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Diary
Your day-by-day glance at the going ons at and around Town.
Monday 30 September
Danny Coyne and Darren Barnard have been retained in the Wales squad for their European Championship qualifier against Italy on 16 October. Only one club, Lennie Lawrence's Cardiff City, sees more than two players called up – prompting a gem of a boast from Town's official site. "It must be just about the only time that Town have provided the second highest number of players to an international squad," it splutters.
Young forward Darren Mansaram – who impressed in his full debut in Saturday's win at Brighton – has received praise from boss Paul Groves and team-mate Alan Pouton. "He was absolutely fantastic for his League debut," Pouton tells the Grimsby Telegraph.
It emerges that Town fans without tickets on Saturday were able to buy them at the ground on the day – despite Brighton's dire warnings to the contrary last week. Quelle surprise.
Sunday 29 September
Concerns arise that reserve team coach Paul Wilkinson may receive a touchline ban after being sent off during yesterday's win over Brighton. Wilko was redded for quite understandably going bonkers at the referee's cretinous decision to disallow an Alan Pouton goal from a free-kick because of encroachment by Brighton's Charlie Oatway.
Saturday 28 September
Town get their first win of the season, 2-1 away at Brighton with goals from Darren Barnard and Alan Pouton. The result sees the Mariners leapfrog their opponents into that coveted 23rd place. The only way is up, as Yazz And The Plastic Population once had it.
Strikers of the past bag a hat-trick, with Phil Jevons, Bradley Allen and David Nielsen on the scoresheet for Hull, Peterborough and Norwich respectively.
Friday 27 September
Truculent midfielder Georges Santos has signed a four-week deal with GTFC and is expected to travel to tomorrow's game at Brighton.
Steve Chettle is likely to miss out through injury, according to Paul Groves, and Steve Kabba is also doubtful. An update on the official site says reserve striker Chris Thompson may be added to the squad, along with rookie midfielder Graham Hockless, who is yet to figure in the first team. Rumours also abound that the official team bus has been replaced with a fleet of ageing Skodas.
Former Mariner Michael Boulding has joined Sheffield United on a month's loan after failing to break in to the Aston Villa first team. "I came close to joining United in the summer but the lure of the Premiership persuaded me to sign for Villa," said Boulding. Pff!
Thursday 26 September
The temporarily unofficially permanent official site reports that Galli has been reprimanded by boss Paul Groves for his sending-off last Saturday.
Ex-Mariners midfielder Nicky Southall has joined Norwich on loan for three months from Premiership lumpers Bolton. And to think Alan Buckley let him go for nowt! Pah!
Wednesday 25 September
Town have approached Crystal Palace in a bid to keep on-loan striker Steve 'Pinball' Kabba at Blundell Park for the rest of the season, according to the Grimsby Telegraph.
Brighton insist that Town fans will not be able to pay on the gate this Saturday and must buy advance tickets. Despite this, GTFC have already returned unsold tickets to the south coast club, perhaps figuring that demand will have been severely limited by Brighton's outrageous pricing policy. Twenty notes to get in to an athletics track – and even then they couldn't afford Bradley Allen.
TeamTALK, or TEAMtalk, or whatever they're called, say Steve Livingstone resumed training yesterday, and have also made up a story about some injuries in the Town squad.
Former Grimsby Town player and ladies' favourite Wayne Burnett has issued an apology to Woking fans. He was alleged to have issued a two-fingered salute to fans during last weekend's game.
Planet Football report that Town are keeping a beady eye on former Spurs youth player Destin Makumbu. Destin is currently plying his trade in America for some franchise side or other.
Tuesday 24 September
Relegation rivals Brighton could see the return of England under-21 international striker Bobby Zamora, who has missed the last few games with injury, for their match against Town this Saturday. Eeek.
Fifa – in their infinite wisdom – have announced that any player who is sent off will have to serve an immediate one-match ban with no right of appeal. The decision is expected to come into force next month (bad luck, those praying it meant Galli would miss the game at Brighton).
Monday 23 September
Bottom-of-the-league Grimsby take a leaf out of Arsenal's championship book, with Paul Groves refusing to condemn the instantly dismissable foul that led to Tony Gallimore's instant dismissal on Saturday. "I didn't see it at all," observes the manager. "I will 'ave to view it on ze vidéo."
