Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that in the 2022–23 season will compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, following the victory in the 2022 National League play-off Final. Nicknamed "the Mariners", the club was founded as Grimsby Pelham Football Club in 1878, changed its name to Grimsby Town a year later, and moved to its current stadium, Blundell Park, in 1898.
| Full name | Grimsby Town Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Mariners |
| Founded | 1878, as Grimsby Pelham 1879, as Grimsby Town[1] |
| Ground | Blundell Park |
| Capacity | 9,002 (all seated)[2] |
| Coordinates | 53°34′12.19″N 0°2′46.80″W / 53.5700528°N 0.0463333°W |
| Owner(s) | 1878 Partners (63.1%)[3] The Mariners Trust (13.5%) Mike Parker (10.5%) Other Shareholders (12.9%)[4] |
| Chairman | Jason Stockwood |
| Manager | Paul Hurst |
| League | EFL League Two |
| 2021–22 | National League, 6th of 23 (promoted via play-offs) |
| Website | Club website |
| Current season | |
Grimsby Town are the most successful team of the three professional clubs in historic Lincolnshire, being the only one to play top-flight English football. It is also the only club of the three to reach an FA Cup semi-final (doing so on two occasions, both times during the 1930s). It has also spent more time in the English game's first and second tiers than any other club from Lincolnshire. Notable former 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 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 the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, but lost the match 1–0 to Cheltenham Town, Later trips to Wembley in 2013 and 2016 saw them defeated in the FA Trophy final by Wrexham and F.C. Halifax Town respectively, having also lost at the venue in the 2015 National League play-off final to Bristol Rovers before finally gaining promotion by winning the 2016 final against Forest Green Rovers. Grimsby were again relegated out of the Football League in 2021, but secured an immediate promotion at the first attempt with victory over Solihull Moors in the 2022 National League play-off final at the London Stadium.
Grimsby Town's relegation in 2010 made them the sixth club to compete in all top five divisions of English football (after Wimbledon, Wigan Athletic, Carlisle United, Oxford United and Luton Town, and before Leyton Orient, Notts County and Oldham Athletic). Grimsby's 1939 FA Cup semi-final attendance of 76,962 versus Wolverhampton Wanderers is still a record at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium. In 1954 they became the first English club to appoint a foreign manager, Hungarian Elemér Berkessy. The club's record appearance holder is John McDermott, who made 754 appearances between 1987 and 2007, while their leading scorer is Pat Glover, with 180 goals (1930–39).
History
Early years (1878–1918)
Grimsby Town was formed in 1878 after a meeting held at the Wellington Arms public house in Freeman Street, Grimsby.[5] 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.[5] 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 brown and blue quartered shirts in 1884.[6]
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.[7][8] 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;[9] two seasons later they were relegated[10] and within a decade they would be a non-League side again, failing re-election in 1910 and falling to the Midland League.[11] 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.[12]
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.[13]
Inter-War years (1918–45)
This was the most successful period in the club's history. The first full season after World War I the club were relegated to the new Third Division;[14] 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,[15] 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.[6][16]
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.
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]
On 20 February 1937, the club's record attendance of 31,651 was recorded when the club met Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup.[19]
Grimsby also reached the semi-final of the FA Cup on 25 March 1939, Grimsby played Wolverhampton Wanderers, in a FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford. The attendance of 76,962 remains Old Trafford's largest ever attendance.[20][21] 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.[20]
Post-war decline (1946–70)
With the resumption of the Football League for the 1946–47 season after World War II the club was relegated at the end of the 1947–48 season and has never returned to the highest level.[22][23] 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.[24][25] 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.[26] 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.[27]
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).[28]
"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.[27]
Grimsby's aging team made a bright start in 1952–53 with five straight wins but eventually slipped and finished in 5th place.[26] 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.[29] Shankly's record in league football at Grimsby was 62 wins and 35 defeats from 118 matches.[29] Shankly went on to win the Football League, FA Cup and UEFA Cup with Liverpool.[30]
Grimsby became the first English football club to appoint a foreign manager with the appointment of Hungarian Elemér Berkessy in 1954. Shortly afterwards Allenby Chilton became Grimsby's first player-manager, he joined late in the 1954–55 season from Manchester United and was unable to stop them having to apply for re-election,[31] 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.[32] Chilton continued as manager at Grimsby Town until April 1959 when he joined Wigan Athletic as manager for one season during 1960–61.[24]
In 1968 Grimsby slipped into the Fourth Division for the first time.[33] The following season the club had to apply for re-election to the league having finished second from bottom.[34] 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.[citation needed] 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.[35] 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.[35]
Revival of the 1970s (1970–80)
Grimsby Town broke their transfer record in 1972 with a fee of £20,000 for the signing of Phil Hubbard.[36] In the same year 22,489 people witnessed a home victory against Exeter City that saw the club promoted as Division Four Champions.[37] This turnaround was credited to the appointment of Lawrie McMenemy as manager.[38]
The club stayed in Division Three until relegation in 1977 but were promoted again in 1979.[39][40] 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.[41][42]
A popular myth has it that in 1976 the local Member of Parliament and then Foreign Secretary Anthony Crosland invited the then United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to watch the Mariners play Gillingham.[43][44][45] Despite this being widely reported in the media, with some outlets claiming Kissinger subsequently became a Grimsby fan, in reality Kissinger's Boeing 747 simply stopped off for a two-hour breakfast discussion with Crosland on the issue of Rhodesia at nearby RAF Waddington before flying directly to Nairobi.[46][47] However, Crosland's decision to force the US foreign policy leader to fly from London to Lincolnshire for their Saturday morning meeting was influenced by his desire to stay in his constituency and watch his local football team.
Return to the Second Division (1980–87)
The first season back (1980–81) saw the club finish 7th.[48] Work started that year on a new £1 million 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 played hosts to Leeds United.[1] In the 1983–84 season the club finished 5th in the Second Division after spending most of the latter part of the campaign in the top three promotion places.[49] This was their highest league finish since the 1947–48 season.[23] Grimsby Town's stay in the Second Division ended in 1987, having 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.[50]
Another decline and another revival (1987–97)
1987–88 saw Grimsby Town suffer a second consecutive relegation, placing them in the Fourth Division.[51] 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 FA and avoid going out of business completely. This was achieved, finishing 9th.[52] 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.[53][54] Grimsby were to remain in football's second flight for six years.[55] 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 9th 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.[56] They dipped to 16th place a year later, though they were never in any real danger of relegation.[57]
The Mariners began to produce homegrown 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.[58] Laws steered Grimsby to a 10th-place finish in his first season as manager.[59] 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 fractured cheekbone, and caused the popular player to leave the club at the end of the season.[60][61] Grimsby finished 17th and were in the battle to avoid relegation right up to the penultimate game of the season.[62] In the 1996–97 season the Mariners were relegated from Division One.[55] Despite flowing goals from Clive Mendonca, notably good performances from John Oster and newcomer Kingsley Black, Grimsby failed to save themselves.[citation needed] The club had suffered from the losses of Gary Croft, who made a £1.7 million move to Blackburn Rovers and ever present goalkeeper Paul Crichton.[63]
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 Town'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.[citation needed] The mid-season capture of Huddersfield Town midfielder Wayne Burnett proved to be a great bit of business for Buckley.[64] 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), with Grimsby finishing the season in 3rd place.[65]
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.[66] 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.[67] 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.[67] 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.[67] 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.[68]
Back in the second tier (1998–2003)
The 1998–99 season saw Grimsby Town 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 chopped and changed the playing squad around and brought in some expensive loan signings from abroad such as Zhang Enhua,[69][70] Menno Willems signing from Vitesse for 160K,[71] 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.[72]
The Mariners started the 2001–02 season strongly, topping the league table after five games. The cluib advanced to the third round of the League Cup where they met 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.[73] 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.[73][74] 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 and he steered them to a 19th in the final table, enough to avoid relegation, but a disappointing end to a season which had begun so promisingly.[citation needed] The season was overshadowed by the collapse of ITV Digital putting enormous strain on finances for the club.[75]
The 2002–03 season would bring relegation with the Mariners finishing bottom of Division One and were relegated after five successive seasons at this level. At the time only one of their previous 12 seasons had been spent below the second tier of English football.
