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Portsmouth, 10th December 2016

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Hello and welcome back to Get With The Programme, an ode to Grimsby Town programmes from today and yesterday. In this instalment we're going back just over five years to December 2016 for a sombre occasion at Blundell Park as The Mariners welcome Portsmouth to Cleethorpes.  A day after Town had drawn 2-2 with Carlisle United at Blundell Park, the club learnt the sad news that legendary former defender Paul Futcher had passed away at the tragically early age of 60 following a battle with cancer. Unsurprisingly given the contribution Futcher made to the club between 1991 and 1995 and the outpouring of tributes to the centre-back, the programme for the Portsmouth game is dedicated to him.  Manager Marcus Bignot welcomes us to Blundell Park for Town's first match since a 3-2 reverse away at Crawley Town at the end of November and looks forward to a big week for The Mariners as they welcome promotion favourites Pompey before 4000 Town fans prepare to travel to Doncaster in another ...
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Shrewsbury Town, 1st December 1984

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Hello and welcome back to your semi-regular look at Grimsby Town programmes from days gone by.  Today, we're going back to December 1984 and it's back to the bread and butter of league action after Dave Booth's side have dumped eventual First Division champions Everton out of the League Cup.  Progress in the Second Division is imperative according to the manager's programme notes as Dave Booth warns against the upcoming League Cup tie with eventual winners Norwich City acting as a distraction especially as Town sit in seventh place, seven points adrift of the promotion places (remember kids, this was in the days before the play-offs!)  We get a bit of info about today's visitors before the match action provides us with some stills from the famous win at Goodison Park.  In recognition of his recent England under-21 call up, local youngster Gary Lund is the Mariner Man in focus. Fun fact, when I started going to Havelock nearly 20 years later, most of the school athle...
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Millwall, 20th January 1996

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Hello again and welcome back to Get With The Programme, an occasional celebration of Grimsby Town matchday programmes. Today we're going back to January 1996 as Town prepare to face West Ham in the FA Cup by hosting The Hammers London rivals, Millwall to Blundell Park.  The heady days of sitting in second place of the Division One table are far behind Town as the side find themselves mired on a dismal run of form that has left them winless in their last six outings in the league (the last league win was on November 23rd 1995 when Ivano Bonetti scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over Tranmere at BP) although morale has been boosted thanks to a 7-1 demolition of Luton Town in the team's last home outing.  Goalkeeper Paul Crichton is our cover star, modelling a fetching and very 90s goalkeeper shirt while inside we are introduced to today's visitors who are managed by future Republic of Ireland World Cup gaffer Mick McCarthy.  The Blundell Park news informs us that there are...
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Bradford City, 2nd February 2002

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Hello and welcome to Get With The Programme, an occasional look at Grimsby Town matchday programmes from down the years. Before we look at today's programme of choice here's a little introduction.  My name is Dan I'm a 31-year-old Grimsby Town fan and I collect football programmes. Like many football fans, I despair at the growing number of clubs who have chosen (even pre-COVID) to cease production of a physical matchday programme as I'm a firm believer that the programme is a firm part of the matchday experience as much as chicken balti pies and bovril. In my opinion Town have led the way in recent years in programme production and have continued to smash the ball out of the park this season by replicating classic covers from days gone by. This site is intended to serve as a tribute to Town's programmes and the idea of the football programme altogether and will showcase various entries in my collection that ranges from the mid-1960s all the way through to the prese...
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