| It's
looking Grim
Grimsby Town v Darlington
Coca-Cola League Two
Saturday
26th September 2009, 3pm
Grimsby finished in another disappointing position and were dicing
with relegation for too long last season.
Ex-Poolie
and Luton boss Mike Newell is in the hot seat for his first full
season and he will need to turn things around.
Man
to watch Barry Conlon We know what he can do - one of two ex-Darlo strikers who could cause us problems
Full match preview on the D@rlo
Uncovered website.

Blundell Park is of course, as every
anorak knows, in Cleethorpes - not in Grimsby itself. This is good on a
number of counts - not just the fresh sea air, the choice of fish and chip
shops, but a few decent pubs.
Away fans are housed in the Osmond Stand behind the goal, where
there is loads of room l - ticket prices are pegged for a third
season to£18, £12 OAPs and 15-18-year-olds, £8 juniors
14 and under.
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Grimsby Town FC:
Blundell Park, Cleethorpes, Lincs, DN35 7PY
Tel: (01472) 605 050 Official
website
History: Formed in 1878, turned professional in 1890 and
founder members of League Division 2 in 1892.
Record Attendance: 31,651 v Wolves FA Cup, 20 Feb 1937 Capacity: 9,106.
Last season: 22nd
Honours: Div 2 champions 1900/02, 1933/34; Div 3 champions
1979/80; Div3N champions 1925/26, 1955/56; Div 4 champions 1971/72;
Auto Windscreens Trophy & Div 2 play-off, 1998
Record victory: 10-0 v Boston Town, FA Cup, 24 October 1891
Defeat: 1-9 v Arsenal, Div 1, 28 Jan 1931
Nickname: The Mariners.
Colours: Black and white stripes.
Manager: Mike Newell
Chairman: John Fenty
Players in: Nick Colgan (Sunderland), Barry Conlon (Bradford), Adrian Forbes (Millwall), Paul Linwood (Chester) Adam Proudlock
(Darlington), Michael
Leary (Barnet), Peter Sweeney (Leeds), Joe Widdowson (West
Ham),
Players out: Paul Bolland (Macclesfield), Tom Newey and Gary Montgomery (released)
Famous fans/players/connections: Paul Futcher (player). There's a fantastic list of local celebs but none known to venture down to Blundell Park.
Click for Streetmap of ground |

A straightforward place to find, off the
M180. Take the A4180 signs to Cleethorpes and the stadium is well sign-posted. Street parking is the only real option. 
AA Radiocars 01472 696969 Minicabs: 01472 360000 1st A&N Taxis 01472 600600 Fon-a-Car 01472 200300
Darlington FC Supporters Club
Coach. 11am, cost £15. Contact:
01325 243911. See Darlington
Supporters' Club for more details. Payment for each coach trip
must be either paid for in full before travel, or a 50% non-refundable
deposit paid in advance. Anyone wishing to travel on the coaches
must join before the day of travel
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Trains: A simple,
15 minute walk to Blundell Park. Left out of the station and along
the seafront until you come to the ground!
Darlington (TRAIN TIMES UPDATED, Aug 09). 09.31 (Doncaster,
10.28) 10.42-arr Cleethorpes 11.54. Rtn: 17.28 (Doncaster, 1840)
19.20 arr 20.12. Fares: Off peak return £49.60.
Birmingham New Street 08.30 (Sheffield, 09.46) 10.11 arr
11.54. Rtn: 17.28 (Sheffield, 19.08) 19.23-arr 20.27. Fares: £44.30.
Sheffield 10.11 arr 11.54. Rtn: 17.28-arr 19.08. Fares from £18.20
London Kings Cross: 08.30 (Doncaster, 10.11) 10.42 arr
Cleethorpes 11.54. Rtn: 17.28 (Doncaster, 18.40) 18.52 arr 20.35. Fares from £73.70
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Willy's Pub and Brewery, 17 High Cliff Road (A1098), Cleethorpes
Real ale enthusiast's
pub on the seafront main road (less than 10 minutes walk south from
station), including their own ale - unsurprisingly called Willy's
- brewed next door. They also have a good lunchtime menu. Click
for streetmap DAFTS recommended.
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The Leaking Boot, Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes
Ugly-looking but an away-fan friendly pub a quarter of a mile from
the ground, which also does good food as well as Vaux ales. DAFTS
recommended Click
for streetmap
The Smugglers Inn, 12-14 High Cliff Road, Cleethorpes
Another decent choice of ales on the seafront, almost next door to Willy's
brew-pub. Banks and Smiles during our visit, Sky TV and hearty lunches.
Quite a large cellar bar this, with various rooms. Open from 12 noon.
At the ground at the visitors end is Scotties Bar, open from 1.30pm, includes TV and pies and peas.
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 No 1 Refreshment Room, 1 Station Approach, Cleethorpes.
Excellent real ale pub at Cleethorpes station, with up to five ales
on. There's also a children's room and pool table.
Just off the end of the
platforms at the station entrance a few yards away is the smaller "sister"
pub, No 2 Refreshment Room, with a similar range of ales.DAFTS
recommended.
The Signal Box Inn, Pleasure Island station, Coast Light Railway, Cleethorpes
If you've time and a magnifying glass, across town is another railway
pub and one which claims to be the world's smallest inn. It's
8ft x 8ft and can serve four customers seated and two standing
at once, although if the weather is fine there is a beer garden.
It also serves five Hampshire real ales.
|

 Do I really need to mention the fish and chips? Good choice
on the seafront. There is also an excellent Indian restaurant (open lunchtimes)
next to The Nottingham pub (corner of the seafront and Alexander Road).
In the ground, there were good value pies at only £1.50 each and coffee
in those plastic cups that burn your hands... |
My experience of Cleethorpes - the butt
of many a Les Dawson one-liner - is as an "OK" traditional seaside
town, with the usual pub nightlife you might associate with such a place;
decent fish and chips and in honour of the local industry. The Cleethorpes-ites
have a strange habit of being in perpetual pub crawl, so don't seem to hang
around at any bar much. There are quite a few pubs which are pretty poor and rough, but the ones we've listed are fine - among them are some good ale pubs.
There are plenty
of rides and amusements on the promenade, straight out of the railway station.
Other attractions include the Cleethorpes
Light Railway and in Grimsby, the Fishing Heritage Centre, Alexandra
Dock, (next to Sainsbury).
Tourist Information Centre, 42-43 Alexandra Road (01472)
3231111 or e-mail.
The Tourism website frankly
isn't very good, although there are telephone numbers for places to stay
- no shortage this time of year, though not all open all year around.
One that is open, on the front, and which we stayed at is Holmhirst
Safari Hotel and Restaurant, 3 Alexandra Rd, Cleethorpes, 01472
692656.
Rail
timetables
Virgin
Trains
GNER
National
Express
Online
map
Hotels/B&Bs
Grimsby Telegraph
Cleethorpes Online
NE Lincs Council
Surfing
there...
Spoilt for
choice for websites. There's the truly wonderful
Cod Almighty webzine, worth a look at any time, not just around
the match for something cheerfully different and well written. There
is also the official
site of course.
Next
away match:
Dagenham (Sat 10th October)

Anything worth
adding? Please e-mail us
any suggestions.
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