Grimsby Town Football Club entered the 2009–10 as a member of Football League Two for the 6th season on the trot. The club are still aiming to leave Blundell Park within the next few seasons. Manager Mike Newell brought in eight players in the close season, four of which were on loan at the club the previous season, he also released eight players, the club also offered four contracts to youth team members. Manager Mike Newell also gave new contracts to midfielders Jamie Clarke and Danny Boshell. Also in the close season Assistant Manager, Stuart Watkiss did not have his contract renewed and he joined Hull City as Development Coach, and Brian Stein who was chief scout took on the responsibilities of Stuart Watkiss.

Fixtures and results

Pre season matches

South West Challenge Cup +DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 15 July RRFC Montegnee Mill Road, Barnstaple 1–0 212 Clarke 17 July Yeovil Town Vicarage Road, Torrington 3–2 239 Conlon, North, Arnold 18 July Rushden & Diamonds Marshford, Appledore 4–1 – Forbes, Akpa Akpro, Arnold, North 19 July Luton Town The Sports Ground, Bideford C – C – --------

Lincolnshire Cup +DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 20 July Scunthorpe United Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 0–3 859 --------

Friendlies +DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 21 July Leeds United Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 1–1 3,416 Akpa Akpro 25 July Stockport County Edgeley Park, Stockport 0–1 1,144 -------- 28 July Doncaster Rovers Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 0–2 1,886 -------- 30 July Gainsborough Trinity The Northolme, Gainsborough P – P – -------- 1 Aug Winterton Rangers West Street, Winterton 12–1 – Akpa Akpro (4), Conlon (3), North (2), Jarman, Leary, Clarke

+Pre Season Top Scorers RankPlayerGoals1 Akpa Akpro62 Conlon4= North43 Arnold2= Clarke24 Forbes1= Jarman1= Leary1As of 1 August 2009

Mike Newell took Grimsby Town to the 2009 South West Challenge Cup in Devon, in which the rules allowed him to make ten changes in each match, which he did on each occasion. They started off strong in pre-season with a one-nil win against Belgian side R.R.F.C. Montegnée, with a late free kick from Jamie Clarke. They then played in a five-goal thriller against Yeovil Town in which Grimsby Town won 3–2, with Barry Conlon, Danny North, Nathan Arnold all scoring, going on to reach the semi-final and finishing top of their group. Then continuing their strong form they beat Rushden & Diamonds 4–1 with Adrian Forbes, Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro, Nathan Arnold, Danny North all scoring, putting them into the final. After reaching the Final they had to withdraw on the grounds that they could not agree a kick-off time with their opponents Luton Town, in which there would be police at the ground, providing protection for the fans, as fans' safety concerns had been expressed earlier in the tournament. During the 2009 South West Challenge Cup Mike Newell named two trialists in his 23-man squad, who were Nathan Arnold from Mansfield Town in which he impressed by scoring two goals and he also named Swansea City striker Chris Jones in his squad, although he didn't score, he impressed enough to be offered a contract. Also joining for their last match, defender Sol Davis from Luton Town joined up for a trial.

On their return home they faced Scunthorpe United in the Lincolnshire Senior Cup Semi-Final, in which they were beaten by a strong Scunthorpe United side 3–0, after Mike Newell fielded a weakened team. Their next opponents were Leeds United, in which they drew 1–1 in front of a big crowd after Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro had put them in the lead in the first half.

They faced Stockport County in their next pre-season match and were beaten one-nil, they were without skipper Ryan Bennett, Rob Atkinson and Danny North, in a well worked play eight minutes into the second half, Poole slotted the ball under Grimsby's Nick Colgan. Both Nick Hegarty and Nathan Jarman had good chances to score but were denied by Stockport County's defence. In the second half of the match Stockport County's Matty Mainwaring went off with two fractures to his leg after a tackle from Michael Leary, new striker Chris Jones, came on for Nick Hegarty.

