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New thoughts on old articles
22 July 2009
With new media, the emphasis is often on the topical, yet Cod Almighty is also an archive. The surfer, stumbling on the site may look well beyond the the home page; if they are using a search engine, their first exposure to the site may be to an article several years old. It is, then, not such a surprise that a month or two ago we had a letter complaining about a 2004 rough guide to Bristol Rovers, and below you will find reaction to an article from November 2007. Cod Almighty's articles celebrating the oddities of life in Grimsby and Cleethorpes – the Grimmo Dictionary, the list of famous Grimbarians, Chapmans Pond, Croft Baker – endure, staples of the postbag. For the new reader, all content is new.
For Cod Almighty contributors, this is heartening. A frustration for the aspiring writer is you cannot watch the reactions of your readers. You hope they may take the trouble to tell you, but you know that few will. To get a response, no matter what it may be, even 18 months after the event, is a kind of vindication. As letters editor, I may seem to give your feedback short shrift, but please understand that this is not so, even when I disagree.
Please keep your feedback, responses and reactions coming.
Homophobia
I've just seen your website for the first time and find it informative and well laid-out, but one post left me rolling my eyes. I'm sure Nell Farrell is a lovely person and all that, but Jee-zus, her comments on the Sheffield v Arsenal game made depressing if not amusing reading. Nell's anxiety to paint herself as a true football fan with a sense of humour who isn't actually that keen on Ashley Cole was fatally undermined by her microscopic analysis of the scenario at Bramall Lane.
Thousands upon thousands of football fans can match Nell's enthusiasm for and long-term commitment to football, and her take on the aforementioned match sounds like a sociology undergraduate's thesis (a cliché admittedly, but accurate nonetheless). Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if this kind of stuff is submitted to Grauniad-reading lecturers up and down the land, with both parties preening themselves and tut-tutting at the actions of 'mindless bigots'.
Like many supporters, I'm not one for chanting at football matches, restricting myself to comments on what's happening with the ball, but I have to say I wouldn't have reacted to Nell's rebuke with a sheepish comment or embarrassed laughter – I'd simply have told her to stop being so po-faced. I mean, a racing pulse, light-headedness and a pain near the heart? Blimey, Nell must really suffer when something significant happens in her own life if a song at a footie match causes her so much discomfort.
Football seems to have attracted some vociferous right-on types in more recent years, and they're almost as much of a pain as the right-wing boot boys who used to frequent football grounds. As difficult as it is for some to understand, most people don't equate 'homophobia' with racism, and to those who would tell us what to say and think, save it – we get enough lectures from the arrogant little men and women in Westminster without anyone else joining in the finger-wagging.
John Wilson
via email 19/7/2009
I'm glad you like our site, John, but I wonder how carefully you've read it. I think you might find a lot of its features are written by the right-on types, vociferous or otherwise, whose presence at football grounds you so deplore. In our better moments, I like to think that Cod Almighty is proof you can be liberal and retain a sense of humour. For me, Nell's article recalls the sense of shrinking into myself I had in the hopefully long gone days when people "on my own side" indulged in monkey noises at the sight of a black player.
Asked if she wanted to respond herself, Nell felt that her original article pre-empted the objections John raises, and added that since she wrote the article, the FA ground regulations have made homophobic chanting an offence. The Hampshire police ducked out of using this regulation last season when Spurs supporters abusing Sol Campbell were charged with indecent rather than homophobic abuse.
Devon, in different tenses
Just like to point out that there is a god. My two kids and I are likely to be the only Mariners fans in St Briavels, Gloucestershire. First game of the season is a "home" game at Cheltenham. C'mon August, hurry up will you...
Chris Howes
via email 8/7/2009
Could be that we beat the Belgian side because of the 80 mins rule. This rule suits Grimsby Town the most, as we can only play for 80 mins, then we let the goals in.
So lets get FIFA to change the rules and I am sure we will win more games, and save the last 10 mins of heartache as the opposition smells our fear and attacks.
Jan Przeniczny
via email 16/7/2009
We then took that to its logical conclusion, of course- trying to reduce the final to 0 minutes.
What they did after leaving Grimsby, part 87
While on holiday in Madeira recently I saw this shop in Funchal which had a rather dodgy range of leisure-ware, I assume Clive will be opening a branch down Freeman Street soon.
David Elsey
via email 16/7/2009
Sounds like the club shop. In fact, the campaign to rename the club shop Casa Mendonca starts here.
The Grimsby reaper
Being an "old codger", I can add another to your list of managers falling foul of the "Grimsby humiliation" factor! Remember what a year 1983 was for Jimmy "dancing shoes" Melia? Led Brighton out at Wembley Cup Final against
Man U in May, stuffed 5-0 at BP in October, sacked 5 days later!
Ian Smith
via email 12/7/2009
Croft Baker
This is responding to a message about 4 years old. The Croft Baker was named after Alderman Mrs Ada Croft Baker who, I think I am right in saying, presented the first building known as the Mount to the town in memory of her
husband, Henry. Their portraits hung in the entrance of the maternity home.
She later sold the next door property called the Rookery, which had been her home for some years, to the town.
Jack Croft Baker was her son but his is another story!
Lesley Shepherd
via email 12/7/2009
Myths revisited
God, I loved this article so much (and it is a phenomenal demonstration of why CA is a superlative site). Every fan in the country should read it for a bit of well needed perspective, ESPECIALLY Town fans.
Being picky could we please add the word 'loan' before 'transfer market' while bigging up the efforts of Messrs Newell and Stein? Buckley I believe also had some success in bringing non-loan players in!
Utm
Will Douglas
via email 9/7/2009
Asked if he wanted to respond to Will, Pete said "Just tell him the cheque is in the post", whatever that means.
More in a couple of weeks, so long as you keep the letters coming.
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