WHO REALLY IS THE BEST GRIMSBY TOWN MANAGER EVER

It came to my mind recently.

Since we have gone out of the football League  I have thought that over the years we have had some good Managers. The question I would like to ask is this  who really was the best Manager at Grimsby Town, who actually stood out, so lets go through the candidates.

Bill Shankly

Well what can you say about Bill Shankly he went onto make a huge reputation at Huddersfield and  Liverpool FC.
This Grimsby legend made a statement to the press and public media after winning trophies galore at Liverpool when asked which was the best team he ever managed all expecting him to say one of his Liverpool great teams no he said Grimsby Town and the team that he put together at at Blundell Park

Alan Buckley

Well to me Alan wins it with miles in front of anybody at Blundell Park what he acheived was brilliant for Grimsby Town Football Club , not the most populer Manager but a guy who got results.


Laurie Mac

He was only here two years but what a mark he made in this Town I have to say I am bias because I was part of the set up at the time they were great days and Laurie was truly a peoples man, and to this day is still well respected indeed

Jimmy Mc Guigan

Lots of you people wil not know this guy at all, but he knew  football inside out put together a truly wonderful football side in the late sixties discovered Matt Tees, Brian Hill,Graham Taylor etc. a guy who has a young player admired enormously.

John Newman.

Now this guy who inherited all the young players like, Tony Ford, Kevin Drinkell, Terry Donovan, Joe Waters, he coached them into the proper manner that young lads should be, and in my eyes left the club to early to go to has an assistant Manager at Derby County  and did not reap the benefits that he deserved personally

George Kerr

Well what can I say about this guy very outspoken Scots man took Grimsby Town to six points away from going into the old English first division, asked the directors when Town were chasing to go up for money to clinch a player to support the final challenge got refused and offered his own money to get that final imput.
What a guy

If you have got any names to put in please do for all reasons this club has not died it has got two many memories.
OLDFOOTBALLER

Some great managers there Dave but Buckley got us playing some of the best football i have seen anywhere,so he gets my vote.

AB for me. How good was it when hoofballers came to BP to bully us off the park only for the, to be outfought, out thought and outfootballed. Also edges it over others through his longevity and repeat success and never having being relegated as a manager. Shanks, Lawrie Mac and Kerr are all stars, but they are just shaded as GTFC managers by AB, even if two of them achieved plenty away from BP.

Sir Alan.

Buckley produced the best footballing Town team I have seen.

Lawrie Mac captured the imagination of the Grimsby public better than anyone in my lifetime.

Kerr had a very good team but, at times, I got the impression it was about him. Perhaps unfair but it was the impression I got at the time.

Laws for all his detractors took AB's team forward for a very short time then buggered it up for himself

I would really love for Woods to be spoken of in the same breath of the aforementioned in 5/6 years time!

No Nicky Law or Graham Rodger?

buckley mk1 and mk2

No contest, Alan Buckley was the best manager Town ever had. Even Mark 3, he produced more than his predecessor and successors and if we had stuck with him, I would have expected to be in League 1 by now. McMenemy was inspirational but the best football and the best players were mostly Buckley's. Newman, Kerr and Booth were all competent but lucky to inherit some superb young players. Lyons, Roberts, Law, Rodger and Newell were just crap. Laws was good but made a huge mistake with one player. Slade was good but made a huge mistake over one game. Groves is the interesting one. In different times, I think he may have been a great manager for Town.

Newell

Well folks I'll just pick two not on the list, reason simple they took Town into the 1st div (premiership to you young uns) and two FA cup semi-finals non have done it since, non have come even close. Charlie Spencer and Frank Womack.

In my life time, Lawrie Mac for sheer enthusiasm and inspiration.

AB (mk 1 & 2) for football

Chilton for 55/56

And George Adams Macdonald Kerr for just being George.