My earliest memories are living in Barcroft St and the floodlights would light up my bedroom.
I was football mad as a kid (still am tbh). I had a Town shirt in the mid 70's and pestered my mum and dad for ages to let me go to BP. Due to hooliganism they were reluctant.
Neither my mum or dad were from the area so they had no affinity to the club. My dad was a Trawlerman and it was this that brought him to Grimsby in the 60's. He was from Fleetwood and was a Blackpool fan (and Fleetwood). In fact i saw Blackpool and Fleetwood play before i ever set foot in BP. My dad passed away some years ago but i still like Blackpool and Fleetwood and watch them now and again. (sure to get some negs i know)
Anyway they finally gave in and my dad took me to my first Town game in the mid 70's. It was after the club had been relegated to divison 4. Young players were being introduced to the team like Fordy, Kev Moooe, Drinks and the club were shortly to embark on a golden period. They were good to watch and i loved it.
After that first game around '77 my dad took me to every home game over the next 3 or 4 years until i started going with my mates. We first stood in the Imperial Corner but i soon persauded my dad to go the back of the Pontoon.
I suppose the fact Town were pretty good helped get me hooked and for my dad to go along. My mum was Irish so i immediately had an affinity with Joe Waters (my all time favourite player) and Terry Donovan whose family we knew.
Barely missed a home game until the mid 80's.Had a Season Ticket. But the Mickey Lyons and later Bobby Roberts era tested my resolve im afraid. It wasnt much fun to watch and by then i had left school , started work and had some ££ of my own. I bought a Manchester City season ticket and had one for the next decade on the Kippax. Started watching City away as well so while i still continued to watch Town (home and away) it became less regular and was really dependent on who/where City were playing.
What changed was when all seater stadiums came in the early mid 90's. The price of my City season ticket shot up when they demolished the old terracing on the Kippax and built a new all seater stand. I used to stand halfway up the Kippax on the halfway line.....right were the most expensive seats would be.
As my trips to Manchester lessened I started watching Town more again. Became a Season Ticket holder at BP again in the late 90's and have become so again since we dropped out of the league and rarely miss any home games now. I still watch City occasionally but now it depends on who/where Town are playing. Town are now my number 1.
As more ££ enters the greed is king premier league the more detached i feel from it. I cant relate to players on quarter of a million pounds a week. I still want City to do well but it probably isnt as important to me as it was say 20-25 years ago. Grimsby Town is real football to me and i am desperate we get back into the Football League as soon as possible and move forward.
Born in Grimsby, lived down Carr Lane until I was 18. Could see the Blundell Park floodlights from my bedroom window. Not into any of that glory supporting rubbish so Town are the only team for me (even though I live and work in Sheffield now)
For me, and I'm sure for most others, I support Grimsby Town because they are my home town team.
I was actually born in Cleethorpes (Croft Baker Maternity Home) but have never lived in Cleethorpes.
For the first 18 months of my life we lived on Newhaven Terrace but we then moved with my Dad's job to Cardiff and then a year later we moved to Leicester, again due to my Dad's job. Sadly my Dad was diagnosed with leukemia and died when I was 3 and a half, so Mum moved the family back to Grimsby where I have lived ever since.
I have noticed though that there seems to be quite a few people who live away from the area. Most of these will have moved away from Grimsby at some time during their lives but I know there are some Town fans who have never actually lived in Grimsby.
So, why do you support/follow The Mighty Mariners?
I was born at 181 Newhaven Terrace in 1948, Les! My parents are both from Grimsby and started going to watch town in the Autumn of 1965. I can't remember my first game but I can remember the home League Cup game against West Ham and beating Hull City at BP. It's my home town's team and I can't imagine ever watching or being interested in any other team.
The Future is Black & White. "The commonest thing on this planet is not water , as some people believe, but stupidity ". Frank Zappa
Grew up watching Buckley as a super striker and manager at Fellows Park Walsall from 1974.
Moved to Skegness in 1978. Still supported Walsall although attending matches was difficult.
When Buckley came to Grimsby we came to watch his new team and fell in love with the club. Loved the Buckley style of pure football. Also loved that he signed ex Saddlers player including Gary Childs, Richard O'Kelly and Craig Shakespeare.
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