Heritage Number #814
In the Summer of 1985, Kevin Drinkell left Blundell Park under circumstances that would remain a source of contention for years to come. A local-born striker who had grown up around the club and had played a significant role in the club’s rise through the divisions was now headed for Norwich City, but the infamous fee that had taken Drinkell away from Blundell Park was only a small part of a much bigger story.
Drinkell’s emergence from the club’s youth setup coincided with a particularly successful period for the Mariners’, as a youthful side under George Kerr secured successive promotions and established itself in the Third Division. His goals were central to that progress, helping the young forward become one of the key figures in such a successful Grimsby side.
The forward made his debut aged 16, his first appearance came against Gillingham. His second appearance saw him scoring twice in a 3-2 defeat to Wrexham, a sign of what was to come for the youngster. At the time, Grimsby were facing a tough season in the Third Division, they would go on to finish 23rd, leading to relegation to the Fourth Division.
Drinkell’s first season offered only a glimpse of his potential, with Grimsby’s relegation to the fourth division placing greater importance on the club’s promising group of young players. The following campaign saw him feature more prominently, scoring five goals in 26 appearances as the Mariners narrowly missed out on promotion. While a return to the Third Division remained just out of reach, Drinkell was beginning to establish himself in the first team.
The breakthrough came in the 1978/79 season. Grimsby finished second in the Fourth Division, securing promotion back to the Third Division. Drinkell’s involvement increased once again, scoring seven league goals across 28 appearances. Having experienced relegation as a teenager, he was now helping the side he grew up around to move back in the opposite direction. It was another significant step in his development, although his most productive seasons still lay ahead.
Now back in the Third Division, Drinkell took his game to another level, scoring 16 league goals in 33 appearances, more than doubling his tally the previous season. The final day saw the 20-year-old score a decisive hat-trick to secure the league title against Sheffield United in a 4-0 win.
Recalling the final day years later, he said, “It was like playing for Manchester United for the day, with everyone behind you.” Drinkell was no longer just a youth academy product fighting for starts, he was now a player capable of providing his side with decisive moments on the biggest occasions.
The Second Division would be Drinkell’s biggest challenge yet. While his goal tally fell to seven in the league, he was as important as ever to the side that finished seventh in their first season back at that level. The following two campaigns brought more difficult circumstances for the Mariners, as they finished seventeenth and nineteenth respectively.
His most prolific season came in the 1982/83 season, as he scored 17 goals despite Grimsby’s struggles in the lower half of the table. It was yet another demonstration of his importance to the side, even throughout their struggles, Drinkell remained the team’s most reliable source of goals. He followed up with another 15 goals the next season, helping the Blundell Park side climb all the way to fifth spot.
In what would be his final season at the club, Drinkell added another 14 goals to his tally. It was his third consecutive season scoring 14 or more goals, he was no longer just capable of providing in the big moments, he was consistently one of the side’s highest providers.
After almost a decade at Blundell Park, his time with the club was drawing to a close. Norwich City came calling in the Summer of 1985, bringing an end to a Grimsby career that had encompassed relegation, successive promotions and years of consistently performing in the Second Division. The move was shrouded in controversy with the circumstances surrounding his departure being anything but straightforward. His move to Carrow Road was subject to a transfer tribunal, which determined the fee that would be paid to Grimsby. The drawn out process was a source of frustration for the striker, but nothing could overshadow what had been an incredibly successful time at the club.
With 106 goals in 323 matches across all competitions, Drinkell will go down in Blundell Park history as one of the club’s greatest modern goalscorers.
Drinkell went on to enjoy further success away from his childhood club, scoring 50 goals in 121 league appearances for Norwich City before securing a big move to Rangers in 1988. He won the Scottish League title and League Cup during his time at Ibrox, later returning to England with Coventry City before finishing his playing career in Soctland. His move into management saw him lead Stirling Albion to promotion to the Scottish second division in 1995.
For Grimsby Town, Drinkell’s legacy is often thought of with the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his departure, but more importantly he was a defining figure in some of the club’s greatest seasons in modern history. Blundell Park presented the stage for the first steps of a player who would go on to forge an impressive career throughout British football.
UTM