In their last pre-season friendly Grimsby played Northern Counties East Premier League side Winterton Rangers, the Mariners were the dominant force throughout the game with Barry Conlon grabbing a first half hat-trick in under twenty-five minutes after his first goal after eight minutes and completed his hat-trick twenty five minutes later, with a Nathan Jarman goal after his second. Winterton Rangers scored through Gary Jones after he spotted Leigh Overton off his line and chipping it into the back of the net. Nathan Jarman coming off in the first half with a suspected broken toe, which was later confirmed along with a broken metatarsal. In the second half the manager changing his squad totally with the exception of the keeper and Chris Jones, who came on for the injured Nathan Jarman, in the second half Akpa Akpro scoring four after he walked through the defence, Danny North scored a brace after chipping the keeper twice and nearly grabbing his hat-trick only for his effort to be tipped onto the bar but he later set up Michael Leary for a tap in. Clarke scored his second free kick. Grimsby had left sided Watford player Louis Lavers on trial who started in the first half in left back but moved to the left side of midfield in the second half, on the 75th minute Grimsby brought on 14-year-old Jack Barlow from the youth-team.

Football League Two

Results by matchday

+DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 8 Aug Cheltenham Town Abbey Business Stadium, Cheltenham 1–2 3,654 Conlon 15 Aug Crewe Alexandra Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 0–4 5,007 -------- 18 Aug Rotherham United Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 1–2 4,156 Sweeney 22 Aug Bury Gigg Lane, Bury 1–0 2,799 Conlon 29 Aug Aldershot Town Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 1–2 3,757 Conlon 5 Sep Port Vale Vale Park, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent 0–4 5,056 -------- 12 Sep Hereford United Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 1–0 3,173 North 19 Sep Torquay United Plainmoor, Torquay 2–0 2.575 Nicholson (OG), Sweeney 26 Sep Darlington Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 1–1 4,014 Atkinson 30 Sep Chesterfield Saltergate, Chesterfield 2–3 3,329 Proudlock, Sweeney 3 Oct Barnet Underhill, Barnet, London 0–3 2,497 -------- 10 Oct Burton Albion Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 1–2 4,002 Jones 17 Oct Rochdale Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 0–2 3,754 -------- 24 Oct A.F.C. Bournemouth Dean Court, Bournemouth 1–3 5,270 Linwood 30 Oct Accrington Stanley Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 2–2 4,325 Forbes, Conlon 14 Nov Northampton Town Sixfields Stadium, Northampton 0–0 4,028 -------- 21 Nov Lincoln City Sincil Bank, Lincoln 0–0 4,981 -------- 24 Nov Bradford City Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 0–3 3,646 ------- 28 Nov Macclesfield Town Moss Rose, Macclesfield 0–0 1,409 -------- 5 Dec Dagenham & Redbridge Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 1–1 3,090 Coulson 12 Dec Shrewsbury Town New Meadow, Shrewsbury 0–0 4,850 -------- 18 Dec Morecambe Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 1–1 3,119 Sweeney 28 Dec Port Vale Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 1–2 4,401 Conlon 2 Jan Bury Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 1–1 3,463 Akpa Akpro 16 Jan Cheltenham Town Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 0–0 3,334 -------- 23 Jan Rotherham United Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield 1–2 3,751 Fletcher 30 Jan Aldershot Town Recreation Ground, Aldershot 1–1 3,195 Grant (OG) 6 Feb Notts County Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 0–1 4,452 -------- 13 Feb Bradford City Valley Parade, Bradford 0–0 11,321 -------- 17 Feb Notts County Meadow Lane, Nottingham 1–1 5,163 Devitt 20 Feb Lincoln City Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 2–2 6,395 Peacock (2) 23 Feb Macclesfield Town Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 1–1 4,813 Devitt 27 Feb Dagenham & Redbridge Victoria Road, Dagenham, London 0–2 2,190 -------- 6 Mar Shrewsbury Town Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 3–0 3,651 Sinclair (2), Akpa Akpro 9 Mar Crewe Alexandra Gresty Road, Crewe 2–4 3,272 Akpa Akpro, Sinclair 13 Mar Morecambe Christie Park, Morecambe 1–1 1,882 Coulson 20 Mar AFC Bournemouth Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 3–2 4,428 Devitt, Coulson, Chambers 27 Mar Rochdale Spotland, Rochdale 1–4 4,724 Chambers 2 Apr Northampton Town Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 1–2 6,482 Coulson 5 Apr Accrington Stanley Crown Ground, Accrington 3–2 1,839 Hudson, Coulson, Devitt 10 Apr Hereford United Edgar Street, Hereford 1–0 2,143 Devitt 13 Apr Chesterfield Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 2–2 5,648 T.Wright, Akpa Akpro 17 Apr Torquay United Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 0–3 5,702 -------- 24 Apr Darlington Darlington Arena, Darlington 2–0 1,911 Lancashire, Akpa Akpro 1 May Barnet Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 2–0 7,033 Atkinson, Hudson 8 May Burton Albion Pirelli Stadium, Burton upon Trent 0–3 4,987 --------

