First game at the redeveloped Linden Club
Pre Season Friendly
Cleethorpes Town (1) 4
Tom Jamieson OG 37, Josh Batty 46,
Alex Whitmore 63, Lewis Collins 86
Grimsby Town (2) 3
Mitch Rose 6 pen, JJ Hooper 30,
George Waring 55
Attendance: 1,800 (sell out)
Photo gallery:
Part one CLICK HERE
Part two CLICK HERE
In 2003, the club adopted the name LSS Lucarly's as they joined the Lincolnshire League, where they spent two seasons before switching to the Central Midlands League for a year, before switching to the Humber League Division One, from which they won promotion to the Premier League in their inaugural season and were duly rechristened, as Cleethorpes Town, in 2008.
Cleethorpes hit the ground running from the outset in the EvoStik League and made light work of sweeping their way to the top of the table. But the euphoria was curtailed, when a points deduction proved to be too big an obstacle to overcome... and though the club took their punishment on the chin, it was a bitter irony that the paperwork discrepancy that invoked the whole scenario, was actually an error on the part of a third party, and to all intents and purposes, the Owls own administrators had been completely blameless and innocent. But such are the inflexible mechanisms of the Football Association and their set in stone rules and regulations.
Anyway, I think that just about covers the last couple of mostly successful decades and brings everything up to date as regards the history of Cleethorpes Town FC, other than to say, that today, as they embark on a new chapter, marked a homecoming and the first game at the newly developed Linden Club Ground since it got a makeover, where the Owls will now play their home games, after a fruitful spell during which time they used the Bradley Community Ground, some three miles further out of 'Clee' itself.
Of course, there is another team who play in the town... and they provided the opposition on this prestigious occasion. Grimsby Town have been subject to talk about relocation themselves, possibly to Peaks Parkway most recently, while a site near Freeman Street was also sourced, but I seem to recall hearing stories about them moving from Blundell Park since the early nineteen seventies, including talk about a 'definite' site in Great Coates, around nineteen eighty eight.
But... as of yet, not even a shovel's worth of soil has yet been moved in regards to laying any foundations elsewhere.
Maybe the Mariners should finally bite the bullet and take a leaf out of their progressive neighbouring non league club's book any time soon... even though I would miss my visits to the olde world charms of Blundell Park if they ever actually flit.
Maybe the Mariners should finally bite the bullet and take a leaf out of their progressive neighbouring non league club's book any time soon... even though I would miss my visits to the olde world charms of Blundell Park if they ever actually flit.
The all seated main stand is situated opposite the dug outs, while there is a smaller seated stand behind one goal and a covered standing area behind the other. Worksop Town fans might recognise some of these structures, in fact I remember painting the reverse side of one of them amber many years ago when the Tigers moved into Sandy Lane the first time around... or was that the same stand that now accounts for half of the seating at Retford United's Cannon Park?
Either the fixtures and fittings have been lovingly restored and look in finer fettle nowadays than they ever have done.
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| Clee Town first half |
Upon arrival I bumped into the former Owls chairman David Patterson, in the 'fan zone' area that the club had set up just inside the ground; who kindly offered to give me a tour of the facilities, hence the double sized photo galleries attached to this overview. 'Patto', along with the current vice chairman David Mann and everybody associated with the club, had a permanent smile and look of pride etched across their faces today... and their army of unsung volunteers pulled out all of the stops to make sure that everybody present enjoyed their visit and that the occasion ran smoothly.
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| Clee Town second half |
These are the sort of things that make floating spectators and football travellers alike, want to return in the future. I'll definitely be back for more from time to time... 'Cleggy' is only fifty miles or so from my 'des res' on the eastern fringes of East Retford upon Idle, if you nip across through Gainsborough and Caistor. A good few 'Mariners' supporters were saying that they would definitely frequent the Linden Club when their own team were playing away from home.
I had to delete the photo I took inside the dressing room... it contained a few inches of unsightly flesh that would be completely unsuitable for use on a family friendly blog.
Opting to watch the game from the 'Clee Ultras' end, behind the far end goal from the entrance; not because I was taking sides necessarily, but because it seemed to be the only place on the entire east coast that offered any kind of shad from the 'scorchio' midday sun, I was soon joined by the 'Owls choir', along with their drum.
