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Epitaph

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TheRonRaffertyFanClub
October 24, 2016, 10:37am
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Here lies the Grimsby Town career of Paul Hurst.

It began so promisingly as the quiet half of a successful duo in secretive negotiation and ended in virtual silence in secretive negotiation. Perhaps that is significant. The career seemed to have a motto of "keep your heart off your sleeve and your cards close to your chest". The celebration of promotion at Wembley 2016 could not disguise the feeling that waves to the fans had a suspicion of a prominent middle finger about them. Professionalism has been respected but personality has not been taken to supporters' hearts.

On the field, the teams have reflected caution, defensive with fleeting glimpses of what lay underneath and could have been released as flowing and adventurous football. Talented players have been signed, have looked good and then been submerged into a "defend or be dropped" philosophy. Squads of players who were better than most were made to look average through selections and timid tactics. Average opposition was treated as talented and afforded undue respect instead of being turned over with arrogance. Observers noticed that the career was developing a stubborn streak.

Supporters gave their all. £110k of their all in fact, to help the career achieve its ambition. Exciting signings were made, and after 4 seasons a squad was assembled that was capable of beating any conference side. Lo and behold those signings who had been scoring goals galore found themselves with haemorrhoids on the bench watching a loanee charge around like a headless chicken and with as much chance of nodding in a corner.

Eventually good fortune smiled when the key tactic of this part of the career was denied to the team through injury and an alternative to the 50 yard diagonal hoof to the left touchline had to be found. A penalty at the right time also gave the career  a timely boost and it was open top bus time.

A new season, a promotion, a new squad and the career's future looked assured. Good football from decent players and then ...... the career takes a backward step once more because goals were conceded. The career reverts to type. The only way to stop goals being conceded was to stop scoring them and so stop upsetting the opposition. Away games were brilliantly supported and odd goals with clean sheets kept the faithful happy. But home games that were eagerly anticipated again degenerated into a hopeful and mournful 90 minutes of players seemingly held back by some invisible leash in the dugout.

The career was in turmoil. What to do? Where to turn? The favoured option of Rotherham was obviously going to be denied but the portents for staying were not good at BP. Then along came Saint Shrewsbury with her magic wand of promises. The career might be buried at Grimsby but it was to be resurrected in Shropshire. Happy endings all round.


“If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.”
― John Stuart Mill, On Liberty."
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97
October 24, 2016, 10:40am
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V good.


And may his career rest in pieces.
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MarinerMal
October 24, 2016, 10:42am
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Spot on!
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WOZOFGRIMSBY
October 24, 2016, 10:43am

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I thought this was the new ground sponsor


He’s one of our loans
He’s one of our loans
Harvey Cartwright
He’s one of our loans
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Mariners_15
October 24, 2016, 10:44am
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Really good piece that, enjoyed reading and think it just about sums up the last 5 1/2 years. Solid but nothing spectacular.
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PPMariner
October 24, 2016, 10:46am

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Good work, RRFC


"Associate yourself with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation; for 'tis better to be alone than in bad company."
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chaos33
October 24, 2016, 10:52am
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Very good


"You should do what you love while you can"
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Maringer
October 24, 2016, 11:08am
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He's done a decent job. Would have gotten us promoted a year earlier (when we had a better team, IMO) but for refereeing incompetence and perhaps didn't make quite enough of a fist of things in the seasons before that though the injuries to Hearn were a big problem for a couple of them.

However, the Conference is undoubtedly the most difficult division to get promoted out of, especially with so many new moneybags owners of relative minnows chucking money around haphazardly, so he ultimately did a decent job with us.

Personally, never bothered me too much when he had the odd dig at some of the fans - in my view, when you give plenty of stick, it's a bit hypocritical to complain if some comes back your way.

Oh well, onwards and upwards (hopefully!).
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LH
October 24, 2016, 11:19am

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It's so typical of PH's tenure to leave in a manner where he's upset the fanbase - typical too of GTFC to balls up the PR. Hoping the next appointment isn't typical of the current regime!
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97
October 24, 2016, 11:34am
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Quoted from LH
Hoping the next appointment isn't typical of the current regime!



Oh christ, this x 1,000,000.

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