Cod Almighty | Diary

You don't remember this, do you?

22 July 2025

There is, Newbegin Diary is sure ("is sure" meaning its opposite), a ritual played out somewhere in Durham during every World Cup.

"Do we have to watch it, mum? It'll be really boring."
"Yes, dear. You know it means a lot to your granddad. It's only a couple of hours and we'll have a lovely meal afterwards."

And so the whole Hart family settle down in front of the telly for Chile versus Japan, and sure enough, in the 12th minute the elderly cove, ensconced in the best chair, will pipe up: "You can see their number ten modelled his game on me. Did I ever tell you about the time I scored two goals against Japan? I wonder if they've got a portrait of me somewhere in Tokyo, maybe even a statue."

Once no more than a couple of games between two sides drawn from the Mariners' squad, in the 1970s pre-season fixtures became more exotic. The club history Grimsby Town: a complete record picked out from over a century of football our 7-2 friendly win against Japan among its 20-odd "matches to remember". Despite his two goals, the trialist Geoff Hart was not offered a contract. He went back to Durham with a brag to last a lifetime.

My home town club of Aberystwyth drew their biggest gate of the season when Cardiff or Swansea - one year it was Middlesbrough - broke off from running up and down the nearby sand dunes to play against them. No such fun nowadays. Games devised to minimise travel costs, there is no pretence of competition. We'd probably find it more exciting if we went to watch them on the beach.

For Grimsby, it's Tuesday so it must be Lincoln. Time was that meant fierce legal battles over the County Cup, Town versus City, chapel versus cathedral, a clash of footballing cultures to warm the winning side's supporters for weeks. Tonight? If you haven't forgotten about it by Thursday, get help.

Meanwhile, even for someone from Wales, England's progress to the semi-finals of the Euros has taken on that epic sweep which really could stoke a lifetime of memories. There is really only one game to think about this evening.