MARINERS

Issue 2 - August 2016 

We’re on our way - 

Operation Promoted! 

FREE! 

MARINERS 

TRUST NEWS 

Issue 2 August / 2016

2 

CONTENTS 

OPERATION 

PROMOTED! / 4 - 7 

We only went and did it! We look back at how Grimsby 

Town FC turned Operation Promotion into Operation 

Promoted. 

HARRY DOES GLASTO / 10 

NASA, Glastonbury and the back of a fish van with 

comedian Rhod Gilbert? How on Earth does Harry 

Haddock seem to get to all of these places?! 

MEET THE BOARD / 11 

Our newest board member Hannah Dawson is this issue’s 

featured person in ‘Meet The Board’. 

PLAY ON THE PITCH / 12 

At the start of Wembley weekend 24 Mariners Trust 

members managed to participate in a ‘friendly’ game on 

the hallowed surface at Blundell Park. We feature the 

game - and those between the seniors and juniors. 

MINI MARINERS / 13 

Meet the young Town fans who travel the country 

watching their heroes. 

The Mariners Trust is a collective of Grimsby Town supporters who have a direct say in the running of the 

football club. There are approximately 1,400 members of the Trust. We are a Community Interest 

Company (CIC) and are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Our registration is IP29571R. 

We are a not-for-profit organisation and our work is for the benefit of the wider community and not for the 

financial benefit of our members. We work under the model rules and guidance of Supporters Direct and 

we are also members of the Football Supporters Federation (FSF). Find out more at 

www.marinerstrust.co.uk/about/ 

Special thanks go to Anne Boyers, the Grimsby Telegraph, Lee Blease, Paul Savage, Kristine Green and 

Hannah Dawson for the use of their photographs in this publication. 

For more information visit www.marinerstrust.co.uk or visit www.facebook.com/marinerstrust 


3 

Image by Anne Boyers 

TERRY RUDRUM, CHAIRMAN 

“Welcome back to the Football League to all fans of GTFC. We are looking forward to the challenge 

facing Paul and his relatively new team. I guess that we have to forget the Euros and concentrate on 

our domestic league. The Trust has been busy during the close season, working on Operation 3k to 

encourage 3,000 fans to buy a season ticket, something that has not been achieved this century. We 

are also working closely with the club on ticketing prices for those whom a season ticket is not 

appropriate, out of town exiles and shift workers for example, in order that they can get a discount 

on the number of games that they are able to attend. Details of this will be available shortly. We are 

also working on creating a Fan’s Charter, in order to try and encourage a positive attitude by our 

fans at all of our games and to try and eliminate negativity. We are looking, together with the Club, 

at updating their Charter with respect to its Disability clause. The Trust Board regret the decision of 

Dave Roberts to resign from the Club’s Board, but we respect his reasons for doing this. Enjoy the 

coming season. UTM.” 


4 

OPERATION PROMOTED: OFF THE PITCH THE FANS 

CLUBBED TOGETHER TO RAISE £110,000. ON IT, THE 

PLAYERS DID THE BUSINESS AT WEMBLEY. 

WE DID IT! 

After what has been one of the most unforgettable seasons in the recent 

history of Grimsby Town Football Club, it is now perhaps time to look back 

and reflect upon the humongous achievements of both the club and the 

fans. 

Operation Promotion was launched last June, with a humble target of 

£20,000 to be raised for the player budget. In true Grimsby Town fan style, 

this target was surpassed within the first day of fundraising! Fast forward 

two months and the grand total raised was in excess of £110,000 – an 

astonishing feat for a non-league football club - generously topped up by 

a £20,000 donation from the Mullen family. 

Of course there have been high points and low points throughout the 

season, but nevertheless, the crucial part of Operation Promotion was that 

it drew the fans, club and players much closer together, and it really 

enabled our promotion success to feel like a team effort on all sides. 


5 

Images by Anne Boyers 

During the course of the season, Grimsby Town had many successes on and off the pitch. Striker Padraig 

Amond became the National League joint top scorer with 30 goals, the re-launch of Harry Haddock saw an 

inflatable fish travel all over the world with numerous fans, and the #3fishtattoo craze began when fans pledged 

to get the fish from the GTFC badge tattooed on themselves if we reached our target of promotion. 

In the words of popular ground-hopper Adam Thurston: “You never lost faith, stuck by and gave your support 

and the Football League is a better place for having you.” Local and national news channels both praised 

Grimsby Town for their Operation Promotion efforts, as well as several clubs trying to create ‘copycat’ schemes 

with varying levels of results. 

The season culminated in an emotional and passionate performance at Wembley vs. Forest Green Rovers. 

