Grimsby Town F.C.

"Grimsby Town" redirects here. For the railway station, see Grimsby Town railway station.
Grimsby Town F.C.
Full name Grimsby Town Football Club
Nickname(s) The Mariners,
Mighty Mariners,
Town
Founded 1878 (1878)[1]
(as Grimsby Pelham)
Ground Blundell Park
Ground Capacity 9,052 (all seated)[2]
Owner(s) John Fenty (42.91%)
Mike Parker (22%)
The Mariners Trust (14.13%)[3]
Chairman John Fenty (de facto)
Manager Marcus Bignot
League League Two
2015–16 National League, 4th (promoted via play-offs)
Website Club home page

Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of league football in England. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town. The club is located at Blundell Park where it has been since 1898.

The club is the most successful of the three professional league clubs in historic Lincolnshire, being the only one to play top-flight football. It is also the only club of the three to reach an FA Cup semi-final (doing so on two occasions) and is the only one to succeed at the old Wembley and the new Wembley. It has also spent more time in the English game's first and second tiers than any other club from Lincolnshire.

Notable managers include Bill Shankly, who went on to guide Liverpool to three League titles, two FA Cups and a UEFA Cup triumph and Lawrie McMenemy who, after securing promotion to the then third division in 1972, moved to Southampton where he won the FA Cup in 1976. Alan Buckley is the club's most successful manager; he had three spells as team manager between 1988 and 2008, guiding the club to three promotions and two appearances at Wembley Stadium during the 1997–98 season winning both the Football League Trophy and the Football League Second Division Play-Off Final. In 2008 Buckley took Grimsby to the capital again, but lost out to MK Dons in the final of the Football League Trophy. The Mariners had also reached the Football League Two Play-Off final in 2006 at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, but lost the match 1–0 to Cheltenham Town, Later trips to the Wembley in 2013 and 2016 saw them defeated in the FA Trophy final by Wrexham and FC Halifax Town respectively.

Grimsby managed to reach the Conference play-off final in both 2015 and 2016, after losing to Bristol Rovers they defeated Forest Green Rovers to earn promotion back to the Football League. Initial relegation back in 2010 made them the fourth club to compete in all top five divisions of English football (after Carlisle United, Oxford United, and Luton Town); they returned to the league six years later. Grimsby's claims to fame are that their 1939 FA Cup semi-final with Wolverhampton Wanderers attendance of 76,962 is still a record at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium. They were also the first English club to appoint a foreign manager doing so in 1954 with Hungarian manager Elemér Berkessy.

History

The early years (1878–1916)

Grimsby Town F.C. was formed in 1878 after a meeting held at the Wellington Arms public house in Freeman Street, Grimsby.[4] Several attendees included members of the local Worsley Cricket Club who wanted to form a football club to occupy the empty winter evenings after the cricket season had finished.[1]

The club was originally called Grimsby Pelham, this being the family name of the Earl of Yarborough, a significant landowner in the area.[4] In 1880 the club purchased land at Clee Park which was to become their ground until 1889 when they relocated to Abbey Park, before moving again in 1899 to their present home, Blundell Park. The original colours were blue and white hoops, which were changed to chocolate and blue quartered shirts in 1884.[5]

Chart of table positions of Grimsby Town in the League.

In 1888 the club first played league football, joining the newly formed 'Combination'. The league soon collapsed and the following year the club applied to join the Football League, an application that was refused. Instead the club joined the Football Alliance. In 1890 the club became a limited company and in 1892 finally entered the Football League, when it was expanded to two divisions.[6][7] The first game was a 2–1 victory over Northwich Victoria.

The 1901–02 season saw promotion to the first division, having finished as champions;[8] two seasons later they were relegated[9] and within a decade they would be a non-league side again, failing re-election in 1910 and falling to the Midland League.[10] However they finished as champions at the first attempt and at the subsequent re-election vote, replaced local rivals Lincoln City in the Football League.[11]

Grimsby Town and Hull City were the only two professional teams which had official permission to play league football on Christmas Day because of the demands of the fish trade, but that tradition has now disappeared following the dramatic reduction of their trawler fleets in recent years.[12]

The Inter-War years (1916–1945)

This was the most successful period in the club's history. The first full season after the First World War the club were relegated to the new Third Division;[13] in the initial 1920–21 season they played against the former members of the Southern League who had been invited to form the new division, but after a year an equivalent Third Division North was created and Grimsby moved across to that. By 1929 they were back in Division One,[14] where they stayed (with a brief break from 1932 to 1934) until 1939, obtaining their highest-ever league position, 5th in Division One, in the 1934–35 season.[1] In 1925 they adopted the black and white stripes as their colours.[5][15]

Three Grimsby Town players, forward Jackie Bestall, goalkeeper George Tweedy and defender Harry Betmead each received a solitary England cap during the period 1935–1937. They remain the only players from the club to have received full England honours.

On 20 February 1937, the club's record attendance of 31,651 was recorded when the club met Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup.[16]

Grimsby reached the semi-final of the FA Cup in 1936, the game was played at Huddersfield Town's Leeds Road, but lost 1–0 to Arsenal,[17] with the goal coming from Cliff Bastin five minutes before half time.[18]

Grimsby also reached the semi-final of the FA Cup on 25 March 1939, Wolverhampton Wanderers played Grimsby, in a FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford. The attendance of 76,962 remains Old Trafford's largest ever attendance.[19][20] The Mariners lost the game 5–0 after goalkeeper George Moulson was injured early in the match. With the rules forbidding substitutes for injuries, Grimsby had to play with 10 men and an outfield player in goal.[19]

Postwar decline (1946–1970)

With the resumption of the Football League for the 1946–47 season after the Second World War the club were relegated at the end of the 1947–48 season and have never returned to this level.[21] Much of the 1950s and 1960s were spent alternating between the Second Division and the Third Division North, later the Third Division. From July 1951 to January 1953 they were managed by Bill Shankly.[22][23] His main problems were that Grimsby had been relegated twice in recent seasons, dropping from the First to the Third Division, and some good players had been transferred before he arrived.[24] Shankly believed he still had good players to work with and was able to buy some additional players on the transfer market for low fees.[25]

Grimsby made a strong challenge for promotion in 1951–52 but finished second, three points behind Lincoln City (only one team was promoted from Division Three North, with one from Division Three South).[25]

"Pound for pound, and class for class, the best football team I have seen in England since the war. In the league they were in they played football nobody else could play. Everything was measured, planned and perfected and you could not wish to see more entertaining football".
— Bill Shankly, in his autobiography in 1976.[25]

Grimsby's ageing team made a bright start in 1952–53 with five straight wins but eventually slipped and finished in fifth place.[24] In 1953–54, Shankly became disillusioned when the board could not give him money to buy new players. He was reluctant to promote some promising reserves because of loyalty to the older players (a fault that was to resurface at Liverpool years later) and he finally resigned in January 1954, citing the board's lack of ambition as his main reason.[26] Shankly's record in league football at Grimsby was 62 wins and 35 defeats from 118 matches.[26] Shankly went on to win the Football League, FA Cup and UEFA Cup with Liverpool.[27]

Allenby Chilton became Grimsby's first player-manager, he joined Town late in the 1954–55 season from Manchester United and was unable to stop them having to apply for re-election, but the following season under his management they were champions of Division Three North – the only club ever to go from re-election to promotion in one season. Chilton continued as manager at Grimsby Town until April 1959 when he joined Wigan Athletic as manager for one season during 1960–61.[22]

