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Football Again!
Football Again!

The Football Season Has Started

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 17/09/2009

"ALREADY?! It starts earlier every year doesn't it?" How many times have you heard those words when a non-footballing friend or colleague is told of the imminent start to the football season? If you're anything like me the summer seems to drag on for ages.

Well actually it's true, but only just. The last three years have seen the season start in the second week of August, whereas the previous three seasons began in the first. The average day in August in the 00's when the football season started is the 9th, in the 90's it was the 14th, in the 80's the 20th, and in the 70's the 15th.

You have to go back to the 50's when the season truly started at the end of August, like a lot of people wrongly believe it used to far much more recently.

What has changed in recent years has been the lengthening of the football season at the other end of the year. The introduction of the Premier League, the play-offs and more European games in recent decades have all caused the season to run to the end of May. But the Mariners have rarely been affected by such happenings.

Here's the complete list of season start dates since the war.

SeasonDate PlayedHome TeamAway TeamCompetition
2009-201008.08.2009CheltenhamGrimsbyLeague Two
2008-200909.08.2008GrimsbyRochdaleLeague Two
2007-200811.08.2007GrimsbyNotts CoLeague Two
2006-200705.08.2006GrimsbyBostonLeague Two
2005-200606.08.2005GrimsbyOxfordLeague Two
2004-200507.08.2004DarlingtonGrimsbyLeague Two
2003-200409.08.2003PlymouthGrimsbyDivision 2
2002-200310.08.2002NorwichGrimsbyDivision 1
2001-200211.08.2001GrimsbyCreweDivision 1
2000-200112.08.2000GrimsbyPrestonDivision 1
1999-200007.08.1999GrimsbyStockportDivision 1
1998-199909.08.1998GrimsbyIpswichDivision 1
1997-199809.08.1997GrimsbyBristol CDivision 2
1996-199717.08.1996GrimsbyWolvesDivision 1
1995-199612.08.1995MillwallGrimsbyDivision 1
1994-199513.08.1994GrimsbyBoltonDivision 1
1993-199414.08.1993GrimsbyBoltonDivision 1
1992-199315.08.1992CharltonGrimsbyDivision 1
1991-199217.08.1991GrimsbyCambridge UDivision 2 (old)
1990-199125.08.1990PrestonGrimsbyDivision 3 (old)
1989-199019.08.1989GrimsbyCambridge UDivision 4
1988-198927.08.1988Cambridge UGrimsbyDivision 4
1987-198815.08.1987DoncasterGrimsbyDivision 3 (old)
1986-198723.08.1986IpswichGrimsbyDivision 2 (old)
1985-198617.08.1985BrightonGrimsbyDivision 2 (old)
1984-198525.08.1984GrimsbyBarnsleyDivision 2 (old)
1983-198427.08.1983GrimsbyShrewsburyDivision 2 (old)
1982-198314.08.1982Sheff UtdGrimsbyLeague Group Cup
1981-198215.08.1981GrimsbyChesterfieldLeague Group Cup
1980-198116.07.1980Hull CityGrimsbyAnglo Scottish Cup
1979-198011.08.1979GrimsbyScunthorpeLeague Cup
1978-197912.08.1978GrimsbyYorkLeague Cup
1977-197813.08.1977GrimsbyHartlepoolLeague Cup
1976-197714.08.1976GrimsbySheff WedLeague Cup
1975-197616.08.1975GrimsbyCardiffDivision 3 (old)
1974-197517.08.1974GrimsbyBlackburnDivision 3 (old)
1973-197425.08.1973GrimsbyHerefordDivision 3 (old)
1972-197312.08.1972YorkGrimsbyDivision 3 (old)
1971-197214.08.1971GrimsbyScunthorpeDivision 4
1970-197114.08.1970LincolnGrimsbyLeague Cup
1969-197009.08.1969WorkingtonGrimsbyDivision 4
1968-196910.08.1968GrimsbyNewport County (old)Division 4
1967-196819.08.1967GrimsbyLeyton OrientDivision 3 (old)
1966-196720.08.1966WorkingtonGrimsbyDivision 3 (old)
1965-196621.08.1965GrimsbyBristol RDivision 3 (old)
1964-196522.08.1964OldhamGrimsbyDivision 3 (old)
1963-196424.08.1963SwanseaGrimsbyDivision 2 (old)
1962-196318.08.1962PlymouthGrimsbyDivision 2 (old)
1961-196219.08.1961Newport County (old)GrimsbyDivision 3 (old)
1960-196120.08.1960GrimsbyChesterfieldDivision 3 (old)
1959-196022.08.1959GrimsbyChesterfieldDivision 3 (old)
1958-195923.08.1958LiverpoolGrimsbyDivision 2 (old)
1957-195824.08.1957GrimsbyLeyton OrientDivision 2 (old)
1956-195718.08.1956Bristol RGrimsbyDivision 2 (old)
1955-195620.08.1955GrimsbyRochdaleDivision 3 North
1954-195521.08.1954RochdaleGrimsbyDivision 3 North
1953-195419.08.1953GrimsbyYorkDivision 3 North
1952-195323.08.1952GrimsbyWrexhamDivision 3 North
1951-195218.08.1951ChesterfieldGrimsbyDivision 3 North
1950-195119.08.1950GrimsbyCardiffDivision 2 (old)
1949-195020.08.1949SouthamptonGrimsbyDivision 2 (old)
1948-194921.08.1948GrimsbyFulhamDivision 2 (old)
1947-194823.08.1947GrimsbyAston VillaDivision 1 (old)
1946-194731.08.1946Man UtdGrimsbyDivision 1 (old)
1945-194605.01.1946GrimsbySunderlandFA Cup

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