Next season

Having read all the threads on here over the last few weeks it seems there are a lot of fans STH’s and fans who pay on the gate who are vowing not to renew season tickets or go again while John Fenty is at the club. I wonder how many fans are just saying this out of anger at our current predicament or really mean what they are saying.

If we go down or just manage to scrape through and remain in league 2 would you boycott buying a season ticket and keep away until changes at the top are made?

Be interesting to hear what fans really think about this because our playing budget for 2018/2019 could be massively affected by this.

If we go down there will be somewhat of an exodus, as we experienced last time and people will be angry.

However, the summer is a long time and a great healer. A world Cup will get people thinking about football again and the potential of a successful promotion campaign from the National League. I may be completely off here but I don't see attendances dropping considerably whatever the outcome.

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

If we go down there will be somewhat of an exodus, as we experienced last time and people will be angry.

However, the summer is a long time and a great healer. A world Cup will get people thinking about football again and the potential of a successful promotion campaign from the National League. I may be completely off here but I don't see attendances dropping considerably whatever the outcome.

I think you, like the club, are significantly underestimating the feelings. It will be nothing like 2010 imo, the reaction will be far worse.

Only time will tell

This struggle this season is so unnecessary
And to soon after the play off win
That is what everyone is so so angry about

You're probably right Cloudy. I just hope that we don't cut our nose off to spite our face that's all.

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

You're probably right Cloudy. I just hope that we don't cut our nose off to spite our face that's all.

Too late, my glasses keep falling off

As it stands I won't be renewing and a lot of people I speak to are the same.

There will naturally be those who renew despite saying they will boycott but I think the numbers will be greatly reduced.  If we avoid relegation that will give a mini-boost but relegation will kill the fan-base off.  

Cloudy is right, 2010 was completely different.  It was almost a feeling that we didn't belong there, despite the fact we had flirted with it for a few years.  The feelings towards the board are far stronger 8 years on and the blame is right at their feet.  Added to that the absolute disdain they treat the fans with.  

If we go down I'll be surprised if we sell anywhere close to 1000 season tickets.

Something has to be done- it's that simple. It's gone beyond p1ss poor football now and the antics of the board over the last year have shown how much contempt there is for the fans. As hard as it may be to stay away, it's even harder watching the club being strangled in this way. The only power the supporters have, is to remove their support.

I find it very difficult to get enthused at any game watching Town after following them for more than 50 years.  I have to drag myself to games this season.This is what a lot of other people are also saying right now. It is complete mis- management that we find ourselves in this position. If we go down then I really fear for the club. However, whatever the outcome this season - Fenty and his not so merry men out!. We need our club back

The problem is, this season, everybody see the issues around October/November time.

Slade didn't go until middle of February.

Even tho we was close to the play-offs late last year, we was still terrible, and things got worse, and Fenty allowed it to happen.

The position we are in now was so avoidable it's ridiculous, thats the issue

I'm not a season ticket holder as I often have to work on Saturday's But I go quite a bit -
For me it's simple and this is what I recommend for Season Ticket Holders.

If we go down it's boycott time to force Fenty out the club.

If we stay up then it's wait and see. If Fenty sticks his hand in his pocket and we build a decent side then fair enough but the message has to be "you've got speculate to accumulate"

I am a season ticket holder and it's not about the level of football for me. I was a STH all the way through our drop from the championship and throughout the conference years. I don't mind if we are shite, i still want to attend becuase Grimsby Town are my team and i don't like it when I am not at games.

I live out of Town, having a ST is a tie to my home town and I see my aging Grandparents regularly because i am often in Town for the football. I have often used that as an excuse to renew previously.

This time is a bit different, i am desperately upset with the way the club is run, i felt particulary insulted over the checkatrade bullying issue, board views on Operation Promotion and the general disregard for fan feelings. I have long been critical of the board and continued to attend. I am not sure i can do that any more. I will not be giving up going because I cant be arsed or I am not being entertained or we get relegated, If that was the case I'd have given up years ago and it will break my heart not to be at Blundell Park when we are playing.

