The Fishy - Grimsby Town FC

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How's Buckley Doing?

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 02/01/2007

AFTER 11 games in charge it's time to assess how Alan Buckley is doing, in comparison both to his immediate predecessors and also to his previous two spells at the Blundell Park helm. The answer is surprisingly well!

Despite Town having lost 4 out of the last 5 games, Buckley's performance is still better than any Grimsby manager since the 1970s, including his own two spells at the club.

Buckley's first six games were nothing short of sensational coming as they did after a dramatic dip in form under Graham Rodger; it seemed the maestro had returned after three years spent in the wilderness. But in recent matches the bubble has burst a little and Town have been found wanting. Tuesday's 4-0 defeat at home to Rochdale was a new low, the worst result at Blundell Park in over a decade, surpassing anything witnessed even during the dark days of Rodger.

On average the good still outweighs the bad and Buckley's position is still respectable. Here is the league table after 11 games in charge.

ManagerYearPWDLFAPtsGD
Lawrie McMenemy19711182128152613
George Kerr1979117221910239
Charlie Spencer19371161428181910
Bill Shankly1951115241515170
Tom Casey197511452106174
Don McEvoy1967114431312161
Haydn Price192011506151915-4
Frank Womack193211434222615-4
Bobby Kennedy196911362108152
Alan Buckley III20061142581514-7
Lennie Lawrence200011425101414-4
Bill Harvey196811425131614-3
Tim Ward196011425171814-1
Ron Ashman1973113531412142
Brian Laws199411344151813-3
Russell Slade2004114161212130
Bobby Roberts1987114161313130
Mike Lyons1985114162221131
Alan Buckley II1997113441310133
Wilf Gillow192411335101312-3
Jimmy McGuigan196411263151612-1
Graham Rodger II20061132691711-8
Kenny Swain199611254142111-7
George Fraser192111326111711-6
Paul Groves2001112545811-3
Allenby Chilton19551131781410-6
Alan Buckley I1988112367179-10
Billy Walsh19541122710288-18
Nicky Law20041122710218-11
David Booth19821115511188-7
Johnny Newman1976112188187-10
Tom Johnston19621121816247-8
H N Hickson19021114614217-7

Two of Town's most popular post-war managers Lawrie McMenemy and George Kerr lead the table after 13 games, with Town's most famous gaffer Bill Shankly weighing in in 4th place.

Grimsby's first ever manager H N Hickson got off to a miserable start in 1902, but was to last another 18 years at the helm! In his first season Hickson's side got relegated from what is now the Premiership and then were relegated from the football league in 1910. Town regained their league status the next season, but Hickson failed to restore Grimsby to the top flight, although his chances were interrupted by World War One.

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