Bradford City, 2nd February 2002

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 present day. I hope you enjoy the site and I aim to bring back happy memories for Town supporters of all ages. Feel free to contact me on Twitter (@Dan_BarkerGray) with your own memories or if you want to share your own collection. 

For now though, let's turn the clock back just over twenty years to when The Mariners welcomed Bradford City to BP. 

It's February 2002, Town are winless in six and staring relegation to Division Two in the face with the early season scaling of the Division One table and the defeat of Liverpool are far away in the rear view mirror. Manager Lennie Lawrence is also gone, he was relieved of his duties following a 1-0 home defeat to Coventry City on Boxing Day with legendary midfielder Paul Groves taking over. 

Wolves loanee Robert Taylor is the cover star of a programme that more resembles a football magazine akin to FourFourTwo or Shoot! as we are treated to a short listing of what we can expect to read inside. Taylor is also grilled for the 'Under The Microscope' interview. 

Bradford City are also under new management with former Chesterfield boss Nicky Law brought in to steady the ship after a series of lacklustre results saw hopes of an instant return to the Premier League had evaporated for the Valley Parade club. 

Our action replay shows images of Town holding Premiership-bound West Brom to a goalless draw in their previous home outing while John McDermott features in the centrefold. 


We also have a nice piece in which footballing historian Leigh Edwards looks back at the time the great Tony Ford helped himself to a hat-trick as the Mariners destroyed the Bantams on their way to promotion from the Fourth Division in 1979. 

Former/Future Mariners

Bradford were able to boast a future Mariner in midfielder Jamie Lawrence who turned out for Town towards the end of the 2003-04 season. Substitute goalkeeper for The Bantams on the day was Aidan Davison who played for Grimsby between 1997 and 1999 and would later return to the club for the 2003-04 campaign. Bradford manager Nicky Law would also join Town towards the end of the same season and was ultimately unsuccessful in his quest to keep The Mariners in Division Two. 

That's your lot for this one, thanks for reading. If you have any requests then get in touch on Twitter @Dan_BarkerGray and I'll see what I can do. 

Up The Mariners!


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