The Fishy - Grimsby Town FC

League Two Table

  PGDPts
1Salford11+622
2Barnet9+1021
3Crewe11+621

4York10+616
5Walsall10+616
6Gillingham11+316
7Chesterfield11+215

8Cheltenham11-315
9Bristol Rovers11-315
10Accrington Stanley11+114
11Newport County11+114
12Fleetwood Town11+114
13Rochdale11-214
14Shrewsbury11-514
15Grimsby11013
16Exeter11013
17Tranmere11-112
18Swindon11-512
19Oldham10-111
20Colchester10-311
21Port Vale9-411
22Northampton9-110

23Rotherham11-610
24Crawley Town9-85

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The Future : Mini-Mariners

By: Dan Humphrey
Date: 02/06/2002

IN THE WAKE of the Mariners being forced to abolish their reserve team, plans have been revealed to create a new under 19's team to take its place.

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In an interview with the ThisIsGrimsby web site, Grimsby chairman Peter Furneaux has expressed concern at the lack of quality youngsters coming through the Mariners ranks in recent times.

The Chairman said that "by the time our players get to 18 or 19 they need to be knocking on the door of the first team." Instead some youth products of the Laws/Buckley-era, such as Daryl Clare, Matty Bloomer and Adam Buckley have found themselves at lower division clubs, demonstrating their apparent unsuitability for Division One football.

The idea of an under 19 side might change the situation - with the young players building more of an understanding and getting regular football, rather than being cast aside to make way for trialists and first-teamers on their way back from injury.

Last season, Iain Ward was the only new face to emerge from the youth set-up, as the defender, who recently turned 19, made his debut in the final game of the season at Millwall.

Arguably the combination of injuries and the prolonged relegation battle kept Ward and fellow teenagers Chris Bolder and Graham Hockless from making the substitutes bench on a regular basis, but Furneaux's comments give a clear hint that the Mariners are hoping to bring more young players along, without having to rely on the 'cast-offs' of other sides.

Young striker Darren Mansaram travelled with the first team squad a few times towards the end of the season, but with the Mariners being forced to cut their wage bill, the 2002-2003 season could see far more involvement for the young Mariners.

Recent GTFC youth products still at the club

GKSteve Croudson21
DEF/MIDDanny Butterfield22
LBBen Chapman23
DEFIain Ward19
MIDChris Bolder19
MIDGraham Hockless19
ATTJonny Rowan20
ATTDarren Mansaram17

(Strictly speaking these are not all Grimsby youth products. For example, Butterfield was once on the books of Leicester, and Bolder and Hockless came to Blundell Park via Hull)


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