Demise to the fourth level (2004–10)
The sudden collapse of ITV Digital had left the club with debts of over £2 million, £700,000 of which was owed to the Inland Revenue[76][77] and a further substantial amount to their bankers, Lloyds Bank. 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.[78][79] For the new season, the club also had to supply its own kits following the closure of long serving kit suppliers Avec Sportswear. Grimsby Town played the season using the brand "Grimsby Town Sports".
Groves was dismissed in February 2004 following a poor stretch of games that had seen the club drop down the table,[80] his replacement Nicky Law was sacked himself only a few months later as Grimsby were relegated for a second consecutive season. Russell Slade was appointed as the new manager in May 2004.[81]
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 owned a 51% majority stake in 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 along with racehorse stable trainer and owner Michael Chapman in December 2002.[82][83]
Having guided Grimsby to a mid table finish in his first season, Russell Slade began the 2005–06 season with a good start to the season and much improved results and performances had seen Grimsby Town rise to the top of Football League Two. A good run in the League Cup saw Town beat Derby County away at Pride Park in round one, and defeat Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur at home in the second round, with Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala hitting an 87th-minute winner.[84] The Mariners eventually suffered elimination by Newcastle United in the third round, losing 1–0 at home. Grimsby would fall out of the promotion places on the final day of the season and after defeating Lincoln City in the play-off semi-finals they would lose 1–0 to Cheltenham Town in the final at the Millennium Stadium.[85] On 31 May, manager Russell Slade left the club after failing to agree terms on a new contract.[86]
Slade's Assistant Graham Rodger was his replacement but by November he had been dismissed following a poor start to the season, he was replaced by Alan Buckley who arrived back with The Mariners for a third time but could only produce a bottom half finish in League Two. During 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 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,[67] losing 2–0 after Danny Boshell missed an early penalty.[87] The season ended with eight straight defeats. 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.[88] The board appointed Mike Newell as manager.[89] The Mariners would finish 22nd in League Two narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day.
Following another 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".[90][91] Neil Woods was controversially made permanent manager on 23 November 2009.[92][93] The other main candidate for the job was former boss Russell Slade, but the board decided upon Woods ahead of Slade.[92] 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. Grimsby under Woods struggled and despite winning four and drawing one of their last six games to give them a chance of league survival going into the last game of the season., they were defeated 3–0 by Burton Albion,[94] and thus were relegated from the Football League for the first time in nearly 100 years.[95]
Non-League (2010–16)
Neil Woods was relieved of his duties on 24 February 2011 after 15 months in charge,[96] leaving 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.[97] They finished the 2010–11 season in 11th on 62 points.[98][99] On 19 September 2011, John Fenty resigned as chairman of Grimsby Town with immediate effect, a position he had held for 7 years.[100][101]
Following an 11th place finish in 2012, the Mariners enjoyed a positive cup run in the 2012–13 season FA Trophy and reached the final at Wembley Stadium where they played Wrexham 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.[102] This led them to finish in 4th place with 83 points.[103] 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.[104]
Grimsby came third in the Conference Premier 2014–15 season, and secured a play-off spot.[105] Grimsby reached the 2015 Conference Premier play-off Final against Bristol Rovers in front of a Conference record 47,029 crowd at Wembley Stadium.[106][107] The game was forced to penalties where Jon-Paul Pittman missed the penultimate penalty in their 5–3 shootout.[106][107][108]
Grimsby would play in the final of the FA Trophy,[109] but they lost, the final result was 1–0 to FC Halifax Town.[110] The week before, Grimsby Town beat Forest Green Rovers 3–1 in the 2016 National League play-off Final at Wembley Stadium, seeing Grimsby promoted back to League Two after a six-year absence from the Football League.[111][112]
Return to the Football League (2016–21)
After promotion, manager, Paul Hurst, released a number of players, many of whom were pivotal to the previous season's promotion push.[113] On 24 October 2016, 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, then manager of non-League side, Solihull Moors, was officially announced as the new Grimsby Town manager, along with the appointment of Micky Moore as his assistant.[115] On 10 April 2017, Marcus Bignot was relieved of his duties from the club.[116] His replacement was Russell Slade, who joined the club for the second time as manager on 12 April 2017.[117] The Mariners would finish 14th, with a total of 62 points.[118]
Slade was sacked on 11 February 2018 after seeing the team fail to win in 12 league games, with eight losses, he left the team 17th in League Two.[119] Paul Wilkinson took over as caretaker manager following the sacking. Michael Jolley was appointed as the new manager on 2 March 2018 and twice secured Grimsby's Football League status as well as securing cup runs that culminated in an FA Cup tie away at Crystal Palace and a League Cup tie at Chelsea. Jolley left the club by mutual agreement and was replaced on a temporary basis by assistant manager Anthony Limbrick.[120]
On 29 December 2019, Ian Holloway joined Grimsby Town as manager, at the same time becoming a share-owner in the club,[121] On 23 December 2020, just under one year later, Holloway left the club abruptly in controversial circumstances by announcing on Twitter that he was to resign with immediate effect. His decision was down to several boardroom issues, a big loss in form and his unwillingness to work with a consortium looking to buy out John Fenty.[122] which left Ben Davies as caretaker manager for two games.[123][124]
On 30 December 2020, Paul Hurst was re-appointed as permanent manager,[125] however he could not prevent the club from being relegated back to the National League following a 3–2 defeat to Exeter City which confirmed their return after a 5 year stay back in the Football League.[126]
New Takeover (2021–)
On 5 May 2021, local businessmen Jason Stockwood and Andrew Pettit under their company 1878 Partners completed their takeover of the football club after buying out majority shareholder John Fenty.[127]
In the 2021–22 season, they finished 6th in the National League.[128] They defeated Notts County in the quarter-final of the play-offs, and Wrexham in the semi-final 5–4.[129][130] In the 2022 National League play-off Final, they defeated Solihull Moors 2–1 after extra time to win promotion back to League Two at the London Stadium.[131]
Colours and strip
The original 1878 kit of Grimsby Pelham, featured a shirt with narrow horizontal stripes in royal blue and white, with long white shorts and black socks.[6] 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:
- 1897–1898 – Plain white shirt, with royal blue shorts and socks[6]
- 1904–1906 – Pale red shirt, with black shorts and socks[6]
- 1906–1908 – White shirt with red collar and cuffs, red shorts, black socks with red bands[6]
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.[6] The 1911 kit included the black and white striped t-shirt, white shorts and black socks.[6] Exceptions from the traditional bar-stripe kit:
- 1935–1936 – Plain white shirt featuring the coat of arms of the County Borough of Great Grimsby, black shorts and red socks[6]
- 1958–1959 – White shirt with black pin stripes, black shorts, red socks[6]
- 1960–1962 – White shirt with black collar and cuffs, red shorts, red socks[6]
- 1963–1966 – White shirt with black pin stripes, black shorts with white stripe, white socks with black bands[6]
- 2006–2007 – Black and white halves, black shorts, black socks[6]
Since the introduction of the black and white bar stripes in 1910, the GTFC kits have featured exclusively red, black and white.[6] 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.[6]
| Kit suppliers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Supplier | |
| 1975–1976 | Litesome | |
| 1976–1978 | Bukta | |
| 1978–1981 | Admiral | |
| 1981–1983 | Adidas | |
| 1983–1986 | Hobott | |
| 1986–1987 | En-s | |
| 1987–1993 | Ribero | |
| 1993–1994 | Admiral | |
| 1994–1996 | Diadora | |
| 1996–1998 | Lotto | |
| 1998–2003 | Avec | |
| 2003–2004 | GTS (own brand) | |
| 2004–2008 | Nike | |
| 2008–2021 | Errea | |
| 2021– | Macron | |
| Shirt sponsors | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Sponsor | Sponsor Business Category |
| 1979–1984 | Findus | Frozen food |
| 1984–1986 | Nisa | Retail convenience stores |
| 1986–1987 | Bluecrest | Frozen food |
| 1987–1993 | Ciba-Geigy | Pharmaceuticals |
| 1993–1995 | Ciba | Pharmaceuticals |
| 1995–1998 | Europe's Food Town | Frozen food |
| 1998–2003 | Dixon Motors | Vehicle retailer |
| 2003–2004 | Jarvis | Rail freight |
| 2004–2022 | Young's | Frozen food |
| 2022– | myenergi | Renewable energy |
Stadium
| Dates | Ground |
|---|---|
| 1878–1879 | Clee Park |
| 1879–1880 | Lovett Street |
| 1880–1889 | Clee Park |
| 1889–1899 | Abbey Park |
| 1899–present | Blundell Park |
Grimsby Town 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.[132] 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. However, in 2019, these original lights were replaced with newer, brighter lights. Luckily, 3/4 of the original pylons remain! [5][133] 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 energy corporation ConocoPhillips.[134] 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, 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 were underway to relocate the club to land at the side of the Peaks Parkway in Grimsby.[135] As of 2020, new plans have been agreed with the council, Grimsby Town FC and The Freemen of Grimsby to build the stadium on recently cleared land off Freeman Street.
