Chris Nicholl

RIP 😢

Feck…talk about the curse of the ex Grimsby centre-back. Seems like we are constantly writing our own little obituaries at the moment. Probably the most important contributor to our highest post war league position and Northern Ireland’s best World Cup performance. RIP

Bloody Hell 😔

Fantastic, committed player. Rip😞

Wonderful player for us RIP

Famous for scoring all 4 goals in a 2-2 draw!

Another sad piece of news. Top quality for us. RIP.

Great player loved him when I was a kid and a huge part in our best post War finish.Think he also starred in our 0-1 win vs Everton at Goodison.RIP

He was our best in the last 60 years of football at GTFC
RIP

Thats sad news  one of our greatest that i can remember well RIP

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Great player loved him when I was a kid and a huge part in our best post War finish.Think he also starred in our 0-1 win vs Everton at Goodison.RIP

Him and Kev Moore were the centre half’s both superb

What would we give to have him now quality and as saints manager gave letissier and shearer there first starts.

So sad to see him fade away like he did, he was absolute quality when we got him, and an international on the big stage in Spain '82.

Rip Chris, a pleasure to watch you play.

Proper centre half with a nose that showed his bravery.

RIP.

What a centre half , players like him don't come along too often .Top man .R.I.P.

RIP Chris.  

Finest hour (and a half) in a Town shirt was at Goodison Park that rainy night in November 1984.

I can clearly remember him kicking the ball off the line about the only time Batchy was beaten.

We are now beginning to realise how blessed we were to watch Town sides with players of his calibre.

RIP Chris.

Played 79 times for us.

Quoted from Les Brechin

RIP Chris.  

Finest hour (and a half) in a Town shirt was at Goodison Park that rainy night in November 1984.

I can clearly remember him kicking the ball off the line about the only time Batchy was beaten.

I was there. What a magnificent defender and what a performance that night.

And what a difference he made from relegation contenders in 1982-83 to promotion possibles the following year. How blessed were we?

RIP Chris

[quote=618]RIP Chris.  

Finest hour (and a half) in a Town shirt was at Goodison Park that rainy night in November 1984.

I can clearly remember him kicking the ball off the line about the only time Batchy was beaten.
That was one of the most one sided tranversities  of justice I have ever witnessed.
We were battered for 90 minutes - before Wilkinson scored that one.
Kept very quiet in the main stand full of scousers when we scored. UTM

Sad that the club haven’t put anything out yet.

RIP Chris. Not only a great player for us but Asst. Manager as well. I believe he suffered from dementia so it looks as if this disease has captured another footballer.

One of the best players I ever saw play for Town, quality, absolute quality.

RIP

Quoted from davmariner

Sad that the club haven’t put anything out yet.

(To be fair, breaking news on a Sunday, maybe wait to see if the club put something out today, Monday.)

Chris Nicholl was a key member of the side when I was mascot in 84.
Kevin Moore rejoined him at Southampton which, together with me having grandparents down there made them my top tier side as a kid! There were a few grimsby links around then: hobson, Cockerill etc.

I remember Chris being one of the tallest players I'd ever seen, though that may be due to me being v.small.  Part of probably the greatest era of N.Ireland International football too.

Quality player, sad loss. RIP.

Great player for us.

His kids came to our primary schools. He smashed the dad’s race. So much so he kept going straight to the car park as he’d split his trousers!

RIP

Quoted from Grimsby Is Not In Yorkshire

Great player for us.

His kids came to our primary schools. He smashed the dad’s race. So much so he kept going straight to the car park as he’d split his trousers!

RIP

Oh for the days when players moved to live in the area…

I am rather surprised that over 24 hours after the news first broke, that there's been no mention of all of this on the OS.

Top man always liked him even before he came to town.

Commanded our defence with Kev Moore .

RIP. Chris

Quoted from Les Brechin

I am rather surprised that over 24 hours after the news first broke, that there's been no mention of all of this on the OS.

Yes, saddening really especially when you think about everything he gave us. Genuinely not having a pop at the club over this for the sake of it but I think it’s the least the club could do and he deserves better.

Great player for us, gave it everything in every game I ever saw him play and read the game wonderfully. RIP Chris.

