Michael Boulding

Not often mentioned in the list of best players to play for Town but I just thought he was class.

At BP Tomorrow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVVcADzI9PI

Quick mick!

Always enjoyed watching him

Great balance, great pace but what a finisher. Superb.

Some cracking goals in there. More headers than i remember him scoring too.

Also funny to see the Burnley game where Gazza played at BP and there's a shot showing everyone wearing the red Conoco Stadium caps.

Probably a bit overlooked because of how he left us for Barnsley, at the time it stuck in the throat a little bit.

It was Aston Villa he left us for wasn't it? Although he did have a few spells with us if i remember rightly..

Loved Quick Mick. Maybe it'\s because i was younger and didn't read up on club news as much and it was pre social media, but it really felt like he came out of nowhere, no one had really heard of him, and in that first season he just seemed to hit the ground running as soon as he was given the chance.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Probably a bit overlooked because of how he left us for Barnsley, at the time it stuck in the throat a little bit.

Them bringing him on at 5-1 down 2 weeks after he left was pretty funny though.

Quoted from sam gy

It was Aston Villa he left us for wasn't it? Although he did have a few spells with us if i remember rightly..

Loved Quick Mick. Maybe it'\s because i was younger and didn't read up on club news as much and it was pre social media, but it really felt like he came out of nowhere, no one had really heard of him, and in that first season he just seemed to hit the ground running as soon as he was given the chance.

He didn't turn pro until his early 20's because he was also an excellent tennis player, and played part time until deciding on a football career. Probably why he was not that well known.

Left for Barnsley at the end of his second spell.  Town were getting dragged into a relegation scrap, despite hopes of a promotion push.  Just felt like bad timing when it happened and rumours that he had initiated the move.  How much truth was in that I don't know, probably important to remember that this was under a regime that had no hesitation in continually slamming Phil Jevons for not taking a pay-cut and then forcing him out in the cold until he did.  I remember reading something since that was along the lines of Boulding himself saying he only stayed because Paul Groves was here, as soon as he was sacked he wanted to leave.  He did, however, regret the decision to leave.

Boulding's goals were all that we had at the point he left, we were otherwise a very poor side.  Our only other brief hope came in the form of Alan Pouton if he could stay fit.  He was sold to Gillingham in the same week I think.  

Boulding's first spell he was on trial with us for ages having left Mansfield where he didn't exactly rip trees.  Lennie Lawrence loved bringing someone in on trial and eventually gave Boulding a short-term deal.  Mainly he was used on the left wing when he first came, the same position he usually adopted at Mansfield.  It was only towards the end of that season, with Groves now in charge, that Boulding got a sustained run up front and as a regular starter.  He and Bradley Allen became the preferred starting two and they just clicked.  Allen's know-how and intelligence was perfect for the raw yet pacy Boulding and survival was achieved.  

When he came back, initially on loan and then on a permanent deal, from Aston Villa he was a different player.  More clinical and efficient but lacked a yard of pace he had previously, in my eyes anyway.  Started really well but soon tailed off in a very poor side that went down with a bit of a whimper in the end.

Next season in what is now League One he was deadly in the early stages.  He'd get one chance a game and he'd score it.  The shame was the rest of the side was disjointed and could neither provide him more chances or keep clean sheets.  By the time he left for a second time, he looked a player beat by the atmosphere and gloom around the place.

He came back with Barnsley soon after his transfer, not surprisingly he got an absolute hammering from the crowd.

Loved him, he was ace.

I remembering him scoring for Bradford against us  at BP and didn't celebrate the goal, so he clearly had some respect and affection for the club, hope he gets a good ovation tomorrow.

I interviewed Boulding after he left us the first time (he'd also left Villa and was on loan at Sheff Utd I think).

He spoke very highly of Grimsby Town and obviously appreciated that it was us that gave him his big chance after he left Mansfield. Given that he came into the professional game relatively late, he was keen to move on up as fast as he could, hence why he left for Villa when the opportunity arose.

He also said that he intended to return if things never worked out for him at the highest level - which they didn't. True to his word, he came back and stuck plenty away before he was sold to Barnsley.

He also spoke highly of Paul Wilkinson. He brought his game on leaps and bounds in that first season with us, which got him that move to Villa.

Boulding's a really nice bloke. Very down to earth, very honest - and pretty quiet, for a footballer.

What a fantastic few minutes watch!  We played some great football back then and Bouldings pace was electric, and boy, could he finish!  So, who was the manager at that time, old age shortens my memory?

Lots of good memories! Whats he doing with himself nowadays?

Quoted from Tommy

Some cracking goals in there. More headers than i remember him scoring too.

Also funny to see the Burnley game where Gazza played at BP and there's a shot showing everyone wearing the red Conoco Stadium caps.

That made me smile as well.

By the way, where are we with the Conoco Stadium?