In 1968 Grimsby slipped into the Fourth Division for the first time. The following season the club had to apply for re-election to the league having finished second from bottom. It was in this season that the lowest-ever attendance for a Football League match at Blundell Park was ever recorded; 1,833 saw a 2–0 defeat to Brentford. Arthur Drewry, a local businessman, married the daughter of Grimsby Town's chairman, and subsequently served as a director of the club before his own chairmanship.[28] Drewry became President of the Football League and Chairman of The Football Association after Grimsby, before he was elected as the 5th President of FIFA.[28]

Revival of the seventies (1970–1980)

Grimsby broke their transfer record in 1972 with a fee of £20,000 for the signing of Phil Hubbard.[29] In the same year 22,489 people witnessed a home victory against Exeter City that saw the club promoted as Division Four Champions.[30] This turnaround was credited to the appointment of Lawrie McMenemy as manager.[31]

The club stayed in Division Three until relegation in 1977 but were promoted again in 1979. A year later they finished as Third Division Champions under the stewardship of George Kerr and returned to the second tier of the English game, a level they had not been at for 16 years.[32]

In 1976 the club saw what could be said to be its most prestigious visitor when the local Member of Parliament and then Foreign Secretary Anthony Crosland invited the then American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to watch the Mariners play Gillingham.[33]

Back in the Second Division (1980–1987)

The first season back (1980–81) saw the club finish 7th. Work started that year on a new £1m stand, originally called the Findus Stand (now known as the Young's Stand) after the former Barrett's Stand had been declared unsafe, the stand opened for the first time on 29 August 1982, as the Mariners play hosts to Leeds United.[1] In the 1983–84 season the club finished fifth in the Second Division after spending most of the latter part of the campaign in the top three promotion places. This was their highest league finish since the 1947–48 season. Grimsby's stay in the Second Division ended in 1987. They actually spent much of the 1986–87 season in the top half of the table, but a run of 8 losses and 2 draws in the final 10 games saw them fall from 8th to 21st.

Another decline and another revival (1987–1997)

1987–88 saw Grimsby suffer a second consecutive relegation, placing them in the Fourth Division. The club's financial situation was also dismal, and as the 1988–89 season began, the task at Grimsby was to avoid relegation to the Football Conference, avoid expulsion from the F.A. and avoid going out of business completely. This was achieved, finishing 9th. Following the resignation of Dave Booth in 1986 (to pursue outside business interests) the club had two managers in two years (Mick Lyons and Bobby Roberts). Alan Buckley was appointed after the 1988 relegation and by 1991 had led the club to two successive promotions with the chairman at that time being Peter Furneaux. Grimsby were to remain in football's second flight for six years. Buckley's crop of players consisting of some of the most popular and biggest cult heroes in the club's history. Players such as Shaun Cunnington, Keith Alexander, Mark Lever, Dave Gilbert, Steve Livingstone, Paul Futcher, Paul Groves and Clive Mendonca made the club a solid second-tier side (the Second Division became Division One in 1992 upon the creation of the Premier League from the old First Division). In 1992–93, Grimsby finished ninth in the new Division One, and until well into April they were in the hunt for a play-off place that would have given them the chance of a third promotion in four years. They dipped to 16th place a year later, though they were never in any real danger of relegation.

The Mariners began to produce home grown talent from the club's youth academy, including Jack Lester, John Oster, Gary Croft and Peter Handyside. Buckley departed Grimsby in October 1994 to join West Bromwich Albion and he was replaced by defender Brian Laws. Laws steered Grimsby to a 10th-place finish in his first season as manager. During his tenure, Laws became famous for a changing-room altercation after a defeat at Luton with Italian striker Ivano Bonetti, which left the latter with a broken cheekbone, and caused the popular player to leave the club at the end of the season.[34] Grimsby finished 17th and were in the battle to avoid relegation right up to the penultimate game of the season. In the 1996–97 season the Mariners were relegated from Division One. Despite flowing goals from Clive Mendonca, notably good performances from John Oster and newcomer Kingsley Black, Grimsby failed to save themselves. The club had suffered from the losses of Gary Croft, who made a £1.5 million move to Blackburn Rovers and ever present goalkeeper Paul Crichton.

Double Wembley season (1997–98)

The 1997–98 season saw the return of Alan Buckley as manager, after an unsuccessful period at West Bromwich Albion, for Grimsby's most successful post-war season. In the summer of 1997, Buckley succeeded in bringing in players to the club who were to be instrumental in the club's upcoming season. Former skipper Paul Groves was re-signed from West Bromwich Albion, and Kevin Donovan and David Smith also joined the club from Albion. The mid-season capture of Huddersfield Town midfielder Wayne Burnett proved to be a great bit of business for Buckley.[35] After a seemingly poor start to the League campaign, performances improved, which propelled the club into a promotion battle with Watford, Bristol City and an expensively assembled Fulham (at the time the only club at this level to have spent seven-figure sums on players).

A good run in the League Cup saw The Mariners knock holders Leicester City and fellow Premier League side Sheffield Wednesday out of the competition before finally losing out to Liverpool. A decent run of form had ignited the careers of such younger players as Daryl Clare, Danny Butterfield and Jack Lester who were becoming an integral part of the Blundell Park set-up. The Mariners went on to dump Burnley out of the Football League Trophy Northern section area final, which would see the club book its first trip to Wembley Stadium.[36] The club were drawn against Southern section champions AFC Bournemouth and in a tight game, an equaliser from substitute Kingsley Black took the game into extra time, and in the 112th minute Grimsby secured the game courtesy of a golden goal from Wayne Burnett.[36] This was the first major trophy awarded to the club following its first appearance at Wembley. It took only four weeks for Grimsby to return to the stadium though, this time to face Northampton Town in the Division Two Play Off Final.[36] Town won the game 1–0 thanks to a first half Kevin Donovan goal which gave the club a historic Wembley double and The Mariners promotion back to Division One.[37]

Back in the second tier (1998–2003)

The 1998–99 season saw Grimsby finish in 11th place, but the 1999–2000 season saw Grimsby struggle and finish 20th, avoiding relegation at the expense of Buckley's old club Walsall. The 2000–01 season saw a boardroom change with Doug Everitt taking over from Bill Carr. Everitt dismissed manager Alan Buckley just two games into the season, replacing him with Lennie Lawrence, who earlier in his managerial career had guided both Charlton Athletic and Middlesbrough into the top flight. The new manager chop and changed the playing squad around and brought in some expensive loan signings from abroad such as Zhang Enhua,[38][39] Menno Willems signing from Vitesse Arnhem for 160K,[40] David Nielsen and Knut Anders Fostervold. Despite this, the club struggled to avoid relegation, only securing their place in Division One on the last day of the season with a win over promoted Fulham.[41]

The Mariners started the 2001–02 season strongly, topping the league table after five games and staying there for most of the next few weeks. The club knocked local rivals Lincoln City and Sheffield United out of the League Cup to meet holders Liverpool at Anfield. In one of the club most famous victories, Grimsby held the Premier League team to a 0–0 draw after 90 minutes taking the game into extra time.[42] Despite Gary McAllister scoring a penalty following a David Beharall handball to put the Reds 1–0 up, loan signing Marlon Broomes equalised before ex-Everton youth player Phil Jevons hit a 35-yard strike into the top corner of Chris Kirkland's goal to give the club a historic victory.[42][43] Grimsby's push for promotion faltered and the team's form declined rapidly, with Lawrence being dismissed halfway into the season. Paul Groves, the skipper, was chosen to replace him. Grimsby finished 19th in the final table, enough to avoid relegation, but a disappointing end to a season which had begun so promisingly. The season was overshadowed by loanee Martin Pringle's[44] footballing career being ended after a leg-breaking tackle by Stockport County defender Dave Challinor,[45] as well as the collapse of ITV Digital putting enormous strain on finances.[46]

The 2002–03 season, was a disaster for Grimsby Town. Mariners boss Paul Groves attempted to bolster his side as well as he could, veteran footballers Darren Barnard and Steve Chettle amongst others were brought to the club, and such players as Steve Kabba, Richard Hughes and returning hero John Oster all played some part in the season, but the club couldn't avoid relegation and Grimsby finished bottom of Division One and were relegated after five successive seasons at this level. Indeed, only one of their previous 12 seasons had been spent outside it and have never returned to this level.

