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Grimsby
Town
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Grimsby
Town
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| Contents | |
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What's
Blundell Park Like? |
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| What's Blundell Park Like? | |
| At one side of the ground is the Findus
Stand, which is the tallest stand and is two tiered
and covered. The lower tier, which was originally
terracing, has only seven
rows of seating whilst the upper tier is much
larger. However this stand only runs half the length
of the pitch, straddling the half way line. Running
in-between the
two tiers is a row of executive boxes.
Opposite is the old Main Stand, which is small
covered all seated stand and
has a large number of supporting pillars running
across the front of it. Part of this stand dates
back to 1901. This possibly makes
it one of the oldest
surviving stands in the country. Both ends are small covered affairs. The Pontoon Stand is the traditional home end, whilst the away fans are housed in the Osmond Stand opposite. The corner between this stand and the Main Stand is also filled, as the stands are joined at this point, though this is unused for supporters. For big games the Club increases the capacity of the ground by 500 by installing blocks of temporary seating in the open corners of the ground. There is a Police Control box located on one side of the Main Stand. It is interesting to note that the Pontoon Stand gets it name from the fish docks in Grimsby and as at one time many of the crowd would have worked on 'the pontoon', then it is an apt name. Grimsby fans still identify with their town's fishing heritage, with the chant 'We only sing when we're fishing!' |
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After a lengthy process, the Club have received outline planning permission to build a new stadium at the Great Coates Interchange of the A180 and A1136. The new stadium has a proposed final capacity of 20,100, although initially the first phase of the scheme will see around 12,000 seats being put in place. The stadium will be called the ConocoPhillips Stadium, following a corporate sponsorship scheme. The development, which will cost around £14m, will also include a retail park. As of yet formal time scales have yet to be announced as to when construction will begin. |
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| Findus & Osmond Stands | |
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| What Is It Like For Away Supporters? | |
| Away fans are located in one
corner of the Osmond Stand, at one end of the ground,
where just under 600 supporters can be accommodated.
For teams with a larger following then the whole of
the stand can be given to away fans increasing the
allocation to 2,200. One downside of this stand is
that there are a number of supporting pillars
which could impede your view of the game. Blundell
Park is a rather small ground and sometimes gets over
criticised by visiting fans. But there is normally
always a passionate crowd, which contributes to a good
atmosphere. Remember though to wrap up warm as there
can be a biting wind coming off the North Sea. Tim Porter a visiting Torquay fan informs me; 'In the right-hand corner of the away end there is a small bar (Scottie's Bar) which was really friendly although it has obviously seen better days - a bit like the bars you get at quite small non-league grounds'. Whilst Craig Waites a visiting Bradford City fan adds; 'Across the road from the ground is the Blundell Park hotel which welcomes both home and visiting supporters. Home fans are very friendly both before and after the game. View from the away end is as you would expect from an old stand in the lower leagues but a good atmosphere can be generated. The snack bar is cheap & the service very quick. Visiting fans are free to enjoy their day, stewards are relaxed & won't say too much when you get excited & stand up. All in all a very enjoyable day out, just how football should be'. |
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| Where To Drink? | |
| Unfortunately the
traditional pub for away fans the Leaking Boot pub
has now been demolished. This means that there is
not much choice for a pint for away supporters
close to Blundell Park. However inside the ground,
away fans are treated to their own bar called
Scotties. It is a fair size, has seating plus
shows Sky Sports television. This is being run by
the Mariners Trust, a supporters organisation with
has the aim of raising money for the Club. They
are asking for any donations of away club
memorabilia (scarves, shirts, pennants etc...) to
make it a true football bar. So if you have
something spare that you can take along then I'm
sure it would be appreciated. Please note that
entrance to Scotties Bar can only be gained from
inside the ground. Dave Peasgood recommends the Blundell Park Hotel, which if you arrive early serves some good food at reasonable prices (expect to pay around £5 for a good portion of fish and chips). The Rutland Arms is also recommended for both home and away fans to mingle and also allows in children, however this is some distance from the ground. (it is about half a mile before Blundell park, turn left at Ramsdens superstore and left again, and you'll see the pub at the opposite end of their car park. If in coaches, then from where you will be parked, head back the way you came, along the sea wall for 5 minutes and you'll see the pub). There area also a number of pubs along Cleethorpes sea front but this is around a 20 minute away. The Imperial pub by the ground is not recommended for away fans. If you do venture into Cleethorpes or arrive by train at Cleethorpes Station, then situated on the Station Approach is the 'Number 2 Refreshment Room' which is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. A bit further into the town centre just off the front on Highcliff Road is Willy's Bar which is also featured in the Guide and even brews its own beer. Russell Taylor informs me; 'O'Neills pub in Cleethorpes (just outside the railway station) has declared itself the 'away supporters pub' so visiting fans are now able to enjoy a drink or two before walking to Blundell Park. When exiting the train station, turn right and walk for approximately 20 metres up the ramp until reaching the top before turning left (Station Road) and the pub is visible. To walk to Blundell Park from here takes approximately 15-20 minutes, when exiting the pub (top of the High Street) follow this road down to the roundabout; where you turn right onto the Grimsby Road, continue straight for approximately half a mile and you will see the floodlights of the ground on your right'. The Fish & Chips in Cleethorpes are legendary and there are some good outlets located near to the ground. Mariners (previously called) Josh's fish and chip shop near to the closed Leaking Boot pub comes recommended. There is also a McDonalds situated right by Blundell Park. |