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| Mariners first half |
It was amusing to hear kids, sporting the colours of both sides, singing 'grown up' versions of songs about their respective teams... and it kind of summed up the spirit of the whole day when they joined ranks for a rousing chorus of "Football's Coming Home!"
Because, of course, this game was kicking off early so that everybody could watch England v Sweden on the telly during the afternoon.
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| Mariners second half |
John Oglesby got the game underway on this milestone day for his club, as a sell out 1,800 crowd packed into every available vantage point in the Owls new ground.
I popped in for a quick look a couple of weeks ago when I'd treated my better half to a run out to the seaside (AKA a ticket buying detour), the work that has been completed, even since then, must've seen the club stalwarts working around the clock... even during today's game a good number of them were missing a big chunk of the action to cater for the needs of the bumper turnout.
Five minutes into the game, Mitch Rose went to ground under a challenge in the area... like he often does! And duly picked himself up, to make no mistake from the resulting spot kick.
I'm not suggesting, not even for a single moment, that Rose went down easily, or tried to play the referee, but it is common knowledge, that his penalties last season were a major factor in saving Grimsby from relegation from League 2... so 'least said' n' all that.
The 'Clee Ultras' serenaded Rose with a chorus of: "One-nil to the referee!" as the teams shaped up for the restart.
The visitors had a goal ruled out, when Ali Koiki, a trialist and former Burnley Under 23 player delivered a tantalising cross to pick out the run of JJ Hooper, who smashed the ball past David Birch, before his celebrations, but his joy was short lived because his effort was disallowed for offside... which would explain why the live-wire had found himself in so much space.
Tim Lowe was being kept busy in defence for the home side and Birch wasn't get much time for respite between the Mariners attacks and almost inevitably JJ Hooper added a second for the visitors after running onto a knock into the area and calmly finishing from ten yards out.
"It's just like shooting fish in a barrel" remarked an elderly Grimsby fan standing nearby.
One of these days, I fully intend to find out exactly what that turn of phrase actually means... you'd have thought that people from round these parts would have a bit of nous about how to catch fish, wouldn't you?
I was surprised when Mansfield Town released the talented youngster Lewis Collins and am of the opinion that it is a decision that might well come back to haunt them one day... and here he was today, making his debut and a fresh start in the colours of Cleethorpes Town, and turning the tide in a game that was seemingly slipping beyond the hosts reach.
With half time approaching, Collins cut into Mariners area through the right channel and shot across the face of James McKeown's goal... his effort might've just crept in by the far post but it took a deflection off of Tom Jamieson and ended up in the back of the net instead.
Jamieson probably didn't want crediting with goal, but still was anyway, meaning that Collins would just have to score a debut goal of his own after the interval.
But, I don't want to spoil where this tale of epic drama is heading for you just yet, so read on...
HT: Owls 1 v Mariners 2
Talking of debut goals... as we were: inside the first minute of the second half Josh Batty claimed one for himself, bulging the net from close range when Paul Walker had unlocked the League 2's side defence with a great knock across the face of goal.
The Mariners were back in front... and it was another debut goal too... when George Waring beat Birch in a 50/50 chase for the ball on the edge of the Owls area, and chipped the ball over the advancing keeper, where it went in off of the inside of the post.
Alex Flett was denied by Ollie Battersby, the Mariners Youth Team goalkeeper, who had started the second half, when the young prospect did well to turn a goal-bound strike by the Owls captain against the upright.
Cleethorpes were certainly rising to the occasion and didn't want to finish second on the afternoon of their house warming party. And likewise, in spite of this only being a warm up friendly game, the visitors didn't want to lose against their new neighbours who've just moved in around the corner either, so a lively game ensued, right 'til the end.
Alex Whitmore was unable to get rid of, or get out of the way of Flett's driven ball into the area and could only look on in despair as he diverted it Battersby to make it 3-3.
I'm sure that you all like a story with a happy ending, so here goes... until today Cleethorpes had never beaten Grimsby previously, but they've never had Lewis Collins in their ranks before... and as the game headed into it's final five minutes, the ex Stags youngster attacked the Mariners area with a marauding run on the left, cut inside and curled a low right foot shot into the bottom corner of the net.
It was a grand finale to a great spectacle of a game... and a fitting end to a momentous first page of a new chapter in the life and times of Cleethorpes Town FC.
FT: Cleethorpes Town 4 v Grimsby Town 3
Right... over to you now Mr Southgate
