Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Wednesday 9 June 2004

9 June 2004

As a patriotic Diary, today's column would like to express its outrage at the misappropriation and desecration of the England flag for commercial purposes by the Nationwide Building Society, as seen on the introduction page of Town's official website.

You know how when you're waiting for a train and you can sometimes tell when it's coming because of that sort of pingy tingly sound that fizzes down the track a mile or two ahead of the loco? What do you mean 'no'? Next time, listen really carefully and... oh. You don't know what a train is. OK then. Anyway, the equivalent sonic phenomenon is a-happenin' on the high-speed rails of GTFC's official communications network: the OS is plugging the text message service, suggesting that Russell Slade's first new signings as Town manager may very shortly be approaching platform 1. "I think that there will be some news on the new player front very soon," teases Russ, playfully curling an imaginary lock of hair between two fingers.

Less importantly, the Diary has been given an unconfirmed whisper that Radio Humberside is reporting the departure from Blundell Park of Stuart Campbell and Darren Barnard, whose wage demands for new contracts are said to be beyond GTFC. Normally I wouldn't bother mentioning it until something appeared on the BBC Humber website, but for one thing the BBC Humber website seems to have completely given up covering Town, and for another there's chuff all else to talk about. Ooh, hang on - the Telegraph has got summat about it now... "Barnard... Campbell... take-it-or-leave-it offers... Slade only interested in players who genuinely want to play for the club." Well, they both made a lot of appearances for the club last season, but did anyone see them actually play? Would anyone be sad to see them go? No, thought not.