Lincolnshire Pride

Grimsby Town 5-1 Lincoln City (Friendly)

With 38 wins apiece, the two most successful sides in Lincolnshire, have won the counties senior cup at least fifteen times more than anyone else.

That’s how you measure success in this county, whilst Scunthorpe and Boston United may have long battled for bronze (ahead of non league regulars Stamford, Gainsborough Trinity and Grantham Town who make up the rear), first and second in Lincs has often been between the Imps and the Mariners, and right now, on the verge of a long awaited Championship season ahead, it’s Lincoln who have bragging rights as the East Coast areas number one.

Last season Lincoln gained promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time since 1960. Michael Skubala their League Two winning boss has however moved on to Bristol City, and a new pair, Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw have been trusted to take the reins.

New players include Callum Elder of Derby and Andrei Coubis from Cluj in Romania whilst the club have otherwise trusted those that got them promoted last season, in hopefully doing a decent job again.

Grimsby finished seventh last season in League Two before crashing out in the playoffs to Salford City. The Mariners Manager is David Artell who has been at Blundell Park since 2023.

With free signings including Josh Andrews from Gillingham, Andy Cook from Bradford City (after a decent loan spell last term) and Joe Foulkes, a young right back who I really like from Kidderminster Harriers, Town will be hoping to again be pushing for promotion this year ahead. It was 2003 the last time the club were higher than the fourth tier, that having spent the best part of the nineties and early noughties at the second level of English football.

Both teams have had their troubles and collected testing campaigns in the National League in recent years, but it seems these days those fifth tier football exploits are long behind, both clubs with higher ambition of making much more positive memories within their current crop.

Going into this game Lincoln beat Boston (1-0) and lost against Leyton Orient (2-0) in their short pre-season campaign so far, Grimsby are unbeaten having drew with Cleethorpes and Zoryra of Ukraine before beating Hartlepool at the weekend 3-0.

The Venue

I’ve arrived in Grimsby via Westgate where traffic is at a standstill due to roadworks in the town centre. It’s 5pm, 2 hours from a 7pm kick off and luckily there’s plenty of places to park nearby to Blundell Park, rows of terraced housing has on street parking everywhere you look and I find a nice quiet place a five-minute walk away opposite Sidney Park to plonk my motor.

I walk up Combe Street which has rows of houses crammed either side, before crossing the Grimsby Road (A180) towards the ground, floodlights appearing above roof tops as I near, this place is about as residential as a football ground can get, I love that it’s in the heart of the community, as folk walk towards the large looking grey backed Main Stand in their black and white replica shirts.

It’s still early. Almost 6pm as I take a look inside the club shop to see the impressive new away kit, a quirky blue number inspired by Italian designers Lotto with memories casting back to Clive Mendonca and Ivano Bonetti. As I walk outside I see a friendly face, a scout from Scunthorpe who I know, I ask him about his own teams transfer business recently and his reply is “we're going to miss Cal Roberts & Oli Ewing” who have both left the club, both big stars in last season’s team.

I ‘quietly’ wish Scunny well before walking through the turnstiles of the Ramsden’s Home Interiors Stand, I have a quick steak and ale pie washed down with an orange Fanta and Snickers before walking up to the upper tier, the internals crumbling and rusting away but as I walk out to the open I’m greeted by a great view. Pitch puffy and green in front, slightly humped in the middle and dropping down to the wing beneath.

It’s a brilliant stadium, this stand I’m in the oldest, two tiered, well covered, central with curved roof propped up by posts. To the centre and right there’s a low roofed wrap around stand which has red seats, big pylons for lights above, with the Humber adding spectacular back drop, boats and ferries even crossing out towards the North Sea as a train goes by, if the football’s crap, there’s plenty to look at elsewhere along the horizon.

I like the quirkiness of the ground, it feels really English, a modern stand to my left has black and white seats, the place surrounded by chimneys and roof tops, slowly filling as I’m greeted by an old boy who says ‘you’re sat in my usual seat’.

The Game

He’s not really bothered about me being in his preferred pew at the back of the stand, but I do offer to swap, which he declines. He’s a Grimsby fan through and through, one who’s been coming for years, “I tell you what” he says to me. “That Andy Cook lad made a difference for us last year”.

A 35-year-old striker who initially played for Town back in 2012-14 is one that has been around the houses, but has always impressed me at the level, mainly for Bradford where he left this summer, he was on loan here last season and scored 8 goals in 22 games which has seen him sign on a permanent basis.

Cook starts well as a big battering ram against a Lincoln side who hardly look up for it. I’m really disappointed with their start which has no quality, forwards caught offside too often, defenders lumping long balls to nowhere, the odd throw-in directly to the box is easily dealt with, as Grimsby gain confidence, their team balance and work ethic looks so much more on point, despite the two divisions of supposed gulf?

Jamie Walker is another former Bradford player I have always liked the look of and he takes aim from outside the box, a low driven shot on 21 finds the corner of George Wickens goal, it’s little more than the hosts have deserved.

