Getting To Know....Emma Blackbourn (GTST Chairperson)

Describe yourself in 5 words or less.

Right now, need a holiday!

When did you first grace Blundell Park?

Despite being brought up in a sport loving household by a father who views life through Arsenal-tinted spectacles, for varying reasons (including a mother who was convinced that all football fans were knife wielding hooligans) I was never afforded the pleasure of live football during my formative years. I attended my first professional football match at the ripe old age of 24, with circumstance dictating that it was at Blundell Park as a Grimsby supporter. It was 25^th October 1997, vs Watford. Ronnie Rosenthal scored within a minute and Town lost 0-1. The season did get better, thankfully.

Some players have bizarre matchday rituals/superstitions. What are yours?

The fence adjacent to the railway line along Harrington Street is bent in a couple of places – parking next to the 'bent fence' is considered 'lucky' in the Blackbourn household.

What is the funniest thing you have seen/heard at a football match?

I'm currently enjoying 'the wheels on your house go round and round' – aimed at longer haired opposition players, but one of the best has to be Bolton fans chanting 'There's only one Fish in Grimsby', after Mark Fish had scored for them at BP.

Have you ever made a fool of yourself whilst supporting The Mariners?

Plenty of times. One occasion that springs to mind was a particularly excellent home match where Town were spanking the opposition. Not long after the fifth Town goal had went it I yelled 'Come on Town, give me six!’ Except the word six came out a bit wrong. Heads turned, I went a nice shade of red and kept my mouth shut for the rest of the match.

Which one football match is the most memorable for you, and why?

Over the course of the last 12 years I've watched hundreds of matches. Some good (Wembley, '98), some bad (Tranmere away, May '04), some newsworthy (the Burnley 6-5, the Tottenham victory, the Lincoln 5-1 debacle in March '06). In terms of significance, it's probably Ipswich away during the 99/00 season. I can't remember much about the match as I was - in the words of Rowley Birkin QC 'very, very drunk' – but suffice to say I gained a husband thanks to that day out

In your opinion, how could the matchday experience be improved?

Rushden & Diamonds had the right idea – sufficient female 'facilities' to prevent excessive queuing and an abundance of excellent curried veg pies. That's definitely the one thing that football clubs could do better – catering for veggies. It's not rocket science.

What do you love most about being a Grimsby supporter?

I've met some brilliant people and made some fantastic friends over the last 12 years, and been to places that I never would have considered going to, had it not been for Grimsby (who would have thought that a day out in Bury could be such fun?).

And conversely, what do you find most annoying about being a Grimsby supporter?

Constantly being accused of smelling of fish. I don't even eat the stuff for Pete's sake!

If you didn't support The Mariners, how would you spend your Saturday afternoons?

Mostly less despondent.

What role do you think Supporters Trusts have in the modern game?

At a time when football is increasingly about the money, the fans are viewed as a 'resource' (i.e. source of cash) rather than the lifeblood of a club. Without the fans turning up, week in week out, it would all be for nothing. Many clubs could do well not to lose sight of that and stay connected to the fanbase. This is where Supporters Trusts have a key role to play.

How could GTST appeal more to the GTFC supporter base?

My view is that GTST needs to give supporters a reason why being a member of GTST is better than not. Ploughing money into the club is great, and I am particularly proud of the support that we have given the youth team over the past couple of seasons. But for many fans that simply isn't compelling enough. We have to identify the 'so what', and try to align GTST with that.

The FA/FL seem to 'champion' one rule each season. If you were in charge, what rule would you champion and why?

Retrospective yellow & red cards. If they can be rescinded, there's no reason why they shouldn't be awarded. If not that, then players getting red cards should be 'reminded' what real life is like – a week of 8 hour shifts in a fish factory on minimum wage should do the trick.