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Grimsby Town
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What's
Blundell Park Like? |
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| What's Blundell Park Like? | |
| At one side
of the ground is
the Findus Stand, which is the tallest
stand and is two
tiered and covered. However this stand only
runs half the length of the pitch, straddling
the half way line. Opposite
is the old Main Stand, which is small
covered all seated stand and has a large
number of supporting pillars running across
the front of it. Part of this stand dates
back to 1901, possibly making it the oldest
surviving stand in League football. Both
ends are small covered affairs. Home fans are located
in the Pontoon Stand at one end, away fans at
the opposite end in the
Osmond Stand. The
corner between this stand and the Main Stand
is also filled, as the stands are joined at
this point. For big games the Club increases
the capacity of the ground by 500 by
installing blocks of temporary seating in
the open corners of the ground. (see the
green seating areas on the photos below). It is interesting to note that the Pontoon Stand gets it name from the fish docks in Grimsby and as at one time many of the crowd would have worked on 'the pontoon', then it is an apt name. Grimsby fans still identify with their town's fishing heritage, with the chant 'We only sing when we're fishing!' |
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After a lengthy process, the Club have received outline planning permission to build a new stadium at the Great Coates Interchange of the A180 and A1136. The new stadium has a proposed final capacity of 20,100, although initially the first phase of the scheme will see around 12,000 seats being put in place. The stadium will be called the ConocoPhillips Stadium, following a corporate sponsorship scheme. The development, which will cost around £14m, will also include a retail park. As of yet formal time scales have yet to be announced as to when construction will begin. |
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| Findus & Osmond Stands | |
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| What Is It Like For Away Supporters? | |
| Away fans are located
in one corner of the Osmond Stand, at one end
of the ground, where just under 600 supporters
can be accommodated. For teams with a larger
following then the whole of the stand can be
given to away fans increasing the allocation
to 2,200. One downside of this stand is that
there are a number of supporting pillars
which could impede your view of the game.
Blundell Park is a rather small ground and
sometimes gets over criticised by visiting
fans. But there is normally always a
passionate crowd, which contributes to a good
atmosphere. Remember though to wrap up warm as
there can be a biting wind coming off the
North Sea. Tim Porter a visiting Torquay fan informs me; 'In the right-hand corner of the away end there is a small bar (Scottie's Bar) which was really friendly although it has obviously seen better days - a bit like the bars you get at quite small non-league grounds'. Whilst Craig Waites a visiting Bradford City fan adds; 'Across the road from the ground is the Blundell Park hotel which welcomes both home and visiting supporters. Home fans are very friendly both before and after the game. View from the away end is as you would expect from an old stand in the lower leagues but a good atmosphere can be generated. The snack bar is cheap & the service very quick. Visiting fans are free to enjoy their day, stewards are relaxed & won't say too much when you get excited & stand up. All in all a very enjoyable day out, just how football should be'. |
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| Where To Drink? | |
| Unfortunately the traditional
pub for away fans the Leaking Boot pub has
now closed down. This means that there is
not much choice for a pint for away
supporters close to the ground. Dave
Peasgood recommends the
Blundell Park Hotel, which if you arrive
early serves some good food at reasonable
prices (expect to pay around £5 for a
good portion of fish and chips). The Rutland
Arms is also recommended for both home and
away fans to mingle and also allows in
children, however this is some distance from
the ground. (it is about about half a mile
before Blundell park, turn left at Ramsdens
superstore and left again, and you'll see
the pub at the opposite end of their car
park. If in coaches, then from where you
will be parked, head back the way you came,
along the sea wall for 5 minutes and you'll
see the pub). There area
also a number of pubs along Cleethorpes
sea front but this is around a 20 minute
away. The Imperial pub by the
ground is not recommended for away fans. If you do venture into Cleethorpes or arrive by train at Cleethorpes Station, then situated on the Station Approach is the 'Number 2 Refreshment Room' which is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. A bit further into the town centre just off the front on Highcliff Road is Willy's Bar which is also featured in the Guide and even brews its own beer. Russell Taylor informs me; 'O'Neills pub in Cleethorpes (just outside the railway station) has declared itself the 'away supporters pub' so visiting fans are now able to enjoy a drink or two before walking to Blundell Park. When exiting the train station, turn right and walk for approximately 20 metres up the ramp until reaching the top before turning left (Station Road) and the pub is visible. To walk to Blundell Park from here takes approximately 15-20 minutes, when exiting the pub (top of the High Street) follow this road down to the roundabout; where you turn right onto the Grimsby Road, continue straight for approximately half a mile and you will see the floodlights of the ground on your right'. The Fish & Chips in Cleethorpes are legendary and there are some good outlets located near to the ground. Mariners (previously called) Josh's fish and chip shop near to the closed Leaking Boot pub comes recommended. There is also a McDonalds situated right by Blundell Park. |