Financial crisis and relegation (2003–2005)

The sudden collapse of ITV Digital had left the club with debts of over £2m, £700,000 of which was owed to the Inland Revenue[47][48] and a further substantial amount to their bankers, Lloyds TSB. The collapse had seen a lot of the smaller clubs playing in the second tier of English football struggle to make ends meet. Coupled with this, it meant first team players such as Danny Coyne and Georges Santos moved on to other clubs.[49][50] For the new season, the club also had to supply its own kits following the closure of long serving kit suppliers Avec Sportswear. Grimsby played the season using the brand "Grimsby Town Sports" before a lucrative three-year deal with Nike was signed in April 2004. Groves dabbled in the transfer market and brought in a batch of new signings, notably Jason Crowe[51] and Des Hamilton,[52] Aidan Davison and Tony Crane.[53] His dealings saw the Mariners boast a large squad for the 2003–04 campaign but despite this, Groves soon found his men sliding down the league, finding themselves involved in a relegation scrap with Sheffield Wednesday as in the previous season.[54]

Groves was sacked in 2004 following a 6–0 drubbing by Oldham Athletic[55] and was replaced by Nicky Law.[56] Law struggled from the start after he lost keeper Aidan Davison to injury, as well as players like Marcel Cas, Alan Pouton and Michael Boulding departing the club for various reasons which meant Law was forced to sign replacement players such as veterans Paul Warhurst, Alan Fettis and Jamie Lawrence, journeyman Mickael Antoine-Curier and injury prone John Thorrington. With little time left for the new team to gel, Grimsby dropped into the relegation zone and went down again on the last day of the season. With Nicky Law failing to keep Grimsby in the Second Division, chairman Peter Furneaux wielded the axe and ended his short stay as first team manager. The club moved to appoint Scarborough manager Russell Slade as his replacement.[57]

In 2005, director John Fenty became the controlling shareholder in the club after a search for outside investors failed, and a sale of shares to the local public was poorly received. He now owns 51% of the club and has made significant loans to the club to ensure its continued operation. Former Leicester City chairman John Elsom also joined the board of directors. However, with cash flow problems, corners had to be cut and the squad was paper thin, numbers were mainly made up by inexperienced youth team players, and loan signings of questionable purpose. Like many other teams who suffer a relegation in the previous season, Grimsby got off to a mediocre start and a lower mid-table finish was as good as it would get for Slade's men.

An upturn in fortune (2005–06)

Russell Slade began the 2005–06 season by adding several players to the side who would go on to improve the fortunes of the club during the season. DR Congolese midfielder Jean Paul Kamudimba Kalala, former left back and home grown talent Gary Croft and Steve Mildenhall but to name a few were signed in the summer of 2005. A good start to the season and much improved results and performances had seen Grimsby rise to the top of Football League Two. A good run in the League Cup saw Town win beat Derby County away at Pride Park in round one, and defeat Premier League Tottenham Hotspur at home in the second round, with Kalala hitting an 87th-minute winner.[58] The Mariners eventually suffered elimination by Alan Shearer's Newcastle United in the third round, losing 1–0 at home.

By the end of the season despite remaining in the automatic promotion places for the majority of the season, the Grimsby had seen Carlisle United, Northampton Town and Leyton Orient pass them which would see The Mariners go into the final day of the season in 4th place with a chance of beating Orient to 3rd spot and an initial automatic promotion place well within reach. The club were one minute away from automatic promotion, but a late Lee Steele goal giving Orient victory at Oxford United condemned Grimsby to the play-offs.[59] The Mariners faced local rivals Lincoln City in the play-offs semi-finals, going on to win 3–1 on aggregate. In the final they would face Cheltenham Town at The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff but, perhaps surprisingly as the bookmakers made them favourites and despite beating Cheltenham in both league fixtures during the season, they lost 1–0.[60] On 31 May, manager Russell Slade left the club after failing to agree terms on a new contract.[61] The club also lost important players such as Steve Mildenhall, Curtis Woodhouse and Jean Paul Kamudimba Kalala. Player of the season Rob Jones was also sold for £250,000 to Hibernian.[62]

Alan Buckley part 3 (2006–2008)

In 2006 the club announced an arrangement with the HM Revenue & Customs which allowed the club to repay its tax liabilities in instalments. In the report for the year ending 31 May 2006 it was revealed that the club made a profit after tax of over £400,000, due mainly to cup exploits and the play-off final. Assistant Manager Graham Rodger was promoted to Manager. Isaiah Rankin who had a short stay with the club in 2004, was re-signed from Brentford and other signings such as veteran Peter Beagrie and Sheffield United goalkeeper Phil Barnes were brought in. Former Mansfield Town manager Stuart Watkiss was appointed as the club's Assistant Manager. The Mariners got off to a slow start and the club's main strike partnership of Rankin and Michael Reddy never got going due to injury woes and Reddy harbouring the desire to play at a higher level. Grimsby found themselves near the foot of the table, and by November the poor start had basically destroyed any chances of promotion. On 6 November 2006 John Fenty sacked Graham Rodger. The club released a statement, saying "He has been a loyal servant to the club, but has become a victim of circumstances ... Graham has qualities this club needs – the shame of it is that this man deserved better."[63]

Stuart Watkiss took temporary charge until 9 November 2006 when Alan Buckley returned for his third stint at managing the club in the previous twenty years.[64] He in turn brought in Peter Till from Birmingham City, Martin Paterson and Anthony Pulis on loan to bolster the squad. Buckley soon found himself watching his club slide down to 22nd before earning a convincing 6–0 victory away against Boston United.[65]

The 2007–08 season the club enjoyed a good run in the Football League Trophy and on 4 March 2008 Grimsby booked their place at the new Wembley Stadium after beating Morecambe in a nervy two-legged Northern Final. A Paul Bolland goal in the away first leg was enough to see Town through. They went on to play MK Dons in the Final on 30 March,[36] losing 2–0 after Danny Boshell missed an early penalty.[66] The season ended with eight straight defeats.

