1998 or 2022

Finally we have another annus mirabilis but which one was better? In both seasons we bounced straight back from relegation. In both with a manager in his second spell. In both we beat the moneybags favourites in the semis. In 1998 we won 2 trophies, but for sheer drama 2022 has to win it?

In 98 I expected us to bounce straight back , in those days we was an established championship side that had slipped down a division.
We also had 3 great cup runs playing a few Premiership teams.

Being totally honest until we beat Notts County I didn’t think we was going to do it , after that match I started to believe.
If we’d failed to beat County I’m not so sure this would have ever been remembered as a great season , if we’d lost to Northampton  I think 98 would still have been a great season

2022. Purely based on the whole backstory of ownership change, a town pulling together and the unbreakable attitude shown in the last 3 games.

The transformation at this club in the last 12 months makes this promotion better for me, especially with it being done at the first attempt. This club is on the way up.

so difficult to compare. just so happy we have both times

Quoted from grimps

In 98 expected us to bounce straight back , in those days we was an established championship side that had slipped down a division.
We also had 3 great cup runs playing a few Premiership teams.

Being totally honest until we beat Notts County I didn’t think we was going to do it , after that match I started to believe

This, the way this playoffs has turned out is something so far fetched it wouldve never crossed my mind. I said before the playoffs there was a bit of spark or magic in this squad that meant we always had a chance against any team. But we took it to another level in these playoffs, it was like everything finally clicked into place at once. I dont think anyone will have overcome bigger odds stacked against them in any play offs anywhere, albiet part of that is down to this unique playoff system

Has to be this season.

The team last season was as bad as I can ever remember and probably the worst Town side ever. They would have struggled to stay in this division and Hurst has rebuilt us from scratch, not once but twice in one season.

The team of the mid season slump was transformed and have gone on to achieve what I thought was nigh on impossible.

The defence transformed with Amos, Smith and Cropper. Crocombe promoted to No1. Holahan and JMD bringing more goals and assists to the team. Fox coming back better than ever.

Massive kudos to PH having us top of the league after a third of the season, but even more kudos to re-invent the team the way he did.

I don't know where he keeps finding these players but I know he travels hundreds of miles and watches countless games trying to better the team.

To have the chance to see Town play at Wembley not once but twice that year and win both games was something special but the three play off games this season and securing promotion was a bigger task, but for me as I was at both 1998 games I would choose them.

Not to detract from the brilliant achievement this season but that 98 team was just a different  class. Wasn't it a 68 game season, we even beat a premier league team in the cup.

Wore my 98 Wembley shirt today, great to see so many of those still being worn a quarter of a century later.

98 every time . The first ever visit to Wembley and to follow it up with a playoff win was incredible. Don't forget the semi final win over Fulham .

Quoted from GrimRob

Finally we have another annus mirabilis but which one was better? In both seasons we bounced straight back from relegation. In both with a manager in his second spell. In both we beat the moneybags favourites in the semis. In 1998 we won 2 trophies, but for sheer drama 2022 has to win it?

The Drama in those 2 Fulham games and a Golden Goal not enough for you ? Lol

The best season was 98 no doubt, the playoff run this  season was even more incredible than 98s tho, probably the greatest ever by any team

Personally, I'd have to say '98.  I lived in London and got to both games.  I always say that was my best weekend ever. Starting from Friday night until Sunday evening everything came together.  The buzz I felt getting home after the trophy final was amazing.  People tooting me and shaking my hand. I even ended up in a pub filed with Bournemouth fans who bought me drinks.  Even a week later we were playing Luton or Watford and people were patting me on the back.

This year I have had to watch afar.  If it weren't for COVID and a lockdown, the school year would have finished and I'd have been home. The play-off eliminator, being mid week was impossible to watch.  I woke up and could hardly focus my eyes or take in the score.   For the game against Wrexham, I found a pub that said they'd put it on.  I made my way there during a torrential downpour so the place was empty except for an American and Aussie.  They were also there yesterday to cheer us on.  Great feelings but nothing like being there among your own.  '98 just edges it.

In 1998 I never thought we wouldn't win either game, it was magical getting to Wembley for the first (and second time) but 2022 has just been amazing.

In 1998 I never thought we wouldn't win either game, it was magical getting to Wembley for the first (and second time) but 2022 has just been amazing.

In 98 I walked away from Wembley feeling relieved and that we'd done what we set out to do. It didn't feel like a miracle, more a good job completed.
I walked away from the stadium yesterday not believing what I had witnessed over an epic 2 week period and thinking what a rollercoaster this season has been. I'm still struggling to process that we have won the play offs when we finished sixth.
I also think that our supporters are far humbler than in 98. We have had 20 years of sh*t (bar one year) and some success has been met with nothing but joy and happiness (and a bit of disbelief). There was no jeering of the Solihull fans at the end or walking back to the tube.