The Gooner theme continues as violent trialist Georges Santos insists his reputation is undeserved. "Some people want to say I am a bad boy," he explains to the Grimmo Telegraph, adding: "I am not a bad boy...I am perhaps like Patrick Vieira." Hmmmm.
Unusually for so early in the season, the Telegraph is already reaching for the extended metaphors as it ponders Town's predicament. "SINKING FAST – BUT WHERE ARE THE LIFEBOATS?" enquires the paper, using nautical imagery before describing Town's style as "awesomely predictable".
Sunday 22 September
The "Sports" reports that Chris Bolder is to have an operation on his knee.
Terry Cooke still hasn't found a place to live in Grimsby (see last month). Probably doesn't help that he's spent the past few matches on the bench.
Livvo's going to be back in training although he's not alllowed to head the ball. If only Groves adopted that policy during league games.
Saturday 21 September
Town continue to make Stockport's first division campaign last season look like a roaring success with a 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest. The gaffer unfathomably persists in preferring Stuart Campbell and Tony Gallimore to Terry Cooke and Simon Ford. Gallimore is sent off for violent conduct, so opposition right-wingers will not have it quite so easy for three forthcoming games.
Friday 20 September
Steve Kabba is Town's major injury doubt for tomorrow's game with Nottingham Forest. Warnock's lot probably kicked him in the air too many times the other night. If he doesn't make it, says Paul Groves, then either Jonathan Rowan or Darren Mansaram will replace him.
On-loan keeper Shaun Allaway has been called up to the England under-20 squad to face Germany next month.
Thursday 19 September
After succumbing this week to Sheffield United's notorious 'direct' football, Town opt to fight fire with fire by handing a trial to Roy Keane wannabe Georges Santos. The ginormous midfielder and mentalist was released by the Blades after his part in last season's infamous 'Battle of Bramall Lane', when, just after coming on as a substitute, he was sent off for a spectacularly violent two-footed lunge on West Brom's Andy Johnson – a year after a challenge from Johnson left Santos with a fractured cheekbone. The player also trialled with Kilmarnock in the summer.
Wednesday 18 September
Paul Groves combines optimism and pragmatism in reflecting on last night's heartbreaking defeat at Sheffield United. "There are a lot of plusses performance-wise, the way the players stuck at the task, the work rate and the general play, but what have we come away with?" he said to the Grimsby Telegraph. "At the end of the day that is what it is all about. If you don't get the results you don't get the rewards."
The reserves beat Hartlepool reserves 1-0 at Blundell Park with a late winner from forgotten man Jonny Rowan.
Tuesday 17 September
Tony Gallimore is supposed to have some injury or other and is doubtful for tonight's match at Sheffield United. They said that last week about the Coventry game, though, didn't they. Simon Ford – who came on for Gallimore at Highfield Road and did a loads better job – may replace him tonight, or Darren Barnard could drop back to the left-back position.
Neil Warnock has already filed his complaint with the referee and sent a letter in triplicate to the FA. "I like to get the paperwork out of the way so that I can put my feet up after the game," he might have said, if we'd asked him.
Monday 16 September
Paul Groves shows greater restraint than this correspondent regarding Saturday's scandalous penalty decision. "If the decision looked harsh from the stands, it looked harsh on the pitch as well," said the boss, with teeth more gritted than the M1 in January.
Coventry fans display an admirable capacity to call a spade a spade, with the report on Gary Mabbutt's Knee admitting that Mills "went down like a sack of spuds" and that the referee – a Mr Joe Ross of London – "fell for it". On the messageboards a fan admits: "The pen the ref gave us was a terrible decision, I felt embarrased [sic.]".
The sad story of Robert Taylor continues to Colchester, where the injury-prone forward is reported to be training after having had his short-term contract annulled by GTFC. It later transpires, though, that Town still hold his registration. "We are not paying him anything at the moment, but if he played for us it would be on a match-by-match basis," said Groves, adding that Taylor was free to roam where he liked. Or something like that.
Another ex-Town player hits the headlines as Daryl Clare is transfer-listed by Boston for spitting his dummy after being dropped to sub.
Sunday 15 September
PFA boss Gordon Taylor reckons that the Premier League should "buy a promotion place off the Football League for £100 million".
Saturday 14 September
Match officials collude in outrageous and blatant cheating by Coventry City players, with the penalty and free kick that result providing two of their three goals against Town. The Mariners treble their goal tally for the season with strikes from Kabba and Pouton, but there is a very bad taste in the mouth and it isn't the pies.
