Grimsby Town Football Club are delighted to announce that Seb Auton and Henry Brown have accepted their first professional terms with the Club and will join up with David Artell’s squad for the upcoming 2025/26 campaign.
18-year-old Auton, who pens a one-year deal, joined the Academy aged 13 and has gone on to impress in his time as a Youth Team prospect – playing a key role in the Youth Team’s victories over Nottingham Forest and West Ham United at Blundell Park in the FA Youth Cup, the latter of which set up a 5th Round tie against Tottenham Hotspur.
Auton made his professional debut for the Mariners back in September 2024, coming on as a first-half substitute in a memorable 3-2 win away at Carlisle United. Auton was named on the bench on 25 occasions across all competitions and has become a key member of the goalkeeping contingent at Blundell Park.
18-year-old Brown, who signs a two-year deal with the Club, is an attacking midfielder with good technical ability and has been one of the Youth Team’s most influential players in recent years, marking that by winning U18 Player of the Year at the 2024/25 Academy Awards. The midfielder made his First Team debut away at Chesterfield in the Vertu Trophy and went on to be handed his league debut at home against Salford City in March.
Brown joined the Academy at the age of eight and has worked his way through the full Academy system. He notably netted the injury-time winner against Premier League, Nottingham Forest at Blundell Park in the 2023/24 season, to secure a place in the FA Youth Cup 4th Round and played a key role in the games against West Ham and Spurs last season.
Head Coach, David Artell said,
“Seb had a terrific year, showing maturity beyond his years—not just at Carlisle away but every day in training during Jake’s long absence. He developed really well, and we’re excited to see that continue. He needs to become outstanding with his feet—he’s shown promise, but there’s still a way to go.
Henry showed real quality in training against the pros last year, and we’re hoping that continues to grow. The challenge is to produce that quality more consistently with greater output. That will take time, but he has the ability, and we’re excited about his development.”
Watch what the pair had to say below:
Congratulations, Henry and Seb!
UTM
