Dear Fishies

I’m not sure this thread is a great look on anyone, in particular the OP, however I’ll resist the urge to snipe and instead pose a few genuine questions about the events which led to our relegation into non-league for a second time. It should not be forgotten that despite the positivity in the immediate term, the club is currently in a position from which it may not recover for a long time, or even ever.

Whilst the general picture seems clear to most, there remain a number of big, unanswered questions around the specifics of what happened over the course of the last two years. Here goes.

1. What was the financial mechanic used to attract Ian Holloway, a financially comfortable TV pundit, to this struggling then League Two club after two months without a manager?

2. What do you feel was behind the complete shift in demeanour and apparent effort level of Holloway following the the Covid hiatus? Did the pandemic harm the possibility of some future financial gain for him (and others involved with running the club)?

3. How long had the possibility of investment from Alex May been on the table? Was this known about at the time of Holloway’s appointment, or was it intended to reignite plans scuppered by Covid?

4. What were your intentions for Alex May’s investment in the club, and at what point did you become aware of his litany of serious convictions?

5. Why did the board allow a manager who had apparently lost all interest in managing the team, to handle the preparations to last season so disastrously and with so little due diligence - having just one friendly (against lowly non-league opposition) and signing almost exclusively unproven youngsters and ageing players on their way down?

That is all.

800,000 in the bank yet you would not give a 30 goal a season striker £100 pay rise and allowed him to walk for nothing. Says it all to me you was more interested in seeing the piles of notes build then using OUR hard earned cash on giving us a product to be proud of

Donate to Grimsby causes with your own money if you like. That would be a good thing to do.

But return the £200k to the Trust. That money was intended to help the club when Parker put it in, and it would still be very helpful.

Quoted from Bigdog

Absolutely deluded. Seek help or just turn up, watch games and give your trap a rest. We've heard all your desperate attempts to find success in abject failure for a long and gruelling 20 years. Haven't posted much on here since you left as there's been very little to moan or worry about, unlike the club under your tenure.

Just bought my ticket for Maidenhead, looking forward to it. I suggest you do the same. Just look forward and write off a failure. Good at fish, shite at football. Try to be self-deprecating, it may help. And in your vain attempt at trying to claim a positive legacy at GTFC, let me lay it out for you..

2002–03      First Division 24th of 24 Relegated      
2003–04      Second Division 21st of 24 Relegated
2004–05      League Two 18th of 24
2005–06      League Two 4th of 24 Lost in the play-off final.
2006–07      League Two 15th of 24      
2007–08      League Two 16th of 24      
2008–09      League Two 22nd of 24 Relegated but not relegated
2009–10      League Two 23rd of 24 Relegated to Non League
2010–11      Non League
2011–12      Non League
2012–13      Non League
2013–14      Non League
2014–15      Non League
2015–16      Non League
2016–17      League Two 14th of 24
2017–18      League Two 18th of 24      
2018–19      League Two 17th of 24
2019- 20      League Two 15th of 24
2020-21       League Two 24th of 24 Relegated to Non League.. again!!
2021-22       Non League


See you at Maidenhead?

I don’t know how he dare post on here or attend matches. Just look at this disgraceful period out club has endured. Pure hell under his watch, the worst owner we have ever had. Been a torrid 17 years, relegating us to non league was appalling, do do it twice us absolutely unforgivable. And we all know we could have gone another 3/4 times.

This is not a small club, we are showing that now after some wonderful leadership. We are on the up, we all know this league (thanks John), and we’ll need to get behind the boys.

The only time I will defend him is yes he has always responded to my few emails. Let’s not let him bring us down on here (done that already), stay positive and let’s use that energy to get behind our club.

Dignified silence!!!!! Now there's an idea John

Your good fraudulent friend Alex May or whatever he's called this week was in talks with you and probably very close to sticking £1m of his money into the club. A real fan wouldn't contemplate getting into business with such a man but you went further and abused your council position, introducing him to your friends in high places.

You are very lucky that somebody tipped off the media about Alex and got a nice picture of him entering our ground when fans couldn't attend. Had that dodgy deal gone ahead with the club and/or council, it could have been a slippery slope to prison for you.

You keep swerving important questions. Why isn't the £200k being given back to the Trust, Mike Parker or deducted from your repayment? £200k profit for 18 years of failure stinks. Just remember that is classed as a capital gain so you need to pay tax on it. I know you and your businesses forget sometimes.

Finally, you are not welcome at Blundell Park and if you aren't going to answer reasonable questions, such as why the football club won't be getting that £200k then take yourself off this forum and don't bother coming back.

Quoted from LH

Loads of balls

Misshapen ones at that.

It is classic narcissist stuff highlighted by the suggestion he is responsible for the good happening now whilst taking no responsibility for the utter excrement that occurred when he was running the club. 92 out of 92 last season? Just unlucky. Improvements being made across the club since the day he left. All down to John those.

Quoted from aldi_01

That would be me, Poojah, Forza and a couple of others I believe…

Only a narcissist would have taken over the club in the way he did. Then he discovered that running a football club wasn’t quite as easy as being a fish merchant. Then we all had to suffer.

Hi John it's really unfortunate that your political career is in now in the toilet, entirely as a result of your own actions. So sad you won't be able to coast into Vickers safe seat when he finally packs it in xoxo