The Fishy - Grimsby Town FC

Question of the Week

Who will go down?







Time to Fall!
Time to Fall!

Rodger Should Go Now

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 05/11/2006

GRAHAM Rodger is the worst manager in living memory for the vast majority of Grimsby Town's supporters and he should be sacked immediately.

Home > Features > 2006 Features > Rodger Should Go Now


Statistics show that, after 20 games, Rodger has made the fifth worse start of any Town manager and the four men below him all managed Town in higher divisions.

Not since 1976 when Johnny Newman managed the Mariners in the old Division Three have Town got off to a worse start. The outcome that season was that Grimsby got relegated to the basement division. Tom Johnston in 1962 got off to an even worse start in Division Two, but managed to turn things around sufficiently for the club to finish in 19th place and avoid demotion to Division Four.

Besides Newman and Johnston, only Allenby Chilton in the 50s (Div 3 North) and H N Hickson over a century ago (Division One) have got off to a worse start than Rodger in their managerial careers.

The full table can be seen below, and is based on the current system of 3 points for a win. Only Town managers who survived 20 games are shown.

ManagerYearPWDLFAPtsGD
Lawrie McMenemy197120124440274013
George Kerr19792010462722345
Bill Shankly1951209562720327
Tom Casey1975208752118313
Tim Ward1960208753226316
Ron Ashman1973207852017293
Bill Harvey1968208482424280
Frank Womack193220767313927-8
Mike Lyons198520839333627-3
Paul Groves2001206862422262
Brian Laws1994206682827241
Bobby Kennedy196920587182123-3
David Booth198220587303323-3
George Fraser192120659283023-2
Russell Slade200420659202123-1
Don McEvoy1967206410233022-7
Kenny Swain199620578313822-7
Alan Buckley1988206410243022-6
Charlie Spencer1937206410343522-1
Lennie Lawrence2000206311183121-13
Bobby Roberts1987206311222721-5
Billy Walsh1954205510234020-17
Wilf Gillow1924205510193120-12
Jimmy McGuigan1964202126263318-7
Graham Rodger2006204511173717-20
Allenby Chilton1955205213183717-19
H N Hickson1902203611264015-14
Johnny Newman1976203314153312-18
Tom Johnston1962203314274412-17

With Town not having their next league game for nearly two weeks, the timing is excellent to dismiss Rodger now and have a new manager installed in time for the next league fixture at Wycombe on 18th November.

Grimsby were relegated out of the Football League in 1910, only to bounce back the following year. If Rodger remains in charge Town could be faced with the same prospect after almost a century of continuous league football at Blundell Park, punctuated only by the two World Wars.

Should Graham Rodger be sacked? Who should replace him? Answers on the message board at : Message Board

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
Just Back 169ska face28/03 19:56
David Artell Interview Dn35 Podcast14HertsGTFC28/03 19:50
Prediction Thread Barrow A31kevikov28/03 19:38
New Training Ground.!!57Sigone28/03 19:38
Youth players out on loan21diehardmariner28/03 16:54
Dn35 podcast drinking game4moosey_club28/03 15:59
"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