The Diary

Cod Almighty | Diary

"Crikey, look out! You won't see better wreath placement"

16 February 2022

In an otherwise innocent-looking 'get some minutes under your belt and bag a few' loan move, The Shop has joined York City. However, the absence of much to write about has Daubney and anyone else who can recall 2014 reading more into the move: Paul Hurst has fallen off the Yorkie wagon. Six of City's squad on duty at Blundell Park in 2012 joined us within two seasons. One sniff of the Minstermen's apron and Hursty will have Lenny driving a bus load of the current squad back with him next month.  

True fans of passion or coincidence out there will point out that the Town mimicry of York suggested by Pete Green's piece went a tad too far, with them also dropping out of the league again a mere five years after their return. No point in trying to tempt fate by guessing which one of a new ground or a drop to the Conference North we're going to copy next.

No, to quote Yazz, Roly and John's 1991 hit: The Only Way is Up. That's what Town fans hope and suggest by their contribution to the healthy attendance figures this season. Dipping back into the 2012 campaign for that York stat makes you realise how bleak things were, with our typical crowd figures approximately half this season's. This was often the case from 2010 to 2015. Only the visit of local giants Lincoln City drew a number over five thousand although, to be fair, the action on offer could be mixed at best. It wasn't unknown back then for mascot warm-ups and impeccably observed minute's silences to be included in full to pad the season highlights videos out over 25 minutes. 

Why the continued strong attendances, even after a wretched run? The off-field improvements and/or This Town Knows? Our modest run of 10 points from 12 suggests to the optimists that we've turned a corner. To others this just 'papers over the cracks'. Maybe it does, but weren't similarly small sample sizes good enough to use as evidence of the cracking? Daubney would love us to continue this run and storm to the Conference title for any number of reasons but mainly for the opportunity to ask if it's just papering over the cracks and if we should have sacked Hurst in January.  

Getting off the open top bus and stepping back to today, the Neil Woods Superyouth Project is in action at Blundell Park this afternoon in the confusingly named National League Cup. Is it actually a national competition or just the National League youth? Branding, eh. Good luck to Neil and his lads in the quarter final or the "Round of Eight" as it will probably be rebranded as by the time you read this. 

That's about it apart from the hot-off-the-press news that Jordan Maguire-Drew is available to score one and set up another in Friday night's 3-1 win at Southend.

Have a great day and, as always, Up the Mariners.