Portsmouth, 10th December 2016


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 clash against a side tipped for the upper echelons of League Two. 


We have match action from the home draw with Carlisle and the defeat at Crawley which is sandwiched by a profile and interview with flying winger Tom Bolarinwa whose late goal rescued a point in the aforementioned stalemate with Carlisle. 





Right-back Zak Mills is our centrefold before we are treated to seeing a combined XI of players that have turned out for both The Mariners and Pompey during their careers. Can you think of any others?


Jody Williams shares memories of their first Town game, a Second Division clash with Blackburn Rovers from 1986 before former Mariner Danny Butterfield reminisces over his favourite goal in black and white, which ironically came against Portsmouth in August 2001. 




We then reach the section of the programme rightfully dedicated to Paul Futcher. First we have a piece from Cod Almighty's Pat Bell about the indelible mark that the defender left on Grimsby Town and their supporters during his time at the club. We then see some pictorial tributes to the great man as we see an action shot from a 1993 clash between Town and Futcher's former club, Barnsley. Artist Hallyink provides a full length image of the shot that adorned the cover before local artist Jim Connor's much loved 'Futchenstein' cartoon from the classic days of Sing When We're Fishing brings the tributes to an end. 




Future/Former Mariners

Just the one to report here this week, Portsmouth's number four, midfielder Dannt Rose made 22 appearances for Town in the 2020-21 relegation campaign before being loaned out for the season to Darlington. 


That's all for this week, remember to get in touch on Twitter (@Dan_BarkerGray) if you have any requests for matches. I'm also always on the lookout to add to my collection so if you have any lying around in the loft then feel free to hit me up. 

Until next time, Up The Mariners! 

Dan



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Millwall, 20th January 1996

Image
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...
Read more

Shrewsbury Town, 1st December 1984

Image
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...
Read more