Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 22 June 2004

22 June 2004

The Grimsby public have always warmed to the Lawrie McMenemys and Lennie Lawrences of this world, with their easy-spoken, populist manner, often at the expense of those managers who rely less on talking a good game. Hence the modern-day messageboard cliché about the perceived need for "good PR skills", and hence also the town's underappreciation of Ron Ashman, whose death at the age of 78 was announced last night. Following spells with Norwich and Scunthorpe - where, in 1968, he had signed a 17-year-old Kevin Keegan - Ashman took the reins at BP after McMenemy walked out on the club in 1973. Modest and unassuming in manner, he guided the recently promoted side to sixth place in the old third division, introducing an attractive style of play which anticipated the 'passing and movement' that would serve another underappreciated GTFC manager, Alan Buckley, so well two decades later. Town lost momentum in the 1974-75 campaign, though rumours were rife of player dissatisfaction over pay, and posterity may very well view Ashman's sacking in February, after a Friday night defeat at Tranmere, as harshly impatient. The manager returned to the Old Show Ground, where he remained until quitting the game in 1981.

From the past to the future: the Future of Youth campaign, to be precise, which is being relaunched with the help of Town's supporters' trust. Set up by former youth team coach Paul 'Scouse Hair' Wilkinson in 2002, the campaign is credited with having raised the funds necessary to keep current brightish young things Graham Hockless, Greg Young and Kirk Wheeler at the club, and GTST is running a big prize draw to bring in more cash to help support the next generation of ickle star players. Prizes include a car, a holiday and a spanking new computer, and more information is there to be had on the trust's website.

Stuart 'The Ghost' Campbell has not, or not yet, signed for Bristol Rovers, Town have announced. The elusive midfielder has admitted holding talks with Gasheads boss Ian Atkins but presumably gave up trying to understand his Brummie accent and came back to BP. "We can't decide if [Campbell and Phil Jevons] are going to be Grimsby Town players," says Russell Slade. "I can't make them that - that needs to come from them." If only somebody had said that two years ago. Stu and Phil could be met on their way out by at least one of the two strikers and two midfield players Slade has targeted for in-bringage this week - one of whom, records the official website breathlessly, "is currently with a first division side." To which throngs of cynical Grimbarian web users respond in unison: "Right, so he must be good then, eh..."