Rivalries
| Club | Last Match | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Scunthorpe United | L 3 – 0 | 2020–21 |
| Hull City | L 3 – 0 | 2020–21 |
| Doncaster Rovers | L 3 - 1 | 2022-23 |
| Lincoln City | L 1 - 0 | 2018-19 |
| Boston United | W 6 – 0 | 2006–07 |
| Barnsley | W 6 – 1 | 2003–04 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | W 2 – 0 | 2003–04 |
Grimsby Town's geographical region pits them against three main professional rivals, two of which like Grimsby are from the former county of Humberside. Hull City, on the north bank of the Humber Estuary have traditionally been viewed as Grimsby's main rival but a contrast in their recent fortunes has meant that the two clubs have not met in the League since 1987, prior to a 2020 EFL Trophy victory for Hull the clubs had last met in 1997 when The Mariners won 1-0 in the same competition. The closest football club to Grimsby are Scunthorpe United, The Iron are mainly regarded as Town's biggest rival although historically Scunthorpe have played most of their football in divisions below The Mariners. In the mid 2000s Grimsby's fall from the second tier to the fourth was followed closely with Scunthorpe earning several promotions, with the 2004–05 season being the only campaign both sides met in the same division before being reunited once more in 2019. Games involving all three former Humberside clubs are known as the Humber derby.
In more recent times games against Lincoln City (a Lincolnshire derby) has been Grimsby's primary derby game, although historically Lincoln are another local side who have predominantly spent a lot of time in lower divisions to the ones Grimsby have regularly featured in, Town's relegation to League Two in 2004 renewed this rivalry with notable games being the play-off semi-final in 2006 in which Grimsby ran out 3–1 winners on aggregate. In a contrast to Mariners fans regarding Scunthorpe as their main rival, supporters of Lincoln City would regard Grimsby as theirs. A slight rivalry with Sheffield Wednesday intensified between 2000 and 2004, with the two clubs competing with each other in relegation battles over four seasons in both the First and Second Division but the clubs have not met since this period. Barnsley, Doncaster Rovers and Boston United are three 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, coupled with other Non-League sides in Lincolnshire such as Gainsborough Trinity, games with these clubs only form pre-season friendlies or fixtures in the Lincolnshire Senior Cup.
Mascot
The Mighty Mariner is Grimsby Town's 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.[136] 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[137] 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 and the PPAG and is run by volunteers of 400+ members and continues to encourage GTFC fans to join and get involved. Since the late 1990s Grimsby Town have had a Scandinavian supporters group based in Norway and Sweden.[138] Mariners fans since 2006 have also had a friendship with the supporters of Belgian club Eendracht Aalst.[139]
Actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen who is most widely known for creating and portraying the 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.[140] Cohen had been in the town to think of ideas for a new film and had also visited the town's fish docks. In December 2013 it was announced that Cohen would be appearing in a new film called Grimsby.[141] Notable Mariners fans include Soccer AM presenter and comedian Lloyd Griffith, American actor and television presenter 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.[142] In 2015 Richman contributed to a fan fundraiser "Operation Promotion" and in June 2020 became a club shareholder.[143]
Grimsby-born actor Thomas Turgoose, who starred as the lead role character Shaun Fields in the drama film This Is England and the TV follow-up's This Is England '86, This Is England '88 and This Is England '90, is a season ticket holder.[144] He appeared as a guest on Sky show Soccer AM in 2007 sporting a Grimsby Town shirt.
Other famous fans include politician Norman Lamont, former professional snooker players Mike Hallett and Dean Reynolds, singer and songwriter Ella Henderson and BBC weather presenter Keeley Donovan.[145]
Grimsby Town in popular culture
In April 2007, it was announced that Grimsby Town 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. After the first four shows had aired, the project was eventually scrapped.[146]
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.[147]
Grimsby is the football club that Sacha Baron Cohen's character Nobby supports in the 2016 action comedy film Grimsby.[148]
Grimsby's 4-5 victory away at Wrexham in the National League play-off semi-final is the main feature of Season 1, Episode 18 of the documentary Welcome to Wrexham which follows the purchase of Wrexham by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The episode features a segment about the club and an interview with Grimsby chairman Jason Stockwood.[149]
Grimsby Town Women
In 2019, it was announced that Grimsby Town would enter the world of female football with the launch of its first ever affiliated women's team. The 2019/20 season saw the team venture into the Lincolnshire Women's League for the very first time led by newly appointed manager Dale Houlston. This was the 7th tier of the women's football pyramid, essentially the very bottom rung of the ladder.
In a season that was cut short in March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Grimsby Town Women remained undefeated, winning every competitive game that they played. They were just two games away from certain promotion when the season was cut short, as well as reaching the League Cup Final and the Lincolnshire Women's County Cup Final. Sadly none of those Cup Finals took place because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the summer of 2020, the FA announced that following a restructure to the leagues, Grimsby Town Women would be promoted to the 6th tier of the women's football pyramid, meaning that the team commenced the 2020/21 season in the East Midlands Women's Regional Football League, Division 1 North. The 2020/21 season also saw Grimsby Town Women enter The FA Women's Cup for the very first time.
Grimsby Town Women commenced the 2021/22 season very strongly and led the league as strong favourites to gain promotion once again. In November of this season, manager Dale Houlston inexplicably resigned his position, having played 7 games, winning 6 and drawing just 1. Their dominance in the division at this time saw them score 30 goals in just 7 games, conceding just once. It was a mystery why Houlston felt the need to resign, given that he was such a enthusiastic ambassador for women's game, and had done so much to champion the formation of women's football at the club.