And then there's the back story to this year and the omnishambles of last season.

2022 will stay with me for a long time.

Paul Hurst Rebuilt a side that was the worst i've seen in black and white

4 of our starting 11 from our 1st Game this season started yesterday. 4!

he's done an incredible job

If you take into context how broken things where on and off the pitch, how hard it is to get out of the NL especially with the spending power of others I think this is a bigger achievement than 98, just. I'd go as far as to say it is one of the biggest in the history of the club. Also worth noting that many of yesterday's side where at other clubs at the start of the season so the mid season re-build whilst we where in a big dip makes it even more satisfying.

At least we are in the envious position of been able to compare 2 very successful seasons. The only down side to the 98 season is the town shirt I bought for those Wembley games is far too small for me 24 years later. 😥😥

22, but mostly cos I was 7 years old in 98. I was there at both Wembley victories, but can't remember enough of it...!

I can think of arguments for both, and it’s difficult to answer completely objectively with the exhilaration of the last fortnight still so fresh.

What I will say though is just how brilliant is it that this is even a question worth asking? 98 was so brilliant on so many different levels, and I thought it would live unrivalled in the memory.

The summer of ‘97 always looked a strong one. Spending the best part of a million quid on players like Groves and Donovan who were way better than that level, before adding the likes of Wayne Burnett and Dave Smith mid-season for another wedge of cash. As others have said, there was good reason to expect big things that season.

By comparison the summer of ‘21 and months that followed were chaotic by comparison and never in a million years did the circumstances of a year ago look remotely conducive to a promotion, especially not in the spectacular way it was delivered.

In truth, I think both seasons were unique. Truly special in their own way, and both the creator of memories I will take with me to my grave.

In 1997 we spent the thick end of £1m which was a lot of money for that level back then although Fulham were certainly splashing the cash. Both visits were to the Twin Towers in 1998 and it was the first time our club had been to Wembley so that makes it special.

But, we've achieved promotion at the expense of Wrexham who have spent the kind of money that we haven't spent since before the year 2000. Chesterfield paid £250k for Tshimanga in an effort to get out of this league. When was the last time we paid six figures for a player?

Our budget wasn't the smallest but at least 3 teams outspent us by a considerable margin. Notts County have just spent 3 years down here, we consigned them to a fourth at least. Wrexham, with all the Hollywood money and Netflix documentary in the making were denied of their fairytale ending in dramatic fashion and we consigned them to their 15th year down here.

Chesterfield go into their fifth and we know how hard this league is to get out of from our last time down here. Only 3 teams have got straight back up in 25 years.

By finishing in the bottom 2 play-off spaces we had no home advantage, had to play an extra game and we came from behind to win every game, in extra time. At Notts County we were less than 10 seconds away from another season of non-league. We equalised and as everyone began thinking of penalties, up popped Mani D in the 119th minute. A breathtaking game at Wrexham saw Waterfall score a 119th minute winner and we managed to win it in the 111th minute in the final.

Will a team ever replicate what we've just done in the play-offs? I doubt it but it feels special because we know how hard it is to get back, the sheer drama of it and the feel good factor associated with having a fantastic bunch of people at the helm.

Paul Hurst, Jason Stockwood, Andrew Pettit, Debbie Cook, Mariners Trust, the players and everyone behind the scenes, thank you. Thank you very much. We're back and this is just the beginning.

98 was special , the true Wembley, first time we appeared there, properly historic.
However that was my generation and above who have that affinity with Wembley.., there will be plenty of supporters there this weekend that was also their first "final" so will ever be the special one.....as it would have been in 2016.

However...these play offs have been special intense..emotionally draining ....beyond joy......a special season in itself for that alone ....add on the back of relegation, takeover..then it's multiplied.

Grimsby Town Fc...  rarely uneventful...that's the beauty of it.

think you should also consider 71-72 in this debate (and maybe 2016)
Perhaps we could agree that they are all seasons that will live with us forever and are special achievements, but for different reasons,

I'd also mention Tagg's comment on another thread - we might not realise the true significance of this season for another 4, 5 or 10 years - here's hoping that's the case!

98 for me, that Saturday night before the Game on Sunday against Bournemouth was absolutely unbelievable fun. There was a Pub right in the middle of London(cant remember it's name) which had been highlighted on here as being run by a couple originally from G town and we were all to head there. On arrival on Sat evening i couldn't believe it, Town flags over every window and the Juke box blaring out Chumba wunga we get knocked down, but get up again. Right in the middle of London, as the night went on, more and more Grimsby fans found the boozer. It was an unbelievable urine up, not a hint of trouble. The best ever time time following Town. Happy days, Happy Happy days.

