The Match : Revisited

Quoted from promotion plaice

Now showing on Channel 8 ( Estuary ).

Liverpool v Grimsby

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Try their YouTube channel FOOW. Some of their progs on there.

Quoted from Les Brechin

What a flipping night that was.

The memories will live with me forever.

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Gutted can't get it down this way

Quoted from promotion plaice

Channel 8 estuary just started Town v Exeter

Quoted Text

I’ve been lucky enough to see some brilliant games in my 40 odd years supporting The Mariners. Beating Everton at Goodison Park 1-0 in the League Cup in 1984 when Everton were the team of the moment. The 2-1 win at Middlesborough when they were in the top half of Division One and we were in the bottom half of Division Four, Jim Dobbins last minute screamer at Newcastle, the 2 Wembley wins in 1998 and of course Phil Jevons unforgettable last minute extra-time winner at Anfield and many others too, but one of my favourite ever Mariners game was the last game of the 1990/91 3rd Division season 11th May 1991 at home to Exeter City.

The previous season we had been promoted from Division 4 as runners-up. Exeter City had won the title that year and the other 2 teams to come up were Southend United and Cambridge United. Both Southend and Cambridge had already clinched back-to-back promotions so we went into the game knowing that a win would not only clinch us that coveted 3rd place but also complete a unique feat of 3 teams being promoted together in successive seasons.

Bolton were level on points with us but we have a far superior goal difference so we knew that we had to match or better Bolton's result. I stood in the Pontoon back then so got into the ground a lot earlier than usual as a near full house was expected (even though someone 6ft 5 would invariably come and stand in front of you just before kick-off). Anyway by the time the game kicked of I think there was around 17000 packed into the ground and The Pontoon was full to the rafters.

Town kicked off towards the Pontoon End and it was a tense start to the game and every time the ball came remotely near the goal the crowd would surge forward in anticipation of a shot at goal. I think it was about 15 minutes into the game when we were awarded a free kick just outside the area. I can't remember who took the kick but I can just remember the ball coming to John Cockerill in the area looking yards offside in front of The Pontoon. Surely the flag would go up but no flag came and Cockers duly smashed the ball home to send the ground wild. (TV coverage later proved that Cockers was indeed ONside when the ball was played) The Pontoon went absolutely mental and I ended up several yards away from where I was originally stood hugging and celebrating with fellow Mariners fans who were total strangers. This was often the case when Town scored back then and it took a few minutes to get back to where you were originally stood. Not long after Cockers added a second forcing the ball home from close range and the entire process was repeated again. So half-time came and a comfortable 2-0 lead held.

Exeter who had former Mariner Gordon Hobson and Mariner-to-be Murray Jones playing for them that day seemed a beaten team as they trudged off at half-time. Surely it was only a matter of how many we would score in the second half but it was another name that would go on to have a Mariners connection, Mark Cooper (later linked with The Mariners managerial vacancy) who set the Town fans nerves jangling when he fired home an unstoppable shot from 30 yards 10 minutes into the 2nd half. Both teams had further chances during the game but the moment I will never forget game about 5 minutes from time. Exeter were awarded a corner and their tall centre-half Shaun Taylor had come forward. He met the corner perfectly with his head and it seemed all ends up that the ball was going in. This is where time seemed to stand still. News had already come through that Bolton were winning so an equaliser for them would be heartbreak for every Mariners fan in the ground. The whole event must only have taken a couple of seconds but the entire ground held it's breath as the ball  headed towards the top corner of the net in what seemed like slow-motion. Somehow though it seemed that the ball changed course and it thudded against the post before being cleared to safety. I still reckon to this day that the ball was going in but The Pontoon collectively managed to blow the ball and inch or so onto the post.

News had come through that Bolton had won and we still had a few minutes left so if Exeter were to equalise then it would be Bolton going up and we would be left to negotiate the play-offs, but thankfully we held out with no more major incidents. I remember that the crowd began climbing over the fence of The Pontoon and as the game entered stoppage time there were several hundred people already on the side of the pitch waiting for the referees final whistle. The whistle finally game and within a matter of seconds the pitch was covered in a mass of black and white as fans poured onto the pitch to celebrate successive promotions.

It was an amazing achievement by Alan Buckley who had taken over from Bobby Roberts and turned around a struggling club who had just been relegated to the bottom tier of the Football League with only a handful of players on the books into a double promotion-winning team who were now back in the 2nd tier of English football in only his 3rd season in charge.

Quoted from Les Brechin

That was the subject of "My Favourite Game" in the recent book that Town released. I've copied and pasted it below if anyone who didn't get the book fancied a read.