Cod Almighty | Diary

I believe they prefer cash if you have it

9 December 2025

The second week in December and it's my turn to light the candle on the coat hanger-fashioned Blue Peter advent crown. Let's hope your Peripatetic Diary, back after a longer lay-off than Doug Tharme, can do it without setting fire to the tinsel. Children's TV at its fire-setting best long before risk assessment became a thing.

There's an away league game for Town tonight, against the Salops of Shrewsbury. I hope everyone going gets there and back safely. I don't think we've won there since Buckley 1, and all I know about Shrewsbury is that they used to employ a bloke to sit in a coracle and fish footballs out of the river that flows past the original Gay Meadow. Give me a quainter example of tin pottery if you can. I tried to improve my knowledge of our hosts by watching their FA Cup game against Sutton on the Beeb. I thought Shrewsbury were awful, and only won because their opponents had two men sent off. That's not something you'd ever hear a Town fan say about the Mariners, is it?

In an unusual move for me, I listened to two Town-related podcasts post-Tranmere to hear their reactions. On one of them, the contributors were calm and measured and took turns to speak. The other was Grimsby's version of The Three Christs of Ypsilanti. Despite their different styles, though, both used the word 'frustration' a lot. It's not the frustration that comes from watching a side you're certain will never be any good, but the one that comes when you know you're watching a good side that occasionally makes daft and costly mistakes.

Saturday's win against Wealdstone went some way to reducing that frustration, and we comfortably beat a team that had all their players on the pitch. Our reward for winning is a home tie against step 6 Weston-super-Mare. It's a game we should win. The club needs the prize money, and a place in the last 32 increases our chances of drawing a Premier League team and getting on the telly again.

So stick with it folks, everything will be just fine. I sense a run is coming that will lead to a League Two title win on 2nd May, a date of some significance to ancient Mariners. I love those rare occasions when Grimsby win whatever league they're in. I've been lucky enough to enjoy two title-winning seasons, but it's now 46 years since the last one and time isn't on my side, Mr Artell.

One championship winning occasion I wasn't around for was player-manager Allenby Chilton's first full season in 1955-56. Town really were rubbish the season before and had to apply for re-election to Division Three (North). No one expected much of them, but after an epic struggle with Derby County and Accrington Stanley, the Mariners won the title, and the one promotion place that went with it, with two games to spare.

Clarrie Williams was Chilton's keeper back then, and retained his place all season despite letting a 30-yard shot from Portsmouth's Jimmy Dickinson slip through his hands. He did the same thing a few games later but, after that, was virtually unbeatable. Indeed, he didn't concede a goal in the last eight games (and the first one of the following season).

Up front was Bob Crosbie, a man who missed almost as many penalties as he scored, including one that gave Scunthorpe both points at Blundell Park on Good Friday 1956. The following day he went out and hit a hat-trick against Crewe. Despite his weakness from the penalty spot, Crosbie hit 38 goal in 45 games and finished top of the divisional scoring charts.

Town's most attacking wing-half was Dave Richardson. For some reason he was barracked by his own fans despite being an integral part of Chilton's plans. Some of the barracking was very unpleasant and might have broken a weaker character. Chilton didn't let the fans dictate team selection, and Richardson ended up playing nearly 200 games for Grimsby.

Perhaps the past isn't such a different county after all. Anyway, if you're interested in reading about that wonderful season 70 years ago, get yer sen down to the Club Shop and grab a copy of 'Chilton's Champions', 150 pages of mostly words but some colour pictures courtesy of Mariners Archive man, Tim Bell. At just £9.99 reading a book is a pleasant alternative to watching The Sound of Music or Skyfall. A Harry Potter blockbuster it ain't, though, and the size of the print run reflects that. Just remember that you won't be able to find it in a petrol station at midnight on Christmas Eve.

And on those words of warning, I wish you all the merriest of christmasses and the happiest of new years.