The Diary

Cod Almighty | Diary

If you are in the Shetland Isles, say hello to the trust member

15 August 2017

Rise and Shine Diary writes: When I was at school, many moons ago, there was a maths teacher who used to happily trot out the old phrase "There's lies, damned lies and there's statistics" which used to frustrate me no end:

  1. Because it made no sense whatsoever; and
  2. Because he used to blink every time he pronounced a hard consonant, so the utterance of the word "statistic" left the whole of the class chasing handouts, loose pieces of paper and poorly pinned up work around the room from the ensuing draft caused by his fluttering eyelashes.

We also had a PE teacher who used to regularly re-enact the Mr Sugden scene from Kes – but cheating was nicely covered in yesterday’s most succinct of diaries.

Following on from the observation and comment by Wicklow Diary earlier this month I enquired about the demographics of the Mariners Trust membership, and Hannah Dawson kindly provided me with the information along with plenty of dialogue from both herself and Ian Townsend. This is a simplified snapshot from 12 August 2017, when the total membership was 2,162:

North East Lincolnshire 1,166 members
Lincolnshire 142
Yorkshire 58
North Lincolnshire 57
London 23
Buckinghamshire 14
Hertfordshire 11
Derbyshire 9
Lancashire 8
Nottinghamshire 8
Other England 75
Wales 6
Scotland 5 (including 1 member in the Shetland Islands)
Ireland 3
Other Countries 18
Unspecified 559

My initial observation was that it was a little different from the figures quoted on 29 July:


But with good dialogue it was confirmed that with the membership currently including those who took the free one-year option on renewal of last year's season ticket, there is an anticipated large reduction in membership.

So, in no particular order, here are my thoughts on the statistics on offer:

  • The overall number, particularly when you consider that just over 1,500 are free memberships, is low – of the order of 600.
  • The breakdown is heavily weighted towards lifetime memberships (presumably taken as part of Operation Promotion?) and therefore bringing in no annual revenue, along with the actual revenue being handed directly over to the club.
  • The junior membership is a healthy proportion of the number which bodes well for the future. However the senior membership is of a similar level, so what the Lord giveth with one hand he taketh with the other...
  • The level of exile membership is of the order of 25 per cent, but may well be greater if the "Unspecified" is apportioned similarly amongst the overall figures
  • I now understand what my Maths Teacher said about lies, damned lies and statistics.

With the above in mind it started me thinking about what I perceive to be the benefit of being a trust member. Way above anything else stands the feeling of owning a part of my club, a club that I have been part of, and has been a part of me since I was very young, a point I was rather poignantly reminded of by this morning’s tweet from our SLO.


Those of us that grew up in Grimsby and Cleethorpes have many childhood memories, hazy recollections of youthful exuberance and tales of rites of passage. But how many of the iconic places still exist in as stark a state as GTFC? The recent news regarding the Barge is yet another dagger through the heart of many exiles and is probably why we hanker, on our visits, to take our partners, offspring and friends to the places we hold so dear: the Dock Tower, Weelsby Woods’ lions, Steels Cornerhouse, Peoples’ Park. The list, unfortunately, grows ever shorter. I am fairly sure that if there was ever a crowdfunder to purchase one of the 1,000,000 bricks in the Dock Tower they would all be sold in next to no time.

To be honest I was never really a fan of the Barge. My formative drinking days revolved around the Rose & Crown on Louth Road and the County Hotel on Brighowgate with the occasional soiree to the Yarborough Vaults when word got out that the pool table was jammed so it was free games all round. Now while all three are still standing, they all have a different heart and soul to how I recall. One is a typical gastro pub doubling up as a passable (read what you will in to that) village local, one still has live music and real ale, and the other is a Wetherspoons.

If my annual membership of the trust allows me to feel in some way, shape or form that GTFC remains on the list of iconic Grimsby landmarks, no matter who is in residence, and it allows folks to share it with anyone who cares to listen, then I for one will back it. It's not worth standing by and allowing it to go the same way as Scaffa Baths, Cleethorpes Zoo / Pleasure Island or Cherry Garth Campsite; and if we do and it does then I fear it will be another nail in the coffin of the town of Grimsby.

To continue with the supporter’s group theme the fans' game scheduled for 29 August between The Internet Mariners and Donny R’sonists is now gaining some really positive support and publicity. Tomorrow one of the organisers, Iain Biglin, will be appearing on the Radio Humberside breakfast show to publicise the rebranding following consultation with the many involved and interested parties. The event is a follow up from last season's #BTeamBoycott of the EFL Trophy and is providing the means for supporters of all clubs to show just how they feel about the direction in which Shaun Harvey wishes to take lower-league football.

It is in no way intended to shun GTFC. As such the suggested donation (entry to the game will be free) reflects the amount of money a supporter might spend at a game - £5 for an adult represents the cost of a programme, a pie and a hot drink, and £2 for a junior/concession represents the cost of a bottle of pop and a chocolate bar – revenue which is not guaranteed to the club. Indeed, we are urging supporters who are not attending the game at Blundell Park to spend the equivalent of the entrance fee in the Club Shop as this will benefit the club far more.

Due to the hard work of the organisers and the generosity of many local organisations the set up and running costs are almost zero, so pretty well every penny raised will be supporting the three nominated charities. I am sure there will be plenty more about this game to follow in the next few days, weeks, and hopefully years.