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| Findus Stand | |
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| How To Get There And Where To Park | |
| First thing to remember is
that the ground is not actually in Grimsby, but the neighbouring town of
Cleethorpes. The ground is on the A180 which runs
between Grimsby & Cleethorpes. Cleethorpes is well
signposted from Grimsby town centre. At the end of the M180 continue along the A180 towards Grimsby. After around 14 miles you will near Grimsby town centre. Continue along the A180 following signs for Cleethorpes. On reaching a McDonalds sign on your left and the Blundell Park Hotel on your right, turn left into Imperial Avenue for the Club entrance. There is no car park at the ground, therefore only street parking. As you drive along the A180 towards the ground, the home end appears first, then after the McDonalds is the away end. From there, continue towards Cleethorpes and try any of the side streets to the left or preferably the right and you should find a parking spot okay. Map showing the location of Blundell Park (at the bottom of this page). |
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| By Train | |
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Cleethorpes railway station is about a mile from the ground and takes around 15-20 minutes to walk. Exit the station and turn right; then turn left onto Station Road. At the end of Station Road turn right onto the High Street. Follow this road down to the roundabout; where you turn right onto the Grimsby road (A180). Continue straight for approximately half a mile and you will see the floodlights of the ground on your right. Turn right into Neville Street and then left onto Harrington Street; entrance to the Osmond Stand for away fans is on the left. Thanks to Andy Cowling for providing the directions. Nathan Jackson a visiting Lincoln City fan adds; 'Alternatively you can walk to the ground along the sea front. Cleethorpes train station, is located near the sea front, so on leaving the station turn so that you are facing the sea, and the proceed left along the front. Just keep straight on until you reach the ground where on your left there is a foot bridge that goes over the railway. Proceed over the footbridge and you will find yourself right outside the away end turnstiles. The walk should take about 15- 20 minutes and is a bit more interesting for supporters, with a number of arcades, chip shops and pubs located along the way. |
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| Admission Prices | |
| Home
Fans*: Upper Findus Stand: Adults £16, Concessions £10, Under 15's £5 Lower Findus Stand: Adults £14, Concessions £10, Under 15's £5 Pontoon Stand Adults: £14, Concessions £10, Under 15's £5 Main Stand: Adults: £16, Concessions £10, Under 15's £5 Away Fans*: Osmond Stand: Adults: £16, Concessions £10**, Under 15's £5** * Please note that the above prices are for tickets purchased prior to matchday. Tickets bought on the day of the game, can cost up to £2 more. ** Please note that these tickets are not available on the gate and must instead be bought from the relevant ticket office. Please note that concessions apply to over 65's & Students under the age of 21. In addition the unemployed can also qualify for the concessionary rate in the Pontoon Stand. |
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| Programme | |
| Official Programme £3. | |
| Local Rivals | |
| Scunthorpe United, Hull City & Lincoln City. | |
| Disabled Facilities | |
| For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the Level Playing Field website. | |
| Fixtures 2012-2013 | |
| Grimsby Town FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website) | |
| Record & Average Attendance | |
| Record Attendance: 31,651 v Wolverhampton Wanderers, FA Cup 5th Round, February 20th, 1937. Modern All Seated Attendance Record: 9,528 v Sunderland, March 13th 1999 Average Attendance: 2011-2012: 3,308 (Blue Square Premier) 2010-2011: 3,073 (Blue Square Premier) 2009-2010: 4,428 (League Two) |
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| Fans Reviews Of Blundell Park | |
| Jeff
Beastall (Mansfield Town) 27/8/12 Scot Rowland (Tamworth) 26/3/11 Mark Horler (Torquay United) 17/4/10 Tyler Jason (Northampton Town) 2/4/10 Richard Hulme (Peterborough United) 26/4/08 |
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| Hotel Accommodation | |
| If you
require hotel accommodation in the area then first
try a hotel booking service provided by Late Rooms. They
have a huge choice of places to stay and
their booking facility is straightforward to
use. Yes this site will earn a
small commission if you book through them, but it
will go to help with the running costs of keeping
the Guide going. Access their Cleethorpes & Grimsby Hotels and Guest Houses. Remember that you can use the above link or panel below to book any other hotels that you may need for business or leisure, either in the UK or abroad. |
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| Google Map Showing The Area Around Blundell Park | |
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Map showing the
location of the stadium, railway station and listed
pubs.
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| Feedback | |
| If anything is incorrect or
you have something to add, please e-mail me duncan@footballgrounds.net
and I'll update the guide. |
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