Quoted from Shipwrecked In Gainsborough

98 for me, that Saturday night before the Game on Sunday against Bournemouth was absolutely unbelievable fun. There was a Pub right in the middle of London(cant remember it's name) which had been highlighted on here as being run by a couple originally from G town and we were all to head there. On arrival on Sat evening i couldn't believe it, Town flags over every window and the Juke box blaring out Chumba wunga we get knocked down, but get up again. Right in the middle of London, as the night went on, more and more Grimsby fans found the boozer. It was an unbelievable urine up, not a hint of trouble. The best ever time time following Town. Happy days, Happy Happy days.

the Moscow Arms in Bayswater, What  an awesome day - was actually a bit of a tourist pub and i don't know if they ever really realised what had hit them!

wasn't there a conga at some stage which stopped the traffic ?

Most certainly 98.  The team was so much better than this one.
The away match at Burnley to take us to Wembley for the first time ever and those play off semi finals were incredible.
This team we have now is a bit special too and i hope we can keep it together. That team spirit and togetherness can take you a long way in football and they can still write their own chapter in the history books which might yet take them above that brilliant 98 team...

What about 1980?

Quoted from The_Laughing_Mariner

What about 1980?

89-91 was my favourite time of being a Town fan , we was playing football that Brazil would have been proud of and wiping the floor with our opponents

2022 for me. Three cup finals, rather than two  

98 was two wins at Wembley at the old twin towers, before they where knocked down.

It was the final three games that made this season special. The opposition and the nature of the wins.

I don't think you can pick one over the other.

1998 was a better team, but 2022 is a bigger achievement. In 98 there was something to build on, 2022 arose from the ashes and we changed most of the team during the season.

On a more personal note, I've watched 2022 through the eyes of my children, and probably wouldn't have been at County or Wrexham without them, giving me 2 of the best experiences I've ever had as a Town fan.

Quoted from forza ivano

the Moscow Arms in Bayswater, What  an awesome day - was actually a bit of a tourist pub and i don't know if they ever really realised what had hit them!

wasn't there a conga at some stage which stopped the traffic ?

Sure back in98 it was called something else. Like the frog & Lettuce or one of them daft names at the time popular with Real Ale fans. The Moscow arms dont ring a bell, though i feel events in Ukraine may have prompted another name change just recently !!. Whatever, it was a day/night i will never forget.

1998 against Bournemouth at Wembley was special for many reasons.  First time at Wembley in 120 years.  28,000 Town fans there.  Even more if some very old buses had not broken down.

Great atmosphere with the Bournemouth fans.  Over 60,000 crowd.  Good game. Sunny day. A win for us with a golden goal - right in front of the massed Town fans. Instant euphoria.  We won the cup.

On the Tues, when players still tired, we won 1-0 at Carlisle in the league.  Vital points gained.

We won the playoffs, only lost in the big cups to Liverpool and Leeds away (both in the top 6).

66 games played I think.

'98 didn't have scotch eggs!

Hard to compare really for various reasons, the level, the money involved, state of the club and so forth.

In 2016 it wasn’t greatest moment supporting town, it lives long in the me melty but through pisspoor club management and decision making that day is tainted. This epic end to what is probably the best season the clubs had, again for a number of reasons, has gone a long way to make another memory.

98 was special, always will be, double Wembley, two wins, Donovan, Burnett, Lester, Davison and so on help to make that memory positive. We spent money though, we invested and I’d imagine, even though as a kid it didn’t feel that way, the expectation was probably to try and bounce back. I don’t think that was the expectation this season, ambition perhaps but not expectation.

Our end to the season will unlikely be bettered by us or anyone else. It’s nothing short of a miracle and the transformation of the club is astounding…for me this season is the better of the two but for different reasons. 1998 will forever be in the top two most important and memorable seasons but this has been some journey and catapults Hurst in to hero territory and shows the impact of a top to bottom culture which is about valuing and respecting colleagues. Believing together and working hard with dedication and ambition…

Quoted from Shipwrecked In Gainsborough

Sure back in98 it was called something else. Like the frog & Lettuce or one of them daft names at the time popular with Real Ale fans. The Moscow arms dont ring a bell, though i feel events in Ukraine may have prompted another name change just recently !!. Whatever, it was a day/night i will never forget.

Was it the Dog & Parrot or something like that

Rat and parrot??

The freshest memories naturally dominate your thoughts.  

