The foul was punished by a booking and a free-kick and Young stayed on. Generally, this means players that have played 100 or more league matches for the club. [119] Paul Wilkinson took over as caretaker manager following the sacking. This is a list of notable footballers who have played for Grimsby Town. English clubs avoid punishment over booing of players taking a knee. [67] Town won the game 10 thanks to a first half Kevin Donovan goal which gave the club a historic Wembley double and the Mariners promotion back to Division One. Shortly afterwards Allenby Chilton became Grimsby's first player-manager, he joined late in the 195455 season from Manchester United. Grimsby Town Football Club : Country: England : Founded: 01/01/1878: . Grimsby's incredible fans, inflatable fish and FA Cup history. Some would say Bill Shankly went on to greater things and those in the know would say Alan. "I know that there were a few who thought we could get a result going into it, but maybe I thought they were crazy," Hurst told the club's Twitter feed. However, Chilton was unable to stop Grimsby from being relegated. [50], 198788 saw Grimsby Town suffer a second consecutive relegation, placing them in the Fourth Division. Grimsby Town 2023 - Player Wages Grimsby Town have a total of 47 players in their home squad. 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. Forums . Three of the four original pylons remain. Everything was measured, planned and perfected and you could not wish to see more entertaining football". Instead the club joined the Football Alliance. Player, 1930-47 296 games, 10 goals. 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. After the first four shows had aired, the project was eventually scrapped. [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. Paul Hurst's side, and their legions of supporters, now know they are just one win away from a trip to Wembley for an FA Cup semi-final. [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. Grimsby Town play in the Vanarama National League, the fourth division of mens professional football in England and the lowest football league division. In November of this season, manager Dale Houlston inexplicably resigned his position, having played 7 games, winning 6 and drawing just 1. At the time only one of their previous 12 seasons had been spent below the second tier of English football. They remain the only players from the club to have received full England honours. 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. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Mother who killed her five children euthanised, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Biden had skin cancer lesion removed - White House, US sues Exxon over nooses found at Louisiana plant. [131], On 1 March 2023, Grimsby advanced to the quarter finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1939 by beating Premier League side Southampton 2-1 away from home, in the process becoming the first club in the competition's history to knock out five teams from a higher division in the process.[132]. "That's the best ten grand we've ever spent, the VAR.". [115] On 10 April 2017, Marcus Bignot was relieved of his duties from the club. More than 4,000 Town fans made the long journey to Hampshire on Wednesday evening, keen to avoid missing out on seeing history made. Passion for Real Sociedad runs as deep as San Sebastian's love for Basque culture and cuisine, Top 10 greatest FA Cup shocks after Grimsby stun Southampton, Oral history: When Barcelona, Real Madrid played four Clasicos in 18 days back in 2011. Lawrie McMenemy with Nick Holmes after winning the FA Cup in 1976. Situated inside the Findus Stand at Blundell Park, is "McMenemy's Function Suite", named after former manager Lawrie McMenemy. [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. [6] Exceptions from the traditional bar-stripe kit: Since the introduction of the black and white bar stripes in 1910, the GTFC kits have featured exclusively red, black and white. [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. Bolin was born in Sioux City in 1951, and before age 13 he was playing with local Iowan bands. Profile. Defender Anthony Glennon celebrates a famous FA Cup upset in unique Grimsby fashion. Player, 19961997 & 20022003 (42 games, 10 goals), Having started his career with the club, he went on to play International football for, Is currently the only Grimsby player to be named in the. I dont remember much about the game itself or even the score but I do remember vividly the sense of injustice when 17-year-old Paul Allen, the then youngest player to appear in a final, was clear through and cynically brought down by Arsenals Willie Young. Video, 00:01:46, Grimsby's incredible fans, inflatable fish and FA Cup history, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Can Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga's hottest team, topple Bayern for the title? All information about Grimsby Town (League Two) current squad with market values transfers rumours player stats fixtures news [27], Grimsby made a strong challenge for promotion in 195152 but finished second, three points behind Lincoln City (only one team was promoted from Division Three North, with one from Division Three South). [100][101], Following an 11th place finish in 2012, the Mariners enjoyed a positive cup run in the 201213 season FA Trophy and reached the final at Wembley Stadium where they played Wrexham on 24 March 2013. Since the late 1990s Grimsby Town have had a Scandinavian supporters group based in Norway and Sweden. 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. Hollywood actor Rob McElhenney, who co-owns the Wrexham AFC side the Mariners defeated in 2022's National League play-off semi-final, tweeted: "Congrats @officialgtfc!!!! Proud night for everyone involved! As a result, they later amended their proposal to include a retail park on the site, which would help to fund the development. Historical results. [57], The Mariners began to produce homegrown talent from the club's youth academy, including Jack Lester, John Oster, Gary Croft and Peter Handyside. It is a very special day.". Jason Stockwood is the chair of Grimsby Town, FA Cup roundup: Grimsby earn Luton replay while Bristol City batter Baggies, Football is a precious space where people express emotions and build relationships | Jason Stockwood, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Harry Betmead. 