If i decide not to go it will be because I feel attending only justifies John Fenty and the board's position in control of the club. It's a long way to the start of the season and it's a decsion I will struggle to make, I am just fed up of having the urine taking out of me by the board.

I would like to see them publically accept responsibitly for the mess, commit to writing loans off and leaving the club debt free whatever division we are in. I can't imagine this will happen, i think we will lose a 1000 STH's and the club will continue dying a slow death.

Nothing will change for me, I will still buy gtfc products and tell everyone I'm from Grimsby a day support Grimsby. Doubt I'll go to many if any games next year because I'm coming back out of retirement to play myself  

There is a lot of angst about at present. . Clearly if we go down the demand for ST's will decrease. People can choose whether or not to go to games but boycotting will only hurt our club and is unlikely to influence what Fenty does. As always in football if the team are winning then fans will turn out. In fact the support for at team that has not won for 20 games has been exceptional given the poor quality of football at times and they will turn out for these final few games to support the team in the hope we stay up.

If this board is a cross section of the fan base then for every 1 fan who says they’ll renew I think 9 are saying they won’t and the difference this time is that it really appears they’re serious . If that happens then we’ll be down to about 300 ST holders .

Everyone I’ve spoke to to uses the same phrase ...

Total Mismanagement from the Top ....

The only way to get rid of Fenty is a boycott now I’m afraid .

To much BS JF you’re times up start packing your bags mate

It’s Jolley I feel for next season unless we stay up, if we do we may average 3000/3500 for home games but this will go up if we recruit wisely and have a solid start to next season.

If we drop the fan base will be gone, regular attendances of 2000 will be normal, this will impact on the playing budget massively. It’s time for JF to invest properly.

I struggled to accept going down in 2010 and it was the end of the world but for some reason this year I don’t feel the same. It’s just normal for us to be shite.

It’s just all a bit male masturbation isn’t it.

I think stating the problems were clear in October/November is a bit premature, given how we were doing on the pitch. Bear in mind we were only just outside the play-offs in December, unimpressive as some of the performances had been. If Osborne had returned from injury, stayed and played, Jones remained and one or two better players signed in January, I think we'd have been pretty comfortably mid-table at this point.

This doesn't mean that the off-field antics at the fans forum and the poor communications/PR from the board wouldn't have remained an issue, but we weren't that badly set for what would have been an average season.

The real idiocy occurred in January, when Fenty managed to remove most of the goal threat and creativity from our team in an attempt to do nothing more than save money!

This (alongside the fans forum shenanigans) has brought everything to a head and I don't think many will forgive Fenty for these stupidly self-destructive actions.

As an apology for what has been a truly awful season, the first thing that should be done is a vast reduction in season ticket prices for season ticket renewals (and maybe offer the same reduced price for friends of season ticket holders).
Loyalty has NEVER been rewarded under the current regime. I think this is the perfect opportunity to start reversing that.

Yeah good luck with that ^^^^^

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

If we go down there will be somewhat of an exodus, as we experienced last time and people will be angry.

However, the summer is a long time and a great healer. A world Cup will get people thinking about football again and the potential of a successful promotion campaign from the National League. I may be completely off here but I don't see attendances dropping considerably whatever the outcome.

I think you are being very very optimistic there.

The fan base will collapse if we go down again, and even if we stay up it will need far reaching reforms (Fenty gone or genuine re investment in the club)  and it will probably be the beginning of the end.

There is no appetite to really get behind the club, even in this hour of need because Fenty is toxic to the clubs fortunes.

Quoted from Youngy

As an apology for what has been a truly awful season, the first thing that should be done is a vast reduction in season ticket prices for season ticket renewals (and maybe offer the same reduced price for friends of season ticket holders).
Loyalty has NEVER been rewarded under the current regime. I think this is the perfect opportunity to start reversing that.

Aren't tickets due to go up this summer?