Although both sides were eager to prove themselves, a 3-1 Grimsby victory saw two goals from Omar Bogle 

and a third in injury time from Nathan Arnold to break the ‘curse of the unlucky end’ and finally reclaim their 

position back in the Football League. There were tears, songs and the drink was flowing, and the win had finally 

washed away all the sorrows of the relegation six years previously. The 2015/16 Grimsby Town squad will surely 

go down as heroes in everyone’s eyes, as it was such a huge moment of importance in the club’s history. 

The season has been encapsulated in our Operation Promoted DVD which will be out soon - just £10! 

Looking forward to the new season, it is crucial the club and fans maintain the positive relationship which has 

been built, and strive to continue achieving amazing things both on and off the pitch. Town fans are well known 

for their passion, and in particular their supporter numbers at away games, so we need to get back out there in 

August and show the Football League exactly what they’ve been missing for six years! 


6 Images by Anne Boyers 


7 

Issue 1 March / 2016

8 

EARLIER THIS SUMMER, TRUST BOARD MEMBER DAVE 

ROBERTS OPTED TO STAND DOWN. HERE, IN HIS OWN 

WORDS, HE EXPLAINS HOW HE REACHED THE DECISION 

MY TIME ON THE BOARD 

Image courtesy the Grimsby Telegraph - (l/r John Fenty, Dave Roberts, Jon Wood and former Trust chair Chris Parker) 

You may have seen in the local press or via our 

communications that I have stepped down from my 

position of Grimsby Town Director and will also be 

giving up my role on the Trust Board in November. 

I have done this for purely personal reasons. Those 

who know me will understand that it is almost two 

years now that I have been in remission for 

leukaemia and I have had lots of messages 

concerned that it has returned. 

I am pleased to report that is not the case and my 

decision is not due to illness but in a way it is related 

in so much as when you go through something like 

that it does make you focus on the things you want 

to do in life. 

I have decided that now is the time to get on and 

do some of those things which means freeing up 

some time. I have to say that never in my wildest 

dreams did I think I would ever be a director of my 

beloved Grimsby Town. 

To get that opportunity via my work with the 

Mariners Trust is something I am very proud of and 

hopefully will inspire others with ambitions to get 


9 

“The whole experience has been an absolute 

privilege…” 

involved with the club. 

I would firstly like to pay tribute to my former 

fellow board members who are a very 

dedicated and hard working team who, like 

me, love the football club and are 

prepared to give 

up their time, 

a n d i n 

s o m e 

c a s e s 

money, 

for the 

cause. 

T h e y 

should 

b e 

respected 

f o r w h a t 

they do and 

although as fans we 

won’t always agree with decisions I can say 

from firsthand experience that all decisions 

are taken in the best interest of the Football 

Club. 

can say is that issues are often never as clear 

cut as they seem and there is nearly always 

more to them than can be made public. 

I would appeal to everyone to support the 

board as they strive to build on the 

momentum from last season and oversee 

what hopefully will be a further rise up the 

football league pyramid and a move to a 

wonderful new stadium. 

One thing I do know is that the fans 

representation is in very good hands through 

the stewardship of Trust chairman Terry 

Rudrum and the Trust representative on the 

GTFC board Jon Wood. 

Please give them all the support they need 

and make sure we maximise the benefit of 

having a say in OUR club. 

It might not always seem like it from the 

outside looking in but all directors do have an 

equal say and are free to look into any issue 

and have access to any information they wish. 

The whole experience has been an absolute 

privilege and hopefully I have managed to 

make a positive contribution during my 3 

years. 

I will certainly look on now with a different 

mindset to the one I had prior to being a 

director. 

Obviously I have been party to confidential 

information, and anything I did hear or see in 

that regard will remain that way, but what I 

Many other clubs’ supporters can only look 

on with envy with what we have achieved 

here at GTFC and long may that continue. 

Issue 2 August/ 2016

10 

THIS SUMMER HARRY HADDOCK HAS MET 

RHOD GILBERT, WATCHED BANDS AT 

GLASTONBURY, VISITED NASA AND EVEN 

FOUND HIS WAY TO THE EUROS IN FRANCE… 

In the last issue of our newsletter we featured Harry on his travels - from meeting Christ The Redeemer in Brazil to 

the Great Wall of China! 

Since then we have continued to be inundated with your photos has Harry has continued his globetrotting. And, as 

you can see, he’s seen some sights! As well as meeting comedian Rhod Gilbert (in the back of a fish van no less!), 

Harry was taken to Glastonbury, watched several matches at Euro 2016 and even visited NASA in Florida! 

If you have a photo of Harry in an exotic place - or even somewhere not quite so exotic! - please let us know. 

