I think this is the first Good Friday game since we played at Bury in 2005 and we wouldn’t want a repeat of the 3-1 defeat tonight. Several exile acquaintances didn’t actually get out of the pub for that one having heard the 2-0 score after ten minutes or so whilst still imbibing.

The saving grace was the reduced admission prices, which failed to attract the anticipated sell out although the crowd of 5,700 was well over their average. Town fans, unsurprisingly, were well represented as they always are.

I actually have fond memories of Good Friday matches. My first Easter games were in 1980 when we pulled 15,000 for Carlisle United as we charged towards the Third Division title. Despite being a regular for just a few months, I looked on contemptuously at schoolmates who I considered had jumped on the bandwagon with their first visit of the season. We won 2-0 and a stunning Mike Brolly strike the next day in front of a massive travelling support at improving Barnsley broke the hearts of our pursuers, according to the Press. We did slip up on Easter Monday, drawing 1-1 with the mud rats in front of over 18,000, but 5 points was a fine haul from three games in four days. Happy days and imagine the uproar if we had a schedule like that nowadays.

Good Friday 1982 saw Town come from 2-0 down at half time against promotion chasing Barnsley in Division Two. The 3-2 win remains one of my two favourite games as a Town fan, for the game itself and the incredible support of our fans. I think that win kept us up in the long run. My only issue in those days was that Sunday opening hours applied on Good Fridays, and I had just got into the habit of shovelling a fair few down before games, so I was one of many thirsty fans queuing outside the Tivoli before noon. With two o’clock pub closing, the ground filled earlier and I could hear the Pontoon in full song as I walked past Asda on Cleethorpe Road. We could do with that decibel level tonight.

By contrast, we thought we had made a mistake with kick off time when we visited Wycombe on this day in 1998, given the complete absence of atmosphere as we headed towards the ground. At least we got a late equaliser and a rare point there.

Good Friday 1985 saw Town beat Birmingham City (who would be promoted to the top flight with Oxford and Man City) with a Gary Henshaw penalty. We were made to rue our inconsistency in that free scoring season despite slaughtering Man City 4-1 a week later.

I missed the fixture at Colchester in 1989 due to an ongoing cataclysmic hangover, having crawled into work that morning after an hour’s shuteye. I’m quaking with nausea just recalling it over twenty years later, although it was all part and parcel of being a young(ish) Town fan. Or that’s my excuse. At least I didn’t put myself in the position of going through all the carriages of an Inter City train cadging headache tablets off passengers as one of our comrades did on a trip to nearby Ipswich a few years later. A hair of the dog on the train would have been a non starter as British Transport Police confiscated tinnies at Liverpool Street on match days and I don’t think claiming they were for medicinal purposes would have held much cider, sorry, water.

For someone who is a bit of a Jonah for Town, (who for the third season running have saved their best performances until I disappear on holiday) I’ve done well for Good Friday games with three wins, a draw and a defeat in five matches. I think these plus the missed goalless draw at Colchester are the only games we have played on this day in my thirty years as a fan, although I may be mistaken.

It has been good to reminisce about these games, as it reminds me that I was around to see the best Grimsby teams since we were last in the top flight, something that must seem incredible to our younger supporters. Whilst I enjoy a whinge as much as the next fan, I’ve had good value over the years and even I think there is something irrepressible about our club. Older fans than me think we were in a worse state in the late 1960s and we have had success since then. We have a good base of support. In fact it is superb given results over the last few seasons. Having seen the passion of the fans at the Lincoln game, I’m convinced we will be fine in the long run. We have a benefactor in our chairman and we have our own ground. Look at what has happened to Chester.

That isn’t to say that we should take all this for granted. We may not appear to be in danger of financial implosion but why not join or get involved with the Trust? From what I’ve read in various media about our current plight, our proud club occupies a special place in many hearts so why limit your involvement with it to 105 minutes on Saturdays and the odd Tuesday? Ultimately, greater fan representation and influence has got to be healthy for any football club.

But in the meantime let’s do what over 10,000 fans did on Good Friday 1982 and roar Town on to victory and ultimate safety.

Chris Smith – GTST Board Member