Mentioned Part 18

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 25/02/2001

"No disrespect to the likes of Grimsby..."

David Sullivan

From The Sun

David Sullivan talking in relation to Birmingham's unlikely involvement in Europe next year

"It's crazy to think that we could be playing Grimsby on Saturday and Barcelona in mid-week next season"

Spotted by Duncan Butler, who adds "I can't work out whether it's us or Barcelona he's taking the mick out of."

Down Among The Dead Men

From The Lancashire Evening Telegraph

The first thing you notice as you drive along the main drag in Grimsby (and it is a drag) is the proliferation of undertakers' establishments. Roughly every third building caters for the deceased. People are literally dying to get out of Grimsby. This includes the football club. Despite retaining the name "Grimsby" the ground is actually located just up the road in neighbouring Cleethorpes. Oh yes -- it's glamour all the way in Division One.

Having successfully located the ground, we repair to a nearby hostelry which seems to be housing the majority of the 2,000 travelling Clarets. They in turn appear to be housing the majority of the pub's beer. Well, I say beer, but it's really rust-coloured fluid with a thin layer of effluent on top.

Unbelievably, it tastes worse than it sounds.

At the bar, one supping Burnleyite tells me he has abandoned his wife and recently-born child for the day just so he can come and watch his team. However, I would imagine that come five o'clock he was positively yearning to change nappies and prepare baby food.

Once inside Blundell Park, I am delighted to discover our home for the afternoon is the Osmond Stand. With something approaching feverish excitement I scan the back of my ticket to see if any other stands are named after 70s pop stars of dubious talent. Alas, not (unless there was once a band called the John Smith Bitter Stand).

On the pitch, neither side are helped by the eccentric refereeing of Premiership reject Uriah Rennie whose philosophy seems to be thou shalt not make a decision which has anything to do with the game you are actually reffing.

Meanwhile Ian Moore, whose confidence has sunk so low it is now positively subterranean, fluffs a brace of one-on-ones. The lad needs a couple of goals. Soon.

He does well however, to fire over a cross in front of the Osmond Stand which Steve Davis somehow manages to head over the bar whilst simultaneously being directly underneath it. My personal opinion is that the skipper was simply overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur and beauty of the Osmond Stand. Possibly.

Grimsby's winner, a free header from a corner, is as inevitable as it is depressing. Walking back to the coach past one of the many undertaker's establishments, a voice behind me pipes up: "We had the chances. We should have buried them."

Spotted by Steve Bateman

Rodney Marsh

From From Sky Sports

On Saturday the presenter (I've forgotten his name) when Enhua scored said something like "That's the first goal for the captain of China - I wonder what he makes of Grimsby" - (laughing) then quickly adding - "no offence to Grimsby of course". Rodney Marsh quipped "they have good sushi".

Spotted by Steve Gladwin, who adds "perhaps someone should tell Rodney that sushi is a Japanese dish? Or am I wrong?"

Tuesday Night In Grimsby (Diary Of A Masochist)

From Millwall Online

A review of a book by a long-standing Millwall fan who has followed them home and away for 30 years. Sadly the review does not explain the book's title, but the inference is pretty obvious.

The review concludes:

"It is a pleasure to read a book that tells stories from games you were at and have a direct link with. The author makes an early comparison with Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch and sums it all up very well. In Hornby's book he tells how he watches Arsenal's decisive championship game at Anfield on the telly.

"That is the difference, if Millwall were involved in a championship game of any description most of us would move heaven and earth to ensure we were there."

Spotted by Rob Sedgwick

If you see a "mention" mail them to rob@grimsbyfans.com and we'll put them up here.

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