#WeAreBack Supplement

GTE-E01-S3-AUGUST 4, 2016

AUGUST 4, 2016 GTE-E01-S3 2

HURST READY FOR BOW Boss looks ahead to his first game as a Football League manager SATURDAY will see Paul Hurst walk out of a by Matt Dannatt tunnel as a Football League manager for the first Deputy Sports Editor time. matthew.dannatt@grimsbytelegraph.co.uk

It will mark the end of a long personal journey that began when he hung up his boots back in 2009, calling time on a respectable playing career spent almost entirely in the professional tiers in order to start his route back as a manager.

He began with the club with which he ended his playing career – Northern Premier League outfit Ilkeston – as part of a caretaking double act with former team-mate Rob Scott that they would take to Boston United and then Blundell Park.

When he and Scott parted ways after the latters’ dismissal in 2013, Hurst was on his own for the first time in his fledgling career, solely charged with finally ending the Mariners’ long Football League exile and in doing so, realise a burning personal ambition.

The heartbreak of 2015’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Bristol Rovers left Hurst with a sting that was only salved by last season’s momentous victory over Forest Green Rovers, a glorious success that wrote him into the club’s history books – in only his second full season in sole charge.

Three months on, and he now finds himself on the eve of his first game as a Football League manager – even though he is officially the league’s third longest-serving boss.

He will take to his dugout for Saturday’s opener against Morecambe alongside a team of staff – and friends – whose contribution he’s always quick to pay tribute and in charge of a team the 41-year-old is confident is the best he’s been able to assemble as a manager.

Twitter: @mattdannatt

But is he preparing any differently for his – and, as he’ll say, more importantly – Town’s big day?

“A lot of it is just the same as what we’ve been going through for the past five years or so, because you go through a pre-season and you have your friendlies. It’s all very much the same – or that’s the way we’ve been talking about it, at least.

I think it’s the challenge of it all that I’m most looking forward to – testing yourself against established clubs Paul Hurst “I guess the big realisation will come on Saturday when we walk out and it is a Football League game,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to it. Pre-season is a bit of a strange time and it seems a long time since we were celebrating at Wembley, now.

“We had a regional league meeting a couple of weeks ago, and speaking to some managers there, they don’t like pre-season. I enjoy the initial feeling of getting back in and seeing the players again you’ve worked

with previously, meeting the new lads, seeing what they bring to the table, but there’s always an element, certainly with myself and I think with a lot of others, where the friendly games are difficult.

“Messages go out there, you’re looking for people who want to step up to the mark but there’s just something not quite there in terms of maybe a bit of adrenaline running through your body, that real feeling you get when you know three points are at stake, so from that point of view I’m glad pre-season is much over and we are on a countdown to that big kick-off on Saturday.”

“I think it’s the challenge of it all that I’m most looking forward to,” he smiled, “Visiting different grounds, testing yourself against established clubs.

“We’ve got that very quickly when you look at the fixtures, and probably, when we were in the Conference, it didn’t always work that way. But you look at

certain runs and you think ‘that looks like a decent run, we should do okay there’.

“But for the opening few games, it’s Morecambe, who, for me at least when I’m doing my research in order to try and start the season well, have established themselves as a League Two side, Wycombe, who just missed out on the Play-Offs and are again, pretty established.

“After those two, we’ve got some of the favourites coming very quickly and a nice easy trip to Derby in between! It can be daunting, but we’ve got to meet it head-on, and let’s see where we can go.”

Understandably, like most managers, Hurst is making no hard and fast promises on where exactly his side ‘can go’ and isn’t prepared to proffer predictions on what his League Two newcomers can achieve in their first season back in the League after their six-year exile.

He continued: “The feeling we’ve had in pre-seasons gone by is that we were going into a season with hopes and ambitions of getting promoted. Realistically, every year we’ve been running at the front end of the table – even in our (his and Scott’s) first full season, when we were in a position up until the last month or so to have a chance at the Play-Offs.