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| Findus Stand | |
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| How To Get There And Where To Park | |
| First thing to
remember is that the ground is not actually in
Grimsby, but the
neighbouring town of Cleethorpes. The ground
is on the A180 which runs between Grimsby
& Cleethorpes. Cleethorpes is well
signposted from Grimsby town centre. There is no car park at the ground, therefore only street parking. As you drive along the A180 towards the ground, the home end appears first, then after the McDonalds is the away end. From there, continue towards Cleethorpes and try any of the side streets to the left or preferably the right and you should find a parking spot okay. Map showing the location of Blundell Park (at the bottom of this page). |
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| By Train | |
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Cleethorpes railway station is about a mile from the ground and takes around 15-20 minutes to walk. Exit the station and turn right; then turn left onto Station Road. At the end of Station Road turn right onto the High Street. Follow this road down to the roundabout; where you turn right onto the Grimsby road (A180). Continue straight for approximately half a mile and you will see the floodlights of the ground on your right. Turn right into Neville Street and then left onto Harrington Street; entrance to the Osmond Stand for away fans is on the left. Thanks to Andy Cowling for providing the directions. Nathan Jackson a visiting Lincoln City fan adds; 'Alternatively you can walk to the ground along the sea front. Cleethorpes train station, is located near the sea front, so on leaving the station turn so that you are facing the sea, and the proceed left along the front. Just keep straight on until you reach the ground where on your left there is a foot bridge that goes over the railway. Proceed over the footbridge and you will find yourself right outside the away end turnstiles. The walk should take about 15- 20 minutes and is a bit more interesting for supporters, with a number of arcades, chip shops and pubs located along the way. |
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| Admission Prices | |
| Home Fans*: Upper Findus Stand: Adults £16, Concessions £10, Under 15's £6 Lower Findus Stand: Adults £14, Concessions £10, Under 15's £6 Pontoon Stand Adults: £14, Concessions £10, Under 15's £6 Main Stand: Adults: £16, Concessions £10, Under 15's £6 Away Fans*: Osmond Stand: Adults: £16, Concessions £10**, Under 15's £6** * Please note that the above prices are for tickets purchased prior to matchday. Tickets bought on the day of the game, can cost up to £2 more. ** Please note that these tickets are not available on the gate and must instead be bought from the relevant ticket office. Please note that concessions apply to over 65's & under 18's. In addition the unemployed can also qualify for the concessionary rate in the Pontoon Stand. |
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| Programme | |
| Official Programme £2.50. | |
| Local Rivals | |
| Scunthorpe United, Hull City & Lincoln City. | |
| Disabled Facilities | |
| For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the Level Playing Field website. | |
| Fixtures 2011-2012 | |
| Grimsby Town FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website) | |
| Record & Average Attendance | |
| Record Attendance: 31,651 v Wolverhampton Wanderers, FA Cup 5th Round, February 20th, 1937. Modern All Seated Attendance Record: 9,528 v Sunderland, March 13th 1999 Average Attendance: 2010-2011: 3,073 (Blue Square Premier) 2009-2010: 4,428 (League Two) 2008-2009: 4,475 (League Two) |
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| Fans Reviews Of Blundell Park | |
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Rowland (Tamworth) 26/3/11 Mark Horler (Torquay United) 17/4/10 Tyler Jason (Northampton Town) 2/4/10 Richard Hulme (Peterborough United) 26/4/08 John Gledhill (Darlington) 19/3/05 |
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| Hotel Accommodation | |
| If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Late Rooms. They have a huge choice of places to stay and their booking facility is straightforward to use. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will go to help with the running costs of keeping the Guide going. Access their Cleethorpes & Grimsby Hotels and Guest Houses. | |
| Google Map Showing The Area Around Blundell Park | |
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Map showing the
location of the stadium, railway station and
listed pubs. |
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| Feedback | |
| If anything is
incorrect or you have something to add, please
e-mail me duncan@footballgrounds.net
and I'll update the guide. |
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