Demise and further relegation (2008–2010)

Grimsby Town entered the 2008–09 season with unsettled Martin Butler, injured Danny North and the inexperienced youngsters Andy Taylor and Nathan Jarman as their only striking options. The team started poorly and dropped to near the foot of the table. After a 13–game winless streak in the league stretching from 22 March 2008, on 15 September 2008 Alan Buckley was sacked as manager for a second time.[67][68]

Assistant manager Stuart Watkiss was given the role of caretaker manager. In October 2008, Grimsby appointed Mike Newell as manager, a year and a half after his dismissal by Luton Town.[69]

Newell's first transfer dealings were to sign two former Grimsby players on loan, Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala[70] and Rob Atkinson.[71] The winless streak was finally ended after 23 games on 15 November 2008 with a 2–0 win over Bury at Gigg Lane.. Newell continued to dip into the transfer market and in December 2008 the club offered former Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler the chance of becoming a player/coach. Despite positive signs for the deal to come off, Fowler decided to join North Queensland Fury when his contract expired at Blackburn Rovers the following month. Back on the pitch, after a further run of 10 games without a win, Grimsby dropped into the relegation zone for the first time this season, but moved back up to 22nd place after clinching a vital victory against local rivals Lincoln City. Despite their previous form, the Mariners ran out comfortable winners with a full-time scoreline of 5–1.[72] After dropping back into the relegation zone for a second time, the team recovered once again after a 3–0 victory at home against promotion chasing Gillingham. After an extensive campaign in the local newspaper and with tickets reduced to £5, this match achieved the biggest attendance of the season, with 6406 spectators.[73] This was broken with the next home game against Aldershot Town; the same £5 deal saw 7065 watch a 1–0 win for the Mariners. The Mariners went on to secure victories over Notts County and Port Vale going into the final 2 weeks of the 2008–09 season, Town's previous run of form was heralded by manager Newell down to the fact that new loan signing Barry Conlon had improved morale in the dressing room, not to mention clinching 5 goals in his first 6 appearances in a Grimsby shirt. The Mariners were all but mathematically safe from relegation, despite a 2–1 away defeat against relegation rivals A.F.C. Bournemouth – which saw the Cherries confirm safety. Fortunately Chester City could only manage a 2–2 draw with Aldershot Town which left City 3 points behind Grimsby with one game remaining, but with a vastly inferior goal difference. Chester lost their final game anyway, meaning that Grimsby were safe; however, they would have been relegated if Newell's previous club, Luton Town, hadn't received a massive 30-point deduction.[74]

Newell started his summer spending by quickly securing Barry Conlon and Joe Widdowson on a permanent basis. Paul Linwood was brought in from Chester City, should hugely targeted Ryan Bennett be on his way, but after rejecting 2 offers from Peterborough United, the club tied the young skipper on an improved 4-year contract. Newell also managed to bring in former loan stars Adrian Forbes and Peter Sweeney, as well as Nick Colgan, Michael Leary and Chris Jones to finish his squad refurbishing. The Mariners had a mixed pre-season, consisting of a 12–1 thrashing of Winterton Rangers, a creditable 1–1 draw with Leeds United, as well as losses to Stockport and Doncaster. Season Ticket sales for the 2009–10 campaign had smashed through the previous season's sales, adding up to around 2,500 tickets, a creditable total considering the economic climate.

Following a slow start to the season, and despite previous backings from the Grimsby Town board, on 18 October 2009 the club's official website declared they had sacked Mike Newell due to "irretrievable breakdown".[75][76]

Following the dismissal of Mike Newell,[76] Youth Team Coach and former player Neil Woods was given the role of Caretaker Manager, chosen ahead of Assistant Manager Brian Stein. After six games in charge (including a defeat at home to Bath City in the FA Cup), none of which were won, Neil Woods was controversially made permanent manager on 23 November 2009.[77][78] The other main candidate for the job was former boss Russell Slade, but the board decided upon Woods ahead of Slade.[77] Almost immediately Woods was dealt a blow when the club decided to do a u-turn and sell captain Ryan Bennett to Peterborough United for £500,000 despite rejecting this offer in the summer and the player only recently signing a new four-year deal. Next to leave was Brian Stein, who was brought to the club by previous manager Newell. His replacement as Assistant Manager would be former Bury manager Chris Casper. Grimsby continued to show no signs of improvement under Woods and Casper and Town would find themselves being dragged into a second successive relegation battle. By the end of 2009, Grimsby had won 3, drawn 8 and lost 12 in the league.

In 2010 top scorer Barry Conlon was loaned out to Chesterfield before signing permanently shortly afterwards. Puzzled supporters questioned Woods and chairman John Fenty over the decision which was later revealed to be because the player was considered to be a disruptive influence and wasn't turning up for training. Woods began to clear out the ranks, with Danny Boshell, Danny North, Jamie Clarke, Barry Conlon and Grant Normington all being released. Whilst Chris Jones was loaned out only months after being signed. Woods began to make some fresh signings, notably Lee Peacock, Tommy Wright and former loanee Dean Sinclair joined the club. Woods would also heavily use the loan system in a bid to change the club's fortunes. On 6 March 2010 Grimsby ended a club record 25 game winless streak by beating promotion chasing Shrewsbury Town at Blundell Park, 3–0.[79] The 25 game streak had last seen Grimsby win in the league with a 2–0 away victory at Torquay United on 19 September 2009. During this time the Mariners had drawn 15 games and lost 10. The game would also come as the first career victory for Neil Woods. The Mariners went on to win four and draw one of their last six games to give them a chance of league survival going into the last game of the season. However, they were defeated 3–0 by Burton Albion,[80] and thus were relegated from the Football League for the first time in nearly 100 years.[81]

Non league (2010–2016)

Manager Neil Woods signed a new contract and was kept on for the following season.[82][83] He prepared for life in the Conference by signing almost an entirely new team: goalkeeper Kenny Arthur; defenders Darran Kempson, Steven Watt, Dwayne Samuels, Scott Garner and Lee Ridley; midfielders Lewis Gobern, Robert Eagle and Micky Cummins; and strikers Charles Ademeno and Alan Connell.[84] Only thirteen squad members were retained from the previous season, this was reduced to eleven when Adrian Forbes and Nick Hegarty were released.[82][83]

Town began their Conference campaign with a 1–0 win at big-spending promotion favourites Crawley Town.[85] Inconsistency followed, with the club managing to perform and get results against some of the league's top sides but struggling to beat the teams at the lower end of the table. After a long winter break due to postponements, Grimsby started the new year scoring 13 goals in 2 games, beating Mansfield Town 7–2 at home and Histon 6–1 at Bridge Road.[86][87] After this, yet another inconsistent period followed that saw only 2 wins in 9 games and saw the club's play-off aspirations take a severe hit. As a result of this, Neil Woods was relieved of his duties on 24 February 2011 after 15 months in charge.[88] He left the club in 9th position in the Conference National.

On 23 March 2011, former Boston United managerial duo of Rob Scott and Paul Hurst were announced as the new joint managers.[89] They finished the 2010–11 season in 11th on 62 points.[90][91]

The duo started the 2011–12 season by rebuilding the squad, with many players leaving, and bringing in players including Liam Hearn, Craig Disley and James McKeown. The season began poorly with one win in six in August, including a 5–0 loss at Braintree Town. Form then began to improve and Grimsby went on a 15-game unbeaten run in the league which began on 5 November 2011, and ended on 3 March 2012. The run included a 7–0 thrashing at home against Stockport County. Despite this run of form the poor early season form had cost them and they were unable to break into the play-off places, and an end of season run of 1 win in 8 games saw them fade away and once again finish in 11th place, this time on 70 points.[92]

On 19 September 2011, John Fenty resigned as chairman of Grimsby Town with immediate effect, a position he had held for 7 years, although he continues to act as a director of the club.[93][94]

The 2012–13 season saw a more stable squad than had been seen by Grimsby Town in recent years, with a total of 12 players from the previous season's squad remaining. The previous season's top scorer Liam Hearn suffered an Achilles tendon injury in pre-season, and although he appeared to be on the road to recovery when he came on as a substitute against Stockport County, just three days later he injured his leg in training, and tests showed it was an Achilles tendon rupture and he would be out for several months.[95] However, despite the loss of such an important player, and despite not winning 5 games into the season, Grimsby were top of the table by Christmas, with two crucial loan players Ross Hannah and Scott Neilson breathing new life into the Grimsby team.[96][97] The turn of the year, however, appeared to be a turning point for Grimsby, with Nathan Pond returning from loan to Fleetwood Town[98] and Scott Neilson signing for league rivals Luton Town. The team appeared to lack the quality they had shown towards the end of the previous year, and despite not losing until mid-February, a run of 4 consecutive losses in March saw them give up the top spot and ultimately fall away from the title race. Despite this, they reached the F.A. Trophy final, where they played Wrexham at Wembley Stadium on 24 March 2013. Grimsby went ahead in the second half with 20 minutes left to go, through an Andy Cook strike. However, they conceded a penalty with 9 minutes left and Wrexham equalised. This took the game to extra time, and then penalties, where Grimsby lost the shoot-out 4–1. Grimsby finished the season in good form, with a 9 match unbeaten run, finishing the season with a 3–0 win against Newport County.[99] This led them to finish in 4th place with 83 points.[100] They faced Newport County again straight away in the play-off semi-finals, where they were knocked out by a 1–0 loss in both legs. The managerial duo was broken up on 6 September 2013 due to Rob Scott being suspended and Paul Hurst was placed in sole charge of the team.[101]