Quoted from oldun

There is a lot of angst about at present. . Clearly if we go down the demand for ST's will decrease. People can choose whether or not to go to games but boycotting will only hurt our club and is unlikely to influence what Fenty does. As always in football if the team are winning then fans will turn out. In fact the support for at team that has not won for 20 games has been exceptional given the poor quality of football at times and they will turn out for these final few games to support the team in the hope we stay up.

Wrong. We've had Bax state that the board genuinely believe that the fact people are still supporting the club means they're supporting the regime. A huge drop in STH's and attendances will show them in no uncertain terms that they're not supported.

Yes it will hurt the club but it will hurt Fenty more. The less fans we have, the worse our budget, the less chance of getting some "football fortune" and so the less likely he is to get his money back Which is all he cares about, if he cared about the club he'd have fucked off years ago.

Jason Gilchrist

Club record signing from FC United Of Manchester.

Gilchrist signed for FC United following his release from Premier League side Burnley. The 22 year old has scored 29 goals in 62 appearances for FC United including 15 goals in 19 appearances this season, making him the National League North’s third highest scorer when he joined The Sandgrounders. Started off in sensational style grabbing a debut goal in the FA Trophy and became the first ever Southport player in our history to score a hat-trick on his league debut for the club.


talking of next season - wonder if our parachute payment might be used on this fella - ex Burnley under23 and awesome scoring record at Conference North level. just the sort of bloke to spearhead our non league promotion/consolidation campaign

Quoted from Cloudy

I think you, like the club, are significantly underestimating the feelings. It will be nothing like 2010 imo, the reaction will be far worse.

Only time will tell

Spot on IMHO last time the fans voted with their hearts and put it down to bad luck.The penny has dropped now it isn`t bad luck that`s put us in this mess AGAIN it`s John Fenty and his board and their awful decision making.The knock on effect is most fans have now realised whilst we carry on with the Osterich mentality we will keep being fodder in whatever league we play.The vast majority of fans find this unacceptable when a team like Accrington on a far smaller budget can compete at the top vs Luton,Lincoln,Notts with far greater crowds.This is not a one off if you cast your minds back to the non league days even Braintree finished above us in the League.

Quoted from forza ivano

Jason Gilchrist

Club record signing from FC United Of Manchester.

Gilchrist signed for FC United following his release from Premier League side Burnley. The 22 year old has scored 29 goals in 62 appearances for FC United including 15 goals in 19 appearances this season, making him the National League North’s third highest scorer when he joined The Sandgrounders. Started off in sensational style grabbing a debut goal in the FA Trophy and became the first ever Southport player in our history to score a hat-trick on his league debut for the club.


talking of next season - wonder if our parachute payment might be used on this fella - ex Burnley under23 and awesome scoring record at Conference North level. just the sort of bloke to spearhead our non league promotion/consolidation campaign

That CV of clubs looks like he favours the North West. ...plus he scores goals so will be sought after...which means a fee......which means no in reality as the fans wont be rushing to buy the price increased ST's following a season of utter sh!te and mistrust at the top.

We can of course boycott the home games BUT travel away in huge numbers to make the point hit home all the more.We need change massive change regardless of League and it must start from the top.A clean sweep and rebuild.

Quoted from Maringer

I think stating the problems were clear in October/November is a bit premature, given how we were doing on the pitch. Bear in mind we were only just outside the play-offs in December, unimpressive as some of the performances had been. If Osborne had returned from injury, stayed and played, Jones remained and one or two better players signed in January, I think we'd have been pretty comfortably mid-table at this point.

This doesn't mean that the off-field antics at the fans forum and the poor communications/PR from the board wouldn't have remained an issue, but we weren't that badly set for what would have been an average season.

The real idiocy occurred in January, when Fenty managed to remove most of the goal threat and creativity from our team in an attempt to do nothing more than save money!

This (alongside the fans forum shenanigans) has brought everything to a head and I don't think many will forgive Fenty for these stupidly self-destructive actions.

For some, the warning signs were there looking at the make up of our squad in August and the performances by the team in the early part of the season weren't fooling many people. There was a lot of vain hope rather than expectation. The die was cast well before the Fans Forum and being flatteringly within touching distance of the play offs..

