Cod Almighty | Diary

One wanderer and eleven Wanderers

13 January 2026

And on the 20th day of Christmas our true love brought to us eleven Wolves a-wolfing and a hulking big centre-forward.

To take the much-travelled and returning Andy Cook first, he is with us on loan until the end of the season. Dave Artell makes all the right noises about his fitness and attitude, but it would be pretty suicidal if he didn't. However, Artell has credit to bank when it comes to signings, and the Town fans who haven't thought lately that we could do with a bigger presence up the pitch can be counted on the thumbs of one hand. It could go wrong but it could go brilliantly right.

Like Artell and transfers, the people who pull the balls out of bags are now firmly in our good books, after yesterday giving us a visit from the Wolves. Mark your calendars for 2038 as the next time you are allowed to moan that Town never get any decent cup draws.

I don't suppose Wolves fans spend much time thinking about it, but for us it's a fixture rich with historical resonance. Expect someone not a million miles from Newbegin Diary to regale you with details between now and 13 February. Here's something to keep you going.

It was 18 December 1926 and Town, newly promoted from the third tier, were struggling to adapt to Division Two. By half-time at Molineux, we were 3-0 down. A young lad at the Grimsby Evening Telegraph was such a big Town fan that he always volunteered to work the switchboard when they were away, so he'd be the first to hear the latest.

"No change, I suppose?" he asked glumly, when the football reporter rang, early in the second half.

"Three-all now... wait a minute... yes Town have scored again. They are winning 4-3"

Grimsby had pulled the game round with four goals in ten minutes. The first was scored by Joe Robson, just establishing himself in the side. When the fourth went in, he performed cartwheels all the back to the halfway line before the dumb-struck, Black Country crowd.

Here's to cartwheels, some intelligent centre-forward nous but, above all, more dumb-striking a month from now.