Grimsby came third in the Conference Premier 2014–15 season, and secured a play-off spot.[102] Grimsby reached the 2015 Conference Premier play-off final against Bristol Rovers in front of a Conference record 47,029 crowd at Wembley Stadium.[103][104] The game was forced to penalties where Pittman missed the penultimate penalty in their 5–3 shootout.[103][104][105]

Grimsby's highest attendance in the 2015–16 season was in the 2–0 victory over local rivals Lincoln City, a gate of 7,650 which also was the highest attendance of all the clubs in the 2015–16 season.[106] Grimsby would play in the final of the FA Trophy,[107] but they lost, the final result was 1–0 to Halifax Town.[108] The week before, Grimsby Town beat Forest Green Rovers 3–1 in the 2016 National League play-off Final at Wembley, seeing Grimsby promoted back to League Two after a six-year absence from the Football League.[109][110][111][112]

Return to the League (2016–)

Hurst released a number of players, many of whom were pivotal to the previous season's promotion push.[113] On 24 October Paul Hurst was appointed as Shrewsbury Town manager, Chris Doig also left Grimsby and made Hurst’s assistant at Shrewsbury, thus leaving Dave Moore and Stuart Watkiss as caretaker managers.[114] On 7 November 2016, Marcus Bignot was officially announced as the new Grimsby Town manager, along with the appointment of Micky Moore as his assistant.[115]

Timeline

Stadium

Main article: Blundell Park
DatesGround
1878–1879Clee Park
1879–1880Lovett Street
1880–1889Clee Park
1889–1899Abbey Park
1899–presentBlundell Park
The Findus Stand (formerly the Carlsberg Stand).

Grimsby play their home games at Blundell Park in Cleethorpes. This is the club's fourth stadium. They originally played at Clee Park until 1879, they then moved to Lovett Street for a single season, before returning to Clee Park for a further nine years. The Mariners then moved to Abbey Park until 1899 before a move to Blundell Park, the club's current stadium.[1]

In 1953 the club introduced its first floodlights to the ground and with that enabling Grimsby Town to play night-time fixtures.[116] Tall floodlights were purchased second hand from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1958 and installed in 1960 at a cost of £9,000 which was raised by the supporters club, they have illuminated matches ever since when required.[4][117] The stadium has had an all-seated capacity of just under 10,000 in recent years, being in and around 27,000 before the stadium was made all seated in 1995. The club's demise from the second tier of English football, down to the fourth meant the expansion seating was removed. This brought the overall capacity down from around 12,000 to what it is today. Situated inside the Findus Stand at Blundell Park, is "McMenemy's Function Suite", named after former manager Lawrie McMenemy.

Since the late 1990s, there have been plans for a new 20,200-seat stadium at nearby Great Coates – tentatively titled the Conoco Stadium after a naming rights deal with the American oil producer ConocoPhillips.[118] There have been numerous delays to the development of the new stadium. The plans have been met with resistance from many residents of the local area surrounding the proposed stadium site, but other factors have also slowed progress. One of the most notable difficulties for the club was in demonstrating how it planned to finance the scheme. As a result, they later amended their proposal to include a retail park on the site, which would help to fund the development. This raised other problems, due to a rival proposal by the property developer Henry Boot PLC, who are continuing with plans for their own retail park, which will be in direct competition with the Grimsby Town site and which has also been approved by the local council. Henry Boot attempted to have the football team's development plan stopped, by asking for it to be sent for judicial review by the Government, however their attempt failed. Currently, the Grimsby Town stadium development proposal has satisfied all the conditions that were imposed by planning officials and consent for the project has been granted. Initial estimates had suggested that the club would be able to move to the new stadium for the start of the 2011–12 season. However, as a result of the ongoing global recession, the club has halted all progress on the new development and it is unlikely that any work will begin until an upturn in the economy.

As of the 2012–13 season, the GTFC Supporters Trust known as the 'Mariners Trust' has taken over responsibility for the operation of most of the bars at the Stadium, which hopefully will lead to refurbishment, and new ideas from fans as to how the bars operate.

Plans are now under way to relocate the club to land at the side of the Peaks Parkway in Grimsby.[119]

Kit

Grimsby Town's traditional home kit
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
1975–1976 Litesome none
1976–1978 Bukta
1978–1979 Admiral
1979–1981 Findus
1981–1983 Adidas
1983–1984 Hobott
1984–1986 Nisa
1986–1987 En-s Bluecrest
1987–1993 Ribero Ciba-Geigy
1993–1994 Admiral Ciba
1994–1995 Diadora
1995–1996 Europe's Food Town
1996–1998 Lotto
1998–2003 Avec Dixon Motors
2003–2004 Grimsby Town Sports Jarvis
2004–2008 Nike Young's Seafood
2008–present Errea

The original 1878 kit of Grimsby Pelham FC, featured a shirt with narrow horizontal stripes in royal blue and white, with long white shorts and black socks.[5] Between 1884 and 1910, various kit colours were introduced, with the most common colours being variations of pale blue and chocolate brown, worn with white shorts and black socks. Other kits from this period include:

Black and white vertical stripes were adopted in 1910 and with a few exceptions, they have rarely been missing from the kit design ever since and have become one of the most recognisable features of the club.[5] The 1911 kit included the black and white striped shirt, white shorts and black socks.[5] Exceptions from the traditional bar-stripe kit:

Since the introduction of the black and white bar stripes in 1910, the GTFC kits have featured exclusively red, black and white.[5] The only exceptions to this are the corporate colours used in a sponsor logo and the yellow/gold trim used between 2001 and 2003. The official GTFC club logo first appeared on the club kit in 1974.[5]

The new home and away kits were unveiled on 5 June 2009 for the 2009–10 season.[5] The home kit is black and white stripes with a white collar and the away kit is blue with a black and white trim, with Errea being the kit manufacturer.[5]

Rivals and local games

Main articles: Humber derby and Lincolnshire derby
ClubLast MatchSeason
Lincoln CityW 2 – 02015–16
Scunthorpe UnitedW 2 – 12013–14
Boston UnitedW 6 – 02006–07
BarnsleyW 6 – 12003–04
Sheffield WednesdayW 2 – 02003–04
Hull CityW 1 – 01997–98

Grimsby's geographical region pits them against several professional clubs. Hull City, on the north bank of the Humber Estuary, has traditionally been viewed as Grimsby's main rival along but a contrast in their recent fortunes has meant that the two clubs have not met in the League since 1987, with their last competitive match being a Football League Trophy tie in 1998 which Grimsby won 1–0. The closest professional football club to Grimsby is Scunthorpe United. Like Hull, United have eclipsed Grimsby over the last 10 years, with both rivals climbing the Football League while Grimsby suffered three relegations between 2003 and 2010. Games involving any two of the three traditional Humberside clubs are known as a Humber derby.