On Tuesday night a few moon ago Chris Nicholl was a guest of Grimsby Town.
I parked in my usual spot down Ward Street the end near Sidney Park. This smarty dressed guy got out of a jag and asked him if I would assist him to tie up his shoe lace for him, which I did, it was Chis Nicholl.
He asked if I was going to the match (I think my Town top gave it away) and could he walk with me to the ground. as we walked we talked about that night at Goodison which I was fortunate enough to be at, he said that his memory was failing a bit now, but he never been involved in another game like that since that night, the fans were amazing.
I arranged to meet up with him after the game, because his memory was not so good he sometimes struggled to remember where he had parked car, so after the game I walked him back to his car, I did enquire if he was ok getting home, its ok I have a sat nav.
I remember nothing about the game that night expect Chris Nicholl Grimsby Town legend asked me to tie up his lace for him.
That night will stay with me forever, hopefully.

RIP Chris a true gentlemen and a great football legend.

Quoted from The Yard Dog

On Tuesday night a few moon ago Chris Nicholl was a guest of Grimsby Town.
I parked in my usual spot down Ward Street the end near Sidney Park. This smarty dressed guy got out of a jag and asked him if I would assist him to tie up his shoe lace for him, which I did, it was Chis Nicholl.
He asked if I was going to the match (I think my Town top gave it away) and could he walk with me to the ground. as we walked we talked about that night at Goodison which I was fortunate enough to be at, he said that his memory was failing a bit now, but he never been involved in another game like that since that night, the fans were amazing.
I arranged to meet up with him after the game, because his memory was not so good he sometimes struggled to remember where he had parked car, so after the game I walked him back to his car, I did enquire if he was ok getting home, its ok I have a sat nav.
I remember nothing about the game that night expect Chris Nicholl Grimsby Town legend asked me to tie up his lace for him.
That night will stay with me forever, hopefully.

RIP Chris a true gentlemen and a great football legend.

Great story, thanks for posting that.

Quoted from davmariner

Great story, thanks for posting that.

No problem, following Town I have filled up my memory bank full of stories, I have been fortunate during my voluntary work in the Press Room to have meet a lot of ex players and managers along the way.

Quoted from The Yard Dog

No problem, following Town I have filled up my memory bank full of stories, I have been fortunate during my voluntary work in the Press Room to have meet a lot of ex players and managers along the way.

Would you care to share a few memories?

Quoted from DB

Would you care to share a few memories?Dave

Hi Dave if i post my stories on thefishy, i will have nothing left to put in my book.

In the late 1960s he played for Halifax at BP.  From memory. It was an Easter game and a big crowd.  Around 7,800.  Not sure why the game stuck in my mind,  we do don’t play in front of big crowds.  We lost 1-0 and I think Chris Nicoll scored.

Quoted from The Yard Dog

Hi Dave if i post are my stories on thefishy, i will have nothing left to put in my book.

Spoil sport.

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

In the late 1960s he played for Halifax at BP.  From memory. It was an Easter game and a big crowd.  Around 7,800.  Not sure why the game stuck in my mind,  we do don’t play in front of big crowds.  We lost 1-0 and I think Chris Nicoll scored.

Remember being at that game, a Good Friday I believe, have in my mind a guy called David Shawcross scored for Halifax but I could be talking utter balderdash and yours is a better story.

Quoted from DB

Spoil sport.

Alright one more just for you Dave and all thefishy, before Covid the wonderful and colourful character that is Mr George Kerr would come into the Press Room sit down had a brew and sandwich and chat about Town, mainly about the current team and how his side would run rings this lot and he was right.

On one rare occasion he told me about the time Town had been playing away fixture I forget the team, the next day at the training session John Fraser walked up to him  "you illegitimate", George said "what you on about" John replied "you left me behind and I had to get a train back from the game" (for the younger ones this was before mobile phones).

I did say to George have ever thought about writing a book, he said that it would never get to print.

I started watching Town when John Newman was manager, but my first of many memories was watching George Kerr team 1979/80 what a season beating Everton in front of 22,000+ fans, then playing Wolves in quarter finals which went to a 2nd replay losing 2-0 at the Baseball ground. I could not go to the 2nd replay, I was packed off on a coach to Courtaulds Christmas party at the plant, when I went up to Santa for my pressent I asked if he knew the Grimsby score, he said gave out pressents not miracles. In January 1980 we drew Liverpool in the 3rd round of FA cup losing 5-0 I have never seen so many away fans at a match, the whole town must have been in Liverpool, we took over Anfield & Goodison that day. My dad gave two scouse lads a pound note to ensure we wheels on the car when we returned. To top off the season we battered the Yorkies (Sheff Utd) 4-0 to win the old third division. Klopp, Pep this season we played 59 games and only 1 sub back then on pitches which some were more like paddy fields and it was flipping cold and snowny, the beast from the east, so stopping whinging you have it cosy these days.

