Location

Please excuse my probable ignorance, but all this talk in this forum about Grimsbys location and the inability of getting the players we want because of it, really confuses me.
Can someone please clear the following up for me?

Looking at a map of England, it seems to me that Hull isn`t very far from Grimsby. I have never travelled in that direction when I have been to England, so it is possibly much farther away than I think?
(I have travelled from Manchester to Grimsby, so I know that distance by train. When I came to Scunthorpe, it didn`t seem very far from Grimsby, and looking at the map it seems about the same distance away as Hull is from Grimsby. Now even if I closed my eyes in Scunthorpe, to avoid nightmares looking at all that terrible filth, madness and poverty, I don`t think i dozed off - so my recollection should be correct.)

Why is Hull a better location for attracting players as it seems to me that it`s about the same geographical distance away from everything as Grimsby? (Again, correct me if I`m wrong about Hulls location).

Is the location of Hull the reason why they always fall out of the Premier League? That would explain a lot.

Please help.

Yours, as always,

Geir

Nice to hear from you again, Geir. I think the reason Hull were attracting players was more to do with so much Premiership money rather than any geographical location. The players who went there had different reasons for going. Some wanted a last pay day like Ray Parlour or Jimmy Bullard while others used the club to put themselves in the shop window.

So no different to Grimsby then

Surely places like Hartlepool maybe even Carlisle are no better a location, or do they have to pay more to get players to go there.

Quoted from Cloudy

So no different to Grimsby then

Apart from the premiership money, no!

Players based in the Midlands, Nottingham for example, might be prepared for a 30 or even 45 minute commute to Mansfield or even Lincoln but not a 90-100 minute commute to Grimsby and they are unlikely to move their family for a one or even two year deal if they can get similar money within a shorter travel distance and their family is already settled.

Maybe the bad publicity the town has had i.e. benefits etc.

Someone once likened ourselves and barrow as football relatives. We are isolated on a perninsula where the nearest 'well to do' place is over an hours drive away (I think it was Nottingham) therefore finding it difficult to attract players. Only two roads can take you in and out, therefore leaving us with a sense of isolation

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Someone once likened ourselves and barrow as football relatives. We are isolated on a perninsula where the nearest 'well to do' place is over an hours drive away (I think it was Nottingham) therefore finding it difficult to attract players. Only two roads can take you in and out, therefore leaving us with a sense of isolation

Louth is only 13 minutes !!

Strangely, a lot of players who have donned the stripes have settled here, so it's probably down to perception of the town. We are at the end of the line and GY is not somewhere you just pass through.

I'm sure there are players that turn down other clubs for reasons of location and several other reasons. Nobody ever quotes the players that say they jumped at the chance to play for us, or that it was a "no brainer" to come here once the interest was known.

Spending 6 years in non league didn't help and i think it will take time to build things back up again. A promotion or two will certainly help in player recruitment, as it has Scunny, which isn't exactly a cosmopolitan town by any stretch. We've had a season back to get our feet under the table and after the turmoil of last season, we now have an experienced management duo in place and hopefully, we can build on last year. If we win a few games and rise toward the top of the table, all this talk will soon be forgotten, as is the way of it in football.

Thinking about some of the great teams and managers we have had in the past, none of us knew who the successful ones would be when they came in; either managers or players.

Location doesn't help, but it's about momentum too isn't it. And money.

Hull spent a load of money to get to where they are, so that certainly helps. Plus it is actually a fairly big city....you could say they were a bit of a sleeping 'giant' in that respect.

With regards to Hartlepool...well, we know what happened to them so I'd say we attracted better players than them last season.

Can anyone remember there was a player who didn't sign for us because they passed Lindsey Oil Refinery on the way into town, and they were the eco-friendly type. Struggling to remember who it was but I'm sure it happened...

When I came up to see the game against Wigan I brought my neighbour who had never been to the area,

We came in via Humberston Ave and the sea front, she was most impressed.

I left her and my wife to have fish + chips on the pier,

When we got back to Suffolk she said it was her the best day out in years,

If the club did a promotion video of the area it might surprise some players who might think its a dump.

Thinking about any job you'd want to consider your daily commute, and if you were on a fixed term contract (which footballers are) you'd be taking a risk to relocate. Lincoln is 45 minutes closer to the East Midlands cities of Derby and Nottingham, Scunny is about the same time closer to the South Yorks conurbation and even Leeds is not that much of a stretch. Hull is a sizeable city in its own right and is not that far by road to the West Yorks conurbation. Even York is much better located from that point of view.

1/2 hour to an hour is tolerable. 1 1/2 hours drive is a pain in the backside.

Quoted from grimsby pete

When I came up to see the game against Wigan I brought my neighbour who had never been to the area,

We came in via Humberston Ave and the sea front, she was most impressed.

I left her and my wife to have fish + chips on the pier,

When we got back to Suffolk she said it was her the best day out in years,

If the club did a promotion video of the area it might surprise some players who might think its a dump.

Not necessarily relevant though Pete. It's moving the family out of existing comfort zone or taking on a longer commute that's the issue. All of which might be for similar money on a relatively short term contract.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Not necessarily relevant though Pete. It's moving the family out of existing comfort zone or taking on a longer commute that's the issue. All of which might be for similar money on a relatively short term contract.

I know OC but just thought I would add we have some very nice area's to live,

The answer is imo is to get our youth set up right,

Then hopefully we can get 1 or 2  coming through to the 1st team each season,

We are more likely to get a young  player moving to the area wanting to prove himself ,

As someone previously said we have a lot of ex players still living in the area after they have retired so it can't be that bad can it ?  

Quoted from grimsby pete

I know OC but just thought I would add we have some very nice area's to live,

The answer is imo is to get our youth set up right,

Then hopefully we can get 1 or 2  coming through to the 1st team each season,

We are more likely to get a young  player moving to the area wanting to prove himself ,

As someone previously said we have a lot of ex players still living in the area after they have retired so it can't be that bad can it ?  

I don't think anyone is saying that. It's just a long way to commute or it's risky relocating.

If you're at the tail-end of your career it's probably a good place to be. I remember my sis telling me about a Norwich player saying just to her that back in the early 70s when she was in college there.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

1/2 hour to an hour is tolerable. 1 1/2 hours drive is a pain in the backside.

Are you Martin Butler by any chance ?!?  

Quoted from moosey_club

Louth is only 13 minutes !!

Grimsby to Louth in 13 minutes?!

Quoted from moosey_club

Are you Martin Butler by any chance ?!?  

Rumbled!  

Quoted from grimsby pete

When I came up to see the game against Wigan I brought my neighbour who had never been to the area,

We came in via Humberston Ave and the sea front, she was most impressed.

I left her and my wife to have fish + chips on the pier,

When we got back to Suffolk she said it was her the best day out in years,

If the club did a promotion video of the area it might surprise some players who might think its a dump.

You could of come in the A180 way and down the Grimsby Road and even showed her the delights of Freemo Street, , , but then she may not have been saying such nice words on returning to Suffolk eh Pete!?