Players
First-team squad
- As of 25 January 2023
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Academy squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Women's Team
[153]Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Players of the season
- As voted for by supporters of the club.[154]
Top goal scorers (season)
| Player | Goals | Season |
|---|---|---|
| John McAtee | 14 | 2021-22 |
| Lenell John-Lewis | 4 | 2020-21 |
| James Hanson | 9 | 2019-20 |
| Wes Thomas | 12 | 2018–19 |
| Mitch Rose | 8 | 2017–18 |
| Omar Bogle | 19 | 2016–17 |
| Pádraig Amond | 30 | 2015–16 |
| Lenell John-Lewis | 20 | 2014–15 |
| Ross Hannah | 15 | 2013–14 |
| Andy Cook | 16 | 2012–13 |
| Liam Hearn | 29 | 2011–12 |
| Alan Connell | 29 | 2010–11 |
| Peter Sweeney | 6 | 2009–10 |
| Adam Proudlock | 9 | 2008–09 |
| Danny North | 10 | 2007–08 |
| Gary Jones, Ciarán Toner and Peter Bore | 8 | 2006–07 |
| Gary Jones | 17 | 2005–06 |
| Michael Reddy and Andy Parkinson | 9 | 2004–05 |
| Phil Jevons and Michael Boulding | 12 | 2003–04 |
| Stuart Campbell | 7 | 2002–03 |
| Michael Boulding | 11 | 2001–02 |
| Steve Livingstone | 7 | 2000–01 |
| Lee Ashcroft | 12 | 1999–00 |
| Paul Groves | 14 | 1998–99 |
| Kevin Donovan | 16 | 1997–98 |
| Clive Mendonca | 19 | 1996–97 |
| Paul Groves and Steve Livingstone | 10 | 1995–96 |
| Neil Woods | 14 | 1994–95 |
| Clive Mendonca | 14 | 1993–94 |
| Paul Groves | 12 | 1992–93 |
| Neil Woods | 8 | 1991–92 |
| Dave Gilbert and Neil Woods | 12 | 1990–91 |
| Tony Rees | 13 | 1989–90 |
| Keith Alexander | 14 | 1988–89 |
| Marc North | 11 | 1987–88 |
| Don O'Riordan and Ian Walsh | 8 | 1986–87 |
| Gordon Hobson | 15 | 1985–86 |
*Current season
Club officials
Board and management officials
| Coaching staff and support staff
|
Managerial history
Managers
| Assistant managers
|
Chairman
| Year | Chairman |
|---|---|
| 1878–1885 | Sir John Dugdale Astley, 3rd Baronet[156] |
| 1885 | Henry Smethurst |
| 1885–1889 | Charles Carter |
| 1889 | Edward Heneage, 1st Baron Heneage |
| 1894–1896 | Frederick Coulson |
| 1896–1900 | Christmas White |
| 1900 | William Bellamy |
| 1901–1903 | Frederick Coulson |
| 1905–1906 | John Thompson |
| 1906–1908 | William Goodwin |
| 1908–1920 | Alfred Cooper |
| 1920–1923 | James Plaistow |
| 1928–1931 | Joseph Stookes |
| 1931–1954 | George Pearce |
| 1954–1968 | Frederick Would |
| 1968–1969 | Roy Osmond |
| 1969 | Frederick Would |
| 1869–1979 | Henry Hamilton |
| 1979–1985 | Richard Middleton |
| 1985 | Dudley Ramsden |
| 1985 | Thomas Bygott |
| 1985–1987 | Walter Ramsden |
| 1987–1994 | Peter Furneaux |
| 1994–1999 | Bill Carr |
| 1999–2001 | Doug Everitt |
| 2001–2004 | Peter Furneaux |
| 2004–2011 | John Fenty |
| 2011–2020 | John Fenty (de facto) |
| 2020–2021 | Philip Day |
| 2021– | Jason Stockwood |
Notable former players and managers
Notable players and managers
| Person | Grimsby record | Claim to fame |
|---|---|---|
| Elemér Berkessy | Manager, 1954 | Became the first foreign manager in English football with Grimsby. |
| Jackie Bestall | Player, 1926–1938 (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. |
| Harry Betmead | Player, 1930–1947 (296 games, 10 goals) | 1 England cap (20 May 1937, vs Finland, 8–0, Helsinki) |
| Garry Birtles | Player, 1989–1991 (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. |
| 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. |
| 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 "plate of chicken" incident which occurred when Grimsby manager Brian Laws launched a plate of chicken at Bonetti during a half time team talk. |
| Alan Buckley | Manager, 1988–1994, 1997–2000, 2006–2008 | Club's most successful manager winning 3 promotions and 1 cup, including the Wembley Double 1997–98 season. |
| Danny Coyne | Player, 1999–2003 (181 games) | Welsh international goalkeeper 1996–2007, 11 caps. Won two Player of the Season awards before moving to the Premier League with Leicester City. |
| Gary Croft | Player, 1992–1996 & 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. |
| Tony Ford MBE | Player, 1975–1986 & 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. |
| Hughie Gallacher | Player, 1937–1938 (12 games, 3 goals) | 20 Scotland caps, 23 Scotland goals, member of the Wembley Wizards who beat England 5–1 in 1928 |
| Pat Glover | Player, 1929–1938 (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. |
| Paul Groves | Player, 1992–1996 & 1997–2004 (377 games, 71 goals) Manager, 2001–2004 | Wembley Double-winning captain from the 1997–98 season. |
| Phil Jevons | Player, 2001–2004 (63 games, 18 goals) | Scored a 35-yard winning goal in extra time to give Grimsby a 2–1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield. |
| John McDermott | Player, 1987–2007 (647 games, 10 goals) | Club's all-time leading appearance holder with 755 games in all competitions. |
| Lawrie McMenemy | Manager 1971–1973 | Was the manager of Southampton when they won the FA Cup in 1976. |
| Clive Mendonca | Player, 1991–1997 (187 games, 64 goals) | Winner of Grimsby's BBC cult heroes poll in 2004.[157] Scored a hat-trick in Charlton Athletic's 1998 play-off final win. |
| David Nielsen | Player, 2000–2001 (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. |
| John Oster | Player, 1996–1997 & 2002–2003 (42 games, 10 goals) | Having started his career with the club, he went on to play International football for Wales, a grimsby, town, grimsby, town, redirects, here, railway, station, grimsby, town, railway, station, grimsby, town, football, club, professional, football, club, based, cleethorpes, north, east, lincolnshire, england, that, 2022, season, will, compete, league, fo. Grimsby Town redirects here For the railway station see Grimsby Town railway station Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Cleethorpes North East Lincolnshire England that in the 2022 23 season will compete in EFL League Two the fourth tier of the English football league system following the victory in the 2022 National League play off Final Nicknamed the Mariners the club was founded as Grimsby Pelham Football Club in 1878 changed its name to Grimsby Town a year later and moved to its current stadium Blundell Park in 1898 Grimsby TownFull nameGrimsby Town Football ClubNickname s The MarinersFounded1878 145 years ago 1878 as Grimsby Pelham1879 144 years ago 1879 as Grimsby Town 1 GroundBlundell ParkCapacity9 002 all seated 2 Coordinates53 34 12 19 N 0 2 46 80 W 53 5700528 N 0 0463333 W 53 5700528 0 0463333Owner s 1878 Partners 63 1 3 The Mariners Trust 13 5 Mike Parker 10 5 Other Shareholders 12 9 4 ChairmanJason StockwoodManagerPaul HurstLeagueEFL League Two2021 22National League 6th of 23 promoted via play offs WebsiteClub websiteHome coloursAway coloursThird coloursCurrent seasonGrimsby Town are the most successful team of the three professional clubs in historic Lincolnshire being the only one to play top flight English football It is also the only club of the three to reach an FA Cup semi final doing so on two occasions both times during the 1930s It has also spent more time in the English game s first and second tiers than any other club from Lincolnshire Notable former 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 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 the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff but lost the match 1 0 to Cheltenham Town Later trips to Wembley in 2013 and 2016 saw them defeated in the FA Trophy final by Wrexham and F C Halifax Town respectively having also lost at the venue in the 2015 National League play off final to Bristol Rovers before finally gaining promotion by winning the 2016 final against Forest Green Rovers Grimsby were again relegated out of the Football League in 2021 but secured an immediate promotion at the first attempt with victory over Solihull Moors in the 2022 National League play off final at the London Stadium Grimsby Town s relegation in 2010 made them the sixth club to compete in all top five divisions of English football after Wimbledon Wigan Athletic Carlisle United Oxford United and Luton Town and before Leyton Orient Notts County and Oldham Athletic Grimsby s 1939 FA Cup semi final attendance of 76 962 versus Wolverhampton Wanderers is still a record at Manchester United s Old Trafford stadium In 1954 they became the first English club to appoint a foreign manager Hungarian Elemer Berkessy The club s record appearance holder is John McDermott who made 754 appearances between 1987 and 2007 while their leading scorer is Pat Glover with 180 goals 1930 39 Contents 1 History 1 1 Early years 1878 1918 1 2 Inter War years 1918 45 1 3 Post war decline 1946 70 1 4 Revival of the 1970s 1970 80 1 5 Return to the Second Division 1980 87 1 6 Another decline and another revival 1987 97 1 7 Double Wembley season 1997 98 1 8 Back in the second tier 1998 2003 1 9 Demise to the fourth level 2004 10 1 10 Non League 2010 16 1 11 Return to the Football League 2016 21 1 12 New Takeover 2021 2 Colours and strip 3 Stadium 4 Rivalries 5 Mascot 6 Supporters 7 Grimsby Town in popular culture 8 Grimsby Town Women 9 Players 9 1 First team squad 9 2 Out on loan 9 3 Academy squad 9 4 Women s Team 9 5 Players of the season 9 6 Top goal scorers season 10 Club officials 10 1 Board and management officials 10 2 Coaching staff and support staff 11 Managerial history 11 1 Managers 11 2 Assistant managers 11 3 Chairman 12 Notable former players and managers 12 1 Notable players and managers 12 2 Top flight players 12 3 International