FA Cup +DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 7 Nov Bath City Blundell Park, Cleethorpes 0–2 2,103 --------

League Cup +DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 11 Aug Tranmere Rovers Prenton Park, Tranmere 0–4 3,527 --------

Football League Trophy

Grimsby received a bye into the second round of the competition, in the Northern Section. Due to the new way of determining which teams received byes into the second round of the competition, the teams who received a bye last season, will not receive a bye two seasons in succession, the byes are now determined by recommendation at club meetings.

+DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 6 Oct Hartlepool United Victoria Park, Hartlepool 2–0 1,675 Sweeney, Proudlock 10 Nov Leeds United Elland Road, Leeds 1–3 10,430 Sweeney

League table Notts County's season mostly made the headlines for all the wrong reasons, as they were involved in an abortive high-spending takeover by a consortium who bought in Sven-Göran Eriksson as Director of Football, and got through four managers during the course of the season. However, they managed to shake off their off-field problems and won the title. Bournemouth continued their revival under Eddie Howe and won promotion in the runners-up spot. The last automatic promotion spot was won by Rochdale, who were promoted for the first time since 1969

Dagenham and Redbridge won the play-offs, reaching the 2nd tier of the Football League for the first time in their 18-year history.

Darlington were unable to recover from losing many of their players during their spell in administration at the end of the previous season, and were relegated in bottom place, becoming only the third club (after Halifax Town and Chester City) to be relegated to the Football Conference on two separate occasions. Grimsby suffered the relegation that they only avoided the previous year due to Luton Town's points deduction; their form improved significantly in the final weeks of the season, but they were ultimately undone by a run of nearly five months without a win earlier in the season, and were relegated to the Football Conference after losing on the final day of the season.

Coaching staff

RoleNationalityNameFirst-Team Manager Mike Newell (sacked 18 October 2009)First-Team Manager Neil Woods (hired 23 November 2009)First-Team Assistant ManagerBrian Stein (left 30 November 2009)First-Team Assistant ManagerChris Casper (hired 1 December 2009)Reserve-Team ManagerBrian Stein (left 30 November 2009)Reserve-Team ManagerChris Casper (hired 1 December 2009)Youth Team ManagerNeil Woods (promoted to first team manager 23 November 2009)Chief ScoutBrian Stein (left 30 November 2009)Goalkeeping CoachSteve CroudsonPhysiotherapistDavid MooreCommunity Sport CoachGary ChildsCommunity Sport CoachGraham Rodger

Appearances and goals

Loaned out player stats

Scorers

All ScorerGoals Peter Sweeney6 Michael Coulson5 Jamie Devitt Barry Conlon Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro Dean Sinclair3 Adam Proudlock2 Lee Peacock Ashley Chambers Rob Atkinson Mark Hudson Danny North1 Chris Jones Paul Linwood Adrian Forbes Wes Fletcher Tommy Wright Olly Lancashire

League