Cod Almighty | Diary

and we can sing just like our fathers

18 September 2026

Your A46 Diary adds his own 'Yay!' to the Turi news. The default man-of-the-match certainly deserves it, and the club deserve it too. We're the ones who gave him the guidance, the patience and the platform, meaning we either get the best part of three more years or we sell him for a fat fee in the winter or summer of 2028. Everybody wins. Now there's a lovely way to start the weekend.

Artell was also very happy, with Turi, with the development of players, squad and club, with the trust that so many players place in him. We are very much David Artell's black and white army and as much as he always said he was determined to be part of the solution rather than all of the solution, his language, his rhetoric, has changed over the years and he is now much more willing to admit that he is the one in charge, that the buck stops with him, that it is his overseeing of processes that has led to our climb.

Right now, we all understand that that's a good thing, that the club is indelibly linked to the man. And we like it. It makes us feel more like an us. Grimsby is Artell's Grimsby and it is a team on the up. Artell's Grimsby is all about good news.

Not such good news for Cook; the dreaded scan is back. We all wait on its result, but for now he's six foot and laid up. Rodgers, we are assured, is made of steel. Harrington has an injury to a 'minor' finger and so should feature. Not much news on the rest of the glass menagerie, except that Artell "knows there are quite a few close to a return." Thanks for the detail, Dave. I assume Humberside have given up asking about specifics.

More bad news, this time for the Albanian Under-21s as Maldini Kacurri rejects the chance to play a friendly in the upcoming international break. Our murdering fan-favourite only grows in our estimations. Turi's imminent absence in said window will not be a huge concern as Doyle or Walker can cover that position.

Away from our first team squad, there's more bad news for Steve Cotterill. He's been given a three-match ban and a fine for his part in (instigation of?) the battle of Whaddon Road. Our man Shearwood got away with a one-match ban. Both clubs have also been fined. In the best of worlds, we would say that we can now move on, but 'Cotts' seems to have an issue with us, so bring your helmets for the return fixture in February.

Crawley tomorrow. They sit second bottom with four points. So, can we be confident that the days of the Reds bringing former players to haunt us during a sensational drive to the third tier are over? Not exactly. Orsi returned to Broadfield this summer and is already among the goals and assists. Sigh. We'll need at least two then.

Manager, Colin Kazim-Richards, is bouncing in his pre-match thoughts between lyricising about DO's contributions and insisting the team must be more professional in their approach to all games. We all know that kind of language. He hangs by a thread. Can the Grimsby Reaper cut it? Forget about sackings; let's show we're not the team we were when Crawley were last successful and get those three points.