Our Fishy Friends | Page 8 | Vital Football

Our Fishy Friends

Scotimp said:
Not only are they a shambles from playing and boardroom perspectives, Grimsby are in an even deeper mire because they failed to spend money on ground redevelopment when everyone else was doing so. How many other Football League clubs can you name that failed to redevelop their facilities after the Bradford fire? I genuinely can't think of another one. Parts of Blundell Park date back to 1925, and that is not really acceptable in 2020. They are now faced with having to redevelop the ground (or build a new one) while trying to revive the club on and off the field. Someone is going to need a lot of money.
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The land that BP occupies is hardly the most desirable for a whole host of reasons and is almost certainly not going to raise the capital to facilitate the move the club so desperately needs.

They really are in a tailspin with no obvious way out out it!
 
The Electric Banana said:
The land that BP occupies is hardly the most desirable for a whole host of reasons and is almost certainly not going to raise the capital to facilitate the move the club so desperately needs.

They really are in a tailspin with no obvious way out out it!
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The more I think about that aspect, the less sympathy I have for them. After the Bradford fire (1985), practically every other club spent money redeveloping antiquated facilities that dated back to the early 20th century and suffered on the pitch because they had less to spend on players. To cite an obvious example, would Lincoln have been relegated in 1986 and 1987 if they had not been obliged to demolish half of SB and fund new stands? That continued until 1995, when the Linpave was opened. Part of the money came from FGIT grants, but the club paid for a lot of it too. Grimsby, on the other hand, spent the square root of nothing on Blundell Park and were promoted in 1990, 1991 and again in 1998: would they really have been able to spend eleven seasons in the second tier, had they done what everyone else was doing? All of that dates back to pre-Fenty, and is a major part of their current problems.
 
Scotimp said:
The more I think about that aspect, the less sympathy I have for them. After the Bradford fire (1985), practically every other club spent money redeveloping antiquated facilities that dated back to the early 20th century and suffered on the pitch because they had less to spend on players. To cite an obvious example, would Lincoln have been relegated in 1986 and 1987 if they had not been obliged to demolish half of SB and fund new stands? That continued until 1995, when the Linpave was opened. Part of the money came from FGIT grants, but the club paid for a lot of it too. Grimsby, on the other hand, spent the square root of nothing on Blundell Park and were promoted in 1990, 1991 and again in 1998: would they really have been able to spend eleven seasons in the second tier, had they done what everyone else was doing? All of that dates back to pre-Fenty, and is a major part of their current problems.
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It'll still be Fentys fault though. Whilst delighted he's a Cod not an Imp he really is a complete and utter scapegoat for absolutely anything negative that happens at that club.( some of which is fully deserving including the latest unravelling soap drama ,but certainly not all). It wasn't Fenty that drove Hurst out but he still copped it from some quarters. They really do seem to have a very simplistic approach to their outlook... get rid of Fenty and all will come good... Not going to that easy though, there's no magic wand but no doubt once he has left then he'll still get the blame for anything that goes wrong.
 
Scotimp said:
The more I think about that aspect, the less sympathy I have for them. After the Bradford fire (1985), practically every other club spent money redeveloping antiquated facilities that dated back to the early 20th century and suffered on the pitch because they had less to spend on players. To cite an obvious example, would Lincoln have been relegated in 1986 and 1987 if they had not been obliged to demolish half of SB and fund new stands? That continued until 1995, when the Linpave was opened. Part of the money came from FGIT grants, but the club paid for a lot of it too. Grimsby, on the other hand, spent the square root of nothing on Blundell Park and were promoted in 1990, 1991 and again in 1998: would they really have been able to spend eleven seasons in the second tier, had they done what everyone else was doing? All of that dates back to pre-Fenty, and is a major part of their current problems.
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When did they build the findus/ John smiths stand? Early 80s? The rest of the 'redevelopment ' is basically attaching seats on terrace.
Land before time, cleethorpes
 
Davidimp said:
When did they build the findus/ John smiths stand? Early 80s? The rest of the 'redevelopment ' is basically attaching seats on terrace.
Land before time, cleethorpes
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1982. Although by far the most modern part of the ground, even that is now almost 40 years old. Grimsby didn't pay for that either - it was entirely paid for by Findus, hence the name of it to begin with.

By the way, I have to apologise for an error in my original post. I said that parts of the ground dated back to 1925, but that is incorrect: the main stand was built in 1901.
 
Long suffering Imp said:
It'll still be Fentys fault though. Whilst delighted he's a Cod not an Imp he really is a complete and utter scapegoat for absolutely anything negative that happens at that club.( some of which is fully deserving including the latest unravelling soap drama ,but certainly not all). It wasn't Fenty that drove Hurst out but he still copped it from some quarters. They really do seem to have a very simplistic approach to their outlook... get rid of Fenty and all will come good... Not going to that easy though, there's no magic wand but no doubt once he has left then he'll still get the blame for anything that goes wrong.
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To be fair, all Hurst wanted was for the Club to employ a strength and conditioning coach and Fenty said no so he was one of the reasons Hurst left. Fenty wasn't prepared to update their behind the scenes staff. They're still stuck in the dark ages of a manager, assistant and GK coach and that's it.

Hurst wanted to build the Club up, start including sport science, fitness expertise etc and wasn't allowed to do so.
 
Luke Imp said:
To be fair, all Hurst wanted was for the Club to employ a strength and conditioning coach and Fenty said no so he was one of the reasons Hurst left. Fenty wasn't prepared to update their behind the scenes staff. They're still stuck in the dark ages of a manager, assistant and GK coach and that's it.

Hurst wanted to build the Club up, start including sport science, fitness expertise etc and wasn't allowed to do so.
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Only Hurst knows the full reasoning behind his departure and its reasonable that the above factors played their part but fingers were also pointed at the weight of expectation from the fans, indeed he left leaving them 8th in the table whilst getting a shed load of grief whilst still at the club on the Fishy for his efforts despite surely being the most successful manager in recent history.
 
Scotimp said:
1982. Although by far the most modern part of the ground, even that is now almost 40 years old. Grimsby didn't pay for that either - it was entirely paid for by Findus, hence the name of it to begin with.

By the way, I have to apologise for an error in my original post. I said that parts of the ground dated back to 1925, but that is incorrect: the main stand was built in 1901.
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Seem to remember reading in Simon Inglis’ Football grounds of Britain that there aren’t even any foundations on this stand. Remarkable that its still in use today. In relation to lack of improvements, think they’ve been trying to relocate for years. First to Great Coyes and more recently an area at the end of Peaks Parkway so it makes no real sense in spending other than essential maintenance. In any case, despite of all it’s many failings and the removal of the old corner terracing, Blundell Park is one of the last real old school grounds. I for one will miss it when it goes.
 
They're surely far too smart to take over there when they can sit on their Huddersfield payoffs for a fair while yet. As I understand it, they keep getting paid for the duration of their contract as long as they don't take another job. Some suggestion it only applies to Championship-level jobs though. I'm not sure they've got anything to gain by taking over that train-wreck. A lot to lose, though.
 
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