Matches with Lincoln City (a Lincolnshire derby) has been Grimsby's primary derby game in recent seasons with a notable victory in the 2005–06 League Two play-off semi-final in which Grimsby ran out 3–1 winners on aggregate. A slight rivalry with Sheffield Wednesday intensified between 2000 and 2004, with the two clubs competing with each other in several relegation battles in both the First and Second Division. Barnsley and Boston United are two other examples of clubs who have shared some kind of rivalry with Grimsby in past seasons, whilst they were in the second and fourth tiers respectively. There are two other clubs within the Borough of Grimsby who are on the football ladder, Grimsby Borough and Cleethorpes Town. Town and Borough met in a pre-season friendly for the first time in June 2012, the game ending in a 12–3 victory for Town.

Mascot

Mighty Mariner is the Grimsby Town mascot. He wears the club's home strip and normally parades in front of the Pontoon Stand as well as tormenting the opposition's fans. He also plays football with the mascots and warms up the Grimsby Town fans. [120] Up until 1998, there were two club mascots, Mighty and Mini Mariner, and until then they used to wear yellow fishing rain coats, before Mini was dropped, and Mighty was given the home strip to wear. Formerly, the mascot was a character named "Harry Haddock", so-called after Grimsby's fishing industry, who is actually a rainbow trout.

Supporters

The newly rebranded Mariners Trust [121] has been working with the fans and the club on a number of projects and events with the aim of improving the match day experience for the fans. It has a new Junior Mariners section, works with similar GTFC-friendly organisations like the internet mariners an the PPAG and is run by volunteers of 400+ members andcontinues to encourage GTFC fans to join and get involved. Since the late 1990's Grimsby Town have had a Scandinavian supporters group based in Norway and Sweden. [122] Mariners fans since 2006 have also had a friendship with the supporters of Belgian side Eendracht Aalst.[123]

World-famous comedic actor Sacha Baron Cohen who notably plays characters Ali G and Borat was spotted at Grimsby Town's home game against Cambridge United during the 2013–14 season. He watched The Mariners 1–0 defeat before talking to fans in the Blundell Hotel dressed in a Grimsby shirt and Hat.[124] Cohen had been in the town to think of ideas for a new film and had also visited the Town's fishdocks. In December 2013 it was announced that Cohen would be appearing in a new film called "Grimsby".[125] Famous Mariners fans include American television host and actor Adam Richman. Despite not being from Grimsby or England for that matter the Man v. Food presenter came out in saying he is a supporter of the club, and was involved in a BBC Radio 5 Live phone in before the 2013 FA Trophy final between Grimsby and Wrexham.[126]

Grimsby-born actor Thomas Turgoose, who starred as the lead role character Shaun in the film "This is England" and the TV follow-up's "This Is England '86" and "This Is England '88, is a season ticket holder.[127] He appeared as a guest on Sky show Soccer AM in 2007 sporting a Grimsby Town shirt.

Other famous fans include politician Norman Lamont, historian Hugh Trevor-Roper, snooker player Dean Reynolds, singer and The X Factor contestant Ella Henderson, BBC weathergirl / presenter Keeley Donovan, comedian Lloyd Griffith and Coronation Street actor Malcolm Hebden (whose parents originate from the area).[128]

Grimsby Town in popular culture

During April 2007 it was announced that Grimsby had struck a deal with Sky channel Propeller TV to show four 30-minute shows named "GTTV". The show mainly focused on player and staff interviews and match reviews. The project was eventually scrapped after the four shows aired.[129]

Grimsby Town has popped up in two British films, being mentioned as one of Mike Bassett's former clubs in Mike Bassett: England Manager as well as the film ID.[130]

Grimsby is the football club Sacha Baron Cohen's character Nobby supports in the 2016 movie Grimsby.[131]

Club officials

Board and management officials

Role Name
Chairman Vacant
Life President England Dudley Ramsden
Head Director England John Fenty
Director England Stephen Marley (FCCA)
Director England Philip Day (LLB)
Director England Michael Chapman
Director England Lee Mullen
Director England Jon Wood
Chief Executive England Ian Fleming
Commercial Manager England David Smith
Accounts Manager England Steve Wraith

Coaching staff and support staff

Role Name
Manager England Marcus Bignot
Assistant Manager England Micky Moore
Goalkeeping Coach England Andy Warrington
Head Physiotherapist England Dave Moore
Academy Manager England Neil Woods
Academy Operations Manager England Alan Lamb
Academy Lead Coach 11-16's England Callum Lester
Academy Lead Coach 9-11's England Lawrence Heward
Academy Coach U17's England Alan Buckley
Academy Coach U12's England Iain Ward (LLB)
Community Coach England Graham Rodger

Players

As of 23 November 2016.[132]

First team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Republic of Ireland GK James McKeown
2 England DF Ben Davies
3 England DF Danny Andrew
4 England MF Sean McAllister
5 England DF Shaun Pearson
6 England DF Josh Gowling (vice-captain)
7 England FW Ashley Chambers
8 England MF Craig Disley (captain)
9 England FW Omar Bogle
10 England MF Dominic Vose (on loan from Scunthorpe United)
11 Antigua and Barbuda MF Rhys Browne
12 England DF Zak Mills
14 England FW Kayden Jackson (on loan from Barnsley)
No. Position Player
16 Republic of Ireland MF James Berrett
17 England MF Josh Venney
18 Nigeria MF Tom Bolarinwa
19 England MF Luke Summerfield
20 England DF Andrew Boyce
21 England FW Scott Vernon
22 Wales DF Danny Collins
23 England DF Dan Jones
24 England GK Andy Warrington (Player-Coach)
25 England MF Max Wright
26 Montserrat MF Brandon Comley (on loan from Queens Park Rangers)
29 England FW Shaun Tuton (on loan from Barnsley)
30 England GK Dean Henderson (on loan from Manchester United)

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
15 England MF Harry Clifton (on loan to Grantham Town until 18 December 2016)

Academy squad

As of 27 August 2016.[133]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
— England GK Corey Briggs
— England GK Oakley Heath-Drury
— England DF Lawrence Burchell
— England DF Mikey Davis
— England DF Jamie Goddard
— England DF Cameron Hough
— England DF Jack Keeble
— England DF Adam Lawis
— England MF Brandon Buckley
No. Position Player
— England MF Ryan Evans
— England MF Joey Finnegan
— England MF Ben Flowerdew
— England MF Thomas Sawyer
— England MF Declan Slater
— England FW Myles Lawman
— England FW Charlie Lofts
— Sierra Leone FW Bilal Sesay

Players of the season

Over the past few decades it has become traditional that professional football clubs have a player of the season award, and Grimsby Town Football Club is no different, for a number of years they have allowed supporters to vote for the player who they think deserves the award for Player and Young player of the season. The awards are normally handed out at an award ceremony at the end of the season.

