50 years a Mariner - not much has changed!

Scunny at home was my first home game in January 1969 - we lost 1-0 and dropped into the bottom 4 yet the GTFC bug bit me and I've been black & white ever since. Out of curiosity, I've just looked at the Division 4 table from that day and 8 of the teams (including us) remain at that level whilst 9 are non-league and 7 higher.

Of course, the Youngs stand stands in place of the Barretts and the open corners are no longer used. The moaners moan just as they did then and new Mariners come & go. 1969 was just prior to the short reign of the great Lawrie McMenemy who won Div 4 with Donny that season then came to us and did a very similar job of re-connecting the club as Michael Jolley is trying to do now. We were a club that seemed to look downwards then as we have become used to in recent seasons but Lawrie Mac set us on a more aspirational path where we started to punch above our weight on & off for many years.

We've never been a rich club but we've always been a well supported club for our level. We now have a manager who seems to 'get' us and the prospect of a stadium that might drag our club into the 21st century. For the first time in many years, there are chinks of light at what has seemed to be a never-ending tunnel - will our future be a happy one? Let's hope so!

UTM

Wise words.  I've been following Grimsby since 1980 (I think)... seen a lot of dross, some great memories and a lot of "if only"

Supporting a team like Grimsby is never about glory, it is about shared suffering, I believe.  with occasional glimmers of hope that are then ground up underneath the boot-heel of fate.

I agree about the manager as well.

Its good to see we have a manager who is emotionally and intellectually more rounded than the more traditional football manager.

Working in a high pressure environment in banking, studying at Cambridge - these are things that provide a more socially acceptable set of soft skills that seem to be woefully lacking in some of the more immersed managers who seem to exist only in a football bubble.

Quoted from Yossarian

Wise words.  I've been following Grimsby since 1980 (I think)... seen a lot of dross, some great memories and a lot of "if only"

Supporting a team like Grimsby is never about glory, it is about shared suffering, I believe.  with occasional glimmers of hope that are then ground up underneath the boot-heel of fate

Working in a high pressure environment in banking, studying at Cambridge - these are things that provide a more socially acceptable set of soft skills that seem to be woefully lacking in some of the more immersed managers who seem to exist only in a football bubble.

I’ve said for years that the best managers are the ones that have had a life outside of football .
Most footballers or ex footballers shout and make a lot of Noise but have very little man management skills

Happy 50th OC. I'm 2 1/2 years behind you, starting in Lawrie Mac's first season. Though I can't say my love was as constant (I went AWOL late 70s just before we had our best spell!).

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Scunny at home was my first home game in January 1969 - we lost 1-0 and dropped into the bottom 4 yet the GTFC bug bit me and I've been black & white ever since. Out of curiosity, I've just looked at the Division 4 table from that day and 8 of the teams (including us) remain at that level whilst 9 are non-league and 7 higher.

Of course, the Youngs stand stands in place of the Barretts and the open corners are no longer used. The moaners moan just as they did then and new Mariners come & go. 1969 was just prior to the short reign of the great Lawrie McMenemy who won Div 4 with Donny that season then came to us and did a very similar job of re-connecting the club as Michael Jolley is trying to do now. We were a club that seemed to look downwards then as we have become used to in recent seasons but Lawrie Mac set us on a more aspirational path where we started to punch above our weight on & off for many years.

We've never been a rich club but we've always been a well supported club for our level. We now have a manager who seems to 'get' us and the prospect of a stadium that might drag our club into the 21st century. For the first time in many years, there are chinks of light at what has seemed to be a never-ending tunnel - will our future be a happy one? Let's hope so!

UTM

!966 for me and yes there has been a lot of changes, some good and some bad, in the meantime. Although not wanting to be provocative we have had a lot of " downs " prior to the present regime so JF is not the only one to blame  for past mediocrity!

Similar been watching since the likes of Matt Tees, Stuart Brace, Graham Rathbone, Stuart Gray, Jack Worthington etc wore the shirt.

Blundell Park will never sound as noisy but even with 8k in it can still sound great as proven last season when Jolley defied the odds and kept us up.

This season did not start well but gradually a new belief has come back and quell surprise this stems from hard work and young players brought in and coming through the ranks.

With the new players coming in from Sweden and further progress from the local academy and one or to choice signings the future does look promising even to this ole fart.

Just hope I live long enough to see us play higher and in a new stadium worthy of our long history.


                                                                                                 UTM.

1955 -?  1-0 home defeat to Tranmere    can still smell the liniment and brylcream

Quoted from golfer

1955 -?  1-0 home defeat to Tranmere    can still smell the liniment and brylcream

Still liniment now, not sure about the Brylcream.

For my age a very late starter following Town for me...1978.....great times.

Followed Hull as a kid as that's where I come from originally....

Quoted from promotion plaice

For my age a very late starter following Town for me...1978.....great times.

Followed Hull as a kid as that's where I come from originally....

There are many paths towards the true faith brother. It's a bit like the New Testament. In the Old you were either born one of the chosen people or not. In the New anyone could become one, with faith