Grimsby Town: Captains from years 1878–2018

John Welsh captain 18/19?

Dave Worthington the Captain in this Brentford vs Grimsby Town (25 March 1972) match from the 1971–72 season, mentions it on 2:15 seconds in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tPMK1Cuvhk

Jack Bestall, Captain in this FA Cup game - Grimsby Town 1–1 Wolverhampton (att 31,651) , 20 Feb 1937 according to this >> https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/32000-packed-blundell-park-grimsby-730730

Quoted Text

Bestall captained Grimsby to the 1933–34 Second Division title and back into the First Division after two seasons in the Second. This helped Bestall to earn his only England cap aged 34 years, 226 days against Northern Ireland on 6 February 1935. He is the sixth oldest player to make his England debut and was the first Grimsby player to be capped by England.

Source >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Bestall

87-88 was Don O'riordan I believe but not 100 per cent certain

88-89 Tom Williams was captain but was injured in the first week or two I think and didn't play again, not sure who took his place.

Quoted from grimsby pete

male private Connor was captain in the 50's

You was right!

Quoted Text

Following on from his full set of appearances in the 1958–9 relegation season, Keith Jobling was made captain for the first year in Division 3, taking over from male private Conner. It was a position he retained until 1964.

Found an archived source from Grimsby Towns old website that closed down from 2009 >> https://web.archive.org/web/20.....0417~1073423,00.html

Oh my goodness !

There's only Jack Hardy and Sid Wheelhouse that I
didn't see play at Blundell Park

Joe Waters 81-82 and 82-83 Too, If my memory serves me right

Quoted from Caveman

Oh my goodness !

There's only Jack Hardy and Sid Wheelhouse that I
didn't see play at Blundell Park

Just going through 1878 through to the 1930s now.  First Captain in the 1878–79 season appears to be a Charles Horn who was goalkeeper.

I doubt I'll find a lot as not all Captains/Skippers are listed in this book, I only just started reading it yesterday. I'm posting links next to the years on the front page, some videos, some archive press pics etc with the clues etc.

EDIT:  Now found a link with the info on the Grimsby Town website from googling his name lol.

Quoted from Grimsby Town F.C. official website | Posted: 5 February 2018

The Life And Times Of GTFC Kits - Part 2

Town's first goalkeeper and Captain was a schoolteacher by the name of Charles Horn. If any one person can be named as the actual founder of the club, then it is he, because he first introduced the team of cricketers to a football (or what passed for such) several weeks before the idea of a football club had been suggested. He was in goal for that first game against Brigg and Britannia. Later he became a director of the club, and outside of football a Headteacher and local JP.

Source >> https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2018/february/the-life-and-timers-of-gtfc-kits---2/

I've found quite a few additions to your list by searching the British Newspaper Archive... some interesting snippets here too!


3/3/1882 Lincolnshire Chronicle: "Grimsby Town: Horn ( captain )..."

19/11/1886 Lincolnshire Chronicle: "Grimsby Town: G. Atkinson ( captain ), goal;"

11/1/1897 Hull Daily Mail: "Some unpleasant episodes occurred in the Lincoln v Grimsby Town match on Saturday. See to-morrow's Mail for special interview with Lindsay, the Grimsby Town captain"

8/2/1908 Cricket and Football Field: "Fletcher, the Grimsby Town captain and outside right, has been playing football..."

18/10/1929 Yorkshire Evening Post: "The Football Association have upheld the action the referee. Mr. A. Josephs, in  ordering W. Powell, the Grimsby Town captain, from the field during the Liverpool-Grimsby match"

5/9/1931 Star Green'un: "Through injury, Priestley, the Grimsby Town captain, was out of the game between the Town and Newcastle at Blundell Park this afternoon."

27/3/1934 Hull Daily Mail: "C. Horn Captain and goalkeeper of Grimsby Town for the first four years the club's existence, Councillor Charleb Horn, J.P., died Scarthoe, Grimsby, yesterday, his 80th year."

13/5/1935 Lincolnshire Echo: "Sleaford Carre's Grammar School had the privilege yesterday afternoon of receiving football coaching from Jackie Bestall, the Grimsby Town captain and international inside right"

29/8/1939 Sheffield Daily Telegraph: "it was found that Alec Hall, the Grimsby Town captain and right half-back, broke a toe in Saturday’s match at Old Trafford"

6/5/1948 Hull Daily Mail: "I wish to register protest against the behaviour of a large section of the crowd. The booing which greeted the chairman of the ERCFA when about to hand the trophy to Tommy Blenkinsop, Grimsby Town's captain..."

2/2/1954 Daily Mirror: "BILL BROWN. Grimsby Town captain and right back, who has been placed on the transfer list "

2/9/1957 Lancashire Evening Post: "Bill Brown, the Grimsby Town captain and right back, will miss the visit to Cardiff on Wednesday because of a groin injury." [Presumably we failed to get rid of him when he was on the transfer list in 54!]


There are a few other mentions of "former Grimsby Town captains" which gives you names but no specific dates:

25/8/28 Hull Daily Mail: "Jimmy Carmichael the old Grimsby Town captain judged the tug o' war"

28/4/32 Leeds Mercury: "C. Wrack, the former Grimsby Town captain and centre-half"

16/11/31 Leeds Mercury: "Trotter often found Wrack in the way, but the old Grimsby Town captain was not a vigorous intervener, and his mission was more the direction of looking after his own forwards."

Wow, thats great work mike502, I'll add them in a min.

Quoted from mike502

16/11/31 Leeds Mercury: "Trotter often found Wrack in the way, but the old Grimsby Town captain was not a vigorous intervener, and his mission was more the direction of looking after his own forwards."

This one interests me abit, Darren Wracks dad Tony was also a footballer I think for Louth United, I wonder if this is Darrens grandfather?  It would coincide with the age ranges as Tony is 70ish. I'll have to ask the family h'mm.