Fenty Out

We have been so stagnant for such a long time and when you get to my age (59) I would be happy to take a risk on a new owner even if they don't meet Mr Fentys criteria.

Selfish...probably...but what have we got to lose before we return to the tinpot under Mr Fenty.

If we don’t get investment, or a new ground, both of which seem unlikely at present, then it’s just a matter of time before we become non league again. Depressing, but I can’t see any other outcome.

Going nowhere slowly.

I really can't understand how anyone can think ranking in the bottom 12 league places for a decade and then another half dozen out of the league all together is anything but completely unacceptable.

Ok we've had a smattering of bad periods over the last 80 years but this is sustained over almost two decades now.  We need a fresh start. Desperately.

Quoted from NorthseaMariner

If we don’t get investment, or a new ground, both of which seem unlikely at present, then it’s just a matter of time before we become non league again. Depressing, but I can’t see any other outcome.

They’ll be no major investment until a new ground deal is signed and the work started.

They’ll be no new ground until we get major investors..... and so on and so on.....

Whilst this perpetuating stagnation continues the trap door will always threaten especially when the clubs coming up have the financial muscle of the likes of Salford and a few others in that league that have more cash, unity and ambition than our current exec.

I've not posted on here for years but felt like echoing what other posters have said. I just get the feeling we'll end up sleepwalking our way back to oblivion as we don't seem to have learned anything from those last seasons before we ended up in the Conference or whatever it was called then.

I think it'll be difficult to make any progress until we have a new ground and I've always thought Freeman Street would be the best place. I'm not sure I'll ever see a new ground.

I think ST sales will be well down next season. I've pretty much had enough pain now myself. I can consider myself fortunate that my first season was 1979/80,having been hooked on my first game at home to Blackpool, and have seen some great Grimsby sides. To watch the ruin of this club over the last 15+ years is so saddening.

The fans have showed unbelievable patience by and large given that standards have been unacceptable for a long time now. I travel in from Donny for home games and since last year have had no family in Grimsby and keeping an eye out for them was my justification for renewing each year. I'll look at the fixtures for next season and what is happening at the club before considering renewal in the summer.

I lived in west London for many years and followed Brentford (and still do)when not going to Town games and I did plenty of them. They had problems with relocating and made sure they improved Griffin Park even when they had the go ahead to move. Blundell Park is just shabby and that's shameful.

Quoted from GrimRob

Football is played in far more places than it was in even the 70s and 80s. If you look back on quality papers in decades gone by it got a fraction of the coverage does today. Posh southerners used to turn their nose up at football now it's an establishment sport. You really are not comparing like with like if you are expecting town to emulate what they did in the past when they now have to compete with far more affluent towns and cities who (if they were even built) once spurned the game. And we have to compete with a ground built in the 19th century.

I sort of agree. Football used to be the working man’s sport and while clubs might have been owned by shareholders, most of the cash for transfers came from income. Crowds were gigantic and even if admission was low the cash generated atmost grounds in the top 2 leagues was substantial. A few clubs like Arsenal and Sunderland did have the extra a rich shareholder brings but even they needed the massive gates they got at Highbury and Roker Park. To me that is the biggest difference and the biggest factor now preventing clubs like Town getting back in the big time. Getting there means money, not necessarily huge money, see Huddersfield and Norwich, but still big money because attendances will never pay enough and TV money only happens for the successful. It needs more than Town will ever get from the current owner.

But if you get to the top what then? You have to keep paying out to stand still. Burnley, Brighton, Cardiff etc. Don’t appear to spend a lot but that is only compared to the top 6. There are no guarantees either, Fulham spent a fortune and see where they are. Clubs that did scrap their way to the Prem are not guaranteed a future. Look at Hull, Barnsley, Bradford, Portsmouth etc who have all done it and sunk back.

If there is an answer it is that there is no answer! There is no magic wand, just a happy combination of circumstances of which a rich backer is still on balance the most important.

https://twitter.com/GrimsbyTownPR/status/1117400477715587072

An eyewatering amount compared to the often quoted interest saved on the interest free director's loan..

Is it just me or are there double standards at play?

"I lent the club 2m so I'm entitled to get it back"

"The club was in my sole custodianship when it lost out on over 5m of income when it dropped out of the league but I'm not personally responsible for a single penny of it"

Old news I know, but still doesn't sit well with me..

Where does the 2 million figure even come from, I mean I thought the tax debt was like 750k?

Quoted from Swansea_Mariner

Where does the 2 million figure even come from, I mean I thought the tax debt was like 750k?

Some of the extra he leant covered losses built up after the tax debt.

£1.5m losses in the years 2010-16 inclusive.

There've been profits in following years but also £400k worth of directors' loans paid back.

Go figure.

Quoted from FishOutOfWater

I think I’m correct in saying the first time we dropped into the fourth tier was 1968 when we had four seasons there before Lawrie Mac got us up

Our next spell was from 77 to 79 when John Newman got promotion

The next was from 88 until 90 when under AB1 we were back going up

So there were 8 seasons only at this level until we dropped down again in 2004.

It means 10 seasons now at this level ( including 19-20  in with this ) plus of course the six out in the conference

This is definitely the lowest ebb in our history but all things must pass.....just hope I’ll see Town at a higher level again in one day in the years I’ve got left

UTM GTID

You're probably right, but it's just as likely to be a change for the worse.