Players Want To Stay

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 19/04/2002

GRIMSBY Town striker Bradley Allen wants to stay at Blundell Park. Out of contract in the Summer he wants to be included in the managers plans for next season and beyond. "I sincerely hope I'll be here. There have been no contract talks whatsoever. Paul Groves has been perfectly honest with me.

In the Grimsby Telegraph today he said "He said everything has been riding on us securing our Division One status and now we have achieved that I would like to think we will sit down and have a talk and I hope I can extend my stay here because I have really enjoyed the three seasons that I have had."

"I have been back in the team now for 12 of the last 14 games and as it has turned out I came back at a crucial time."

"The partnership with Michael has developed with the understanding we have had. He has chipped in with goals and performed extremely well and I have been able to add one or two and the results have come from that."

"I've always said to get the best out of me I need a run of games, and I think with me having some good fortune and not picking up injuries after the first four or five games when I got back into the team, I think the supporters would agree there has been an improvement in my performances and a couple of goals added to that."

"I missed out on the Norwich game through injury, as did Michael, but the lads who went in did a terrific job and we got a good point. The pair of us were then able to come in on Saturday and perform like we did."

Michael Boulding

Other players too are wanting to stay with the Mariners but there is some uneasiness about Michael Boulding who is rumoured to be wanted by a number of Premiership clubs.

But Boulding said earlier this week: "I don't know anything about any other clubs, it is all speculation. I was so concerned with the relegation battle that Paul (Groves) and I decided to leave it until the end of the season to see what will happen and, after all the euphoria of the other day, nothing has been said."

"But I'm sure we'll sit down this week and sort something out and I'm very happy - the fans have been good and Grimsby are a great club to play for."

"When Paul came into the job everyone had us down for sure relegation, but it is amazing what he's done," he added.

Ben Chapman

"At the beginning of the season I was totally out of things and I was told that I could go if I found another club. "I went to Scarborough on trial and believe me that was the wake up call I needed."

"I'd love to stay at Grimsby because I've been here since I was a lad and obviously I hope that I have done enough to win a new contract. I think I've done all right but it's up to the manager Paul Groves now."

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