Culture of trust, talent and graft have given Grimsby chance of return to EFL

Football is the business of memory making. It has the ability to create those rare moments of joy that transcend our day-to-day lives – that, per TS Eliot, “shall pierce you with a sudden painful joy”. This year at Grimsby we’ve had a brilliant uplift in attendances and the growing community in the newly opened fan zone.

But beyond that it has been reconnecting with the town I love, sharing moments of joy and making memories with my family and friends (old and new) that has underlined to me what football is really about.

In August last year, as Covid loosened its grip on the UK, I was with my 10-year-old son, high up in the stands in the late summer sunshine at Blundell Park watching the ships in the Humber slowly make their way into port as we edged our way to a 1-0 win over Weymouth. My son, born in London, has never lived in Grimsby and as a baby was claimed by his Manchester City-supporting grandad to continue his own lifelong obsession.

As the game finished, my son leaned into my right side, smiled and whispered: “Dad, I think I am a Grimsby fan now.” That moment alone made this season a success for me.

We knew this year would be a building season, a chance to learn and add to the strong core that our manager, Paul Hurst, had assembled. We experienced the best start to a season since 1982, followed by an 11‑game streak with one win in all tournaments. While a small number of fans took to social media to call for our manager’s job, we looked at the data and recommitted to our long-term values and the culture we wanted at the club. As the NFL coach Mike Smith says: “Culture drives expectations and beliefs; expectations and beliefs drive behaviour; behaviour drives habits; and habits create the future. It all starts