It’s fair to say the majority of the last 20 years have been difficult ones for supporters of Grimsby Town.
Having spent the entire 1990s in what is now the Championship or the upper echelons of the third tier, the club have sunk to the depths of non-league on two separate occasions alongside fighting multiple relegation scraps this century.
Due to that rapidly declining trajectory, a large number of players have come and gone from Blundell Park; many of them have either significantly underperformed or have not lived up to expectations for various reasons.
Here, I examine a few of those names and rank the players who, in my view, have performed the worst while wearing a Mariners shirt since 2004. I understand that this is a personal choice. A lot of the time, football is an opinion game. Every supporter has their own opinions about players and their experiences on the East Coast, but I think the players on this list will give many Mariners pause when thinking back on their experiences.
Sam Kelly, a left-sided player, came to the Mariners from Port Vale prior to the 2017–18 League Two season.
Having previously been a member of the development setups for both Norwich City and Everton, the wideman was brought in by Grimsby manager Russell Slade as he assembled his team in preparation for his first full season back in command at Blundell Park during his second stint in the dugout.
It was evident very early that Kelly was not cut out for League Two football. Kelly was not at all suited for the fourth tier’s physicality and bustle. Despite having a good left foot, he was seldom ever seen on the pitch.
Kelly’s lacklustre performance in both league and cup play, coupled with his lacklustre appearance and apparent infatuation, left both Mariners supporters and the coaching staff dissatisfied with the winger. After just one season, Kelly was traded to Scottish team Hamilton Academical. Like his stints at Braintree Town, Billericay Town, and, to a lesser extent, Kings Lynn Town, where he made his final appearance three years ago, Kelly’s time in Scotland was equally limited.
Another left-handed player whose tenure at Blundell Park was a little lacklustre is Anthony Straker.
The Grenada international, who can play left full-back or as an attacking option on the left side of midfield, signed on as a free agent in February to bolster Paul Hurst’s promotion-chasing team for the 2015–16 National League season in order to bring depth to the team for the final stretch.
Fans of the Mariners at the time thought it was a wise move, as the veteran player had previously played for Motherwell, Southend United, York City, Wycombe Wanderers, and Aldershot Town. When fans realised Straker wouldn’t have any effect on their team’s results, they saw that he was clearly out of his element. This was immediately understood by manager Hurst as well, since the Grenada native would only make two incredibly forgettable league outings while wearing a Mariners uniform before returning to Aldershot in the summer of 2016.
During the disastrous 2020–21 season, which saw the Mariners finish bottom of the EFL and be demoted to the National League for the second time in 11 years, French forward Virgil Gomis signed a loan with Grimsby from Nottingham Forest.
Gomis, who had been on loan at Braintree Town, Notts County, and Macclesfield Town in the past, was one of many players brought in amid the confusion of a Covid-related campaign that was played behind closed doors. He left no impression. Conversely, Gomis appeared ungainly and ineffectual throughout his five league games at Blundell Park, scoring zero goals.
The last time the Frenchman was reported to be supporting Paris FC’s B squad in his native country was two years ago.
Back in 2011, young winger Luke McCarthy went on a brief loan from Bury to then-National League Grimsby. Though McCarthy’s tenure at Blundell Park was brief, many Mariners fans will find it difficult to connect the name to a person.
McCarthy was a complete ineffectiveness, too easily dismissed and sidestepped by devoted opponents, much like the previously mentioned Sam Kelly, who was little recognised in his six brief outings in black and white. McCarthy had short stints at Welsh clubs Airbus UK Broughton, Salford City, Mossley, and Droylesden after being later released by Bury.
Alhagi Touray Sisay, a Spanish-born striker, was another impulsive signing made by former Mariners manager Ian Holloway ahead of the disastrous 2020–21 campaign. However, Grimsby Town supporters remember him for all the wrong reasons.
As part of an ill-advised pre-season recruitment drive from Holloway, Sisay joined from Welsh club Aberystwyth Town, but he was unable to break into one of the poorest Mariners teams ever.
Additionally, the forward found it difficult to play regularly after being loaned to Cleethorpes Town, Grimsby’s eighth-tier neighbour. It should come as no surprise that Sisay left Blundell Park after just one season, having played in just two league and cup games for the Mariners. The forward currently plays in the after stints at Haverfordwest County and Accrington Stanley.
On the surface, Nick Colgan’s signing with Grimsby prior to the 2009–10 season seemed like a stable acquisition. Colgan is a seasoned custodian for Ireland. It was hoped that the former Hibernian and Barnsley stopper would offer a steady pair of hands behind the Grimsby back four, despite his somewhat of a nomadic past, especially in terms of short-term loan moves (he joined the Mariners from Chelsea in 1994, though he did not play at that time).
On the other hand, the opposite happened. Colgan appeared uneasy and unsteady right away, losing the trust of both supporters and teammates as a series of mistakes resulted in the soft surrender of numerous goals that could have been scored.
Grimsby Town supporters will always remember defender Glen Downey, who was born in Newcastle, even though he only made a few appearances while wearing a Mariners shirt for two reasons.
First, in a 2-1 victory over Wrexham, where the Mariners were forced to field an injured roster, he headed the game’s winning goal. Second, he’s remembered for doing so poorly compared to a professional football player that he was on the verge of becoming a cult figure. Grimsby supporters who witnessed their team’s League Cup away match against Derby County that season will never forget the sheer terror of watching Downey, who was once more substituted due to injuries, take on the County wingers who relentlessly pressed him down Grimsby’s left side.
You’re almost guaranteed to elicit laughter or a frown from any Grimsby Town supporter when you inquire about their feelings towards Tommy Forecast.
During the early part of the 2009–10 season, Southampton loaned in 6’6” custodian Forecast to replace the previously mentioned Nick Colgan, who had been sidelined for a few weeks due to a minor injury. That weekend, Forecast would play in his first professional match against Crewe Alexandra, and it would go down as one of the most embarrassing moments of his career.
The goalie appeared to be entirely lacking in confidence, which made it impossible for him to do even the most fundamental tasks related to goalkeeping. As Forecast proceeded from one disaster to another, Mariners supporters stared in terror, maybe the most notable getting lobbed by a pitch that came from inside his own six-yard box. Crewe went on to win 4-0, creating a memorable afternoon that is still remembered by fans of The Railwaymen and Grimsby.
Though Forecast went on to make a few appearances in the Non-League for teams like Eastbourne Borough, Bromley, and Chelmsford City, his career never really got going at any noteworthy level before he seemingly
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