Looking back on some of those finishes. I believe he was GTFC’s answer to Thierry Henry! 😄

Quoted from 123614

What a fantastic few minutes watch!  We played some great football back then and Bouldings pace was electric, and boy, could he finish!  So, who was the manager at that time, old age shortens my memory?

Groves (and he scored 4 goals under Lawrence)

Very exciting player on his day.

Quoted from arryarryarry

That made me smile as well.

By the way, where are we with the Conoco Stadium?

Slightly further on than we are with Peaks Parkway.

Quick Mick was ace. Tennis pun intended.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Slightly further on than we are with Peaks Parkway.

Quick Mick was ace. Tennis pun intended.

I did it first (check back), so ner ner......

Quoted from chaos33

I did it first (check back), so ner ner......

Alright I'll go with, did you know Quick Mick used to play tennis professional, but he gave that racket up.

Great times watching Boulding back in the day his pace and one touch finishing was awesome to watch week in week out against top opposition no one could really judge him leaving for villa that season he was class for us his goals basically kept us up also true to his word he came back to us not so long after !! let’s hope he gets a warm welcome at bp today and hopefully spur us on for another 3 points UTM

I don’t remember a Boulding initiating his move to Barnsley. I seem to recall we were absolutely skint at the time, shortly after the ITV Digital disaster, and we cashed in on Micky and Alan Pouton in very quick succession.

That, for me, was a suicidal move and remains a seminal moment in our history. Who knows how different things might have been had we not been relegated that season?

Yep, I seem to recall that was the case as well. Didn't Pouton continue to come and watch us on occasion for a while afterwards when he wasn't playing? Transferred when he didn't really want to leave.

Quoted from Poojah

I don’t remember a Boulding initiating his move to Barnsley. I seem to recall we were absolutely skint at the time, shortly after the ITV Digital disaster, and we cashed in on Micky and Alan Pouton in very quick succession.

That, for me, was a suicidal move and remains a seminal moment in our history. Who knows how different things might have been had we not been relegated that season?

That's about my take on it. It almost hurts to watch those old clips, great players slowly exiting the stage one by one, dropping and dropping down the tables, and boardroom antics/ITV Digital and other happenings all pulling the rug from under a bewildered set of fans who just wanted to watch their team succeed.

Bittersweet memories in there. Thoughts of what could have been which we need to let go now, I'm hopeful and desperate at the same time for this current setup to do the business.
I do think I have my belief back though.

I'd almost forgotten just how decent he was for us.

Another thing of note is the number of goals he scored by hitting the ball first time instead of trying to control it first before getting a shot off.

Quoted from Maringer

Yep, I seem to recall that was the case as well. Didn't Pouton continue to come and watch us on occasion for a while afterwards when he wasn't playing? Transferred when he didn't really want to leave.

Yeah I remember seeing him at the 6-0 v Oldham. Always thought that was a strange sale: he was on good money but had less than 6 months left on his deal anyway (money that was probably spunked away by Nicky Law).

Very exciting player to watch, shame he couldn't have stuck around for longer as the board continued to sell the club's best players and watch us drop down the leagues. I guess at least we were a few years too early to be saddled with his not very good younger brother. They came as a package deal for a while lol, it was like when you want that one kid who is really good to play football on your side but his mum insists he can only play if you all let his kid brother play too. Apparently he can't even hold a first team place down in Scottish sides in his prime when we've had some of our conference players be first team regulars for Scottish clubs.

Quoted from Kris2

Very exciting player to watch, shame he couldn't have stuck around for longer as the board continued to sell the club's best players and watch us drop down the leagues. I guess at least we were a few years too early to be saddled with his not very good younger brother. They came as a package deal for a while lol, it was like when you want that one kid who is really good to play football on your side but his mum insists he can only play if you all let his kid brother play too. Apparently he can't even hold a first team place down in Scottish sides in his prime when we've had some of our conference players be first team regulars for Scottish clubs.

bogof

Quoted from Les Brechin

I'd almost forgotten just how decent he was for us.

Another thing of note is the number of goals he scored by hitting the ball first time instead of trying to control it first before getting a shot off.

I can't remember where, but I'm sure I've seen some stats to say that a majority of goals are scored with one-touch finishes. Can't remember percentages, but more than any alternatives anyway.

When Everton signed Nikita (sp?) Jelavic a few years back I remember he scored something like his first 14 goals for them with a one-touch/first-time finish.

Michael Boulding came back for Craig Disleys benefit match I believe

Thought Boulding was class, not many caught him when he was in full flow and some great finishes as well, pity he wasn't with us for that long. Pouton was a great player for us as well, not sure he'd get away with his tackles nowadays, think he did watch us after he left, he was at Wembley for one of our games because i had a good chat to him. Not sure if he married or went out with a Grimsby girl. Wonder what he's up to now.