Humberside reporting he is joining eastleigh

Least there will be a fee involved

Shame I like Boyce he`s more than good enough for League 2, bit on the young side for our defence though. ;D

I really hope we've got a couple of centre backs lined up then because currently we have two right backs and two centre backs.

Never a fan of Boyce and thought he was poor and weak in some of the games I saw him but thought he would be okay as back up. Can only think/hope we've got much better replacements lined up.

Makes the Pearson decision even more bonkers now.

Good news, based on last season.replace with a quick young loanee for the season please

Quoted from Mariner_09

Makes the Pearson decision even more bonkers now.

Which decision? He decided to sign for a non-league club because he couldn't wait for us to make our decision.

Another signing being announced imminently (don't worry I'm using the word, not GTFC). Could be a defender? Pearson might have gone by his own choice to be a first teamer. He's got the armband at Wrexham.

Quoted from Mariner_09

Makes the Pearson decision even more bonkers now.

Shaun wasn't released, he chose to leave the club and from what I understand, part of the reason was because the club had a deal agreed with somebody else to sell Boyce and if Boyce went earlier, they would have offered Shaun what he wanted, hence why he was asked to wait.

Just one of them unfortunate things when it comes to timing, understand why the club wanted to budget and understand why Shaun felt he couldn't wait.

official now
https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/
https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2017/july/boyce-departs-for-eastleigh/

Good news in my opinion. A real trier and seams a nice enough lad but he's not quite cut out for league 2. Cracking conference CB though.

Wonder if Pearson would still be here if it was sorted earlier in the summer?

Maybe we have been waiting for Eastleigh to up their offer,

So a few more quid for Russell  to strengthen  what is shaping up to be a good squad.

Quoted from grimsby pete

Maybe we have been waiting for Eastleigh to up their offer,

So a few more quid for Russell  to strengthen  what is shaping up to be a good squad.

Free transfer. They just paid for the taxi  ;D

Quoted from grimsby pete

Maybe we have been waiting for Eastleigh to up their offer,

So a few more quid for Russell  to strengthen  what is shaping up to be a good squad.

Thought the statement said free transfer ?

Echo what a few on here have said, nice lad always a trier and hope he does well with Eastleigh in the Conf. Think that is his level. Two athletic CBs now please Russell

If we've let him go for free then we must surely be reasonably certain that we've got replacements?

Good non league centre back, but only back up quality for me in League 2, especially if we are trying to climb the leagues. Never really broke into the team and wasn't quite good enough.

Probably on a good wedge down there, nice part of the country and he will get more footy, so good move all round.

Good luck to him.

How many remain now of the class of 2016?

Quoted from GrimRob

How many remain now of the class of 2016?

McKeown

Quoted from crusty ole pie

Thought the statement said free transfer ?

It does but I did not read it  :B

Seems Russ has been trying to offload him for a while but, previously at least, Boyce refused to drop to the Conference. Obviously no league club fancied him.

Why does it make the Pearson decision more baffling? Please explain...

Because 2 months ago we knew that eastleigh would come in for Boyce?

Slade and Wilko are not stupid, and will have something lined up

I expect the Morrocan guy to sign now, as he can play CB & CM and then another CB

Too pretty to be a league 2 centre back. Hopefully replaced by a nutcase with an anchor tattoo rather than one of these new fangled fashionable sleeve things.

Makes me even more angry about Shaun Pearson leaving now. Certainly wasn't a fan of him leaving at the time but accepted as an unfortunate inevitability with players being held on longer contacts make them technically 'dead weights' that we couldn't do a great deal with - Boyce being one of these players in question.

However, if we knew there was a possibility that Boyce was leaving, letting Shaun Pearson go - a phenomenal servant to the club on and off the pitch and still arguably our best centre back (certainly good enough for a team chasing the play offs at this level) leave the club - it cant be described as nothing shorter of ridiculous.

Admittedly its a lot of 'ifs' and 'buts' and situations in Football change constantly however from an outsiders perspective, not knowing what goes on inside the football club - it certainly looks like this could have been the case.

Best of luck Boyce

Good, wasn't good enough never the same player after his injuries. The shop lists grows though

Shaun decided HE could not wait, move on.

Everybody agrees he was a good servant on and off the pitch, but that's football these days. Good luck to the lad.

Agents call the shots.

UTM

FFS will some people get over Pearson already, Christ he wasn't a superstar he was an average defender ,loyal but bang average. Are the same people going to chirp on every time a defender is signed or released, anyone would think he was some kind of footballing god ,give your bloody heads a wobble

Best wishes Boycey but we can and will do better.

Quoted from newarkmariner

FFS will some people get over Pearson already, Christ he wasn't a superstar he was an average defender ,loyal but bang average. Are the same people going to chirp on every time a defender is signed or released, anyone would think he was some kind of footballing god ,give your bloody heads a wobble

^^This!

We have 2 centre backs who have played all their careers at a higher level. Pearson is a great bloke but the highest he got was mid table League 2. If we want to move up the leagues, there will be casualties, that's footy.

Pearson went back to non league, as did Boyce, so that should tell you all you need to know.

Boyce gave his all as best he could - what we actually need this season is one centre half with genuine pace to learn from the two older hands and make their games easier.

Shame to see him go, decent lad with a good attitude but if the other 2 stay fit he's unlikely to play a lot

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Which decision? He decided to sign for a non-league club because he couldn't wait for us to make our decision.

My understanding from someone within the club was that we were waiting for Boyce to leave before offering Pearson terms and that was why he wouldn't wait.

Fully expect Karleigh Osbourne to sign now...

I wonder if Humble might be considered the fourth choice centre back and Slade is just looking for one fast fella to challenge the old boys C&C?

Humble? He was released about 3 years ago!

Quoted from Youngy

Fully expect Karleigh Osbourne to sign now...

He only signed a 2-year deal with Kilmarnock in January - unless we're paying a fee for him?

Eastleigh didn't pay a fee for Boyce and it's the same length.

I thought Boyce was a decent player. Though he fared much better in his first spell at the club. Didnt get much of a look in last season but would have provided some depth to the squad this season.

The fact we have let him go I will read into that we have one or two guys lined up to come in. The defence is the main area we need to address. A centre back, a left back and a utility defender at the very  least.

Quoted from Mariner_09

Humble? He was released about 3 years ago!

Sorry I meant Keeble! Although the way we hang onto youth players he was probably released along with Boyce at 5pm

Not really surprised he went, seemed to have trouble getting into the team and when he did he seemed to show more bad qualities than good ones. Even despite scoring a couple of times he never really seemed comfortable in games.

Quoted from Youngy

Fully expect Karleigh Osbourne to sign now...

Not impressed, another Gunning? ??)

What are you basing that on? Gunning had played less than 40 games in the FL, Osbourne has played over 200. What a bizarre and mental thing to say about a player i would imagine you've never heard of let alone seen play.

No, Garth just has an irrational hatred of Gunning so mentions him at any chance.

Quoted from gtfc98

Free transfer. They just paid for the taxi  ;D

well if that was what was stalling the deal i would have paid it.  Not good enough, end of.

Quoted from Grantley

No, Garth just has an irrational hatred of Gunning so mentions him at any chance.

(ok)(ok)(thanks)