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. VideoRussian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. Anthony Glennon Defender 05. Players. Better-known for its fishing industry, fourth-tier minnows Grimsby Town splashed some FA Cup magic by knocking out Premier League Southampton to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in 84 years on Wednesday. Every state in the United States of America, and more than forty-five countries, have had at least one player make it to the show. None of those Cup Finals took place because of the Covid-19 pandemic. "The issue is going to be how many tickets can Brighton allocate to us because we'll have them all. Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. "It was surreal," the 47-year-old supporter said. The Mariners then moved to Abbey Park until 1899 before a move to Blundell Park, the club's current stadium.[1]. Look at what that means to the support," Hurst said as the visiting fans celebrated loudly. The Football Association has decided not to take action against two clubs after fans booed the taking of a knee as the players' union reported "overwhelmingly . [102] This led them to finish in 4th place with 83 points. 1998 Football League Trophy Final starting line-up at Wembley Stadium. Luke Waterfall Defender 22. He also wrote songs for his solo projects and played with blues-rock bands Deep Purple, Zephyr, and The James Gang. 37 Armel Bella-Kotchap. Grimsby Town's players and manager Paul Hurst now face Brighton in the FA Cup quarter finals Harry the Haddock has been used by Grimsby fans as an inflatable symbol for more than 34 years. 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. Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, following the victory in the 2022 National League play-off Final. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Are PSG better off without Neymar in big games? 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". [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. [128] They defeated Notts County in the quarter-final of the play-offs, and Wrexham in the semi-final 54. This was achieved, finishing 9th. 53 Dominic Ballard. Season 2021/2022. In the league, they were in they played football nobody else could play. This is especially true when it comes to the FA Cup, where the competition is fierce and the financial reward can be transformative if we dare to dream that another round is possible. Grimsby Town . 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 10 to Cheltenham Town in the final at the Millennium Stadium. It was not, however, 9-1, as often recorded. However, please note that the intellectual property rights to stream such events are usually . Appearances and goals are for league matches only; wartime matches are excluded. The 200203 season would bring relegation with the Mariners finishing bottom of Division One and relegated after five successive seasons at this level. 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. This statistics show the compact view of all current players of the club Grimsby Town who are on loan or loaned out. This is the club's fourth stadium. Grimsby Town's players and manager Paul Hurst now face Brighton in the FA Cup quarter finals, Bruce Fenwick travelled to watch the match with his 11-year-old daughter Maisy, pictured clutching an inflatable Harry Haddock, About 4,000 fans made the journey down to the south coast for the Wednesday night FA Cup tie. 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. [1] In the 198384 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. Other kits from this period include: Black and white vertical stripes were adopted in 1910 and with a few exceptions, they have rarely been missing from the kit design ever since and have become one of the most recognisable features of the club. 2 1 1 . Nigel Lowther, who inspired the first outing of the inflatable mascots in 1989 during his time as a sports reporter on the Grimsby Telegraph, told BBC Breakfast: "It was incredible to be in that crowd last night and a real privilege. Grimsby's hearts were in their mouths as Duje Caleta-Car gave Southampton a lifeline and then Theo Walcott appeared to have equalised with 10 minutes to go, only for his effort to be chalked off by VAR for offside. Those technicoloured Saturdays are so vividly remembered because the normal TV schedule was replaced by a full-day football extravaganza, roving reporters outside team hotels, a celebrity edition of a Question of Sport, the growled rendition of each teams FA Cup song, all before the whistle to start the game had been blown. 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 31 winners on aggregate. [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. Ollie Battersby Goalkeeper Defenders 02. Grimsby went ahead in the second half with 20 minutes left to go, through an Andy Cook strike. "I hope this is just another part of the narrative that helps us kick on towards a more optimistic future.". [133] 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. [88] The board appointed Mike Newell as manager. Harry the Haddock has been used by Grimsby fans as an inflatable symbol for more than 34 years after it jokingly featured in the reporting of the team's 1989 FA Cup journey to the 5th round. In 199293, 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. [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. [13], This was the most successful period in the club's history. [49] This was their highest league finish since the 194748 season. League Two League level: Fourth Tier Table position . The current Grimsby Town players list consists of 26 first team members of the first team squad, supported by members of the . [26] In 195354, Shankly became disillusioned when the board could not give him money to buy new players. 