The Fishy - Grimsby Town FC

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Is football a business or a sport?




Here we go!
Here we go!

Cheltenham v Grimsby Preview

By: Alex Green
Date: 07/08/2009

ONCE Upon A Time men and some women woke up in early August not filled with optimism and hope but in fact did nothing much more than sow the fields and die of smallpox.

Alas my fair maiden’s times have changed and now fields are sown by Polish immigrants and we have something to entertain ourselves as the nights draw in and that annoying bloke at work is already telling us how many weeks are left to Christmas. Yes it’s finally here introducing the new improved Coca Cola League Two 2009-2010 football season! Ok so it’s not improved but it’s back thank god!

So here it is, the summer was as long as the season prior but we made it through, we all survived a summer of no World Cup, no Euro Championships and a summer completely devoid of sun. The season starts like the last successful one ended against Cheltenham. Yes they were promoted as baldy slap head negotiated his contract for Yeovil from the sidelines of the Millennium Stadium while in front of him Town failed to perform and were sunk 1-0 in front of the emptiest stadium since Scunny played at home (I do hope that satisfied our Scunny attendance obsessed brethrens.) Nevertheless Cheltenham have returned to thwart our new optimism as they too hope to get out of this league at the quickest opportunity.

Home > 2009-2010 Season > Previews > Cheltenham (a)


The Opposition

Their History

Founded in 1887 by Albert Close White, when Location, Location, Location, Location, Location wasn't around it gave the people of this attractive town something to do before they could show Kirsty and Phil around their houses. According to the always reliable Wikipedia they were the first team to use 3 officials though no details on whether or not this actually improved the quality of decision making. The club bobbed around the non league before their promotion to the big boys table in 1999 where they have been ever since.

Last Season

A disaster relegation is always a disaster unless your Birmingham which means just a year left till you're promoted again. In total The Robins used 51 players throughout the entire season, once all at the same time and they still lost to Crewe 3-0! They conceded over 100 goals in all competitions and their fate was sealed on the penultimate day of the season with a 3-0 defeat against those lovely Scunny people.

This Season Is...

Surely it has to be an immediate return to League One. The Robins have had a revolving door at Whaddon Road this year no less than 14 players have left the club while just 8 have come into replace them. Even with the smaller squad and last year still playing on his mind Martin "don't call me mad dog" Allen is confident of the clubs chances this season.

"We've lost a lot of players and there was a lot of doom and gloom after relegation, but now I've got a really good bunch of young players and we're really looking forward to it and we're ready."

Their Biggest Hero Is...

Neil Grayson, born in York in 1964. Grayson was snapped up by Cheltenham for £15,000 from Hereford in 1998. Grayson spearheaded Cheltenham’s football league promotion in 1999 been named the Conference Player of the Year as a result in 162 games Grayson clocked up some 48 goals including a spectacular 30 yard volley against Plymouth. Such was the admiration for Grayson in Cheltenham that he was awarded cult hero in both the Football Focus competition and FourFourTwo magazine. He currently plays for non league Glapwell just outside Chesterfield.

The Ground Is...

Small and very League Twoesque, Whaddon Road or to give its official title The Abbey Business Stadium holds 7,066 just over half of which is seated. The small compact ground is nestled near the Cotswold Hills and is over two miles from the town train station. It won't be the greatest ground we visit this year but it won't be the worst either. It has good leg room ok views and a very loud PA system.

Their thoughts on The Mariners

All that comes to mind is Cardiff, I remember the large support considering the distance but the rest of the day is misted in booze and partying I'm afraid. I've never been to Grimsby but I saw the club play here twice and we were out played both times. With your problems last year I'm sure you will come back fighting I just hope you wait a week first.

The Future Is...

Steady. Like most clubs down here Cheltenham’s first duty is to survive average attendances for the last 3 years have jumped around the low 4,000 and the high 3,000 and though the club has the town of around 100,000 to itself and the county of Gloucester to itself. The south west is predominantly oval ball territory and with Gloucester Rugby Club one of the biggest in the country on its doorstep it would be hard for the club to branch out and that’s before you discuss the matter that both Bristol and Birmingham are around an hour away in each direction.

The Most Famous Player To Have Worn The Shirt...

Notable players include the annoying jock Andy Gray, Steven Gillespie and former manager once shortlisted for the Town job Steve Cotterill.

Their Key Player Is...

It’s the start of the season so who knows who will be anyone’s big game player but if we go from last season and the fact I like his name it’s got to be ELVIS HAMMOND. The Ghanaian international with 1 cap scored 5 in 17 starts last season and that in a squad haemorrhaging goals and struggling in the league it’s an impressive tally. The 28 year old started at Fulham as a trainee before moving on loan to Bristol Rovers in 2001 then again on loan to Norwich as well as overseas his final loan spell was in Leicester where he impressed enough to warrant nearly a quarter of a million been spent on him after making just 1 start and 5 from the bench. Elvis managed 59 appearances spanning 3 years in the east midlands before moving on a free last summer to Cheltenham.

Team News

TownCheltenham

  • 'Keeper Nick Colgan is fully fit to make his league debut for the Mariners.

  • Adrian Forbes (knee) and Nathan Jarman (foot) will both miss out.
  • The Robins have no injury worries.

    Squads

    TownCheltenham
    1GKNick Colgan
    2DFRobbie Stockdale
    3DFJoe Widdowson
    4DFRyan Bennett (captain)
    5DFMatthew Heywood
    6MFPeter Sweeney
    7MFAdrian Forbes
    8FWNathan Jarman
    9FWAdam Proudlock
    10FWBarry Conlon
    11MFDanny Boshell
    12DFJamie Clarke
    13MFNick Hegarty
    14MFPeter Bore
    15DFMatthew Bird
    16DFPaul Linwood
    17MFGrant Normington
    18FWChris Jones
    19MFMichael Leary
    25DFRobert Atkinson
    26FWJean-Louis Akpa Akpro
    27FWDanny North
    35GKLeigh Overton

    1GKScott Brown
    2MFDavid Bird
    3DFLee Ridley
    4DFShane Duff (captain)
    5DFMichael Townsend
    6DFDrissa Diallo
    7MFMichael Pook
    8DFAndy Gallinagh
    9FWJustin Richards
    10MFDavid Hutton
    11FWElvis Hammond
    12DFKyle Haynes
    14MFMarley Watkins
    TBADJordan Tabor
    16MFOliver Bozanic (on loan from Reading)
    17MFJosh Low
    18MFJack Durrant
    19FWTom Denton (on loan from Huddersfield Town)
    22FWTheo Lewis
    38FWBarry Hayles
    39FWJulian Alsop
    40GKBarry Richardson

    Head to Head

    Town have a good recent record against the Robins, they have only lost once, but of course it was the most important game.

    P 5 W3D1L1F 8A 4

    Cheltenham Head-to-Head (5th on The Opposition Ladder)

    Last Meeting

    Cheltenham 1 Grimsby 0 (Sun 28th May 2006)

    We all know what happened!

    Prediction

    The Fishy Prediction

    Because I love that score line against the Cherries it reminds me of better days.

    Cheltenham 1-2 Grimsby

    Reader's POMs

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