 |
Grimsby |
Any
Atkins connections this week? |
| No.
For the first time in a month Ian Atkins won't be preparing his side
for a league clash against one of his former sides and, after just
three points in those games, he probably won't be too upset about
it.
Atkins may not be too well known up there but a few of Rovers' players are more familiar with Blundell Park: Stuart Campbell spent four years at Grimsby before leaving for the Gas in the close season while Jamie Forrester had a spell at the Lincolnshire club between 1995 and 1997 and Lee Thorpe spent a month on loan there in 2003/4. |
It's
been a while since we played up there hasn't it? |
| Yes, the last time was in on Easter Monday 1998 when Rovers won 2-1 courtesy of two Barry Hayles goals in the snow. Grimsby went on to gain promotion in the play-offs, beating Northampton Town, the club who had put Rovers out in the semis and whose manager was…Ian Atkins. Maybe there is a connection there after all! |
How
are they doing this season? |
| Grimsby
are currently in 9th place and have only lost once at home, to Rochdale.
They are just two points behind Rovers so it's a crucial game for
both sides.
Like
Rovers, Grimsby have also been through a few managers in the
past year. Paul Groves, a player last time Rovers visited, left
in February and Graham Rodger took over as caretaker manager.
He was replaced in March by Nicky Law who came in on a short-term
contract but couldn't save the Mariners from relegation, which
came on the final day of 2003/4. Current manager Russell Slade,
who had previously been at Scarborough, took over in the summer. |
Didn't
they use to wave inflatable fish around? |
| They
certainly did. In recognition of the area's fishy reputation Grimsby
Town fans joined the 80's inflatable revolution with air-filled finned
creatures known as "Harry the Haddock". As the craze grew
so did Harry the Haddock's reputation, such that virtually every
fan who watched football in the era knew of his existence. Gasheads.com
was pleased to discover that Harry didn't die with the craze; he
simply deflated for a while. Signs of his re-emergence were noted
by White
Review, a Tranmere website, after the last game of 2003/4 when
it wrote:
"They came in huge numbers, around 2,000 of them, to stand and cheer as Grimsby Town attempted to save their season in the last-chance saloon at Prenton Park. Grimsby's supporters performed their part admirably. They arrived dressed for a party in black and white wigs and silly hats. A few dug out the "Harry the Haddock" inflatable fish that were popular a decade ago when Grimsby punched confidently above their weight in the first division. One young man even walked into the Cowshed stand dressed in a full-length fish costume, a sort of fleece halibut." Since then Harry seems to have returned Blundell Park in force, as a local paper wrote a few days ago: "Club officials are delighted at how many Harry Haddocks have been netted by Town fans since the inflatable mascot was 're-spawned' earlier in the season. Supporters have been shoaling down to Blundell Park to hook themselves a haddock - with more than 500 already sold" The seafaring theme is also enshrined on the club badge that features a fishing boat and three fish, leading the fans to (allegedly) sing "Three fish on our shirt…" |
So
can I expect some good fish and chips up in Grimsby? |
| You certainly can! Blundell Park is actually just behind Cleethorpes seafront (Cleethorpes being the seaside resort next door to Grimsby) and there are plenty of chippies to choose from down there. Hobsons, on Cleethorpe Road, is just outside the ground and highly recommended and, of those on the seafront, the excellent Electronic Fishcake website recommends Seaway. |
What
about pubs? |
|
Let's just say that in our experience the chippies have been often been better than the boozers. The Leaking Boot on Grimsby Road is away fan friendly and near the ground while real ale fans will doubtless enjoy Willy's Wine Bar on Cleethorpes Seafront, which boasts its own brewery (a second branch - Swigs - is situated rather further away on Osbourne Street in Grimsby Town Centre). If you're coming by train then the No. 1 Refreshment Rooms is worth checking out. It is attached to Cleethorpes Station (about a mile and a half from the ground) and sells a range of real ales. And while you're there you can pay a visit to the No. 2 Refreshment Rooms (Under the Clock), which is nearby on Station Approach and is the local CAMRA pub of the year for 2004. |
Didn't
Blundell Park make the papers last weekend? |
| It
did indeed…though not in a way the club would have wanted.
Blundell Park came 7th in the Observer's
guide to crap football grounds in which comments from visiting
fans included:
"'If Grimsby are in your division and you're going to miss an away trip, make it this one" and "Blundell Park has no redeeming features" We'd have to concur with those comments after previous visits, which bring up memories of whistling, bitter winds and the desolate Cleethorpes seafront but, as one of the contributors to the piece noted, at least the aforementioned fish and chips are good. |
So,
I'm going to a crap ground in a rubbish town…please tell
me there's a Sheedhead in their team for me to shout at? |
| You're in luck. Colin Cramb has been playing for Grimsby on a non-contract basis and was set to sign a monthly contract this week. |
And
what about the Wayne Carlisle Factor? Any ex-Gas likely to return
to haunt us? |
Well, with any luck he won't score against us but Anthony Williams, who had a loan spell at Rovers back in '99, is the Grimsby 'keeper and could frustrate us at the other end. Going further back in GTFC's history, one of their all-time legends, Tommy Briggs, had an impressive record against Rovers. He started and ended his career at Grimsby but was also prolific at Blackburn Rovers where he scored 7 in a match (still a club record) against Rovers in 1955. |