Year Winner Young Player
1972 England Harry Wainman–
1973 England Dave Booth–
1974 England Dave Boylen–
1975 England Frank Barton –
1976 England Harry Wainman England Tony Ford
1977 Republic of Ireland Joe Waters England Kevin Drinkell
1978 England Geoff Barker England Shaun Mawer
1979 Republic of Ireland Joe Waters England Dave Moore
1980 England Dean Crombie England Phil Crosby
1981 England Nigel Batch England Andy O'Dell
1982 England Nigel Batch England John Steeples
1983 England Kevin Drinkell England Paul Wilkinson
Year Winner Young Player
1984England Tony Ford England Gary Lund
1985England Tony Ford England Andy Moore
1986England Gordon Hobson England Tony Barratt
1987England Neil Robinson England John McDermott
1988Republic of Ireland Don O'Riordan England Tommy Watson
1989England Shaun Cunnington England Mark Lever
1990England Garry Birtles England John McDermott
1991England Dave Gilbert England Mark Lever
1992England Paul Futcher England John McDermott
1993England Paul Futcher England Gary Croft
1994England Paul Crichton England Gary Croft
1995England Gary Croft England Gary Croft
Year Winner Young Player
1996England Paul Groves England Jamie Forrester
1997England Graham Rodger Wales John Oster
1998England Kevin Donovan Republic of Ireland Daryl Clare
1999England Paul Groves England Danny Butterfield
2000England Mark Lever England Danny Butterfield
2001Wales Danny Coyne England Jonathan Rowan
2002Wales Danny Coyne Jamaica Simon Ford
2003Cape Verde Georges Santos England Darren Mansaram
2004England Phil Jevons England Graham Hockless
2005England John McDermott England Nick Hegarty
2006England Rob Jones England Gary Cohen
2007England Justin Whittle England Danny North
Year Winner Young Player
2008England Phil Barnes England Ryan Bennett
2009England Ryan Bennett England Ryan Bennett
2010England Peter Bore No award given
2011England Alan Connell England Bradley Wood
2012England Liam Hearn England Conor Townsend
2013Republic of Ireland James McKeown Albania Andi Thanoj
2014Republic of Ireland James McKeown Albania Andi Thanoj
2015Northern Ireland Carl Magnay England Craig Clay
2016Republic of Ireland Pádraig Amond England Jon Nolan

Top goal scorers (season)

Player Goals Season
England Omar Bogle* 8 2016–17
Republic of Ireland Pádraig Amond 30 2015–16
England Lenell John-Lewis 20 2014–15
England Ross Hannah 15 2013–14
England Andy Cook 16 2012–13
England Liam Hearn 29 2011–12
England Alan Connell 29 2010–11
Scotland Peter Sweeney 6 2009–10
England Adam Proudlock 9 2008–09
England Danny North 10 2007–08
England Gary Jones, Northern Ireland Ciaran Toner and England Peter Bore 8 2006–07
England Gary Jones 17 2005–06
Republic of Ireland Michael Reddy and England Andy Parkinson 9 2004–05
England Phil Jevons and England Michael Boulding 12 2003–04
Scotland Stuart Campbell 7 2002–03
England Michael Boulding 11 2001–02
England Steve Livingstone 7 2000–01
England Lee Ashcroft 12 1999–2000
England Paul Groves 14 1998–99
England Kevin Donovan 16 1997–98
England Clive Mendonca 19 1996–97
England Paul Groves and England Steve Livingstone 10 1995–96
England Neil Woods 14 1994–95
England Clive Mendonca 14 1993–94
England Paul Groves 12 1992–93
England Neil Woods 8 1991–92
England Dave Gilbert and England Neil Woods 12 1990–91
England Tony Rees 13 1989–90
Saint Lucia Keith Alexander 14 1988–89
England Marc North 11 1987–88
Republic of Ireland Don O'Riordan and Wales Ian Walsh 8 1986–87
England Gordon Hobson 15 1985–86

* As it stands (current season)

Managerial history

As of 2016.[23]
Dates Name Notes
1902–1920 England H.N Hickson
1920 Wales Haydn Price
1921–1924 England George Fraser
1924–1932 England Wilf Gillow
1932–1936 England Frank Womack
1937–1951 England Charlie Spencer
1951 England Frank Womack Caretaker Manager
1951–1953 Scotland Bill Shankly
1954 Hungary Elemér Berkessy Caretaker Manager
1954–1955 Republic of Ireland Billy Walsh
1955–1959 England Allenby Chilton
1960–1962 England Tim Ward
1962–1964 Scotland Tom Johnston
1964–1967 Scotland Jimmy McGuigan
1967–1968 England Don McEvoy
1968–1969 England Bill Harvey
1969–1971 Scotland Bobby Kennedy
1971–1973 England Lawrie McMenemy
1973–1975 England Ron Ashman
1975–1976 Northern Ireland Tommy Casey
1976–1978 England Johnny Newman
1979–1982 Scotland George Kerr
1982–1985 England Dave Booth
1985 England Peter Grotier Player/Caretaker Manager
1985–1987 England Mick Lyons
1987–1988 Scotland Bobby Roberts
1988–1994 England Alan Buckley
1994–1996 England Brian Laws Player/Manager
1996 England John Cockerill Caretaker Manager
1997 England Kenny Swain Caretaker Manager
1997–2000 England Alan Buckley
2000 England John Cockerill Caretaker Manager
2000–2001 England Lennie Lawrence
2001–2004 England Paul Groves Player/Manager
2004 England Graham Rodger Caretaker Manager
2004 England Nicky Law
2004–2006 England Russell Slade
2006 England Graham Rodger
2006 England Stuart Watkiss Caretaker Manager
2006–2008 England Alan Buckley
2008 England Stuart Watkiss Caretaker Manager
2008–2009 England Mike Newell
2009–2011 England Neil Woods
2011 England Dave Moore &
ScotlandRobbie Stockdale[88]		 Joint Caretaker Managers
2011–2013 England Rob Scott &
England Paul Hurst		 Joint Managers
2011–2016 England Paul Hurst
2016 England Dave Moore &
England Stuart Watkiss		 Joint Caretaker Managers
2016– England Marcus Bignot

Assistant managers

Year Assistant Manager
1988–94 Scotland Arthur Mann
1994–97 England Kenny Swain
1997–01 England John Cockerill
2001–06 England Graham Rodger
2006–09 England Stuart Watkiss
2009 South Africa Brian Stein
2009–10 England Chris Casper
2010–11 England Dave Moore
2013–2016 Scotland Chris Doig
2016– England Micky Moore