Players 12 4 PFA Team of the Year 12 5 PFA Fans Favourites 12 6 BBC Sports Cult Heroes 13 Honours 14 Seasons 15 Club records 15 1 Games 15 2 Player records 16 References 17 Further reading 18 External linksHistory EditEarly years 1878 1918 Edit A chart showing the table positions of Grimsby Town in the English football league system from joining as Grimsby Pelham in 1892 93 to the present Grimsby Town was formed in 1878 after a meeting held at the Wellington Arms public house in Freeman Street Grimsby 5 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 5 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 brown and blue quartered shirts in 1884 6 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 7 8 The first game was a 2 1 victory over Northwich Victoria Grimsby Town F C champions of the inaugural Football League Second Division in 1900 1901 The 1901 02 season saw promotion to the First Division having finished as champions 9 two seasons later they were relegated 10 and within a decade they would be a non League side again failing re election in 1910 and falling to the Midland League 11 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 12 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 13 Inter War years 1918 45 Edit This was the most successful period in the club s history The first full season after World War I the club were relegated to the new Third Division 14 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 15 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 6 16 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 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 On 20 February 1937 the club s record attendance of 31 651 was recorded when the club met Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup 19 Grimsby also reached the semi final of the FA Cup on 25 March 1939 Grimsby played Wolverhampton Wanderers in a FA Cup semi final at Old Trafford The attendance of 76 962 remains Old Trafford s largest ever attendance 20 21 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 20 Post war decline 1946 70 Edit A Grimsby Town game in 1977 With the resumption of the Football League for the 1946 47 season after World War II the club was relegated at the end of the 1947 48 season and has never returned to the highest level 22 23 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 24 25 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 26 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 27 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 28 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 27 Grimsby s aging team made a bright start in 1952 53 with five straight wins but eventually slipped and finished in 5th place 26 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 29 Shankly s record in league football at Grimsby was 62 wins and 35 defeats from 118 matches 29 Shankly went on to win the Football League FA Cup and UEFA Cup with Liverpool 30 Grimsby became the first English football club to appoint a foreign manager with the appointment of Hungarian Elemer Berkessy in 1954 Shortly afterwards Allenby Chilton became Grimsby s first player manager he joined late in the 1954 55 season from Manchester United and was unable to stop them having to apply for re election 31 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 32 Chilton continued as manager at Grimsby Town until April 1959 when he joined Wigan Athletic as manager for one season during 1960 61 24 In 1968 Grimsby slipped into the Fourth Division for the first time 33 The following season the club had to apply for re election to the league having finished second from bottom 34 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 citation needed 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 35 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 35 Revival of the 1970s 1970 80 Edit Grimsby Town Badge 1977 2022 Grimsby Town broke their transfer record in 1972 with a fee of 20 000 for the signing of Phil Hubbard 36 In the same year 22 489 people witnessed a home victory against Exeter City that saw the club promoted as Division Four Champions 37 This turnaround was credited to the appointment of Lawrie McMenemy as manager 38 The club stayed in Division Three until relegation in 1977 but were promoted again in 1979 39 40 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 41 42 A popular myth has it that in 1976 the local Member of Parliament and then Foreign Secretary Anthony Crosland invited the then United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to watch the Mariners play Gillingham 43 44 45 Despite this being widely reported in the media with some outlets claiming Kissinger subsequently became a Grimsby fan in reality Kissinger s Boeing 747 simply stopped off for a two hour breakfast discussion with Crosland on the issue of Rhodesia at nearby RAF Waddington before flying directly to Nairobi 46 47 However Crosland s decision to force the US foreign policy leader to fly from London to Lincolnshire for their Saturday morning meeting was influenced by his desire to stay in his constituency and watch his local football team Return to the Second Division 1980 87 Edit The first season back 1980 81 saw the club finish 7th 48 Work started that year on a new 1 million 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 played hosts to Leeds United 1 In the 1983 84 season the club finished 5th in the Second Division after spending most of the latter part of the campaign in the top three promotion places 49 This was their highest league finish since the 1947 48 season 23 Grimsby Town s stay in the Second Division ended in 1987 having 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 50 Another decline and another revival 1987 97 Edit 1987 88 saw Grimsby Town suffer a second consecutive relegation placing them in the Fourth Division 51 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 FA and avoid going out of business completely This was achieved finishing 9th 52 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 53 54 Grimsby were to remain in football s second flight for six years 55 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 9th 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 56 They dipped to 16th place a year later though they were never in any real danger of relegation 57 The Mariners began to produce homegrown 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 58 Laws steered Grimsby to a 10th place finish in his first season as manager 59 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 fractured cheekbone and caused the popular player to leave the club at the end of the season 60 61 Grimsby finished 17th and were in the battle to avoid relegation right up to the penultimate game of the season 62 In the 1996 97 season the Mariners were relegated from Division One 55 Despite flowing goals from Clive Mendonca notably good performances from John Oster and newcomer Kingsley Black Grimsby failed to save themselves citation needed The club had suffered from the losses of Gary Croft who made a 1 7 million move to Blackburn Rovers and ever present goalkeeper Paul Crichton 63 Double Wembley season 1997 98 Edit Davison Lever Handyside McDermott Gallimore Groves Burnett Donovan Smith Clare NoganSubs Black Jobling Livingstone1998 Football League Trophy Final starting line up at Wembley Stadium The 1997 98 season saw the return of Alan Buckley as manager after an unsuccessful period at West Bromwich Albion for Grimsby Town 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 citation needed The mid season capture of Huddersfield Town midfielder Wayne Burnett proved to be a great bit of business for Buckley 64 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 with Grimsby finishing the season in 3rd place 65 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 66 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 67 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 67 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 67 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 68 Back in the second tier 1998 2003 Edit The 1998 99 season saw Grimsby Town 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 chopped and changed the playing squad around and brought in some expensive loan signings from abroad such as Zhang Enhua 69 70 Menno Willems signing from Vitesse for 160K 71 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 72 The Mariners started the 2001 02 season strongly topping the league table after five games The cluib advanced to the third round of the League Cup where they met 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 73 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 73 74 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 and he steered them to a 19th in the final table enough to avoid relegation but a disappointing end to a season which had begun so promisingly citation needed The season was overshadowed by the collapse of ITV Digital putting enormous strain on finances for the club 75 The 2002 03 season would bring relegation with the Mariners finishing bottom of Division One and were relegated after five successive seasons at this level At the time only one of their previous 12 seasons had been spent below the second tier of English football Demise to the fourth level 2004 10 Edit The sudden collapse of ITV Digital had left the club with debts of over 2 million 700 000 of which was owed to the Inland Revenue 76 77 and a further substantial amount to their