Mentioned Part 1

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 22/07/2000 (Last updated: 17/01/2026)

"No disrespect to the likes of Grimsby..."

Notes From a Small Island

In his feelgood bestseller Notes From a Small Island, the American writer Bill Bryson observes that:

In 1966, Liverpool was still the second busiest port in Britain, after London. By 1985, it had fallen so low that it was smaller and quieter than even Tees and Hartlepool, Grimsby and Immingham.

In his two decades spent living in England, Bryson has acquired a decidedly Anglo-Saxon turn of phrase; but a born-and-bred Englishman would surely not have let the above passage go to print without finding room for the phrase 'the likes of'.
Spotted by Pete

In the Guardian

Middlesborough 0 Bradford 1

Blah, blah, boring, boring, cliche, cliche... "Boro fans gave them an intimidating reception.....It was a far cry from Blundell Park, say"

Yes indeed, we stuffed Bradford and made them look poor. But we had Lee Nogan playing for us then.
Tony

Over to Ceefax...

The Mariners appear to have shaken off the loss of stars Ivano Bonetti and Clive Mendonca in recent years but the lack of goals is still a concern.

At one stage last season unfashionable Grimsby looked on course to secure the position of play-ff dark horses that eventually went to triumphant Watford.

Manager Alan Buckley has to work on a shoestring to strengthen his squad.
Pete

Jack Carter's Law

I read a book the other day. It was Jack Carter's Law, by Ted Lewis - the follow-up to Get Carter (obviously, it was set before the first book).

A character, Lesley, comes from Grimsby.

The following exchange takes place -

[Lesley] Have you ever been to Grimsby?
[Carter] Only when Scunthorpe were away to them.
[Lesley] Up the bleeding Mariners.
"Buttock" Geoff (Geoff Corrin)

The author lived in Scunny and based the original story on the steel-town. The film merchants changed it to Geordie land, probably so Michael Caine's accent stood out more amongst our more northern brethren.
DP

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