Month by month
August 2003
A new hope
September 2003
The Mariners strike back
October 2003
Return of the Geordie
November 2003
Great, kids - now don't get cocky
December 2003
All too easy
January 2004
Watch out for those fighters
February 2004
Stay on target
March 2004
The emperor's March
April 2004
Almost there
May 2004
Let's blow this thing and go home
About this series
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April 2004: Almost there
Mat Hare
4 August 2003
April is a short month in terms of league fixtures. Grimsby Town have just four matches this month. Which is good because most of the squad are injured or tired by this stage of the season. But they will have to be fit enough to face a trip to Luton, then games against Chesterfield (h), Oldham (a) and Port Vale (h).
March saw Grimsby unbeaten and conceding only one goal. Can they maintain that sort of form and win the Second Division? They make a promising start to April by beating Luton 3-0 with Boulding among the scorers. But then along comes one of those games that a team doesn't deserve to lose but loses anyway. Yes, Town go down 1-0 against Chesterfield, having the better of the game in virtually every aspect but they still don't get any points. In the next match they drop two more points, and are lucky to get anything from the match. Boulding gets one of Town's goals in the 2-2 draw with Oldham but it's the Lancashire side who look the better throughout. Boulding again tries to set Town off on the right foot, opening the scoring in a 3-0 win over Port Vale, two of the goals coming in the 90th minute. Leaving it a bit late there lads.
So this month seems to belong to Boulding, and indeed it should. He has weighed in with some crucial goals and now leads Livvo 28-27 in the Blundell Park goal charts. But it is Livvo who is still turning in the consistently good performances, his average rating for the season to date being 7.61 out of 10 - fifth best in the division. Livvo still leads the Grimsby assists league with 16 and also has the most man of the match awards with 10.
Another patchy month from Town, getting only seven points from four games. My initial gut feeling is that this isn't going to be good enough. But it seems I need to go and see my doctor about my gut feeling because it's wrong. Grimsby Town have done enough and the Mariners are promoted. But maybe not as champions - it depends how the last game goes. Gosh, it's exciting isn't it?
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P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
+/- |
Pts |
| 1 |
Grimsby |
45 |
27 |
8 |
10 |
78 |
36 |
42 |
89 |
| 2 |
Stockport |
45 |
26 |
8 |
11 |
70 |
38 |
32 |
86 |
| 3 |
Brighton |
45 |
25 |
10 |
10 |
99 |
65 |
34 |
85 |
| 4 |
Chesterfield |
45 |
24 |
13 |
8 |
56 |
27 |
29 |
85 |
| 5 |
QPR |
45 |
24 |
12 |
9 |
66 |
24 |
42 |
84 |
| 6 |
Bristol City |
45 |
23 |
8 |
14 |
70 |
43 |
27 |
77 |
| 7 |
Notts Co |
45 |
23 |
7 |
15 |
71 |
54 |
17 |
76 |
| 8 |
Swindon |
45 |
19 |
12 |
14 |
51 |
42 |
9 |
69 |
| 9 |
Rushden |
45 |
21 |
6 |
18 |
61 |
58 |
3 |
69 |
| 10 |
Oldham |
45 |
17 |
12 |
16 |
68 |
63 |
5 |
63 |
| 11 |
Sheff Wed |
45 |
18 |
9 |
18 |
56 |
53 |
3 |
63 |
| 12 |
Brentford |
45 |
18 |
9 |
18 |
57 |
57 |
0 |
63 |
| 13 |
Colchester |
45 |
17 |
11 |
17 |
54 |
55 |
-1 |
62 |
| 14 |
Plymouth |
45 |
16 |
10 |
19 |
62 |
67 |
-5 |
58 |
| 15 |
Tranmere |
45 |
16 |
10 |
19 |
62 |
67 |
-5 |
58 |
| 16 |
Blackpool |
45 |
17 |
7 |
21 |
66 |
72 |
-6 |
58 |
| 17 |
Luton |
45 |
15 |
10 |
20 |
44 |
57 |
-13 |
55 |
| 18 |
Hartlepool |
45 |
15 |
8 |
22 |
52 |
64 |
-12 |
53 |
| 19 |
Port Vale |
45 |
15 |
7 |
23 |
48 |
68 |
-20 |
52 |
| 20 |
Wycombe |
45 |
15 |
2 |
28 |
54 |
81 |
-27 |
47 |
| 21 |
Wrexham |
45 |
12 |
9 |
24 |
47 |
72 |
-25 |
45 |
| 22 |
Barnsley |
45 |
13 |
4 |
28 |
58 |
98 |
-40 |
43 |
| 23 |
Peterborough |
45 |
13 |
3 |
29 |
45 |
92 |
-47 |
42 |
| 24 |
Bournemouth |
45 |
9 |
7 |
29 |
44 |
84 |
-40 |
34 |
So it was indeed too little too late for Peterborough. Had they had that great run a month earlier they may well have escaped. But they are relegated, along with Barnsley, Bournemouth and one other side. That other side can only be Wycombe or Wrexham, with the last game deciding which. At the top of the table four teams are confirmed as getting a play-off place at worst - namely Stockport, Brighton, Chesterfield and QPR. All four of them still have a chance at the final automatic promotion spot, though. Bristol City or Notts Co will take the last play-off place.
How are the other divisions poised as we enter the last stages of the season? Well, Liverpool are confirmed as winners of the Premiership. They are 10 points clear of Newcastle in second place. No teams are definitely relegated yet. Wolves are 17th on 37 points, two points ahead of Southampton, who have slipped in to the bottom three. The Saints are three points ahead of Portsmouth, who themselves are one ahead of Leicester. There is a bit of a change in the first division, where Sunderland have put on a late surge and gone top ahead of Coventry. Along with West Ham, Millwall and West Brom those clubs have secured a play-off spot at least, both promotion places to be decided by the last day's games. At the bottom Wimbledon join Sheffield United on the relegated list, while only a very good result in their last game can save Crystal Palace from the same fate. In the third division Hull are coming up as champions, with Cambridge and Cheltenham taking the second and third promotion places. York, Swansea and Huddersfield will be in the play-offs along with one of three clubs currently battling for the last spot. Nothing is yet settled at the other end of the table. Lincoln, Macclesfield and Yeovil are all on 39 points but currently Lincoln survive on goal difference. It's going to be a nervous last day of the season for those three.
As well as winning the third division championship, it seems that Hull will have another piece of silverware to brag about, the Vans Trophy, as they beat QPR 2-1 in the final. Wimbledon, on the other hand, have an FA Cup semi-final defeat to put alongside their relegation this season. They lost to Middlesbrough, who will face Chelsea in the final next month.
Last month the English teams in European action were reduced from three to two. How many are left now? Arsenal scraped through the Champions League quarter-finals to secure a spot in the semis so that's one. And Newcastle? Narrowly defeated 3-2 over two legs in the semis of the UEFA Cup I'm afraid. So English pride rests on Arsenal's shoulders now. [French pride more like. Did England make it to Portugal? - Ed.]
Well, the lads have done it. Grimsby Town Football Club are promoted straight back to the first division at the first attempt. Well done boys. But will it be as champions or runners-up? One game is left to decide. And next month see who wins the play-offs and who finishes the season with cup glory.
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