1 England cap (6 February 1935, vs Ireland, 2-1, Goodison Park). [6] The 1911 kit included the black and white striped t-shirt, white shorts and black socks. Club's all-time leading appearance holder with 755 games in all competitions. [140], 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 201314 season. Which duo has the most goal contributions in Europe this season? [92][93] The other main candidate for the job was former boss Russell Slade, but the board decided upon Woods ahead of Slade. [90][91] Neil Woods was controversially made permanent manager on 23 November 2009. 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). The first full season after World War I the club were relegated to the new Third Division;[14] in the initial 192021 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. More than 4,000 Grimbarians (now with Harry Haddocks in tow) will make their way, like Viking raiders, to the south coast for one of the furthest away days in our calendar. Football has the power to punctuate our lives with a type of communion that is so often absent elsewhere. Colin Murray Thursday 2 Mar 2023 7:13 pm. [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. 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 193435 season. 8 James Ward-Prowse. [148], Grimsby is the football club that Sacha Baron Cohen's character Nobby supports in the 2016 action comedy film Grimsby. Well, why not Take a look through our gallery below of what happened on and off the pitch as Town headed to dreamland, Grimsby Town fans, players and staff celebrate as the Mariners seal a historic 2-1 win over Southampton at St Mary's in the FA Cup Fifth-Round to qualify for the Quarter Finals where they will face Brighton & Hove Albion, Tragedy as 'funny and mischievous' Grimsby mum, 38, dies leaving family heartbroken, Kristal Jackson, 38, was described as a 'funny, gentle and witty' person, Police uncover large cannabis factory after raid in Grimsby street, Thug in nine-hour rooftop standoff that cost police 36k threatens to blow up arresting officer, Ryan Tomney hurled tiles from the roof and started fires during the terrifying ordeal, Hit YouTube food reviewer impressed with 'stroke of genius' Cleethorpes chip shop, Rate My Takeaway has over 500,000 subscribers, It Started With a Stitch - The Grimsby shop shortlisted to win national contest, Voting closes on March 8 and young businesswoman Gemma is getting excited, See inside stunning Keelby home with trendy dcor and huge garden, Everything I got from The Company Shop in Grimsby for just under 10, 'I think it's more than possible to do a weekly shop here for around 25, and I'll definitely be trying it in the future', I tried the new caf that cooks everything in an air-fryer to see if it's just a gimmick, Dan Barrett was 'excited and nervous' to get the doors open, Carlisle United vs Grimsby Town LIVE: Build-up, team news, match updates and reaction, Live coverage of the Mariners' away fixture against Carlisle United in League Two, Paul Hurst's Grimsby Town rotation claim as he prepares squad for Carlisle United turnaround, The tough league schedule persists for the Mariners as their FA Cup journey continues, Mum's warning as son's pains and rash lead to 'horrendous' diagnosis, Jessica has spoken out to highlight the situation for other parents and their children, 'I bought fry-up ingredients from Clarkson's farm shop - the bread alone was 6', The cost was more than double that of a supermarket, but the shopper was impressed with one of the items, Date and broadcast details for Grimsby Town's FA Cup quarter-final at Brighton confirmed, The Mariners will play an FA Cup quarter-final for the first time in 84 years when they take on Brighton at the Amex, Scunthorpe man fined 60 by car park near hospital despite not finding a space, Niel Amos was unable to find a space in a 'congested' car park near Hull Royal Infirmary, The transformation of brave 12-year-old girl born with missing top lip, Sophie Austwick's mum, Lucy, has spoken out about the 'overwhelming' journey since finding out Sophie had a cleft lip and palate, Grimsby Town FA Cup heroics mean 'everything to the club, the fans and the town', The Mariners beat Southampton 2-1 in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, Grimsby mum whose son, 29, tragically died of a brain tumour condemns lack of funding, James Clifford Campling died in 2018 after being diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumour. 28 Players/Coaches. For Premier League bottom club Southampton, it was another low point in a miserable season. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. McMenemys Bar has been a venue for weddings, funerals and all manner of celebrations for the people of Grimsby and demonstrates how a character from 50 years ago is still lodged in our hearts. "It's pretty surreal but it definitely gives us boys a lift, it did in the last round against Luton as well.". 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. As of the 201213 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. [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. [129][130] In the 2022 National League play-off Final, they defeated Solihull Moors 21 after extra time to win promotion back to League Two at the London Stadium. [24], In 1968 Grimsby slipped into the Fourth Division for the first time. 