Summary
Overview
Lloyd Griffith joins the podcast to discuss Grimsby Town's glorious 1990s era under Alan Buckley, including their remarkable Division One campaigns, Wembley cup finals, the infamous plate of chicken incident involving Italian star Ivano Bonetti, and the club's eventual decline after the ITV Digital collapse. The conversation covers legendary players like Clive Mendonca and John McDermott, while exploring what made this period the best in Grimsby's history.
Alan Buckley's First Era and Playing Style
Lloyd discusses Alan Buckley's transformative impact on Grimsby Town in the 1990s, introducing an attractive passing style of football that stood out from typical lower league tactics. The team competed at the top of Division One alongside much bigger clubs, playing mesmerizing football that Lloyd compares to watching Juventus. Players wanted to stay at Grimsby because they enjoyed Buckley's footballing philosophy, even when bigger clubs came calling.
- Alan Buckley had Grimsby playing 'sexy style of football' with passing and moving, not typical 'lumping it up to the big man'
- Grimsby competed against and beat teams like Watford, Birmingham City, and Sheffield Wednesday during this period
- There's a Twitter account called 'On This GTFC Day' that posts videos showing the mesmerizing quality of football from the 90s under Buckley
" Players liked playing under Alan Buckley because they were just playing this really sexy style of football. It wasn't ugly, it wasn't lumping up to the big man, it was just passing and moving. "
Clive Mendonca: The Best Striker Outside the Premier League
Lloyd reflects on Clive Mendonca, who scored 57 goals in 156 league games for Grimsby before moving to Charlton at age 29. Despite being a club legend who fans wanted to build around, Mendonca was constantly linked with moves to bigger clubs. His loyalty was maintained partly through Buckley's promise that Grimsby would reach the top division, a goal they came close to achieving when second in Division One.
- Clive Mendonca was 'the best striker outside of the Premier League' during his time at Grimsby
- Grimsby signed Mendonca from Sheffield United and he became the backbone of the team
- There were constant rumors of Mendonca moving to clubs in the northeast
- Grimsby were second in Division One when they brought in Ivano Bonetti
" I'd go so far as to say he was like the best striker outside of the Premier League. And we were lucky to hold on to him for as long as we did. "
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