New Shirt Sponsors!

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 27/04/2004

GRIMSBY Town Football Club have today confirmed that Young's Bluecrest has taken over the role as major sponsor of the Mariners.

The sponsorship is for two years and a new Town shirt made by Nike will feature the Young's Bluecrest logo

Copyright GTFC

Tony Hamilton looked into the history of Young's Bluecrest and how it developed from two companies to becoming Grimsby's top employer with 3,000 jobs spread over the 3 three sites in Grimsby.

The story starts down Ladysmith Road in Grimsby in the early 80's when Frank Flear built a multi purpose factory there, then over the next few years when Mr Flear sold his share to Fitch Lovell the Bluecrest brand became well known around the UK, and then in July 1999 when LGV (Legal and General Ventures) merged Bluecrest with United Biscuits to form the company Youngs Bluecrest.

The present company was bought by its present management in tandem with a venture capital group in 2002 for £137 million. The company at present is run by Wynne Griffiths with Mike Parker being his deputy at its main office at Ross House, which was previously Ross Groups head office and Bluecrest uses the Ross name in its products portfolio.

Head Office

Young's Bluecrest is the largest processor of frozen, chilled and fresh seafood in the UK with a turnover of approximately £320 million and has numerous brands and factories around the UK.

During the ownership of Bluecrest by Fitch Lovell, it bought the factory in Humberstone Road that Findus had owned up to it's mothballing. In recent months Youngs Bluecrest announced that it would be spending £15 million on its Grimsby sites to upgrade them. With this announcement being made it will bring back memories for Grimsby Town FC director John Elsom who started his career with Ross group when it was formed in the early 1950's.

In the early 80's Frank Flear bought the shirt sponsorship for a measly £5000 when the Club was crying out for a name on its shirts.

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