But you're right, hanging onto Slade and the January transfer window exacerbated the situation..

I've always thought that the board haven't got a clue about the game of football so never expected much expertise there, but the way our fans have been talked to, shouted at and treated this season is more unforgivable.

Bragate, vile, bullies, SLO, Matt Dean, snooker table interviews, Powerpoint presentations, ten round straighteners, shut up, endless sanctimonious statements, undermining the Trust at every opportunity, slagging off OP, inner circle wind up merchants on here, Extreme Twitter rants, punishing fans for security cokk ups, telling fans to f off and secret recording revelations are all not the actions of a football club board that's in control or possesses an ounce of an idea in what is required to run a successful lower league club. Out of ideas, out of cash, out of any real support within a rapidly shrinking fanbase, and the fantasy land new stadium, so blame everyone else.. It's an extremely long charge sheet and all in less than one season. We are a basket case..

It really feels like it's time for a wholesale change whether we stay up or not..

I can see both sides of the argument about Fenty,

Stay away and force him out looks like most on here are saying,

I have trouble with this because I do not think Fenty cares if you go or don't,

Or he will do is reduce the managers budget so success will be a lot harder to achieve,

My theory is he hates to be criticised ( I did say this on another thread )

So just keep the pressure on him until he cracks,

If you post on here Twitter Facebook ect and write to the telegraph he will soon have enough of the aggro,

He has come under a lot of criticism lately and he has gone to ground being silent for ages now,

This was after he said he will not hide or cower,

Grimsby Town is in our blood and we can not just walk away from it because its for life,

I have been supporting our club and it is our club not Fenty's before he was born so I will not stop now,

Granted I have not been to many games this season because of bad knees but next season I will attend  my usual 3 or 4 home games and about 5 or 6 away,

I am not telling anybody to either go and pay your money or stay away that is your choice,

Just remember the less money going into the club the less money Jolley if he is still here will have to attract decent players.

I do know if we go non league again if Jolley can not get a good team together and we bounce straight back,

We will be down for a lot longer than 6 years this time,

So  I ask is that what you want ? I know it isn't so just criticise  all the time until he says " I have had enough goodbye "

It’s quite simple for me, if we go down this season, I won’t be attending until plans are in place for Fenty to leave the club. If by some chance we do stay up, i’ll go but i want assurances that Fenty has plans to leave the club. Like someone else said I don’t like the contempt the board seemingly treats the fans and if the only way to force change is to stay away, then so be it.

I’ve actually bought tickets for Saturday as i feel it could very well be the last time i see town play in the league for a long, long, time. It’s just been so unavoidable this season , that’s the bit that annoys me the most.

In L2 100% I will be in for a season ticket. In the national league no chance but will not desert  will go based on results, with 2 young kids will I spend £18 to watch Gateshead in the rain ........ with the memory of Arnold’s Wembley goal so fresh No chance but I will be back in a heart beat when it is not so pitiful and pathetic as it is shameful and to be honest I want no association with all of the negativity utm

For me, if we go down, I won't renew. Not because of Fenty, because I don't know if I will want to watch us in the National League on a regular basis again. I plan to pick and choose some games but my fear is that I will get out of the habit and find other things to do on a Saturday.

If we stay up, I will renew as we all start at zero points and with a player clear out, some new signings and a pre-season behind him, I think Jolley has the potential to be a decent manager.

Quoted from horsforthmariner

.

If we go down it's boycott time to force Fenty out the club.

He might JUST walk away and the club will fold!

That's the risk.

If we go down I won't be renewing my season ticket.....I'll just cherry pick my games and if we start doing well I will attend more often.

Alternatively if we stay up I will hold off buying a season ticket until the very last minute to see how much JF has backed MJ in the transfer market.
Make some decent signings and I will renew my season ticket.
If it's the usual everything on the cheap, no season ticket for me.....again I'll just cherry pick my games and if we start doing well I will attend more often.

Oh.....and the sooner GTFC can find an alternative to JF the better.

