The Mariners have started well in the 2005/2006 season, rising to the top of League 2, and beating Derby County and Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup (although they were finally knocked out of the cup by Newcastle United). