The Fishy - Grimsby Town FC

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Let's Get Behind Them!

By: Mike Douglas
Date: 21/09/2003

ONCE again the fickle "fans" of Grimsby Town Football Club cannot wait to put the boot in when things are against us.

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I do not understand the mentality of certain factions of the Blundell Park "faithful" who seem intent on "having a go" at the earliest opportunity at the running of the club, whether it is the board, the manager or the team. If ever our team needed support, it is now!

We have been relegated a division, fact, we have almost a complete new playing staff, fact, we have had major injury problems and suspensions, fact.

Let's get real, our board of directors have saved the club from financial ruin, post television money fiasco. We have not followed the Notts Counties and Barnsleys into administration. Paul Groves is the man for me as manager, he is a model professional, he is 100% behind Grimsby Town, he works miracles with a small budget and squad and above all he knows the limits of the club. He may be inexperienced as a manager but he is relentless in his quest for success. Perhaps he is not supported more by his players, perhaps they do not have the passion for this club as he does, perhaps some of them may need a long hard look in the mirror and ask the question how can we improve as a team ? How would the last season have ended if we could have kept Oster and Kabba?

Back to my rant, perhaps the people of Grimsby and North East Lincolnshire need to have a long hard look at themselves in the mirror and instead of waiting for Grimsby Town to be successful before they venture through the turnstiles at Blundell Park perhaps ask the question of themselves, what can I do to help this proud football club once again turn around its fortunes and go forward?

How many of you sat at home now admit to being Mariners fans? How many of you went to Wembley? How many of you wear Man Utd or Liverpool shirts? How many of you want a professional football club in Grimsby? This is the big question, I repeat, How many of you want a professional football club in Grimsby? Almost everyone from Great Coates leave the room now!

If 32,000 people can go to London to watch a football match on a Saturday and 6,000 can go to Liverpool on a Tuesday night all wearing the famous black and white, how can we only get 3,000 on a Tuesday night in Grimsby????

Please I beg you, as one die hard fan to another, switch your satellite dish off and go and watch the mighty mariners home and away, buy some of the shares that are available, drink before the match in the clubs bars, buy your pies and sweets in the ground, buy half time draw tickets, go to the club shop and buy some gear, take a friend to a match, sponsor a game or the ball, tell your kids that this is "their" club, be proud to wear the black and white, SUPPORT YOUR CLUB. Do not be a quitter, if history tells us anything Grimsby Town are a bit of a yoyo club, up and down, like a brides nighty! never a dull moment. BUT, we have made it into the top flight once (sadly before my time), we have been to Wembley, we can do it again!!!

The club needs money, we have no Sugar Daddy like some clubs so it is up to us to do what we can.

If you are wondering about my credentials, and if I put my money where my mouth is, I hope this helps inspire you.

I am a season ticket holder in the Lower Smiths and have been since the stand was built and before that. I attended my first match in the late 60's as a boy. I used to go with my father (also a season ticket holder) until ill health forced him to listen to games at home on Radio Humberside. I drink in the bar under the Smiths stand every home game. I buy a half time bonanza ticket every game. I buy food in the ground. I buy a replica shirt and other goodies from the club shop. My car is plastered with GTFC stickers and flags which has been vandalised as I live in Scum-thorpe (not through choice but work commitments). I buy a programme every game. I sacrificed my holiday this year to buy some of the shares. I attend every home game and arrange my holidays and life around the fixture list and go to as many away games as I can. I have a Grimsby Town pennant on display at my place of work in Brigg and I will not let anyone belittle MY club without a challenge. Sometimes this is hard but we are still the pride of Lincolnshire at this moment.

As was once said by a certain Winston Churchill "Let us go forward together" ( Thank God he wasn't a quitter)

I will be at Blundell Park tomorrow to see the Spireites meet their match..........Will you???

Grimsby till I die


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