Mariners Daring Bid To Bring Mendonca Back Halted!

By: The Grimsby Telegraph
Date: 22/11/2001

AN ambitious plan to bring Clive Mendonca back to Blundell Park has been been temporarily halted by injury. Manager Lennie Lawrence, backed by the board, was set to bring "Super Clive" home on loan this week after keeping tabs on his rehabilitation with Charlton reserves.

In the report in the Grimsbv Telegraph it was revealed that the £3,000 a week wages were to be paid by Mariners' director Colin Graves, head of the Costcutters supermarket chain but added that after playing for the Premiership club's second string on Tuesday night Mendonca reported in on Wednesday with a sore knee and the deal had to be shelved.

"Clearly, if that kind of money is being paid then Clive would have to be playing for us and not be sat in the treatment room," said chairman Peter Furneuax.

The return of fans' hero Mendonca would have been a major coup for the club.

It would have been similar to the Matt Tees return around 30 years ago when the goalscoring legend doubled the gate in his first game and went on to lead Town to the Division Four Championship under Lawrie McMenemy.

Mendonca, now 33, scored 59 goals in 166 league games for Town before joining the Addicks for £700,000 in 1997.

He netted a memorable hat trick in the Division One play-off final but his Charlton career then went downhill through injury.

Town boss Lennie Lawrence said that Mendonca's latest injury means any deal has been shelved for the best part of a month.

"It's on the backburner. The intention was to go and watch him play and it was a waste of time," said the manager.

"There's no further Reserve game for Charlton for two weeks and it's not going to happen until I've seen him play.

"If I bring anyone in, Clive Mendonca or anybody, and they spent the best part of the next six months in the treatment room, I'd never forgive myself."

Report from www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk

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