Cod Almighty | Diary

Ted needs to ease off the kibble

3 March 2022

The Thursday diary is most definitely the graveyard shift at CA Towers. Too long after a midweek game and too far in advance to talk about the usual weekend slot. What’s worse is that you're left with Basque Diary, previously sacked from this very job due to an evident lack of ideas. [clearly untrue as will be apparent from this diary - ed]

Let’s start with a quick news round-up. Paul Hurst will be making decisions on some of our youth team players in the next few months, the Telegraph’s Town reporter, Elliott Jackson, reckons we need a minimum of 74 points to make the play-offs and Chairman Wow confirmed at the board meeting the other night we are now a Real Living Wage Employer.

Firstly, it would be nice to see some youth prospects offered a chance under Hurst. When he was last at Blundell Park, I always felt the graduates offered full-time contracts didn’t get a decent go because of the pressure to get back into division four. Then when we got there and most of them were released. Do the new board have a different policy on that one? It will be interesting to find out.

Secondly, 74 points. With 45 available we should be able to get 24, right? Right? Well, I think so. I am still holding out for a late title charge à la 2014/15 when, ultimately, we faltered but at one point it was excitingly close. Come on Town!

Finally, as trade union member and fervent advocate of worker’s rights, it was pleasing to hear that the club are now a Real Living Wage employer. There is a difference here. The Tories renamed the minimum wage the living wage a few years ago to confuse everyone. They also upped who is entitled to earn it to 23. The Real Living Wage is based on many criteria that calculate how much we need to live based on circumstances now and is evaluated every year.

That’s the Town news. Now for some national football news. Roman Abramovich has put Chelsea up for sale. Why does this matter you ask? Aside from it being big news in our game it poses the question about the fit and proper person test installed for people buying football clubs.

Amnesty International have been pushing for the top flight to introduce a section on ethics and human rights which has so far been rejected. Maybe our new board could install something so we can protect ourselves from oligarchs and sheikhs that gain their wealth at a human price. A club constitution which says as such, and enshrines other principles that a bound to the club, protected and monitored by the Trust.

The Football League and Women’s Super League are in talks to introduce VAR-light for the start of the 23/24 season. This only talks about cameras and doesn’t mention whether goal-line technology would be introduced at the same time. The latter seemingly the most obvious and easiest to add, let alone being the least controversial. Watch this space.