Notable former players and managers

Person Grimsby Record Claim to Fame
Wales Darren Barnard Player, 2002–04 68 games, 4 goals Played in the Premier League for Chelsea and Barnsley. He earned 24 caps playing for Wales from between 1998 and 2004. Notably his last game came whilst he was a Grimsby player playing in Football League One
England Peter Beagrie Player, 2006 9 games, 0 goals Played in England's top flight for the likes of Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Everton, Manchester City and Bradford City and currently works as a Sky Sports football pundit.
England Dave Beasant Player, 1992 6 games, 0 goals 1988 FA Cup winner with Wimbledon, first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final, and first goalkeeper to captain an FA Cup final team. 2 England caps.
Hungary Elemér Berkessy Manager, 1954 Became the first foreign manager in English football with Grimsby.
England Jackie Bestall Player, 1926–38 427 games, 76 goals 1 England cap (6 February 1935, vs Ireland, 2–1, Goodison Park). Has the smallest road in Grimsby and Cleethorpes named after him, the only Town footballer to be honoured in this way.
England Harry Betmead Player, 1930–47 296 games, 10 goals 1 England cap (20 May 1937, vs Finland, 8–0, Helsinki)
England Garry Birtles Player, 1989–91 69 games, 9 goals Won the European Cup title twice with Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough, as well as winning the First Division, English League Cup and the UEFA Super Cup with Forest. He also spent two years playing for Manchester United.
Northern Ireland Kingsley Black Player, 1996–2001 141 games, 8 goals Won the League Cup with Luton Town in 1988. Played in the top flight for both Luton and Nottingham Forest. Also earned 30 caps for Northern Ireland, scoring once.
Italy Ivano Bonetti Player, 1995–96 22 games, 4 goals Played in the Italian Serie A for Juventus, Sampdoria and Torino amongst others. Became famous for the "chicken" incident which occurred when Grimsby manager Brian Laws launched a plate of chicken at Bonetti during a half time team talk.
England Steve Chettle Player, 2002–03 23 games, 1 goal Played over 400 times in a spell for Nottingham Forest in the top flight from between 1986 and 1999. Featured in the 1991 FA Cup final.
England Terry Cooke Player, 2002–03 31 games, 2 goals Won both the Premier League and FA Cup with Manchester United in the 1995–96 season. Also went on to feature for Manchester City and Major League Soccer side Colorado Rapids. Also featured for the England at U21 level.
Wales Danny Coyne Player, 1999–2003 181 games Welsh international goalkeeper 1996–2007, 11 caps.
England Gary Croft Player, 1992–96 & 2005–2007 248 games, 4 goals Became the record signing when sold to Blackburn Rovers for £1.6 million in 1996, until the sale of John Oster a year later. Became the first footballer to play with an electronic tag after being charged with driving offences whilst playing for Ipswich Town.
England Tony Ford MBE Player, 1975–86 & 1991–94 423 games, 58 goals Holds all-time record, 931, for matches played in the English league by an outfield player. Youngest player to play for the club aged 16 years 143 days, 4 October 1975.
Scotland Hughie Gallacher Player, 1937–38 12 games, 3 goals 20 Scotland caps, 23 Scotland goals, member of the Wembley Wizards who beat England 5 – 1 in 1928
Wales Pat Glover Player, 1929–38 227 games, 180 goals Welsh international striker (1931–1937), 7 caps. Holds club records for most league goals in a career and in a season (42) as well as most international caps whilst a Grimsby player.
Scotland Richard Hughes Player, 2003 12 games, 1 goals Won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2007–08 season. He also has represented Scotland 5 times.
England John McDermott Player, 1987–2007 647 games, 10 goals Club's all-time leading appearance holder with 755 games in all competitions
England Lawrie McMenemy Manager 1971–73 Was the manager of Southampton when they won the FA Cup in 1976.
England Clive Mendonca Player, 1991–97 187 games, 64 goals Winner of Grimsby's BBC cult heroes poll in 2004.[134] Scored a hat-trick in Charlton Athletic's 1998 play-off final win.
England Mike Newell Manager, 2008–2009 Played for Blackburn Rovers when the club won the Premier League in the 1994–95 season. Notably played in attack with Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton.
Denmark David Nielsen Player, 2000–01 17 games, 5 goals Won the Danish Cup with FC Copenhagen in 1997. Also played top-flight football in Denmark for Aalborg BK, and FC Midtjylland, as well as Lyngby FC, IK Start and SK Brann in Norway.
Wales John Oster Player, 1996–97 & 2002–03 42 games, 10 goals Having started his career with the club, he went on to play International football for Wales, and also played in the English Premier League with Everton, Sunderland and Reading as well as being the club's record sale at £2million in 1997.
Republic of Ireland Michael Reddy Player, 2004–2007 104 games, 23 goals Is currently the only Grimsby player to be named in the PFA Team of the Year
England Graham Taylor OBE Player, 1962–68 189 games, 2 goals England Manager 1990–93, W 18 D 13 L 7.
England George Tweedy Player, 1932–52 347 games, Caretaker Manager 1950–51 1 England cap (2 December 1936, vs Hungary, 6–2, Highbury)
Scotland Bill Shankly OBE Manager, 1951–53 Liverpool Manager 1959–74, 3 League titles, 2 FA Cup wins, 1 UEFA Cup win.
Republic of Ireland Billy Walsh Manager, 1954–55 Played for Manchester City and international football for four different teams, England Schoolboys, both Ireland teams, the FAI XI and the IFA XI, and New Zealand
England Paul Warhurst Player, 2004 7 games, 0 goals Notably played for Sheffield Wednesday as a defender cum makeshift striker, was runner up in the 1993 FA Cup final and League Cup. Went on to win the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers in 1994–95 season.
England Neil Webb Player, 1996 4 games,1 goals Won the FA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners Cup and English League Cup with Manchester United, also won the League Cup with Nottingham Forest and played 26 times internationally for England scoring 4 goals.
China Zhang Enhua Player, 2000–01 17 games, 3 goals Was the international captain of China, which included appearing in Fifa World Cup 2002. In all Enhua featured 68 times, scoring 7 for his country.

International Players

Players signed to, and have played for Grimsby that have had full international caps during their careers.

PFA Team of the Year

The following have been included in the PFA Team of the Year whilst playing for Grimsby Town :

PFA Fans Favourites

The following was included as the favourite Grimsby Town player in the a survey published by the Professional Footballers' Association in December 2007.

BBC Sports Cult Heroes

The following were chosen by fans as the favourite club heroes in the BBC Sports Cult Heroes poll in 2006.[134]

  1. England Clive Mendonca
  2. England John McDermott
  3. Italy Ivano Bonetti

Honours

Competition[135] Honour Date[136]
Division One/Premier League Highest placing, 5th 1934–35
Division Two/Division One/The Championship Champions 1900–01, 1933–34
Runners-up 1928–29
Third Place 1895–96, 1896–97
Division Three/Division Two/League One Champions 1979–80
Runners-up 1961–62
Third Place 1990–91
Play-off Winners, 3rd 1997–98
Division Three North Champions 1925–26, 1955–56
Runners-up 1951–52
Third Place 1921–22
Division Three South Highest placing, 13th 1920–21
Division Four/Division Three/League Two Champions 1971–72
Runners-up 1978–79, 1989–90
Play-off Finalists, 4th 2005–06
Conference National/The National League Play-off finalists, 3rd 2014–15
Play-off Winners, 4th 2015–16
Football Alliance Third Place 1890–91
Midland League Champions 1910–11, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1946–47
Football League Group Trophy Winners 1981–82
Football League Trophy Winners 1997–98
Runners-up 2007–08
FA Trophy Runners-up 2012–13, 2015–16
Full Members Cup Second Round North 1991–92
Anglo-Italian Cup 2nd, English Group 1 1993–94
Anglo-Scottish Cup Preliminary Stage 1980–81
Lincolnshire Senior Cup Winners 1885–86, 1888–89, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1900–01, 1901–02, 1902–03, 1905–06, 1908–09, 1912–13, 1920–21, 1922–23, 1924–25, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1967–68, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1999–2000, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15
Runners up 1886–87, 1909–10, 1910–11, 1911–12, 1914–15, 1919–20, 1923–24, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1953–54, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1990–91, 1996–97, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2010–11
Midland Youth Cup Winners 2005–06, 2009–10
Puma Youth Alliance League Cup Winners 2008–09

Seasons

Records

More clubs have lost their managers after meeting Grimsby than after playing any other club.[137]

Games

Player records

See also

References

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  2. ↑ "Blundell Park Stadium Capacity". Grimsby Town F.C. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016.
  3. ↑ "Ownership". Corporate Information. Grimsby Town F.C. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Hales, Andrew (1998). Memories of Grimsby. Halifax: True North Books. pp. 24–25. ISBN 1-900463-97-0.
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  8. ↑ "Grimsby Town 1900–1901: Table: Final Table". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 17 July 2016.
  9. ↑ "Grimsby Town 1902–1903: Table: Final Table". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 17 July 2016.
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  11. ↑ "Midland League – Honours" (PDF). Northern Counties East Football League. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 July 2016.
  12. ↑ "Grimsby fish market to open over festive period". FISHupdate. Wyvex Media. 21 December 2006. Archived from the original on 7 June 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
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  14. ↑ "Grimsby Town 1928–1929: Table: Final Table". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 17 July 2016.
  15. ↑ "Grimsby Town 1934–1935: Table: Final Table". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 17 July 2016.
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