Joy in the Stadium of Emptiness

By: Andrew Doherty
Date: 17/09/2025

IT'S remarkable how off-field matters can contrive to overshadow special events such as tonight's Carabao Cup encounter with Sheffield Wednesday. After the excitement of the previous round in particular, for Town fans there was much to look forward to in this diversion from league action.

Not so much if you were one of the "group of 2,000". Whilst I understand the need to plan for crowd control, safety, security and even catering, to say that "unless there are 2,000 of you, you can't come, but you will be refunded" is contemptuous of supporters who would have to arrange things like travel costs, work and family responsibilities, to then be potentially told you can't come. Taken to its logical conclusion, Hillsborough should have been empty tonight with no supporters allowed to create problems for the home club. Sheffield Wednesday's supporters, already protesting about their owner and the state of their club, appeared to have got the memo, and by not turning out, their ageing, monolithic stadium was the Great Emptiness. Football seems to be increasingly less about supporters who attend games, yet clubs declare losses and bleat about "atmosphere". To be fair, this criticism is not aimed at our own club, which handled the ticketing arrangements for the Manchester United game in the fairest way possible and in a way that enabled as many Town supporters as possible to see their own team at first hand, following this up with the generous promise to make up any shortfall if the 2,000 was not reached. So up yours Sheffield Wednesday, with whose supporters I have sympathy, and well done to Town's owners and Chief Executive.

Once again, there's a free-hit element to this game tonight. After Saturday's stuttering performance, we have the freedom of the vast spaces of Hillsborough and the opportunity to bring the expansive style that we showed against our previous opponents. Sheffield Wednesday are struggling financially, with poor early-season results, but let's not forget they are two divisions above us and beat Leeds in the last round.

Town's starting XI tonight was: Pym - Rodgers, Warren, McJannet, Staunton - McEachren - Amaluzor, Green, Khouri, Vernam - Kabia. With no Rose or Gardner, Town looked thin in the striking department just as Sheffield Wednesday looked thin in the attending department. Town wore their white third kit tonight here in front of the crowd of 9,424, the majority being Town supporters.

A poor back pass by McGhee on 3 minutes presented an opportunity but Wednesday quickly closed ranks. Wednesday keeper Horvath was forced to punch clear under pressure from Green after 8 minutes. A dribble from Vernam resulted in a foul and a free kick on the left edge of the box. Horvath unconvincingly punched Vernam's stinging free kick clear. Kabia had a chance after a McJannet clearance and Green layoff but his volley went wide. 15 minutes had passed with Town having the more meaningful attacks so far. McGhee was booked after his attempt to stop Amaluzor overlapping on the right. Vernam's free kick was poor, but Town persisted before committing a foul and ending the attack. By the half way mark the game hadn't really got going but Town had shown greater purpose. Finally Wednesday put a move together and moved up quickly with Lowe finding Kobacki on the right. The cross came in for Brown but Warren put in a brilliant challenge. With 30 minutes gone, neither side had been able to establish control. The game had a pause on 32 minutes after an injury to Wednesday's Johnson. Following the injury Wednesday made a double substitution, suggesting their manager wasn't satisfied. Town had an attack but fiddled around on the left, allowing the Wednesday defence to close them down. Town were making hard work of out on the left. Staunton received a yellow card for a mistimed tackle on midfield on Fusire. It was Fusire who started a move on 44 minutes which led to McJannet conceding a corner. Good work by Green earned Town a corner moments later. Staunton's cross led to a clash of heads between Weaver and Warren as halftime approached. The half ended at 0 - 0. Town's attacks had been cumbersome while Wednesday had shown pace in the counter attack, but overall the half was lacking in action and quality.

Town started the second half on the offensive, winning a free kick on 48 minutes when Fusire fouled Khouri. Vernam's free kick from 25 yards was good. Horvath tipped it over for a corner. Staunton's corner curled in. Kabia ran on to meet it with his head. With a deflection off Shipston the ball went in. Wednesday 0, Town 1. Town's 5,000 supporters went wild. Town continued to press. Amaluzor shot wide before shoving the ball home after a mazy run and cross from Walker who had replaced Green. But Amaluzor was offside. Wednesday had an opportunity. McGhee went close but was adjudged offside. Town were playing well. On 57 minutes the youthful Alao tripped Amaluzor. Vernam's free kick found Kabia's head but Horvath gathered the ball safely. Town broke after a Wednesday attack. Kabia's cross was headed clear. Vernam then found Walker who won a corner. Khouri's shot was saved. The game had come to life. Walker had a shot on 61 minutes which went wide as Town sought to maintain their dominance. Wednesday won a free kick in the right corner after Vernam could Shipston. McGhee headed over from the cross. Rodgers put Town under pressure with two poor passes, the second resulting in the imperious McJannet throwing himself across to head clear. Kabia's did really well to keep the ball in play on 68 minutes. Kabia's found Vernam who set himself up but his curled shot was high and wide. Kabia's went down injured on 69 minutes. Wednesday in the meantime brought on two substitutes including the talismanic Bannan. Kabia's injury was a concern with no obvious replacement frontman. With 75 minutes gone Town looked comfortable but there was still only one goal in it. Town's fans sang jubilantly. But these were tense moments. Otegbayo almost sent Lowe through after Kabia was almost sent through from a Warren pass, appearing to be pulled by Weaver. Oduor and Burns replaced Vernam and Kabia's on 79 minutes. Walker broke fire in midfield a minute later but Otegbayo pulled him down and received a yellow card for his troubles. Town looked to play the ball as is the way with David Artell's approach, using the time constructively instead of sitting back. Thornton broke up the right for Wednesday but Town's defence kept its shape and cleared the threat. Seven minutes remained. Town forced Wednesday to start a move from their corner flag. Eccleston replaced Khouri with 87 minutes gone. Wednesday won a corner moments later as Town defended and backed each other up. Warren blocked an Ugbo shot as Wednesday finally applied pressure on Town's defence. 5 minutes were added. Wednesday moved the ball around. Oduor was dispossessed but Eccleston came to the rescue, winning a throw-in on the right. McEachren led a break but won a throw in spite of overrunning the ball. Town were in the Wednesday half. Wednesday broke out but Warren intercepted the cross and headed back to Pym before Staunton won a free kick in the corner. There was no time left for Wednesday. It ended: Sheffield Wednesday 0, Grimsby Town 1.

Once again, it was a magnificent performance from Town. Wednesday were awful but after a largely lacklustre first half, Town came out and played with flair in the second half. Wednesday attempted to respond but their own clumsiness was met with a resilient and organised defence. Overall, Town controlled possession. This was no rearguard action. Town were superior tactically and technically. Town's fans made up the majority of the crowd, providing the noise and the jubilation as we celebrated this victory in the emptiness of Hillsborough.

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