now the English cricket season – see Friday's diary for BOTB's take on that – means this year we have decided to confine ourselves to a few days at county games. The first was on Saturday and was a fine distraction until I saw someone in a Notts County t-shirt, which had me feeling envious that County's season wasn't over. Not that I was too miffed about Town missing the play-offs – they aren't yet good enough to compete well at a higher level – far better for the players to go on their hols and get rested up mentally and physically ready to storm the league next season.

Joking! I can't see Town storming anything unless Artell finds a way to improve both the performances and the results at Blundell Park. It's true that Town won 10 games at home, which is just above the expected fourth division average of 40% home wins, but Town need to be above average to gain promotion. Both Doncaster and Port Vale won 12 of their home games and Bradford won a massive 17. And then there's that negative goal difference – 30 goals scored and 35 conceded at Blundell Park. Only three of those wins were by a two or more goal margin; for much of the time it felt like Town were simply hanging on.

Frankly, it has felt like a pretty miserable season at Blundell Park. I had some pretty great times on the road – Doncaster and Colchester were stand outs – but many fans only watch Town at home, and they are the ones who contribute financially to the club.

An oft-repeated mantra at CA Towers is "four to draw", and we're only half joking. It's all very well having a philosophy of 'going for it' and simply aiming to score more goals than the opposition, but to score lots of goals you need more than one fit striker. We also joke about the Parslow Point, but most of the season it has felt like Town are always on the point of conceding and Artell has no one who can come on and shore up the Town defence when we have a lead. Callum Ainley? Luca Barrington? Not even Curtis Thompson who did such a great job in helping to keep us up last season. Town really will need to address both of those issues in the transfer window if they want to finish higher than ninth next season.