Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 15 June 2004

15 June 2004

Town fans who recall the hopeless tactical mess Robin Lawrence made of his Grimsby team may note with some consternation comments made by Greg Young on the club's official website. The youthful centre-half, who has just put his name to a new two-year contract, lets slip that Russell Slade "might want me to play in a back three" - a system quickly imposed on the Mariners by Slade's less than successful Cockney predecessor and just as quickly abandoned for the disastrous failure it was. If you're reading, Russ, then the very first and most fundamental thing you need to know about GTFC is that it is a 4-4-2 club, and that's the formation, not the attendance. If you're not reading, then can you ask somebody else to pass on the message?

The Diary is also informed that Kirk Wheeler has signed a new one-year deal to stay at Blundell Park; I think it's from the official SMS service or something like that. If you're struggling to put a face to the name then that'll be because Wheeler - a chunky-looking central defender who has just turned 20 - is yet to make a first-team appearance, and even failed a trial with Mr Slade's Scarborough team last October; but circumstances change, and if Charlie Stubbs can suddenly decide it's a good idea to sleep with Bev after all then who is the Diary to tell him otherwise?

No longer is Brigg just a place where Rich Uncle Diary has had a great big house built specially to his requirements; it is now also a destination on the Mariners' not terribly busy pre-season schedule this summer. Town will take on the Zebras, as I seem to recall Brigg Town being nicknamed on account of their almost unique black and white striped shirts, on Tuesday 15 July at the unusual hour of 7:15pm.

Dave Chambers has become the first person in the history of the Universe to compose an email on the subject of the Diary summary that appears on the front page of Cod Almighty, and which could usually be better or wittier than it is but I'm usually just too jaded and fagged out after writing the main Diary to give much of a toss, to be honest. Congratulations, Mr C! "Having a right mayor," he quotes from yesterday's collection of laboured puns, before asking: "Is Peter Barker a Conservative?" Which is quite clever, although David Blunkett is of course living proof that the Tory party holds no monopoly on right-wing politics. Barker is listed as an independent, actually, Dave, which means the answer to your question is probably: yes and a bit mad as well, or a shopkeeper, or both.