What a Difference a Week Makes!

By: Dave Boylen
Date: 15/11/2006

WHAT a difference a week makes! The arrival of Alan Buckley at Blundell Park seems to have lifted everybody at the club. I know this usually happens when a new manager arrives at a club, players seem to react to the new face and for a few games the results improve.

But Alan Buckley is a different character, knows the club inside out, and is full of enthusiasm. By all accounts Alan was supposed to be observing the training sessions in his first week at the club, but it did not take long for him to join in with the sessions and immediately make a big impact with the players.

The cup game against Northampton was in my opinion a terrific result, especially with the lack of proven strikers available for the game through injuries. Young Danny North came in and played up front and was a little terrier, back to the Danny North I know who has got the ability to establish a place in the first team.

Alan Buckley's own words were: the lads ran their socks off, and when I spoke to him at the Tommy Smith charity evening I organised at the Jubilee on Monday night, Alan informed me that he was delighted to be back at Grimsby Town and he was really looking forward to the challenge. The change in Alan regarding public relations was there to see. Alan who I know from when I played against him at Walsall in the seventies was always a tricky and clever footballer, but kept himself to himself and was basically a shy person. I asked him if he would say a few words to the audience which consisted of a lot of Grimsby Town supporters, and he was only too pleased to do that. It went down very well and I can only thank chairman John Fenty along with fellow director Peter Furneaux for turning up with Alan.

A good number of the Town players were there also, which was nice to see, backing a good cause, and Alan sat with the lads and they seemed to already have a good spirit among themselves. It was also nice of Liverpool legend Tommy Smith to wish the very best to Alan Buckley and his players for the rest of the season.

So it's to Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday. We could do with a resounding victory to push us up the league. I personally feel that we can get a win and hopefully Gary Jones will be back from his suspension to boost the squad. Town then have the FA Cup replay against Northampton on Tuesday night, which will be Alan Buckley's first game in charge at Blundell Park since he was appointed manager at Grimsby Town.

I do feel the tide is turning for the faithful Mariner supporters, but a note of caution: let's not expect too much too soon of Alan Buckley. One thing I always expect from Buckley`s teams is effort, spirit, and the ability to play football on the ground. Welcome back Alan. I know from talking to him on Monday night that one thing he will certainly insist on is that the Mariners play the glorious game of football once again.

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