Quoted from mariner91

Wrong. We've had Bax state that the board genuinely believe that the fact people are still supporting the club means they're supporting the regime. A huge drop in STH's and attendances will show them in no uncertain terms that they're not supported.

Yes it will hurt the club but it will hurt Fenty more. The less fans we have, the worse our budget, the less chance of getting some "football fortune" and so the less likely he is to get his money back Which is all he cares about, if he cared about the club he'd have fucked off years ago.

I find the bit in bold quite shocking along with the ''Operation Promotion' is the worst thing to happen to the club quote. That smacks of taking the fans for granted and mocks the unity that OP created.

Quoted from promotion plaice

If we go down I won't be renewing my season ticket.....I'll just cherry pick my games and if we start doing well I will attend more often.

Alternatively if we stay up I will hold off buying a season ticket until the very last minute to see how much JF has backed MJ in the transfer market.
Make some decent signings and I will renew my season ticket.
If it's the usual everything on the cheap, no season ticket for me.....again I'll just cherry pick my games and if we start doing well I will attend more often.

Oh.....and the sooner GTFC can find an alternative to JF the better.

This.

Quoted from malkamalka

He might JUST walk away and the club will fold!

That's the risk.

I think many of us have held that view for many seasons which may have added to JF feeling he is irreplaceable at board level.

Having read the posts from Big Chris, Bax and Barra I am now persuaded that alternatives are out there and all that is needed is for JF to write off his benign loans. If he stays and we go down I know our four season tickets will not be renewed and I feel JF will either be faced with a significant cash input or walking away, his recent anonymity plus his “Fentygate” quote of wanting out make me believe he may step down but given he no longer puts cash in why should it fold?

Same here not going to renew x2 if we go down.

I’m resigned to the drop to be honest so...

I think they’ll be a bigger impact on gates this time and I also think if MJ doesn’t replace Wilco with someone who knows that league and has a network of pros at that level we could find it really tough going.

Something needs to give otherwise we’ll start the season as a club with our heads down which could lead to further disaster!

What I hope is we start winning a good few games at BP and score a few then get to the first round of the cup and get a local team from league 1 at home. People might just get interested again.

I would also be concerned that last time we where down there we had massive issues breaking sides down especially at BP, MJ will need a fix on this from day 1.

Quoted from malkamalka

He might JUST walk away and the club will fold!

That's the risk.

Why will the club fold???

As has been pointed out numerous times over the past months JF hasn't put any money into the club for years.

We are more than sustainable at this level with the gates that we get.

Fenty Out.

Quoted from Quagmire

Why will the club fold???

As has been pointed out numerous times over the past months JF hasn't put any money into the club for years.

We are more than sustainable at this level with the gates that we get.

Fenty Out.

I'd expect the fans to rally round if that did happen, boost season ticket sales, meet a call to buy as much merchandise etc as possible, the odd share purchase etc.
I united fan base aligned to the clubs plan could stil be a force

Quoted from malkamalka

He might JUST walk away and the club will fold!

That's the risk.

I think you would find the complete opposite. I know many who won't set foot in BP whilst the current regime is in place. Whilst John Fenty is a GTFC fan, there are thousands more out there, many who have become disaffected by the current malaise.

It's time GTFC returned to being a fans' club - not a fan's club.

Quoted from promotion plaice

If we go down I won't be renewing my season ticket.....I'll just cherry pick my games and if we start doing well I will attend more often.

Alternatively if we stay up I will hold off buying a season ticket until the very last minute to see how much JF has backed MJ in the transfer market.
Make some decent signings and I will renew my season ticket.
If it's the usual everything on the cheap, no season ticket for me.....again I'll just cherry pick my games and if we start doing well I will attend more often.

Oh.....and the sooner GTFC can find an alternative to JF the better.

That us the best comment I have heard,

Rather than just stay away let Fenty put some money in the managers budget to give Jolley a decent chance of promotion,

Then if the majority stay away because of  his penny pinching he can only blame himself,

He wont though.

