Just a snapshot in time, someone is selling a number of programmes from Grimsby's 1983-4 season. Bar Shrewsbury, who could very well get promoted to the Championship this, every other team on that list has since played in the Premiership. Fulham, Middlesborough and Chelsea have each played in a European Final. Indeed, Chelsea have won 3 different European trophies since that time Champion's League, Cupwinner's Cup and UEFA League. Domestically they have won 5 Premier League titles and 6 FA Cups. Manchester City have the capacity to probably become winners of the Champions League this year, and are heading for their third Premier League title in just 6 years. Leeds got to the semi final of the Champions League as well.

In that season we beat Leeds 2-0 at home, we drew both games with Middlesborough, drew at home to Man City, beat Fulham at home and drew away. We finished fifth that season and had they been in existence would have been in the play offs to the top tier of English football, and yet we still had poor home attendances unless one of the big city clubs were coming to town - Man City, Chelsea (as champions on the last day of the season) Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day (when half of south Yorkshire appeared to be there) The penultimate home game of the season vs Blakcburn there were less than 5,000 fans there, to watch a Town team that included Batch, Cumming, Ford, Wilkinson, Drinkell, Whymark and others.

What went wrong, not just then, but afterwards?

1983-1984     
27/08/1983     Shrewsbury Town     Division 2
06/09/1983     Leeds United     Division 2
10/09/1983     Newcastle United     Division 2
24/09/1983     Fulham     Division 2
15/10/1983     Brighton and Hove Albion     Division 2
26/12/1983     Sheffield Wednesday     Division 2
21/01/1984     Middlesbrough     Division 2
04/02/1984     Manchester City     Division 2
24/03/1984     Barnsley     Division 2
12/05/1984     Chelsea     Division 2

Virtually every team in that list as had serious investment or has the ability to draw huge crowds , we can’t do either !

Another stat:

About 20 years ago York City beat Man City in a Div 1 league game. We know where York are now.  Whatever happened to Man City?   Are they still in business?   ;) ;)

What went wrong - Jack Charlton.
We'd been matching Chelsea, City, the Geordies and SWFC all season. Had to play Wednesday away at Easter and a win for us would have taken us into the top three and we had another massive away following going to Hillsbourgh. However Jack had injuries or something so had the pitch watered dispite heavy rain and it got called off on the Saturday morning.
When we eventually played them we'd gone off the boil and lost. Ended up 5th.

I remember watching that Wednesday game at Hillsborough on MOTD. All the media attention was on how Wednesday were back. We hardly merited a mention.

Quoted from Jackie Lewis

What went wrong - Jack Charlton.
We'd been matching Chelsea, City, the Geordies and SWFC all season. Had to play Wednesday away at Easter and a win for us would have taken us into the top three and we had another massive away following going to Hillsbourgh. However Jack had injuries or something so had the pitch watered dispite heavy rain and it got called off on the Saturday morning.
When we eventually played them we'd gone off the boil and lost. Ended up 5th.

Wrong season - the called of Hillbsboro game was 1980/81 - the season after the 3rd div championship we were also challenging that season until West Ham wupped us 5-1 with Dave Cross getting 4. We did play Wednesday at Easter when we finished 5th - lost 1-0 to a Tony Cunningham dive at Kev Moore's feet which was ridiculously deemed a pen.

And the excrement crowds when we challenging in 83/84 - two reasons - hooligans and recession...

Thanks Limerick, I'm getting old and matches in the 80s are starting to blur together. Just remember never having much joy going to Wednesday on any occasion.
Bramell Lane, on the other hand, was more fun in those days

Quoted from Jackie Lewis

Thanks Limerick, I'm getting old and matches in the 80s are starting to blur together. Just remember never having much joy going to Wednesday on any occasion.
Bramell Lane, on the other hand, was more fun in those days

Gary Lund hat trick won 4-2 I think?