Friday 13 September
Former Town defender Ben Chapman – now with Boston United – is to face legal action from Peter Morrison, the Scunthorpe winger forced to retire at 21 after a 'horror tackle' by Chapman in a reserve fixture last year. And he looked like butter wouldn't melt.
Thursday 12 September
"I'm no quitter. I'm under no illusions how difficult the task is but I'll keep working hard and hope we turn the corner," says a defiant Paul Groves in today's Grimsby (Evening) Telegraph.
Throughout the article, the G(E)T points out that Town's miserable start to the season is breaking club records. Seems Roy Castle's logic about beating the rest to be a record breaker was somewhat flawed.
Brazilian trialist Arturo Bernhardt made his bow for a team featuring reserves and youth in a private practice match at York yesterday. The goalscoring honours, though, went to Chris Thompson and Mark Newton in a 2-0 win. "We absolutely battered them," said coach David Lloyd. I mean Paul Wilkinson. Jamie Pollock played and is said to be working hard to reach match fitness.
The club's tearful appeal to Grimsby businesses for £20,000 to stop four YT players being sent to the workhouse has moved soft-hearted local firm MJ Fastenings into pledging five grand.
Wednesday 11 September
Paul Groves has paid tribute to the "tremendous" support at last night's dismal home defeat to Chesterfield. The 1-0 scoreline (after extra time) means Town have now scored just once in 11 hours of football this season.
Darren Mansaram made his debut as a second-half substitute after signing a two-year contract. Tony Gallimore was taken off with an Achilles injury and will probably miss Saturday's trip to Coventry.
Tuesday 10 September
The club has agreed a deal with the PFA to pay players' appearance money for this season. The £300K needed will be loaned to the club by the PFA and repaid (including interest) when the club has sufficient funds. "Debt problems? Call the PFA and consolidate your loans." Coming to a cable channel near you, soon.
Former Town midfielder Wayne Burnett has joined Conference side Woking on a non-contract basis and played 90 minutes in their 2-1 defeat to Hereford last night. Viewers of the game on Sky say the signing has handed a massive boost to the Surrey pie industry.
This week's solution to the goal drought, youth product Darren Mansaram, is yet to sign the two-year contract offered to him by the club over the weekend but is still expected to figure in tonight's League Cup clash with Chesterfield.
Tresor Luntala, who joined Town as a trialist on the summer tour of Scandinavia, has exercised his contractual option to spend another year in Birmingham City's reserves.
Monday 9 September
Reports on local radio that a £500,000 tax bill could plunge the club into bankruptcy are denied by Peter Furneaux ahead of today's monthly board meeting. "The catchphrase that Grimsby Town are going bust is not new," said the chairman, "and I think it's time it was buried."
The official site reports that Arturo Bernhardt is being looked at by the club's management. Twenty years old, striker, been at Middlesbrough for a couple of seasons, signed from Hamburg, apparently Brazilian.
Robert Taylor is back training with the club.
Darren Mansaram has been offered a two-year contract and is in the running to take part in tomorrow night's game aganst Chesterfield.
Saturday 7 September
Burnley's 2-1 win at Derby sees Town slip to the foot of the table.
It's rumoured that Phil Jevons helped the Tigers get their first away win of the season.
Thursday 5 September
Phil Jevons is in the G(E)T saying "there are some off-the-field things that have happened at Grimsby that I don't want to talk about but going to Hull will give me a chance to play first-team football." Hull are a club going places, you know.
Meanwhile on the official site Paul Groves states "the decision was taken purely for financial reasons" after a meeting with Peter Furneaux. Groves concluded "matters such as this are no longer footballing decisions alone."
Town are alleged to be watching Boston Utd's Simon Weatherstone. Or rather Town had representatives at the weekend's Boston v Bury game. Quite how penniless Town can afford a player is another thing...
Wednesday 4 September
Phil Jevons has joined Hull City on loan for the rest of the season. Yes, you read that right.
Coincidentally, the reserves drew 1-1 at Hull. Chris Bolder netted for second consecutive match with loanee Shaun Allaway making his debut. Paul Raven left the field with an ankle injury.
Tuesday 3 September
Crystal Palace have allowed on-loan forward Stephen Kabba and Milton Keynes FC have given permission for Paul Robinson to play in next Tuesday's Worthington Cup tie.
The club announce that two children can accompany any paying adult to the Chesterfield game for free.
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