Club Takeover Completed

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 05/05/2021

GRIMSBY Town are under new ownership for the first time in 17 years with Jason Stockwood and Andrew Pettit taking over the club. The pair, who have taken GTFC over in the form of a company called 1878 Partners, replace directors John Fenty and Jonathan Wood.

The pair will be assisted on the football operations side by Mark Palmer who is Managing Director of Insight 63 Ltd, a UK-based football consultancy.

Former chairman Philp Day remains on the board for an unspecified period to ensure a smooth transition. Jason Stockwood will be Chairman for three years with Andrew Pettit serving as Vice Chairman, but they have stressed that it is very much a partnership of equals.

Mariners Trust now also have additional representation on the board in the form of Kristine Green, who joins Dave Roberts at the table.

Jason Stockwood said in a press release on the club's official site: "Grimsby Town belongs to the fans and the community: we are truly honoured to now be the custodians of the club, running it on their behalf. To that end, involving the fans is essential for us: we will listen carefully to them and will want their help in running the club properly and setting an ambitious, progressive and – crucially - sustainable vision for progress. The board will be launching a survey in the next few days to gather feedback crucial to the future planning of the club. We will also be organising a series of ‘Meet the Fans' engagements in conjunction with the Mariners' Trust.

"We're fully aware we've inherited a club in a challenging situation and we commit to be open and transparent about what we can and can't do - and to be realistic about the job in hand. We wish to give special thanks to Paul Hurst for all the hard work and commitment he and his team have been putting in to build the squad from a tough position. We look forward to continuing to work with Paul and the team into next season and beyond.

"Andrew and I are working as close partners on all decisions. We are passionate about Grimsby Town and I am deeply honoured and privileged to take on the role of Chair and have the opportunity to try and help the club improve over the next few years."

The pair have a massive task ahead of them with the challenges of getting the football club back into the League, resurrecting the new stadium plans and modernising the club after years of stagnation the obvious challenges. First and foremost will be to begin the job of assembling a side capable of an assault on the National League. The 2020-2021 season has been one of the worst in the club's history but at least it has ended on a high.

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