Cod Almighty | Diary

'Never seen anything like it' (Shaun Pearson to Tuesday's lino)

10 February 2022

This season started with a proper seven game pre-season (back in mid-July). Now, mid-February, seven months later, we've managed to fit in half a season, with the remainder to take place in the next four months, if you include the play-offs. (Heck, I hope we will include the play-offs.) Of course, we have to finish seventh (or higher). Season-duration perspective is distorted by the Covid-enforced winter break, plus the season proper didn't start until August's final days. We're currently seven points behind Halifax and Bromley who sit third and fourth. (We don't have a current squad number #7.)

So, is it just me or does this season feel interminably long? We are close to Valentine's Day (reminder to self), and are barely over halfway through our first fifth tier escape attempt this decade. We haven't even played each team twice, although Tuesday's King's Lynn bore-draw admittedly put us a step closer to that. The three ex-GTFC-player-named-team haven't taken the field against us yet, (that's the obscure Bore-Ham-Wood reference a CA reader sought via Twitter). They're the same BHW who have recently knocked out second tier high-flyers Bournemouth from the FA Cup and thus caused a third postponement of their BP visit.

Sick of all these numbers? Let's digress. GHF Diary once attended a Rugby League game. Given gridiron is my second sport (shameless plug for Super Bowl LVI this weekend, Sunday 13th, live on BBC), I hoped to enjoy egg-chasing more. My hosts that day were table-topping St.Helens, who humiliated Sheffield Eagles by 70-something points to three. GTFC-relevance? Well, a certain John McAtee senior was on the books of the Saints, but for some reason didn't feature that mid-90s day. Which sort of ruins my story. But, fast-forward to this summer, the Mariners  signed his eldest son, John junior, in a new twist on the Jolley-era trend of 'I've seen his dad/brother play for Middlesbrough/Crewe/whoever against Town' (Hendrie, Davis, Grayson, Rose etc...). This time, I've nearly (not quite) seen his dad play a different sport. I saw his dad's team-mates play doesn't have the same ring....

It turns out multiple McAtee men have played Rugby League. Billy, John, Peter and Dave in the 70s. I found this in an article notifying us that Billy McAtee sadly passed away late last year.  It tells us that Billy's nephew John - presumably his brother John's son? - played for Saints (not when I saw them he didn't), so, pay attention everyone, I'm guessing that our John probably had a dad and a grandad called John who both played rugby. As did his grandad's brothers. So is 'our John' the third John?

Also, you likely know of John junior junior's little brother James signing a likely-to-be-lucrative contract extension at Manchester City, although he's not been allowed out to play on loan as yet, if ever. The next Phil Foden/David Silva is the standard lazy journalist comparison. Less well known and, I confess, I read it in the (Scottish) Sun online, is James and John's mum's uncle is former England World Cup winner: ex-Southampton and Portsmouth boss Alan Ball. A decent sporting family tree, reminiscent of those GTFC versions featured in the Mariners Trust heritage displays in the Freshney Place unit at the moment. Makes you wonder why John and James decided to play football. Wise choice I reckon though. I count seven sporting McAtees!

Each time I think of this rugby/dad link, it reminds me of the Mick Boulding/tennis link, and Bradley Garmston, our FIFA-playing full-back who had a sprinting mother.  Whatever happened to him? Any other cross-sport GTFC family examples, please send to Codalmighty Towers postbag (or tweet them to us).

Where was I? Avoiding discussing referees and King's Lynn. So, as the number of remaining games left hits teens rather than twenties, could it be some of our players, perennial fringe/squad players, are in serious danger of becoming tired, bless them? Probably not, but it reminds me to link to Richard Hallam's excellent piece on building promotion winning sides. You can then apply this to this season's evolving squad (I count 30 players used in the league so far), plus a link to Cod Almighty's invaluable contract tracker and speculate as to which players might be here next season. The tracker reminds me we've still got two contracted keepers plus youngsters Jaz Goundry and Luis Adlard yet to make a Bananarama appearance this season too. 

Thursday is often media day so news usually breaks soon after the Diary is published. We know from last night's media that Messrs Wright, Fox and Maguire-Drew are injured, so likely the same sixteen again for Town this weekend. Maybe Evan Khouri or Goundry could be drafted onto the bench if anyone else misses out. 

It is nearly the weekend, and joint SEVEN-teenth Aldershot Town (they're 16th - Ed) are a-coming a-visiting, and I'm considering whether to bring my six-year old (GlassHalfFulljnr) to her first professional GTFC game. So far she's managed pre-season, the open day and the Broadley game, back at the start of this lengthy campaign. This is one decision where improved catering at B.P. is definitely a decisive factor, but I admit the current mini-unbeaten run and less arctic weather helps too.   

UTM!