Heritage Number #911
With Clive Mendonca returning to Blundell Park for the visit of Fleetwood Town, supporters will have a chance to welcome back one of the most beloved strikers in the club’s modern history. Five years at the club brought 166 appearances and 60 goals, but those numbers only begin to explain the affection he still commands.
When Mendonca arrived on loan from Sheffield United in 1992, he was a player searching for the opportunity that had eluded him elsewhere. In his second spell at the Blades, he had managed just ten appearances, scoring just one goal. For him, a loan to the Mariners was a perfect fit. In a 2003 interview he explained, “I didn’t really get a chance so I went on loan to Grimsby. The situation was that I suited Grimsby and Grimsby suited me because of the way they played.”
Mendonca wasn’t the only one convinced. After just ten appearances with three goals, Grimsby made the move permanent for £85,000.
Alan Buckley was the man who gave the former Sheffield United striker the environment to flourish. In the words of Mendonca, “He wasn’t a manager who would boot it up top”. Buckley wanted his side to get the ball to the feet of his strikers, a style that suited the then 24-year-old perfectly. Buckley’s system wasn’t simply allowing him to play, it was allowing him to play his way. Richard Lord, writing for The Fishy in 2003, described the striker who possessed “ neither brute strength or lightning pace”, instead relying on his “brain and deft touch”, a striker who had previously struggled for game time was now the perfect fit.
By the start of the 1994-95 season, the £85,000 gamble was looking increasingly astute. On the opening day, Mendonca scored all three of Grimsby’s goals in a 3-3 draw with Bolton Wanderers. But just as his standing at the club was growing, his career was halted in its tracks.
“I was out for practically a whole season trying to find out what was wrong with my back. It was nerve-related, coming from my spine and we couldn’t find out exactly what it was”. He had spent the last two years establishing himself, now he was facing an injury that even the medical staff struggled to diagnose.
However, it’s the manner in which the frontman returned that serves as testament to why Blundell Park fell in love with him. After almost a year out of action, Mendonca made his return against Stoke City in 1996. He managed 45 minutes of the 2-1 win but described himself as “absolutely shattered”.
Just two days later, he was ready to go again. Grimsby welcomed Ipswich Town to Blundell Park, and the returning star produced one of the most memorable performances in his time at the club. He scored all three goals in a 3-1 victory, completing a hat-trick in just his second appearance after almost a year away.
“I had been through hell and then I came back and scored a hat-trick, which was really great. All the hard work I had done suddenly seemed worthwhile.”
His most prolific season at the Mariners followed, even as the club slipped out of the Football League First Division. He later joked that “we were the best team in the world at throwing leads away”, but that never stopped him from doing everything he could to keep his side up. He scored 18 goals in 45 league appearances that season, finishing as Grimsby’s top scorer as they were relegated in 22nd place.
If Clive Mendonca’s time at Grimsby should be remembered for anything, though, it shouldn’t be the goals alone. It should be the player who left it all on the pitch game after game. In 2003 he said, “I hope that they remember that I gave it my all as a player, I used to work hard for the team and always gave it my best.”
Mendonca left Grimsby for Charlton Athletic in 1997, where his first season ended with another hat-trick, this time in a 4-4 Wembley Stadium thriller against Sunderland as his side won promotion on penalties. Yet for all that followed, Blundell Park remained the place where “Super Clive” was born. Now, almost three decades later, he returns home once again.
There’s still time for you to join us tomorrow evening for a special guest speaker evening with Clive, hosted by Nor-Lait Promotions.
Supporters will have the opportunity to hear from “Super Clive” himself as he returns to his former home for an evening packed with stories from his playing career, memories of his time in black and white and reflections on his remarkable journey in the game.
Guests will also have the opportunity to enter a raffle and auction throughout the evening.
Event Details
Blundell Park
Saturday 29th August 2026
VIP Arrival: 6:30pm
Standard Arrival: 7:45pm
Tickets
VIP – £25 per person
- Professional photo with Clive Mendonca
- Chance to enter the raffle and auction
Table of 10 – £225
Standard – £15 per person
- Chance to enter the raffle and auction
Tickets are available via www.nor-lait.com.
For direct ticket enquiries or sponsorship packages, please contact Simon North on 07472 690709.
We look forward to welcoming supporters to Blundell Park for what promises to be a brilliant evening in the company of a true Mariners favourite.
UTM
