Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Wednesday 23 June 2004

23 June 2004

There's knack all new to report on Russell Slade's legendary guestlist for Heaven, still less his transfer targets, and even Town's official website seems to be taking a day off from its recent spooling of pages that add little to the sum total of human knowledge beyond the words: "ooh yes, new signings, any minute now, any miiiiiinuuuuute... and while we're waiting, why don't you sign up for our official text message service..." Today's main cause for interest seems to be the not entirely interesting fact that Slade has phoned up his old boss at Scarborough, Malcolm Reynolds, to clear the air over Scott Kerr, the Seadogs midfielder Town were recently accused by Reynolds of approaching illegally in an exciting Manchester United-style tapping-up scandal. But, like I say, not happening. Yawnus maximus.

This is probably an opportune moment, then, to give the dangerous oxygen of publicity to a Lincolnshire football forum to be held next month, featuring in the black and white corner Russell Slade and Dave Smith, and in the Red Impy corner Keith Alexander and his star striker Simon Yeo. The event takes place equidistantly 'twixt Grimsby and Lincoln, at Market Rasen Cricket Club at 7:30pm on Monday 12 July, and is chaired by Grahame Lloyd (author of the recent One Hell of a Season, which chronicled Lincoln's and Boston's 2002-03 season). "With all four Lincolnshire clubs in the same division of the Football League for the first time," says Grahame, "the rivalry next season is sure to be intense - especially between the Mariners and the Imps." Tickets cost five of your English pounds and are available on the night or in advance by phoning Ron Myland on 01673 842663. There's not an England game on that night, is there?

Watching a collection of semi-interested millionaires see out the last few international tournaments before the G14 take over the whole world is one way of passing the time between Town's new summer signings, anyway; another is to bite your nails; other people might alleviate the boredom by taking up a hobby - felt-making or batik, perhaps, or selling their house; while still others kill time by checking all their old email addresses, which are unused but remain operational. And so it is that the Diary has discovered loads of old email from Séan Carr, Paul Thundercliffe and Dan Humphrey. If you could use diary@codalmighty.com from now on please, chaps - ta.

PT's is among the more current of these great apocryphal missives, which states in response to Mark Stilton's recent revelation that the mayor of North East Lincolnshire is an Aston Villa fan: "Not only does the mayor wear a villa top when delivering papers; he also wears one when serving me tea at work. And very proud of his Midlands men he is too. Yep! The Mayor is my tea boy! And, before you ask, he puts the water in first..." Ask him what he'll do for GTFC if re-elected, Paul.