So thanks to George Kerr and that team of 1979/80 is the reason why I am still hooked on Grimsby Town after all these memories and years later, so thank you George.

So lucky to have spent time with him in the Press Room and is missed on matchdays.

All town aren't we

UTM

Quoted from The Yard Dog

Alright one more just for you Dave and all thefishy, before Covid the wonderful and colourful character that is Mr George Kerr would come into the Press Room sit down had a brew and sandwich and chat about Town, mainly about the current team and how his side would run rings this lot.

On one rare occasion he told me about the time Town had been playing away fixture I forget the team, the next day at the training session John Fraser walked up to him  "you illegitimate", George said "what you on about" John replied "you left me behind and I had to get a train back from the game" (for the younger ones this was before mobile phones).

I did say to George have ever thought about writing a book, he said that it would never get to print.

I started watching Town when John Newman was manager, but my first of many memories was watching George Kerr team 1979/80 what a season beating Everton in front of 22,000+ fans, then playing Wolves in quarter finals which went to a 2nd replay losing 2-0 at the Baseball ground. I could not go to the 2nd replay, I was packed off on a coach to Courtaulds Christmas party at the plant, when I went up to Santa for my pressent I asked if he knew the Grimsby score, he said gave out pressents not miracles. In January 1980 we drew Liverpool in the 3rd round of FA cup losing 5-0 I have never seen so many away fans at a match, the whole town must have been Liverpool that day, we took over Anfield & Goodison that day. My dad gave two scouse lads a pound note to ensure we wheels on the car when we returned. To top off the season we battered the Yorkies (Sheff Utd) 4-0 to win the old third division. Klopp, Pep this season we played 59 games and only 1 sub back then on pitches which some were more like paddy fields and it was flipping cold and snowny, the beast from the east, so stopping whinging you have it cosy these days.

So thanks to George Kerr and that team of 1979/80 is the reason why I am still hooked on Grimsby Town after all these memories and years later, so thank you George.

So lucky to have spent time with you in the Press Room and you are missed on matchdays.

All town aren't we

UTM

Thanks for that, I enjoyed it. You also sum George Kerr very well a true legend amongst many Grimsby managers. I do feel sorry for many of today's fans who never saw a team of his play, not to mention the fans who always gave plenty of support. The talk of the day at most home games was not are we going to win, but how many will we win buy. The fans were always worth 1 goal. Those were the days.

Very surprised that there has been no mention of this on the OS.  

Quoted from Les Brechin

Very surprised that there has been no mention of this on the OS.  

Not impressed with the new media team ,you are dead right Les, nothing from the club is embrassing.

It’s a disgrace not to even mention the great Chris Nicholl.
As you said shame on the media team at gtfc.

I was busy in the Press Room at the start of the game, was their a minute applause for Chris Nicholl?

No minutes silence for Chris . Dreadful by the club

That's really disappointing! Chris Nicholl was a giant in the center of the defence in the mid-80's beside Kevin Moore. I guess those of us old enough to remember those days are the only ones who can really appreciate how good we had it then! They managed a minutes silence at the Luton-Villa game, but not at Blundell Park?! I really hope they will put that right at the next home game.

Quoted from It Bites

No minutes silence for Chris . Dreadful by the club

Its strange that the club has not made acknowledgement of Chris Nicholl time at Grimsby.

The Luton v Villa game on sky had a minutes silence for Chris today.

Shame on town for not doing the same.

You do have to wonder what the club is up to in the media dept. JS & AP talk of a community club, but when the old community is forgotten about then you have to wonder what they mean.

It is very very poor form from the club this, all they have done is so a simple tweet about it, absolutely nothing on the club website and I may be wrong but I didn't even hear a mention of it today at the game? Nothing on the scoreboard/big screen or the over the tannoy unless I missed it?

The club I think got it right with the tragic passing of Cam and Dave Walsh, and Peter handyside but on this can't help but feel they have got this badly wrong

Thought they might have paid tribute to Chris Nicholl today

There is a full page tribute in the program