Business As Usual
By: Bill Osborne
Date: 24/06/2002
THIS is the usual time when English football comes back to life and the "Business as usual" signs are hung out. Most players, managers and officials are back from their holidays and the preparation and training begins for the new season.
The final touches are made to the retained list and the transfer negotiations begin in earnest and players vying for positions with either their own or other clubs and this season will see that activity more intense than we have ever seen it before due to Nationwide League clubs being hard hit by the ITV Digital failure.
For us Grimsby fans, the next day and weeks will bring more than a few surprises and some favourite faces will be missing from the line up when the final list is produced. But with the club still in a somewhat precarious financial position Paul Groves is going to have to be an expert juggler to produce the sort of list he wants!
He has already reinstated the reserve team that was originally cut by promoting the young players to that team and cutting the reserve fixture list. His hardest task however will be to produce a first team capable of achieving more than they have done over the last few seasons. "Mid table mediocrity" will be akin to England winning the World Cup.
Doubt still exists over the future of Boulding and Ford but recent reports seem to indicate that Ford will stay at Grimsby with Boulding moving to another club. If that happens, as seems likely, it may well provide a place for Bradley Allen who is refusing jobs in the lower divisions in the hope that a place can be found for him. Danny Butterfield still remains in 'no mans land' according to latest reports and so too do Jevons and Rowan.
We also have not seen the end of the Danny Coyne speculation. With clubs now gearing up, those who were interested in him may make a move, or at least, enquire about him.
Things may be a little clearer by the end of this week in which Paul Groves will be expecting to finalise some of the negotiations with players who are out of contract and I, for one, wish I was a fly on the wall!
Interesting times these, at Grimsby Town, We will keep you posted!!
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