Heritage Number #952
Twenty-nine years ago, Bristol Rovers played host to a Grimsby side town in what would become one of the most memorable seasons in the club’s modern history. On December 12th 1997, Alan Buckley’s side travelled to Bristol and returned to Lincolnshire having dismantled the hosts in a resounding 4-0 win. Kevin Donovan rounded off the scoring in what was, at the time, simply another three points in a promising campaign. In hindsight, however, it was another small piece of a season that would ultimately take Donovan and the Mariners all the way to Wembley.
Donovan arrived at Blundell Park just a few months earlier, bought in by the returning Alan Buckley from West Bromwich Albion for a club record fee of £300,000. It was a significant investment for the Mariners, who were rebuilding their side after the departure of John Oster to Everton. Buckley knew exactly what he could expect of Donovan, having previously worked with the midfielder at The Hawthorns, but neither of them could have expected how quickly the new signing would make his mark at Grimsby.
The reality was that Grimsby struggled in the opening of the 1997/98 season, going six league games without a win. Donovan later admitted that the team had “actually started pretty poorly, in all honesty”, with a 2-0 defeat to Preston North End proving a particular low point in the campaign. Buckley spoke afterwards with the squad about what needed to change, and Donovan felt that the overhauled squad simply needed time to gel. A draw at York followed, before the Mariners finally secured their first three points of the season with a win against Fulham.
From there, the side started to find their rhythm, and so too did Donovan. The £300,000 signing quickly became a focal point of Buckley’s team, with goals beginning to arrive with increasing regularity. What had started as a difficult start to life at Blundell Park soon became a campaign that would see Donovan reach heights he had previously never imagined in his career. By the end of the season, he had found the net 21 times in all competitions. “I’d never even scored 20 in a season. That was just beyond everyone’s expectations, mine as well,” he later recalled.
As the goals continued to arrive, so did the results. Grimsby had recovered from their miserable opening and emerged as genuine promotion contenders, eventually finishing third in the second division with 72 points. Donovan was central to that turnaround, scoring 16 league goals and finishing comfortably as the club’s leading goalscorer.
The Mariners were also making history away from the league. Their run in the Auto Windscreen Shield took them through the northern section and, after overcoming Burnley 3-1 on aggregate, Grimsby had booked their first ever appearance at Wembley. The significance of the occasion was not lost on a club that had never previously walked out at the national stadium.
On April 19th 1998, AFC Bournemouth stood between Buckley’s side and silverware.
It was Bournemouth who struck first, John Bailey putting the south-coast side ahead in the 31st minute. Grimsby were behind for much of the afternoon, but Kingsley Black’s equaliser with 15 minutes to play forced extra time. With the golden goal rule in operation, the next goal would settle the match. In the 112th minute, Wayne Burnett provided it. Grimsby had won 2-1, lifting the trophy in their first ever appearance at Wembley.
Yet the trophy was not the end of the story. Grimsby still had a promotion campaign to finish. After finishing third in the Second Division, Buckley’s side faced Fulham at Craven Cottage in the play-off semi-finals. A 1-1 draw left the tie hanging in the balance, but Donovan settled the second leg at Blundell Park, scoring in the 81st minute to secure a 2-1 aggregate win.
Just a month after the first occasion, Grimsby were back at Wembley, this time with promotion to the First Division at stake. Northampton Town stood between Buckley’s side and a return to the second tier, with 62,988 supporters inside the stadium. Having already lifted silverware, the Mariners were now 90 minutes away from completing a remarkable season with something far more valuable.
It would take Kevin Donovan just 20 minutes to make his mark once again. Wayne Burnett found the midfielder, who carried the ball round the Northampton keeper before finding the net. The goal gave Grimsby a 1-0 lead, and although Northampton would have several opportunities to respond, Buckley’s side held firm to win promotion to the First Division.
After a difficult beginning to life at Blundell Park, Donovan’s season had ended with 21 goals, two Wembley victories, and promotion. The record signing had become a defining figure of a side that had turned a slow start into one of the most memorable campaigns in club history.
UTM