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 30 by Burton Albion,[94] and thus were relegated from the Football League for the first time in nearly 100 years. But the side went one better on Wednesday, to the delight of Grimsby-born Mariners midfielder Harry Clifton. Download . Became the first foreign manager in English football with Grimsby. When Grimsby play away at Premier League Southampton on Wednesday it will be only the 11th time we have reached this stage of the competition we first entered in 1882. Captaincy chaos and Waldrum ultimatums - Will Nigeria be ready for World Cup? [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. [33] The following season the club had to apply for re-election to the league having finished second from bottom. For the past 20 years it has been where I usually have fish and chips before a home game. Our town is starting to reinvent itself as the home of the renewables industry and tilting its narrative away from a story of industrial decline to a low-carbon future and a community full of nascent solidarity and hope. In 2008, Buckley took Grimsby to the capital again, but lost out to MK Dons in the final of the Football League Trophy. Mr Stockwood joked: "I got a note from the FA saying we have to pay for the VAR, I said if we have to spend 10,000 slip it in an envelope to the referee rather than VAR. For a list of all Grimsby Town players with a Wikipedia article, see, Since 1888 - Football league statistics (requires registration), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Grimsby_Town_F.C._players&oldid=1137419506, This page was last edited on 4 February 2023, at 15:25. For the railway station, see, Return to the Second Division (19801987), Initial decline and double promotion (19871997), Return to the Football League (20162021), Our Association Football Correspondent. Financially it is massive for a lower-division club because a win would be the equivalent of between 10% and 20% of the annual player budget and the next round could be as much as 50%. [36] In the same year 22,489 people witnessed a home victory against Exeter City that saw the club promoted as Division Four Champions. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? [97] They finished the 201011 season in 11th on 62 points. [72], The Mariners started the 200102 season strongly, topping the league table after five games. Grimsby's win means they are the first team in the competition's history to eliminate five different teams from a higher division in one season. 23 Samuel Edozie. The romance of the FA Cup has never felt more munificent and magical as the evenings events unfolded. Tommy Bolin was a guitarist from Sioux City, Iowa. Danny Amos Defender 24. Player, 1926-38 427 games, 76 goals. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. The attendance of 76,962 remains Old Trafford's largest ever attendance. Wembley Double-winning captain from the 199798 season. [56] They dipped to 16th place a year later, though they were never in any real danger of relegation. Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.), Supplemental Privacy Policy for Singapore. It is unclear what the score was, but was likely to have been 8-1. The band went on to enjoy four UK number one singles with their tracks Hot. Read about our approach to external linking. Irrespective of the money this is a vintage year in the Cup, sitting alongside the day our inflatable mascot, Harry Haddock, made his first appearance at Wimbledon in the fifth round of 1989 or when we last reached the semi final, in 1939, playing Wolverhampton Wanderers. 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. The League Two side provided. 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. Grimsby reached the semi-final of the FA Cup in 1936, the game was played at Huddersfield Town's Leeds Road, but lost 10 to Arsenal,[17] with the goal coming from Cliff Bastin five minutes before half time. [139] Mariners fans since 2006 have also had a friendship with the supporters of Belgian club Eendracht Aalst. The club advanced to the third round of the League Cup where they met holders Liverpool at Anfield. List of Grimsby Town F.C. 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. This brought the overall capacity down from around 12,000 to what it is today. Grimsby Town. Grimsby Town fans celebrate after the Emirates FA Cup fifth round match at St. Mary's Stadium (Picture: PA) If there's one thing I know about Grimsby . My earliest memory of the FA Cup is from the 1980 final when West Ham played Arsenal. Close menu; Overview; Squad . [111][112], After promotion, manager, Paul Hurst, released a number of players, many of whom were pivotal to the previous season's promotion push. [143] In 2015 Richman contributed to a fan fundraiser "Operation Promotion" and in June 2020 became a club shareholder.[144]. Hurst after Grimsby's victory at Southampton / Alex Davidson/GettyImages. Grimsby Town is the most successful team of the three professional clubs in historic Lincolnshire, being the only one to play top-flight English football. Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, Grimsby chairman Jason Stockwood called it an "absolutely magical day". [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. In 1953 the club introduced its first floodlights to the ground and with that enabling Grimsby Town to play night-time fixtures. Holds all-time record, 931, for matches played in the English league by an outfield player. FA Cup heroes Grimsby Town have apologised this afternoon after being slated for using a video of Katie Price 's son Harvey in the aftermath of their underdog win. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. [73] Despite Gary McAllister scoring a penalty following a David Beharall handball to put the Reds 10 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. [87] The season ended with eight straight defeats. Grimsby Town fans have hailed their FA Cup heroes after the League Two minnows reeled in Premier League Southampton on Wednesday night. Lloyd Griffith, a comedian born in Grimsby who has been one of Fenty's fiercest critics, was on Thursday morning, "elated, absolutely elated". Somewhere between our recent league performances the away win at Northampton, the recent losses to Gillingham and Colchester and the incredible achievement of the win against Luton is the truth about who we are as a club right now. [51] The club's financial situation was also dismal, and as the 198889 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.