The Fishy - Grimsby Town FC

Question of the Week

Who will go down?







 

Grimsby Are Playing For Youth's Future

By: Richard Lord
Date: 09/04/2002

THE way this weekend's fixture at home against Burnley is shaping up, anyone would think lives depended on it. With the future of ITV Digital in doubt and the fact that Grimsby don't know which division they will be playing in next season, some players really are playing for others' livelihood.

Home > Features > Playing For Youth's Future


Two of the Mariners' form players are Michael Boulding and Bradley Allen but neither of them are contracted to be with the club next season. The sensible thing to do would to sit down with the players and offer them contracts - if the management team think they are good enough to play for the club.

But Grimsby can't splash money about as easily as Wolves or Birmingham, which makes Paul Groves and Graham Rodger's task even more difficult. Failure to stay in the First Division will result in less TV money - if any - and a fall in attendances and merchandise, meaning less income to the club on a whole.

That is common knowledge, which shows why survival this season is of paramount importance.

This domino effect would then affect players' contracts, or the renewal of them, and we would see many players departing Blundell Park in search for another club. For players like Boulding and Allen, this won't be a problem. But it will be for the younger players like the emerging Darren Mansaram, Kirk Wheeler and Graham Hockless.

These are the people whose futures depend on the first team's survival. These are the people who will suffer if Town are relegated. Grimsby Town, over the years, has been based on a good youth system that has seen players like Croft, Handyside, Oster, McDermott and Lever emerge.

This youth system, so vital to Town's future, will be thrown in doubt as to whether to carry on if the worst happens. Not by choice, but by force. Grimsby would no longer have the financial stability to hold the set-up together.

A victory on Saturday will put the Mariners on 50 points and result in almost certain survival for another year. On top of that the youth system will be able to carry on and help the youth team players progress through the ranks. For Ross Thompson and Co, this will be excellent news and they can continue to commit themselves to professional football.



Add To Facebook


This site is by the fans, for the fans, and we will consider articles on any subject relating to the Mariners whether it be related to current news, a nostalgic look back in the past, a story about a player, a game or games in the past, something about Blundell Park or football in general. Click here to submit your article!


Related Stories


Forum Latest
Thread TitlePostsLatest Post
Prediction Thread Barrow A33Norseman28/03 23:36
Dn35 podcast drinking game6MarinerWY28/03 23:26
David Artell Interview Dn35 Podcast16WesternMariner28/03 21:26
Just Back 170diehardmariner28/03 20:03
New Training Ground.!!57Sigone28/03 19:38
Youth players out on loan21diehardmariner28/03 16:54
"Beat the Clock"  Barrow22Grantham_Mariner28/03 15:18
Bradford KO time?4JK4728/03 13:13
Twenty First Group / Overseas Market31jimgtfc28/03 11:16
TV Games/Upcoming Fixtures4SiteBot28/03 03:30