My X2 season tickets have not been renewed now for the last two seasons. I saw this coming ages ago and said that whilst Fenty and his merry men are in charge of the club they will not get another penny out of me, and they haven't.
Not been to one game home or away for two seasons now, and yes , it's bloody hard but I will stick to my guns.
As soon as he goes I will be back, so here's hoping....

Quoted from malkamalka

He might JUST walk away and the club will fold!

That's the risk.

You've obviously not been paying attention to all the comments about the club's accounts in recent years.

The only risk that would occur is if he demanded his money back. He would be the man who killed Grimsby Town Football Club after 140 years of existence. I don't think he would want that as his legacy.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Spot on IMHO last time the fans voted with their hearts and put it down to bad luck.The penny has dropped now it isn`t bad luck that`s put us in this mess AGAIN it`s John Fenty and his board and their awful decision making.The knock on effect is most fans have now realised whilst we carry on with the Osterich mentality we will keep being fodder in whatever league we play.The vast majority of fans find this unacceptable when a team like Accrington on a far smaller budget can compete at the top vs Luton,Lincoln,Notts with far greater crowds.This is not a one off if you cast your minds back to the non league days even Braintree finished above us in the League.

To misquote the Importance of Being Earnest, 'To lose one Football League place is unfortunate. To lose two looks like carelessness.'

Quoted from KingstonMariner

To misquote the Importance of Being Earnest, 'To lose one Football League place is unfortunate. To lose two looks like carelessness.'

Oscar Wilde on The Fishy - well, sort of!  

and three? (but for points deductions of ther teams)

Quoted from toontown

and three? (but for points deductions of ther teams)

Yes this is often overlooked. His tenure has been so bad that a season that would have resulted in relegation other than one where points deductions for other clubs saved us, doesn't seem to register.

And he had the temerity to be allowed to be carried off the pitch as some sort of saviour!

Effectively 3 relegations (assuming the worst happens which it will) from the football league only interrupted by 6 years in non league and you wonder why the fans have had enough. It is depressing and so unnecessary for a club of our size and fan base. Shocking, and somebody somewhere must move against him and bring his ludicrous tenure to end.

No season ticket for me regardless what league we are in, I will again pick and choose matches. Might even subscribe to Ifollow to watch full re-run of the games if I need to.

If we stay up season ticket sales will be around 1500, if we go down they will be around 1000

If the price increase is applied then it could be sub 1000 regardless what league we are in.

Fenty and rest of the board will have a great shock when they see that season ticket sales have dropped dramatically.

Of course it's important to remember that anyone who doesn't renew their season ticket will be doing so because of the bullying that is rife within the fan base...

Quoted from Davec

No season ticket for me regardless what league we are in, I will again pick and choose matches. Might even subscribe to Ifollow to watch full re-run of the games if I need to.

If we stay up season ticket sales will be around 1500, if we go down they will be around 1000

If the price increase is applied then it could be sub 1000 regardless what league we are in.

Fenty and rest of the board will have a great shock when they see that season ticket sales have dropped dramatically.

Yet even at this stage if we retain League status he could head off all this aggro with a change of tact and a proper fit for purpose 5 year plan.

Quoted from Davec

No season ticket for me regardless what league we are in, I will again pick and choose matches. Might even subscribe to Ifollow to watch full re-run of the games if I need to.

If we stay up season ticket sales will be around 1500, if we go down they will be around 1000

If the price increase is applied then it could be sub 1000 regardless what league we are in.

Fenty and rest of the board will have a great shock when they see that season ticket sales have dropped dramatically.

No full re-runs of the matches only extended highlights of about 10 minutes long.

I don’t get to many home games anyway but won’t set foot in BP again till fenty has gone . I try to make up for the lack of ticket money by spending online in the club shop on kits for the kids , jackets for work , god sons birthday presents  etc etc . No more I’m afraid and the ifollow is getting cancelled.

Kills me to do it as gtfc is my life and has been for 30 years but enough is enough.

As soon as a new board is in place I’ll be back .

Take note fenty I’m not the only one .