Reserve Team Axed

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 11/05/2011

GRIMSBY will no longer play reserve team football next season, instead opting for ad hoc friendly games with neighbouring teams if the need is felt for a second string game.

The Mariners reserve side ended up bottom of the Totesport.com League East last season, and with a smaller squad planned for next year, the new managers feel that a fixed number of formal games do not suit their plans.

The Mariners have been threatening to abandon reserve team football for a number of years now, but it has taken the impetus of the new managerial duo to finally pull the plug.

Joint Town boss Paul Hurst told the Grimsby Telegraph: "We won't be in the Reserve league next season. I don't think you get that much out of it in the current format.

"Rob and I feel we have enough good contacts to arrange games as and when we need them at that level; maybe even more regularly. We can arrange games to give players a match on their way back from injury or even to look at potential loan signings. I think it can work better for us that way."

The move is not to save money though according the Hurst. "We may well make savings; not having to travel away as much. If it helps in that way then that's all well and good. But it's something we feel will benefit us more from a footballing perspective," he explained.

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