“This year there’s almost an uncertainty – which can go one or two ways, it can be good or a bit bad. I don’t think anyone can sit in the Findus, Pontoon or Main Stand and say with any certainty how we’re going to do this season and that’s okay.

“We want to try and do as well as we can – what that is, we’ll find out over the season, but at the minute it’s very open and up in the air and we’ve got to embrace that.”

3 GTE-E01-S3-AUGUST 4, 2016

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SEASON TICKET OFFER The Grimsby Telegraph has teamed up with Grimsby Town Football Club to bring you this fantastic offer - simply cut out this coupon and purchase your GTFC 2016/17 Season Ticket for the early bird price!

Make massive savings with this one off offer and show your support to the Mariners this season with an exclusive reduced Season Ticket rate!

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AUGUST 4, 2016 GTE-E01-S3 4

‘WINNING FEELING IS ALIVE AND WELL IN NEW-LOOK SQUAD’ AS one of 14 new arrivals this summer, Ben Davies “We’ve got a quality squad and once we get in our flow, has moved to reassure fans that Grimsby Town’s I’m sure we’ll be fine.” winning mentality hasn’t been blown away by the Davies has been a near ever-present throughout pre-season, donning the captain’s armband whenever winds of change at Blundell Park.

BEN DAVIES looking ahead to the coming campaign with optimism....

The 35-year-old is preparing for his 18th season of a career that has predominately been spent in the Football League.

During that time, he’s been part of – and come up against – plenty of promoted teams, like Town, who were still riding the high of their successes when making the transition to life at a higher level.

A seasoned campaigner with the likes of Derby and Notts County, Sheffield United and latterly Porsmouth, Davies says it is the ingrained winning mentality that makes those teams such dangerous customers and encouragingly, despite the exodus of 18 members of last season’s squad, he’s seen more than enough to convince him that the new-look Town squad still retains the momentum of the clubs’ historic promotion campaign.

“There have been a lot of new lads come in and the turnover has been big over the summer but there is still that winning feeling around the place,” he told the Telegraph.

“That comes from the gaffer and Doigy and the lads that are still here from last season. From the way that we train and play, it’s no surprise to me that the club was promoted last year.

“It’s the winning habit that makes promoted teams like us so dangerous. They’re used to winning and they’re still on a high from promotion. There have been a lot of instances where those teams have come up and gone again.

“The standard of the League is better than the Conference and it’ll be a better standard than what the lads are used to, but the lads at this Football Club are more than capable of pushing at the right end of League Two. “There’s no doubt that everyone in that dressing room has got a challenge ahead of him this season and something to prove and we’ve got to meet it head on.

club captain Craig Disley wasn’t on the field.

He is happy with the way Town’s pre-season preparations have gone, but knows it’ll be completely different when the club’s ‘special day’ rolls around on Saturday.

“We feel like we’ve learnt a few things over pre-season in terms of what we want to do and where we want to be and we know it’s time to bring it all together now,” he added.

There’s no doubt that everyone in that dressing room has got a challenge ahead of him this season and something to prove and we’ve got to meet it head on.

Ben Davies “We’re under no illusions that when we kick-off against Morecambe on Saturday that I’ll be completely different – the tempo will be higher, there will be a bigger crowd and it’ll be all systems go.

“It’ll be a special day and so it should be. The fans have been with the club through thick and thin and sat there in games against teams, no disrespect to the Conference, who’ve only brought 20 fans.

“The club deserves to be back in the League and hopefully we can give the fans something to be proud of this season.”

5 GTE-E01-S3-AUGUST 4, 2016

TRUST IS SET FOR ANOTHER BUSY TERM IT’S been a busy summer for the Mariners Trust.

PAUL SAVAGE provides an introduction to the group...

We will all remember those fantastic scenes at Wembley for a very, very long time but a lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes in preparation for a return to the Football League.

For those who don’t know, the Trust is a collective of Grimsby Town supporters who have a direct say in the running of the football club.

