League Two Form Guide

		P	GD	Pts
1	Doncaster	6	+13	18
2	Stockport	6	+12	18
3	Wrexham	6	+13	15
4	Sutton Utd	6	+4	13
5	Harrogate Town	6	+5	11
6	Colchester	6	+2	10
7	MK Dons	6	+1	10
8	Mansfield	6	0	10
9	Bradford	6	-2	10
10	Swindon	6	0	9
11	Walsall	6	-4	9
12	Gillingham	6	-1	8
13	Crawley Town	6	+1	7
14	Notts County	6	0	7
15	Grimsby	6	-1	7
16	Barrow	6	-3	7
17	Tranmere	6	-4	7
18	Salford	6	-1	6
19	Morecambe	6	-5	6
20	Crewe	6	-5	6
21	AFC Wimbledon	6	-3	5
22	Accrington Stanley	6	-6	4
23	Forest Green	6	-11	3
24	Newport County	6	-10	0

Full Form Table
Prem|Champ|L1|NL|VN|VS
SPL|SC|S1|S2

Taking The Risk!

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 05/03/2004

THE appointment of Nicky Law as manager is a bold step for the board of Grimsby Town FC. Reading between the lines one can see that they have made a fairly hefty financial commitment.

Home > Editorials > Taking the Risk

Paul Groves has to be paid off for his manager's contract and the club are already having difficulties with that. Rodger too was probably getting an additional payment for his stint as caretaker manager.

With the club's current financial position, they really cannot afford to bring another new face into the club unless someone is paying and that can only be the board members.

So those who continually call for the sacking of this board are really not facing reality. Whatever one thinks of the individual board members, one thing is clear. They are the ones who have kept us going.

Gate receipts are not sufficient to pay the way and the only other income we get is from the much criticised commercial department who, in actual fact, raise more money per capita than most other clubs in this and the first division.

There are those who claim that appointing Law is a great risk, but surely this would be the case whoever was appointed, and, in any case, this club has been in the risk taking business since they appointed Groves as manager.

The advantage of appointing someone from outside of the club, whoever he is, is that he will have no preconceived ideas about the players. The players who are the 'manager's favourites' may find themselves outside the ring and those players who are branded 'rubbish' by the fans but seem to get a place every week may soon be looking elsewhere for a game.

As for players, it is OK saying there are two loan spots available, but loan players will not be here at the end of the season and the new manager must look further than saving us from relegation.

That is the initial target but in concentrating solely on that and not looking towards the following season, could see us with an empty dressing room come season's end and that is too short a time to start building a team.

We presently have Rankin, Thorpe and Daws on loan and these are the players who are currently setting the pace. They would not be on loan to us if their own clubs thought they were worth keeping so they could be going cheap.

With players out of contract in the Summer, we have to start looking at who we have left. These three are players who we have tried and so far they have done well for us.

So if Law feels that all or just one of the above can be signed, then the cash has to be found and one would be right in assuming that he will want some cash if he is to get the job done.

But the board must have known that when they appointed him so that, plus the commitment they have made, really is a bold step.

So the appointment of a new manager is not the end of the story. With a new face on the scene things change, hopefully for the better.

So this may be one of those times when we just might be able to see a ray of sunshine through our pains and woe.

Maybe the future is bright.

Who knows? We might just make it back from the brink! I guess it's another of those 'wait and see' periods!

But we should not give up hope yet!

This site is by the fans, for the fans, and we will consider articles on any subject relating to the Mariners whether it be related to current news, a nostalgic look back in the past, a story about a player, a game or games in the past, something about Blundell Park or football in general. Click here to submit your article!

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Taking The Risk!

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