bankers Lloyds Bank 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 78 79 For the new season the club also had to supply its own kits following the closure of long serving kit suppliers Avec Sportswear Grimsby Town played the season using the brand Grimsby Town Sports Groves was dismissed in February 2004 following a poor stretch of games that had seen the club drop down the table 80 his replacement Nicky Law was sacked himself only a few months later as Grimsby were relegated for a second consecutive season Russell Slade was appointed as the new manager in May 2004 81 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 owned a 51 majority stake in 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 along with racehorse stable trainer and owner Michael Chapman in December 2002 82 83 Having guided Grimsby to a mid table finish in his first season Russell Slade began the 2005 06 season with a good start to the season and much improved results and performances had seen Grimsby Town rise to the top of Football League Two A good run in the League Cup saw Town beat Derby County away at Pride Park in round one and defeat Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur at home in the second round with Jean Paul Kamudimba Kalala hitting an 87th minute winner 84 The Mariners eventually suffered elimination by Newcastle United in the third round losing 1 0 at home Grimsby would fall out of the promotion places on the final day of the season and after defeating Lincoln City in the play off semi finals they would lose 1 0 to Cheltenham Town in the final at the Millennium Stadium 85 On 31 May manager Russell Slade left the club after failing to agree terms on a new contract 86 Slade s Assistant Graham Rodger was his replacement but by November he had been dismissed following a poor start to the season he was replaced by Alan Buckley who arrived back with The Mariners for a third time but could only produce a bottom half finish in League Two During 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 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 67 losing 2 0 after Danny Boshell missed an early penalty 87 The season ended with eight straight defeats 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 88 The board appointed Mike Newell as manager 89 The Mariners would finish 22nd in League Two narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day Following another 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 90 91 Neil Woods was controversially made permanent manager on 23 November 2009 92 93 The other main candidate for the job was former boss Russell Slade but the board decided upon Woods ahead of Slade 92 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 Grimsby under Woods struggled and despite winning four and drawing one of their last six games to give them a chance of league survival going into the last game of the season they were defeated 3 0 by Burton Albion 94 and thus were relegated from the Football League for the first time in nearly 100 years 95 Non League 2010 16 Edit Neil Woods was relieved of his duties on 24 February 2011 after 15 months in charge 96 leaving 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 97 They finished the 2010 11 season in 11th on 62 points 98 99 On 19 September 2011 John Fenty resigned as chairman of Grimsby Town with immediate effect a position he had held for 7 years 100 101 Following an 11th place finish in 2012 the Mariners enjoyed a positive cup run in the 2012 13 season FA Trophy and reached the final at Wembley Stadium where they played Wrexham 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 102 This led them to finish in 4th place with 83 points 103 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 104 Grimsby came third in the Conference Premier 2014 15 season and secured a play off spot 105 Grimsby reached the 2015 Conference Premier play off Final against Bristol Rovers in front of a Conference record 47 029 crowd at Wembley Stadium 106 107 The game was forced to penalties where Jon Paul Pittman missed the penultimate penalty in their 5 3 shootout 106 107 108 Grimsby would play in the final of the FA Trophy 109 but they lost the final result was 1 0 to FC Halifax Town 110 The week before Grimsby Town beat Forest Green Rovers 3 1 in the 2016 National League play off Final at Wembley Stadium seeing Grimsby promoted back to League Two after a six year absence from the Football League 111 112 Return to the Football League 2016 21 Edit After promotion manager Paul Hurst released a number of players many of whom were pivotal to the previous season s promotion push 113 On 24 October 2016 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 then manager of non League side Solihull Moors was officially announced as the new Grimsby Town manager along with the appointment of Micky Moore as his assistant 115 On 10 April 2017 Marcus Bignot was relieved of his duties from the club 116 His replacement was Russell Slade who joined the club for the second time as manager on 12 April 2017 117 The Mariners would finish 14th with a total of 62 points 118 Slade was sacked on 11 February 2018 after seeing the team fail to win in 12 league games with eight losses he left the team 17th in League Two 119 Paul Wilkinson took over as caretaker manager following the sacking Michael Jolley was appointed as the new manager on 2 March 2018 and twice secured Grimsby s Football League status as well as securing cup runs that culminated in an FA Cup tie away at Crystal Palace and a League Cup tie at Chelsea Jolley left the club by mutual agreement and was replaced on a temporary basis by assistant manager Anthony Limbrick 120 On 29 December 2019 Ian Holloway joined Grimsby Town as manager at the same time becoming a share owner in the club 121 On 23 December 2020 just under one year later Holloway left the club abruptly in controversial circumstances by announcing on Twitter that he was to resign with immediate effect His decision was down to several boardroom issues a big loss in form and his unwillingness to work with a consortium looking to buy out John Fenty 122 which left Ben Davies as caretaker manager for two games 123 124 On 30 December 2020 Paul Hurst was re appointed as permanent manager 125 however he could not prevent the club from being relegated back to the National League following a 3 2 defeat to Exeter City which confirmed their return after a 5 year stay back in the Football League 126 New Takeover 2021 Edit Crocombe Waterfall Smith Cropper Amos Fox Holohan Sousa Clifton McAtee TaylorThe Grimsby team that played in the three successful play off matches against Notts County Wrexham and Solihull Moors On 5 May 2021 local businessmen Jason Stockwood and Andrew Pettit under their company 1878 Partners completed their takeover of the football club after buying out majority shareholder John Fenty 127 In the 2021 22 season they finished 6th in the National League 128 They defeated Notts County in the quarter final of the play offs and Wrexham in the semi final 5 4 129 130 In the 2022 National League play off Final they defeated Solihull Moors 2 1 after extra time to win promotion back to League Two at the London Stadium 131 Colours and strip Edit Grimsby Town s traditional home kit The original 1878 kit of Grimsby Pelham featured a shirt with narrow horizontal stripes in royal blue and white with long white shorts and black socks 6 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 1897 1898 Plain white shirt with royal blue shorts and socks 6 1904 1906 Pale red shirt with black shorts and socks 6 1906 1908 White shirt with red collar and cuffs red shorts black socks with red bands 6 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 6 The 1911 kit included the black and white striped t shirt white shorts and black socks 6 Exceptions from the traditional bar stripe kit 1935 1936 Plain white shirt featuring the coat of arms of the County Borough of Great Grimsby black shorts and red socks 6 1958 1959 White shirt with black pin stripes black shorts red socks 6 1960 1962 White shirt with black collar and cuffs red shorts red socks 6 1963 1966 White shirt with black pin stripes black shorts with white stripe white socks with black bands 6 2006 2007 Black and white halves black shorts black socks 6 Since the introduction of the black and white bar stripes in 1910 the GTFC kits have featured exclusively red black and white 6 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 6 Kit suppliersDates Supplier1975 1976 Litesome1976 1978 Bukta1978 1981 Admiral1981 1983 Adidas1983 1986 Hobott1986 1987 En s1987 1993 Ribero1993 1994 Admiral1994 1996 Diadora1996 1998 Lotto1998 2003 Avec2003 2004 GTS own brand 2004 2008 Nike2008 2021 Errea2021 MacronShirt sponsorsDates Sponsor Sponsor Business Category1979 1984 Findus Frozen food1984 1986 Nisa Retail convenience stores1986 1987 Bluecrest Frozen food1987 1993 Ciba Geigy Pharmaceuticals1993 1995 Ciba Pharmaceuticals1995 1998 Europe s Food Town Frozen food1998 2003 Dixon Motors Vehicle retailer2003 2004 Jarvis Rail freight2004 2022 Young s Frozen food2022 myenergi Renewable energyStadium EditMain article Blundell Park Dates Ground1878 1879 Clee Park1879 1880 Lovett Street1880 1889 Clee Park1889 1899 Abbey Park1899 present Blundell Park The Findus Stand formerly the Carlsberg Stand Grimsby Town 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 132 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 However in 2019 these original lights were replaced