We have representation on the Grimsby Town Board of Directors, fundraise to help the club’s youth setup and have taken on the running of the bars to improve the supporter experience at Blundell Park.

Last year, as many know, we ran the Operation Promotion campaign which raised £110,000 to boost Paul Hurst’s transfer fund.

Last Sunday the Trust – which now has around 3,000 members – held our annual Open Day at Blundell Park.

Hundreds of fans turned out to watch the squad train on the pitch and then meet the players afterwards.

The open day is a fantastic community event and we’re delighted so many people turned out. Thanks to everyone at the club, especially the players and management, for giving up their time.

This summer we also released our Operation Promoted DVD. It started with a missed penalty kick...and ended with some of the best scenes in living memory.

Operation Promoted is the story of how fans and club united in the face of adversity, turning John-Paul Pittman’s penalty miss into the story of the summer as supporters came together to raise £110,000.

In turn, the players and management did their bit on the pitch resulting in those memorable scenes at Wembley as the Mariners returned to the Football League. You can re-live the ups and downs of the 15/16 season – the goals and the glory in the story of Operation Promoted.

The DVD costs £10 and is available in the club shop. £2 from every sale will be going towards Dave Smith’s cycling efforts in aid of the GTFC Development Association.

GET INVOLVED: To find out more about the Mariners Trust, visit marinerstrust.co.uk or facebook.com/ COMMUNITY SPIRIT: Grimsby Town’s players train in front of supporters at the annual open day event at Blundell Park. The event is one of many events organised by the Mariners Trust to bring the club and its fans together. Top, Town fans celebrate at the Play-Off Final at Wembley.

Pictures Duncan Young and Jon Corken marinerstrust or email enquiries@marinerstrust.co.uk

AUGUST 4, 2016 GTE-E01-S3 6

GRIMSBY TOWN

BACK: Tom Bolarinwa, Dominic Vose, Josh Gowling, Andrew Boyce, O Disley, Zak Mills, James McKeown, Shaun Pearson, FRONT:Rhys Browne, Ben Davies, Max Wright, Josh Venney, Andy W Paul Hurst (manager), Dave Moore (physiotherapist), Sean McA

7 GTE-E01-S3-AUGUST 4, 2016

FOOTBALL CLUB

2016/17

, Omar Bogle. MIDDLE: Danny Andrew, Luke Summerfield, Craig on, Kayden Jackson, Dan Jones, Scott Vernon.

Warrington (goalkeeper coach), Chris Doig (assistant manager), McAllister, Ashley Chambers, James Berrett, Harry Clifton.

AUGUST 4, 2016 GTE-E01-S3 8

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The Grimsby Telegraph has teamed up with GTFC to offer readers 10% OFF all merchandise when shopping in the Blundell Park Club Shop on Saturday 6th August only!

T&Cs: Standard Local World Promotion Rules apply see www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/houserules. No photocopies accepted. One voucher per purchase. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer cannot be transferred or exchanged and has no monetary value.

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AUGUST 4, 2016 GTE-E01-S3 10

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11 GTE-E01-S3-AUGUST 4, 2016

GRIMSBY TOWN OFFERS OFFICIAL STORE

KIDS GO FREE! To kick-start the new season Grimsby Town are giving families a fantastic chance to experience a home game against Stevenage on Saturday 27th August, kick-off at 3pm.

With each full paying adult, one junior aged 15 and under will receive a FREE ticket in the same stand!

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T&Cs: Standard Local World Promotion Rules apply see www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/houserules. One free junior ticket per one full paying responsible adult. Junior ticket valid for ages 15 and under. Proof of age may be required. This voucher is only valid for the game on the date listed above. Free junior ticket must be in the same stand as the accompanying adult. No photocopies accepted. Available in any stand and coupon must be redeemed at the ticket office. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. This coupon has no monetary value and cannot be redeemed for cash.

grimsbytelegraph.co.uk

AUGUST 4, 2016 GTE-E01-S3 12

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