Saturday’s fixture sees the Mariners face Newport County, a fixture that dates back 105 years. We turn back the clock to the year they first met.
The 1920/21 campaign marked Grimsby Town’s first season in the Third Division South, following their relegation from the Second Division at the end of 1919/20. It was a period of transition for the Mariners, who were adjusting to life in the newly formed regional division.
Among the key figures of that era was Wilf Gillow. Born in Preston in 1892, he had already turned out for Blackpool and Preston North End before joining Grimsby. Like many footballers of his generation, his career had been interrupted by the First World War. He served with a Highland regiment and had a spell with Partick Thistle during the conflict.
Gillow arrived at Blundell Park in February 1920, as Town faced the challenge of rebuilding after relegation. The Mariners finished 13th in their first season in the Third Division South, but the following campaign brought signs of progress. Transferred to the newly formed Third Division North, Grimsby surged to third place in 1921/22, finishing level on points with runners-up Darlington.
Promotion, however, remained frustratingly beyond reach. Stockport County claimed the division’s only promotion place, leaving Town six points short. The Mariners had made strides, but the journey back to the Second Division would take more time. Gillow would go on to play a significant role in what came next, but not before a brief spell away.
The Lancashire born player moved to Lancaster Town, who were competing in the Lancashire combination league finishing as runners-up the season Gillow signed. He stayed for just one season before making a return to Blundell Park.
The Preston-born footballer joined Lancaster Town for the 1922/23 season, when they competed in the Lancashire Combination and finished as runners-up. He spent just one season there before returning to Grimsby.
In June 1924, Gillow took up the role of player-manager at Blundell Park. Aged 31, he was about to begin a new chapter in his career, one that would help shape the club’s future.
His first two seasons in charge brought steady progress rather than instant success. Town finished 12th in 1924/25, but the following campaign saw a dramatic improvement. Grimsby won the Third Division North title in 1925/26, finishing top of the table with 61 points from 42 matches. They scored 91 goals and conceded just 40, securing promotion back to the Second Division after six seasons away.
The promotion was a major step forward, but Gillow’s side were not finished. Grimsby adapted to the higher division and finished 17th in their first season back, before climbing to 11th in 1927/28. A year later, they went further still. Town finished second in the Second Division in 1928/29, earning promotion to the First Division and returning to the top flight for the first time in 27 years.
For Gillow, the rise was remarkable: from joining a club adjusting to relegation, to leading them back into the country’s top division as player-manager. His tenure at Blundell Park ended in 1932, following relegation from the First Division. He later moved into management with Middlesbrough, where he remained until his death in 1944.
Football was not Gillow’s only sporting pursuit. He was also a keen cricketer, playing for Cleethorpes and representing Lincolnshire in 1926. In the years immediately after the First World War, he had spent time on the Lancashire County Cricket Club ground staff, suggesting that his sporting life extended beyond the football pitch.
Gillow’s career had taken him from the interruption of war to the top of English football. Away from the pitch, he also pursued cricket, adding another chapter to a sporting career that had begun long before his achievements as Grimsby’s manager.
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