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Quoted from jamesgtfc

McKeown
Tait Pearson Nsiala Townsend
Clay Disley Nolan
Hearn Bogle Amond

Subs: Nielson, Gowling, Magnay, Hannah, Thanoj

Connell would certainly be in my team but who to leave out is the problem. In a parallel world it would be a nice dilemma.

Quoted from Mariner_09

Harsh that Nath isn't in the side let alone the squad.

Pond or Arnold?

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Connell would certainly be in my team but who to leave out is the problem. In a parallel world it would be a nice dilemma.

I think that just highlights the number of good strikers we had in the Conference, I wouldn't even consider Connell for the starting XI with 3 up front!  That 3 would be nailed on for me.  Probably have him ahead of Hannah on the bench, who peaked when on loan.

I was just thinking it's a shame that team didn't play together, but it's only Hearn who didn't play with the majority.  10 of that 11 played in the 15/16 season, yet we still fell miles behind the eventual league winners.  Suppose both Townsend and Nolan only had short spells here, over a course of a season you would think that would have had a significant impact.

Quoted from diehardmariner

I think that just highlights the number of good strikers we had in the Conference, I wouldn't even consider Connell for the starting XI with 3 up front!  That 3 would be nailed on for me.  Probably have him ahead of Hannah on the bench, who peaked when on loan.

I was just thinking it's a shame that team didn't play together, but it's only Hearn who didn't play with the majority.  10 of that 11 played in the 15/16 season, yet we still fell miles behind the eventual league winners.  Suppose both Townsend and Nolan only had short spells here, over a course of a season you would think that would have had a significant impact.

Connell scored 25 goals in 46 appearances in what was arguably the worst Grimsby Town team in history. Some of the goals he scored were absolutely class as well.

It could never be more than a hypothetical debate, but it would have been interesting to see how he’d have done in the side Amond scored so many in.  

I'd probably argue that the Conference became 'stronger' in quality during our years down there as wealthy owners began to spend big to try and get out, so Connell was probably facing weaker defences in general. See also Rob Eagle, who wasn't very good, but scored quite a lot of goals for a winger that same season.

Not that Connell didn't score some great goals, it's just that there seemed to be a lot more space around for him to bag them as far as I can recall.

Of course, I could just be imagining it all.

Quoted from Maringer

I'd probably argue that the Conference became 'stronger' in quality during our years down there as wealthy owners began to spend big to try and get out, so Connell was probably facing weaker defences in general. See also Rob Eagle, who wasn't very good, but scored quite a lot of goals for a winger that same season.

Not that Connell didn't score some great goals, it's just that there seemed to be a lot more space around for him to bag them as far as I can recall.

Of course, I could just be imagining it all.

No, I think that’s a fair summation. The Blue Square Premier of 2010/11 definitely felt like your archetypal, semi-professional non-league division. Now, the National League is very much League Three in all but name.

Gates are a good barometer. Average gates this season and last are about 60% higher than they were in 10/11, such is the stature of clubs in the division and the money sloshing around for various reasons. It’s an entirely different proposition.

That said, Connell was still class. His career is not that dissimilar to Amond’s in many ways, albeit Podge was younger when he found himself here. Both were playing below their natural level though, as their respective records attest. They should never have been non-league players, though I’m glad they were.

Quoted from Poojah

No, I think that’s a fair summation. The Blue Square Premier of 2010/11 definitely felt like your archetypal, semi-professional non-league division. Now, the National League is very much League Three in all but name.

Gates are a good barometer. Average gates this season and last are about 60% higher than they were in 10/11, such is the stature of clubs in the division and the money sloshing around for various reasons. It’s an entirely different proposition.

That said, Connell was still class. His career is not that dissimilar to Amond’s in many ways, albeit Podge was younger when he found himself here. Both were playing below their natural level though, as their respective records attest. They should never have been non-league players, though I’m glad they were.

I thought we'd found another gem when Rob Duffy scored after 30 seconds of his debut at Eastbourne. Just shows you how wrong first impressions can sometimes be!  

Happy to be corrected but wasn't Connell a bit of a flat track bully in the Conference?  I think it was something laid at the feet of Hearn too.

Connell was indeed class, some of his goals were sublime but when you look back some of the defending and goalkeeping was woeful.  But you can only beat what's in front of you.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYzGdRFAeVg

No slight on him that I wouldn't put him ahead of Hearn, Bogle or Amond.  More a reflection how fortunate we were with strikers over that period of time.  4 strikers who got in excess of 20 goals in a season within a six-season period (5 separate episodes if you count Bogle's haul in the 16/17 season back in the league).  Definitely hasn't happened in my lifetime before.

Connell scored some very classy goals.  These are remembered more than another player scoring twice as many scrappy goals.  Even though the latter total is better.

Memories, magic moments and excitement.

Amond was also classed as a flat track bully by some, but I suppose it's easier to score against the weaker sides in the division. Think that is true in most leagues.