Biggest Game!!

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 23/04/2001

Grimsby have the biggest game of the season tomorrow night when they face Blackburn Rovers which will be televised by Sky TV. The TV payment of 50,000 pounds to the Mariners is a boost to the clubs finances but the question is, how many Grimsby fans will be at the game instead of watching it on TV.

Blackburn have sold all of their ticket allocation and will be bringing 2,200 fans to Blundell Park who may well outsing Grimsby fans if there is not a good turnout.

Steve Wraith Grimsby's ticket manager told the Grimsby Telegraph today that he hoped the Mariners faithful would do their best to outsing the huge Blackburn following.

"We're absolutely delighted to be going live on Sky," said Steve, who said the TV cash bonus was the equivalent to the gate receipts of two home games.

"It's a fantastic boost for us and Blackburn have sold all of their tickets for the match."

"We just want to appeal to every Town fan going to the game to wear their black and white stripes, get behind the lads and make for a great atmosphere."

Manager Lawrence, on the other hand, is making his appeal to the players. At the post match press conference on Saturday he said they would face a 'cricket score' defeat by Blackburn tomorrow if there is a repeat of their performance against Sheffield United.

"If we don't improve on that first half performance against Blackburn it will be a cricket score."

"We've got three very difficult games and we have got to get a result from somewhere."

"I can't criticise the players that have played the majority of the games. But I have got no sympathy with the players in the building who are all on wages but there are so many players that don't make a contribution."

"The squad's a laugh here. It's eight or nine players. There's plenty picking up wages but not many people doing it and that pisses me off!".

"I need some contribution from those players who haven't made one so far and I'm not getting it." I'm not happy.

With three games left, Town need at least one more point to be certain of avoiding relegation and the TV spectacular may be enough to motivate the players to make the same commitment they made in winning three consecutive games.

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