First ever Town game?

Quoted from promotion plaice

I can't honestly remember who we played but it would have been a game in the late seventies.

Same here it was probably a cup match in the mid-sixties remembers standing with the old men in imperial ave corner also the Barrat stand but really started going regularly in the season of 68/9 old div4 Stuart Brace Matt Tees era.

I was about ten went with my dad that season then later with my best mate at school after my dad died in 72. The crowds were not massive you could walk around at halftime to the Osmond stand there was no segregation.


That old wooden Barret stand had holes in the bottom of it if you were a small kid you could sneak in for free lol. The downside was the river of pee that ran down the terracing when it was full despite the Open sewer for peeing in at the back it was just a wall lol.


I clearly remember stood next to Lincoln fans in the Osmond some friendly banter but nothing worse.

To be honest we were shat that season finishing below Scunny and Lincoln lol nothing changes. To be fair though I have seen some superb football at B.P. The McMenemy/George Kerr era and of course the Buckley years.

John McDermott testimonial against Leeds in 1996 as a 10 year old, I was more excited about seeing Ian Rush play for Leeds as I was a big Liverpool fan as a boy but quickly grew out of that after watching a few town games. I’m so glad I was converted to a town fan, I’ve seen some great games mixed in with all the dross. I couldn’t imagine being a plastic premiership fan

March 15 1958.

Mariners 1 Sheffield United 3. Stood in the corner terrace at the Pontoon end where it is now open space. It was the comeback game of Tommy Briggs. Not a great game. Hard pitch and bouncy ball.I had just turned 10. I thought I was really big having visited the metropolis of Grimsby! In the summer my primary school outing was to Grimsby and I have vivid memories of all the trawlers and seeing the fish being sold. We were invited to have a tour around HMS Zest, a naval frigate that was in port and then did the paddle boat trip out to Spurn Head. There were several large ships waiting for the tide to come up the Humber. Thought it was all brilliant. What changes there have been though in the intervening 60 years.

In October 1958 saw my second match a 2-2 draw against the might of Fulham FC. They were a big draw with many star names and this time I was in the John Smith's where the blokes pushed me to the front. I could touch the players when there was a throw in near me. They had Johnny Haynes, Bedford Jezzard, Tony Macedo and Jimmy Hill in their team and they played very cultured football, It was a pulsating game before 16,000 and the Mariners played really well. After this game I was hooked. I'll never forget that day as on the way home a car drove into the back of us somewhere near Louth. Luckily no-one was hurt and the damage to the Ford Prefect 10 (I think) was not bad enough to stop us getting back to Skegness. Black and white blood ever since.