1998 was magical but it was 24 years ago so you can forgive anyone for having those memories slightly numbed over time.  But there was never really any feel of pressure on it.  We'd enjoyed 7 good years in the second flight, if we didn't go up it didn't feel like it would be end of the world.  Even though Fulham were moneybags united, I never really felt we had a backs to the wall approach to it.  Granted, we did spend a lot of money in the summer of 1997 but that was paid for by the sales of Super Clive and John Oster, to the tune of just under £2.5million.

2016 was a relief.  We'd gone so close the previous year.  The fans rallied for Operation Promotion, with a wonderful twist of fate that the guy we signed with that money scored the two goals in the final.  From heartbreak a year before, following two successive semi-final failings, to ecstasy in the final.  Oddly, probably the weakest play-off side we had of the four seasons was the one that went up.  But it was feeling like now or never.  If we hadn't gone up that year, I'm not sure we ever would have done.

But 2022 is just something else.  3 teams in a season.  We had that team that started so well, got all our hopes up of an all conquering side only to see it drift away and flounder for a bloody long time.  I'm sure at some point we dipped outside the top half of the table with the second side of the season, one that wasn't fluid and just couldn't click together.   Then finally the one that came good with it all, the post New Year run where we just built momentum.  A completely new back-line almost, Fox back in the middle, Holohan coming into the side, Clifton improving week in, week out and McAtee and Taylor clicking together again when it counted.  

To go away from home and win from behind in the play-offs is something, to do it twice is incredible.  To then go to the final, to the team that played you off  the park in the two league games, go behind and then still win it in extra time is something you can't even begin to imagine.

The other thing you have to add is the timing in terms of the clubs history.  April 2021 marked the darkest day in the clubs history.  Relegated for the second time out the league.  Once you can argue a case that everyone has to take their turn, to do it twice and you're definitely finding your level.  This was months after the club was caught out for fluttering eyelashes at a fraudster.   But it is always darkest before the dawn.  Last summer marked a new era and a return to the Football League, in such style and at the first time of asking is very fitting.  I think these last 12 months will be looked back on in 5, 10, 20, even 50 years as the most significant year in our history.

Quoted from diehardmariner

T

The other thing you have to add is the timing in terms of the clubs history.  April 2021 marked the darkest day in the clubs history.  Relegated for the second time out the league.  Once you can argue a case that everyone has to take their turn, to do it twice and you're definitely finding your level.  This was months after the club was caught out for fluttering eyelashes at a fraudster.   But it is always darkest before the dawn.  Last summer marked a new era and a return to the Football League, in such style and at the first time of asking is very fitting.  I think these last 12 months will be looked back on in 5, 10, 20, even 50 years as the most significant year in our history.

good point. maybe a more apt comparison (in more ways than one) would be the 50 season comparison with the 71-72 side under lawrie Mac. There are quite a few parallels , with his team being reelected the season before and with a similar feel good wave of optimism if i remember correctly

Quoted from forza ivano

Rat and parrot??

Yep that's the one, The Rat & Parrot. Looked it up on the Internet, now called The Bayswater Arms. Still going and pictures of it still look the same from 24 years ago. Don't think the couple from Grimsby that ran it in 98 are still there though. I remember that conga chain that got going, it was huge and we stretched it all over the place outside, it stopped the traffic. The hangover the next morning was a category 5, but it was worth it, best night out ever.

Quoted from Shipwrecked In Gainsborough

Yep that's the one, The Rat & Parrot. Looked it up on the Internet, now called The Bayswater Arms. Still going and pictures of it still look the same from 24 years ago. Don't think the couple from Grimsby that ran it in 98 are still there though. I remember that conga chain that got going, it was huge and we stretched it all over the place outside, it stopped the traffic. The hangover the next morning was a category 5, but it was worth it, best night out ever.

1 reason why 98 was better than 22, that day still lives on in the memory

Quoted from Shipwrecked In Gainsborough

Yep that's the one, The Rat & Parrot. Looked it up on the Internet, now called The Bayswater Arms. Still going and pictures of it still look the same from 24 years ago. Don't think the couple from Grimsby that ran it in 98 are still there though. I remember that conga chain that got going, it was huge and we stretched it all over the place outside, it stopped the traffic. The hangover the next morning was a category 5, but it was worth it, best night out ever.

We stayed in the Wembley Hilton for the Bournmouth game , after a night out in the West End which there must have been thousands of drunken Mariners wondering around we returned to the hotel and kept the bar open all night .

On the drive home we had radio 5 on and they was interviewing Rob Andrew the England rugby captain who was playing for Newcastle at that time , they had played a game in London the same day and it was the first time they’d lost that season , the interviewer said “ I saw a lot of black and white on the motorway today you must have had good support “
Rob Andrew replied “ no apparently they’re called the mariners , I know this because they was singing it in our hotel until 5 in the morning “ 😂