2006 play-off final

While we all know and heard the rumours surrounding our play-off final loss to Cheltenham in 2006, one thing that can be substantiated is the early injury to this man really hurt our chances....

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/grimsby-town-michael-reddy-injury-v-cheltenham-cost-club/

Hindsight is fantastic, but we shouldn't have started with him in the final.  He looked a pale shadow of himself from February onwards, one goal in the final 3 months of the season and possessed nothing like the threat of previous months.

He hadn't started the previous 3 games but came on in all, still looking jaded in each appearance.  His withdrawal in the final wasn't due to his ongoing injuries but 18 years on I'm still annoyed Slade made that decision.  That one and persisted with Junior bloody Mendes.

Possibly the most deflated I’ve ever been after a town game. Oh and Northampton at home a few weeks earlier.

All completely avoidable if the rumours are anything to go by.

I seem to recall Slade ran the poor fella into the ground toward the end of the season, without rest or adequate treatment to a niggling injury.

Unfortunately, Reddy was screwed by the time the end of the season came about. I seem to recall some sort of mention of him having his hip shaved or something that summer, to try and treat his injury problems? No surprise that he never really came back after that and had to retire so early.

A real shame as that pace was a fearsome weapon and he could have gone on to have a really good career if he had been fit. I was at the Darlington game where I seem to think he made his debut off the bench? I remember a ball being played through but massively overhit and thinking he couldn't get anywhere near it, but he reached the ball about the same time as their keeper. The only time I recall being startled by the sheer pace of one of our players. Quick Mick Boulding was fast with the ball at his feet but I've never seen anything like the acceleration of Reddy before or since.

I actually met Michael Reddy around the time of that playoff final, he came into a bar I was working at in town with his girlfriend. I tried to play it cool and said “oh, you’re Michael Reddy aren’t you?” To which he replied “I used to be”, which I suppose gave an insight into his mindset in the lead up to that game. I’d also add that he was an absolutely lovely bloke as well. He actually stayed at the bar and chatted with me and some regulars for a good 5-10 minutes while his missus sat waiting. I tried to offer him a drink on the house but he refused and insisted he buy me one instead. He popped in a few times after that and always had time for a quick chat.

Quoted from jimgtfc

I actually met Michael Reddy around the time of that playoff final, he came into a bar I was working at in town with his girlfriend. I tried to play it cool and said “oh, you’re Michael Reddy aren’t you?” To which he replied “I used to be”

That's an almost cinematically sad anecdote, assuming it's true.

The only games my Mrs ever came to in the 19 years we been together.

Why of why did Slade prefer Mendes to Cohen I'll never know and apart from the odd game or so after a sad end to Ready's football career.

We were rubbish that day. I've never being convinced though that this was the great turning point many think it was. I think we were always heading to non-league under the Fenty. We would have been relegated pretty quickly from league 1 and then we know how Fenty operated in League 2. It may have put it back by a season or two, but his disastrous stewardship of the club was the reason we went into non-league - I can't see how it would make any difference.

Quoted from Maringer

Unfortunately, Reddy was screwed by the time the end of the season came about. I seem to recall some sort of mention of him having his hip shaved or something that summer, to try and treat his injury problems? No surprise that he never really came back after that and had to retire so early.

A real shame as that pace was a fearsome weapon and he could have gone on to have a really good career if he had been fit. I was at the Darlington game where I seem to think he made his debut off the bench? I remember a ball being played through but massively overhit and thinking he couldn't get anywhere near it, but he reached the ball about the same time as their keeper. The only time I recall being startled by the sheer pace of one of our players. Quick Mick Boulding was fast with the ball at his feet but I've never seen anything like the acceleration of Reddy before or since.

Yep.  Just pure explosion.  The highlight reel of his Town goals is frightening.  It's absolutely basic but he was just so much stronger and faster than the defenders trying (and failing) to stop him.

In terms of how much better he was than everyone else, that six-month spell at the start of 05/06 is the best I've ever seen from a Town striker.  There are no two ways about it, he stays properly fit and we win the title that year.