with newer brighter lights Luckily 3 4 of the original pylons remain 5 133 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 energy corporation ConocoPhillips 134 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 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 were underway to relocate the club to land at the side of the Peaks Parkway in Grimsby 135 As of 2020 new plans have been agreed with the council Grimsby Town FC and The Freemen of Grimsby to build the stadium on recently cleared land off Freeman Street Rivalries EditMain articles Humber derby and Lincolnshire derby Club Last Match SeasonScunthorpe United L 3 0 2020 21Hull City L 3 0 2020 21Doncaster Rovers L 3 1 2022 23Lincoln City L 1 0 2018 19Boston United W 6 0 2006 07Barnsley W 6 1 2003 04Sheffield Wednesday W 2 0 2003 04Grimsby Town s geographical region pits them against three main professional rivals two of which like Grimsby are from the former county of Humberside Hull City on the north bank of the Humber Estuary have traditionally been viewed as Grimsby s main rival but a contrast in their recent fortunes has meant that the two clubs have not met in the League since 1987 prior to a 2020 EFL Trophy victory for Hull the clubs had last met in 1997 when The Mariners won 1 0 in the same competition The closest football club to Grimsby are Scunthorpe United The Iron are mainly regarded as Town s biggest rival although historically Scunthorpe have played most of their football in divisions below The Mariners In the mid 2000s Grimsby s fall from the second tier to the fourth was followed closely with Scunthorpe earning several promotions with the 2004 05 season being the only campaign both sides met in the same division before being reunited once more in 2019 Games involving all three former Humberside clubs are known as the Humber derby In more recent times games against Lincoln City a Lincolnshire derby has been Grimsby s primary derby game although historically Lincoln are another local side who have predominantly spent a lot of time in lower divisions to the ones Grimsby have regularly featured in Town s relegation to League Two in 2004 renewed this rivalry with notable games being the play off semi final in 2006 in which Grimsby ran out 3 1 winners on aggregate In a contrast to Mariners fans regarding Scunthorpe as their main rival supporters of Lincoln City would regard Grimsby as theirs A slight rivalry with Sheffield Wednesday intensified between 2000 and 2004 with the two clubs competing with each other in relegation battles over four seasons in both the First and Second Division but the clubs have not met since this period Barnsley Doncaster Rovers and Boston United are three 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 coupled with other Non League sides in Lincolnshire such as Gainsborough Trinity games with these clubs only form pre season friendlies or fixtures in the Lincolnshire Senior Cup Mascot EditThe Mighty Mariner is Grimsby Town s 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 136 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 EditThe newly rebranded Mariners Trust 137 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 and the PPAG and is run by volunteers of 400 members and continues to encourage GTFC fans to join and get involved Since the late 1990s Grimsby Town have had a Scandinavian supporters group based in Norway and Sweden 138 Mariners fans since 2006 have also had a friendship with the supporters of Belgian club Eendracht Aalst 139 Actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen who is most widely known for creating and portraying the 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 140 Cohen had been in the town to think of ideas for a new film and had also visited the town s fish docks In December 2013 it was announced that Cohen would be appearing in a new film called Grimsby 141 Notable Mariners fans include Soccer AM presenter and comedian Lloyd Griffith American actor and television presenter 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 142 In 2015 Richman contributed to a fan fundraiser Operation Promotion and in June 2020 became a club shareholder 143 Grimsby born actor Thomas Turgoose who starred as the lead role character Shaun Fields in the drama film This Is England and the TV follow up s This Is England 86 This Is England 88 and This Is England 90 is a season ticket holder 144 He appeared as a guest on Sky show Soccer AM in 2007 sporting a Grimsby Town shirt Other famous fans include politician Norman Lamont former professional snooker players Mike Hallett and Dean Reynolds singer and songwriter Ella Henderson and BBC weather presenter Keeley Donovan 145 Grimsby Town in popular culture EditIn April 2007 it was announced that Grimsby Town 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 After the first four shows had aired the project was eventually scrapped 146 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 147 Grimsby is the football club that Sacha Baron Cohen s character Nobby supports in the 2016 action comedy film Grimsby 148 Grimsby s 4 5 victory away at Wrexham in the National League play off semi final is the main feature of Season 1 Episode 18 of the documentary Welcome to Wrexham which follows the purchase of Wrexham by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney The episode features a segment about the club and an interview with Grimsby chairman Jason Stockwood 149 Grimsby Town Women EditIn 2019 it was announced that Grimsby Town would enter the world of female football with the launch of its first ever affiliated women s team The 2019 20 season saw the team venture into the Lincolnshire Women s League for the very first time led by newly appointed manager Dale Houlston This was the 7th tier of the women s football pyramid essentially the very bottom rung of the ladder In a season that was cut short in March 2020 because of the Covid 19 pandemic Grimsby Town Women remained undefeated winning every competitive game that they played They were just two games away from certain promotion when the season was cut short as well as reaching the League Cup Final and the Lincolnshire Women s County Cup Final Sadly none of those Cup Finals took place because of the Covid 19 pandemic During the summer of 2020 the FA announced that following a restructure to the leagues Grimsby Town Women would be promoted to the 6th tier of the women s football pyramid meaning that the team commenced the 2020 21 season in the East Midlands Women s Regional Football League Division 1 North The 2020 21 season also saw Grimsby Town Women enter The FA Women s Cup for the very first time Grimsby Town Women commenced the 2021 22 season very strongly and led the league as strong favourites to gain promotion once again In November of this season manager Dale Houlston inexplicably resigned his position having played 7 games winning 6 and drawing just 1 Their dominance in the division at this time saw them score 30 goals in just 7 games conceding just once It was a mystery why Houlston felt the need to resign given that he was such a enthusiastic ambassador for women s game and had done so much to champion the formation of women s football at the club Players EditFirst team squad Edit As of 25 January 2023Note Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules Players may hold more than one non FIFA nationality No Pos Nation Player1 GK NZL Max Crocombe2 DF CGO Michee Efete3 DF ENG Anthony Glennon4 MF ENG Kieran Green5 DF ENG Shaun Pearson6 DF ENG Luke Waterfall captain 8 MF IRL Gavan Holohan10 FW ENG John McAtee on loan from Luton Town 11 MF ENG Otis Khan13 GK ENG Ollie Battersby14 MF ENG Stephen Wearne15 MF WAL Harry Clifton No Pos Nation Player16 MF ENG Alex Hunt17 MF ENG Bryn Morris18 MF ENG Mikey O Neill on loan from Preston North End 19 FW ENG Lewis Richardson on loan from Burnley 20 FW ENG Danilo Orsi Dadomo22 DF NIR Danny Amos26 DF ENG Andy Smith on loan from Hull City 29 FW ENG Ryan Taylor30 MF ENG Evan Khouri31 DF ENG Niall Maher32 DF ENG Jordan Cropper44 MF IRL Sean ScannellOut on loan Edit Note Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules Players may hold more than one non FIFA nationality No Pos Nation Player24 DF ENG Jaz Goundry on loan at Matlock Town until May 2023 34 MF ENG Aaron Braithwaite on loan at Whitby Town until February 2023 37 DF ENG Harvey Tomlinson on loan at Cleethorpes Town until February 2023 No Pos Nation Player38 DF ENG Jamie Bramwell on loan at Gainsborough Trinity until February 2023 39 FW ENG Edwin Essel on loan at Grimsby Borough until May 2023 Academy squad Edit As of 9 August 2022 150 151 152 Note Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules Players may hold more than one non FIFA nationality No Pos Nation Player GK ENG Declyn Dennis GK ENG Tom Jacobs DF ENG Alex Markham DF ENG Henry Moore DF ENG Ethan Scott DF ENG George Sims No Pos Nation Player DF ENG Tom Zerboni MF ENG Louis Boyd MF ENG Brooklyn Dennis MF ENG Sam Wilkinson FW ENG Harry Milner FW ENG Callum StrattonWomen s Team Edit 153 Note Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules Players may hold more than one non FIFA nationality No Pos Nation Player GK ENG Beth French GK ENG Jasmine Lacey DF ENG Lisa Cromey DF ENG Harriet Dalton DF ENG Caitlin Fiddel DF ENG Chloe Fiddel DF ENG Charlotte Goodwin DF ENG Katie Howlett DF ENG Olivia Kershaw DF ENG Darcie Proud No Pos Nation Player DF ENG Leah Wray MF ENG Danielle Brighton MF ENG Kim Brown MF ENG Laura Ibbett MF ENG Libbi