Send photos to board@marinerstrust.co.uk and we’ll feature the best in our next edition. 


11 

MEET THE BOARD MEMBERS 

My name is Hannah Dawson, I am 22 and have been a Mariners Trust Board Member since November 2015. My decision to 

become a Board Member was due to two main factors: wanting to do more to help my football club, and wanting to bring a 

fresh opinion to the Board (as females and the younger generation weren’t represented as much as they could be). My 

degree in Advertising & Marketing has enabled me to bring in my skills and knowledge, and my job at the time (Management 

Trainee at Enterprise Rent-a- Car) taught me to be diplomatic with a variety of different people. 

Now I have completed my degree, I have started employment at Chattertons Solicitors, which gives me more spare time to 

help the Trust and GTFC. I have already put my Advertising skills to good use in designing various graphics and projects, and 

am excited to make an impact in other areas too. As part of the sub-committee for the Open Day, I am looking forward to 

helping make this as fun a day for everyone as it has been in the past. 

Looking to the future, I would like to see the Trust continue with the high interactivity levels on social media with all the fans. 

However, I do feel it is important to look at more ways of reaching the fans which are unable to use social media frequently, 

including younger children. Based on the positive reception of our first newsletter, this is a great way of letting more fans hear 

what we are up to. I also plan to have more involvement in maintaining a positive relationship with the football club, as I feel it 

is important to understand the differing views on issues, and be able to confidently represent the supporter’s views also. 

Since joining the Trust Board, I have met some brilliant and extremely hard working people, and I am proud to be 

representing the fans that all make this club so special. For anyone wanting to contact me regarding GTFC or Trust issues, 

don’t hesitate to follow me on Twitter (HannahGTFC). 


12 

Photos courtesy of Hannah Dawson 

TRUST MEMBERS PLAY ON THE PITCH 

For some Mariners Trust members, the famous promotion 

weekend kicked off in style on Friday, 13 May at Blundell 

Park. Fans of all ages and abilities came together for the 

chance to play on the hallowed turf and enjoy an 

unforgettable experience, putting in tackles worthy of Craig 

Disley and shooting like they were Clive Mendonca! 

The evening started with a Junior match and a Walking 

Football match on each half of the pitch, which drew in many 

friends and family members. Daniel Barker, a member of the 

Trust’s Walking Football team said: “It was amazing to play on 

the pitch at the home of my heroes, to score a hat-trick was 

something else!” 

Following on from these matches, the Adults game saw two 

mixed sides emerge from the tunnel in full GTFC home and 

away kits. A fiery first few minutes left some of the teams out 

of breath, but the rolling subs kept the game going for the 

full 90 minutes with no casualties! 

Trust member Leon Harding said: “I would urge anybody 

who isn’t yet a member of the Trust to join because of 

opportunities like this,” and dubbed the event as “a great 

start to a historic weekend I will never forget.” 

Fellow Trust member Huw Davey added: “The Trust Play on 

the Pitch event was a great night and really well organised. It 

was great to get the chance to play on Blundell Park and 

meet some fellow Mariners!” 

Simon Stephenson added: “Gracing the Blundell Park pitch is 

everyone’s boyhood dream being a Grimsby Town fan. 

Everything seems to have a good vibe. The Trust is the best 

thing that’s happened in a long time for GTFC fans.” 

The Mariners Trust would like to thank everyone involved 

with the running and participation during the evening, and 

will hopefully see some familiar faces back again next year to 

try their luck once more! 


13 

WELCOME TO THE MINI MARINERS 

Three avid young supporters of Grimsby Town Football club, 

Kieran (11), Harry (eight) and Kloe (seven) have travelled up 

and down the country during the Mariners successful 15-16 

season. 

They witnessed the highs on the road such as the win at 

Bognor Regis to set up a Trophy final appearance, the epic 

win at Braintree and the crazy if restricted view at Aldershot. 

Following the Mariners isn’t without its despair having 

witnessed horrible losses at Halifax and Gateshead. 

One thing however remained throughout the rollercoaster 

ride of the season just gone…. pride and passion towards a 

club and its players that they now call their friends. A season 

which culminated in an open top bus ride around the 

town with their heroes. Memories and moments that will live 

forever and be shared for generations to come. 

So what next? More adventures, new players that will become 

heroes and new grounds to visit and it’ll all be documented 

here: minimarinersgtfc.wordpress.com 

Showing that following the ‘Grimsby away’ can and often is 

an enjoyable experience regardless of age. Even if you travel 

on your own with your children, we are at the end of the day 

all there for the same reason…. #UTM 


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Issue 2 August/ 2016

MARINERS

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