Within a few minutes the busy looking Charles Vernam makes it two, he’s crossed one in right footed from the left and it seems to have curled all the way as the keeper just stands there unmoved, then ahead of half time Justin Amaluzor makes it three with a thumping shot from inside the box. Lincoln have been awful. I say to the Grimsby fan next to me “I bet you wished your season started today”.

I’m impressed, but it’s against really bleak opposition. David Artell has got a good team which he’s slowly built into a steadily smooth working unit, all parts aligned, they are so much better than Lincoln it’s scary. Two centre half's splitting for goal kicks, their left back Sweeney is sharp, everything one touch or is positive in running forward, their right back Rodgers cheating, inverted, when Grimsby have possession he sods off in field which allows Maldini Kacurri to get on the ball in the right hand channel, it frees space up for Justin Amaluzor who is technical out wide and now one v one, but the real engine room is in midfield. Captain Kieran Green is all over the place, barking out the orders, Charles Vernam is the man with that bit of guile who makes them tick, whilst sitting deeper, picking the ball off defenders and providing the option is Geza David Turi, for the level they are brilliant at what they do, not always to a point, but the mechanics are machine like and I really like what Artell has so far achieved.

The Score

As for Lincoln, I’m far from impressed. The half time whistle blows without them landing a blow on Grimsby. “They didn’t look up for it” I tell the Mariners fan sitting next to me. “I don’t think they know what they're doing?”.

The Imps are late coming out for the second half which suggests a few choice words in the changing room and all eleven players are replaced by Cohen & Shaw as it feels for a bit at least, that this second string lot are hungrier, certainly harder working than those that went before.

Dom Jefferies pulls one back after a neat move on 69 but at the other end it's all still shambolic, a short back pass catches City’s substitute keeper Gauci in a mess, Andy Cook bulldozing through him before running the ball into the empty net with arms already aloft. “Championship, you’re having a laugh” sing the home fans.

By now the terraces are calling the ‘ole’s’ as Grimsby start to enjoy the final few moments in the know that the game is won, and a smart team goal crowns off a near perfect nights work when Sweeney links with Kabia before standing one up for Cook, the veteran striker bashing his way through the centre halves both caught under the ball, Cook is hungrier and more committed to nod home like all good old fashioned forwards would, from close range, “cheerio” is next sung by the Town fans as Lincoln supporters make their ways for the exits.

The Stars

I really like the workmanlike midfield of Grimsby who don’t have many particular stand out stars or attractive looking players, just work horses who can get about the pitch and put a shift in, full of running is skipper Kieran Green who you can hear bark out instruction at the top of the stand. Charles Vernam has a nice all-around midfield game and I’m told “when he’s on it he’s very good”. But from the sounds he’s not always 8 out of 10 like he is tonight.

Faeroe Island International Geza David Turi was another who impressed me in his deep lying midfield position. Didn’t always get his passing right but always shown for the ball and created space by moving into space, a very intelligent player who is as important off the ball, equally when Grimsby are in and out of possession.

Big mention to the full backs, Harvey Rodgers was intriguing to watch as he often left defensive responsibility on the right to appear in field somewhere, whilst a more traditional left back role was played brilliantly by the attack-minded Jayden Sweeney who is a young athletic defender I really like the look of.

As for Lincoln, not much stood out at all. Connor McGrandles in the centre of the park looked their best player in the first half, Ivan Varfolomeev shown a bit of quality and at least worked hard in the second, whilst I really expected more from the likes of Reeco Hackett, Freddie Draper and Ross Street who all had very disappointing evenings at work.

The Verdict

The pride of Lincolnshire? Well although Lincoln City are the team in the Championship, I really doubt on that performance, their stay at English football’s second tier will be for more than a season long? My biggest concerns are that their management duo won’t even last the year? Inexperienced, a team that has not really strengthened enough for the next season ahead, my guess is that Cohen and Shaw, may sadly be out their depth?

That said, this is only a friendly and you don’t get anything other than positives and minutes from these matches? Grimsby found plenty of those and although next season will be difficult with the front runners for promotion having plenty of pockets full of change to splash out on players, I think Grimsby may improve on their seventh place finish last, and could even pose a real charge for the automatic slots. You never know, this time next year, these two clubs could be in the same division?

The Teams

Grimsby Town: Christy Pym (Seb Auton 64), Harvey Rodgers (Joe Foulkes 76), Maldini Kacurri, Cameron McJannet (Charlie Elliott 86), Jayden Sweeney, Geza David Turi (Kristian Catchpole 69), Justin Amaluzor, Kieran Green, Jamie Walker, Charles Vernam (Jaze Kabia 75), Andy Cook.

Lincoln City: George Wickens (Joe Gauci 46), Tendayi Darikwa (Jack Moylan 46), Adam Reach (Oscar Thorn 46), Adam Jackson (Sonny Bradley 46), Ryley Towler (Dom Jefferies 46), Reeco Hackett (Callum Elder 46), Conor McGrandles (Josh Honohan 46), Rob Street (Ivan Varfolomeev 46), Tom Hamer (Deji Elewere 46), Freddie Draper (Charlie Parks 46), Donald Inyama (Matt Smith 46).

7:00pm Kick Off. Tuesday 29th July 2026, Blundell Park, Grimsby (att 3,262).