Wright FW ENG Ellie Blyth FW ENG Alisha Dejonge FW ENG Lilly Jacklin FW ENG Evie Revell FW ENG Beth WhartonPlayers of the season Edit As voted for by supporters of the club 154 Year Winner Young Player1972 Harry Wainman 1973 Dave Booth 1974 Dave Boylen 1975 Frank Barton Ian Walton1976 Harry Wainman Tony Ford1977 Joe Waters Kevin Drinkell1978 Geoff Barker Shaun Mawer1979 Joe Waters Dave Moore1980 Dean Crombie Phil Crosby1981 Nigel Batch Andy O Dell1982 Nigel Batch John Steeples1983 Kevin Drinkell Paul Wilkinson1984 Tony Ford Gary Lund Year Winner Young Player1985 Tony Ford Andy Moore1986 Gordon Hobson Tony Barratt1987 Neil Robinson John McDermott1988 Don O Riordan Tommy Watson1989 Shaun Cunnington Mark Lever1990 Garry Birtles John McDermott1991 Dave Gilbert Mark Lever1992 Paul Futcher John McDermott1993 Paul Futcher Gary Croft1994 Paul Crichton Gary Croft1995 Gary Croft Gary Croft1996 Paul Groves Jamie Forrester1997 Graham Rodger John Oster Year Winner Young Player1998 Kevin Donovan Daryl Clare1999 Paul Groves Danny Butterfield2000 Mark Lever Danny Butterfield2001 Danny Coyne Jonathan Rowan2002 Danny Coyne Simon Ford2003 Georges Santos Darren Mansaram2004 Phil Jevons Graham Hockless2005 John McDermott Nick Hegarty2006 Rob Jones Gary Cohen2007 Justin Whittle Danny North2008 Phil Barnes Ryan Bennett2009 Ryan Bennett Ryan Bennett2010 Peter Bore No award given Year Winner Young Player2011 Alan Connell Bradley Wood2012 Liam Hearn Conor Townsend2013 James McKeown Andi Thanoj2014 James McKeown Andi Thanoj2015 Carl Magnay Craig Clay2016 Padraig Amond Jon Nolan2017 Danny Andrew Calum Dyson2018 James McKeown Harry Clifton2019 James McKeown Harry Clifton2020 No award given No award given2021 No award given No award given2022 John McAtee John McAteeTop goal scorers season Edit Player Goals Season John McAtee 14 2021 22 Lenell John Lewis 4 2020 21 James Hanson 9 2019 20 Wes Thomas 12 2018 19 Mitch Rose 8 2017 18 Omar Bogle 19 2016 17 Padraig Amond 30 2015 16 Lenell John Lewis 20 2014 15 Ross Hannah 15 2013 14 Andy Cook 16 2012 13 Liam Hearn 29 2011 12 Alan Connell 29 2010 11 Peter Sweeney 6 2009 10 Adam Proudlock 9 2008 09 Danny North 10 2007 08 Gary Jones Ciaran Toner and Peter Bore 8 2006 07 Gary Jones 17 2005 06 Michael Reddy and Andy Parkinson 9 2004 05 Phil Jevons and Michael Boulding 12 2003 04 Stuart Campbell 7 2002 03 Michael Boulding 11 2001 02 Steve Livingstone 7 2000 01 Lee Ashcroft 12 1999 00 Paul Groves 14 1998 99 Kevin Donovan 16 1997 98 Clive Mendonca 19 1996 97 Paul Groves and Steve Livingstone 10 1995 96 Neil Woods 14 1994 95 Clive Mendonca 14 1993 94 Paul Groves 12 1992 93 Neil Woods 8 1991 92 Dave Gilbert and Neil Woods 12 1990 91 Tony Rees 13 1989 90 Keith Alexander 14 1988 89 Marc North 11 1987 88 Don O Riordan and Ian Walsh 8 1986 87 Gordon Hobson 15 1985 86 Current seasonClub officials EditSee also List of owners of English football clubs Board and management officials Edit Role NameChairman Jason Stockwood BPhil Vice Chairman Andrew Pettit LLB Director Kristine GreenDirector Dave RobertsChief Executive Debbie Cook MPA Chief Operating Officer Adam SmithAccounts Manager Steve Wraith Coaching staff and support staff Edit Role NameManager Paul HurstAssistant Manager Chris DoigFirst Team Coach Ben DaviesGoalkeeping Coach Steve CroudsonDevelopment Coach Giles CokePhysiotherapist Dave MooreSports Scientist Greg HowardFirst Team Performance Analyst Kal SinghChief Scout amp Community Coach Graham RodgerAcademy Manager Neil WoodsHead of Coaching Colin WalkerAcademy Operations Manager Adam SmithYouth Development Phase Coordinator Michal PujdakFoundation Phase Coordinator Lawrence HewardWomen s Team Manager Hayley CoxWomen s Team Assistant Manager Paul ShawWomen s Team Coach Libbi WrightManagerial history EditAs of 14 May 2021 25 155 Managers Edit Dates Name Notes1902 1920 H N Hickson1920 Haydn Price1921 1924 George Fraser1924 1932 Wilf Gillow1932 1936 Frank Womack1937 1951 Charlie Spencer1951 Frank Womack Caretaker manager1951 1954 Bill Shankly1954 Elemer Berkessy Caretaker manager1954 1955 Billy Walsh1955 1959 Allenby Chilton1960 1962 Tim Ward1962 1964 Tom Johnston1964 1967 Jimmy McGuigan1967 1968 Don McEvoy1968 1969 Bill Harvey1969 1971 Bobby Kennedy1971 1973 Lawrie McMenemy1973 1975 Ron Ashman1975 1976 Tommy Casey1976 1978 Johnny Newman1979 1982 George Kerr1982 1985 Dave Booth1985 Peter Grotier Player caretaker manager1985 1987 Mick Lyons1987 1988 Bobby Roberts1988 1994 Alan Buckley1994 1996 Brian Laws Player manager1996 John Cockerill Caretaker manager1997 Kenny Swain Caretaker manager1997 2000 Alan Buckley2000 John Cockerill Caretaker manager2000 2001 Lennie Lawrence2001 2004 Paul Groves Player manager2004 Graham Rodger Caretaker manager2004 Nicky Law2004 2006 Russell Slade2006 Graham Rodger2006 Stuart Watkiss Caretaker manager2006 2008 Alan Buckley2008 Stuart Watkiss Caretaker manager2008 2009 Mike Newell2009 2011 Neil Woods2011 Dave Moore amp Robbie Stockdale 96 Joint caretaker managers2011 2013 Rob Scott amp Paul Hurst Joint managers2013 2016 Paul Hurst Rob Scott sacked Paul Hurst took sole charge 2016 Dave Moore amp Stuart Watkiss Joint caretaker managers2016 2017 Marcus Bignot2017 2018 Russell Slade2018 Paul Wilkinson Caretaker Manager2018 2019 Michael Jolley2019 Anthony Limbrick Caretaker Manager2019 2020 Ian Holloway Manager Club Director2020 Ben Davies Player Caretaker Manager2020 Paul Hurst Assistant managers Edit Year Assistant Manager1926 1927 John Percy1927 1930 Herbert Woods1930 1932 Bill Hopkins1932 1933 Herbert Woods1933 1939 Tommy Atherton1945 1948 Johnny McIlwaine1948 1955 Tommy Dawson1955 1957 Bill Lambton1957 1959 Ronald Humpston1959 1962 Bill Lambton1962 1971 George Higgins1972 1974 Jim Clunie1974 1975 Colin Appleton1975 1976 George Aitken1976 1978 Dick Conner1978 1979 George Kerr1980 1982 Dave Booth1982 1984 Trevor Whymark1984 1985 Chris Nicholl1985 1986 Terry Darracott1986 1988 Don O Riordan1988 1994 Arthur Mann1994 1997 Kenny Swain1997 2001 John Cockerill2001 2006 Graham Rodger2006 2009 Stuart Watkiss2009 Brian Stein2009 2010 Chris Casper2010 2011 Dave Moore2013 2016 Chris Doig2016 2017 Micky Moore2017 2018 Paul Wilkinson2018 2020 Anthony Limbrick2020 Chris Doig Chairman Edit Year Chairman1878 1885 Sir John Dugdale Astley 3rd Baronet 156 1885 Henry Smethurst1885 1889 Charles Carter1889 Edward Heneage 1st Baron Heneage1894 1896 Frederick Coulson1896 1900 Christmas White1900 William Bellamy1901 1903 Frederick Coulson1905 1906 John Thompson1906 1908 William Goodwin1908 1920 Alfred Cooper1920 1923 James Plaistow1928 1931 Joseph Stookes1931 1954 George Pearce1954 1968 Frederick Would1968 1969 Roy Osmond1969 Frederick Would1869 1979 Henry Hamilton1979 1985 Richard Middleton1985 Dudley Ramsden1985 Thomas Bygott1985 1987 Walter Ramsden1987 1994 Peter Furneaux1994 1999 Bill Carr1999 2001 Doug Everitt2001 2004 Peter Furneaux2004 2011 John Fenty2011 2020 John Fenty de facto 2020 2021 Philip Day2021 Jason StockwoodNotable former players and managers EditNotable players and managers Edit Further information List of Grimsby Town F C players Person Grimsby record Claim to fame Elemer Berkessy Manager 1954 Became the first foreign manager in English football with Grimsby Jackie Bestall Player 1926 1938 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 Harry Betmead Player 1930 1947 296 games 10 goals 1 England cap 20 May 1937 vs Finland 8 0 Helsinki Garry Birtles Player 1989 1991 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 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 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 plate of chicken incident which occurred when Grimsby manager Brian Laws launched a plate of chicken at Bonetti during a half time team talk Alan Buckley Manager 1988 1994 1997 2000 2006 2008 Club s most successful manager winning 3 promotions and 1 cup including the Wembley Double 1997 98 season Danny Coyne Player 1999 2003 181 games Welsh international goalkeeper 1996 2007 11 caps Won two Player of the Season awards before moving to the Premier League with Leicester City Gary Croft Player 1992 1996 amp 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 Tony Ford MBE Player 1975 1986 amp 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 Hughie Gallacher Player 1937 1938 12 games 3 goals 20 Scotland caps 23 Scotland goals member of the Wembley Wizards who beat England 5 1 in 1928 Pat Glover Player 1929 1938 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 Paul Groves Player 1992 1996 amp 1997 2004 377 games 71 goals Manager 2001 2004 Wembley Double winning captain from the 1997 98 season Phil Jevons Player 2001 2004 63 games 18 goals Scored a 35 yard winning goal in extra time to give Grimsby a 2 1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield John McDermott Player 1987 2007 647 games 10 goals Club s all time leading appearance holder with 755 games in all competitions Lawrie McMenemy Manager 1971 1973 Was the manager of Southampton when they won the FA Cup in 1976 Clive Mendonca Player 1991 1997 187 games 64 goals Winner of Grimsby s BBC cult heroes poll in 2004 157 Scored a hat trick in Charlton Athletic s 1998 play off final win David Nielsen Player 2000 2001 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 John Oster Player 1996 1997 amp 2002 2003 42 games 10 goals Having started his career with the club he went on to play International football for Wales a, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library, article, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games. |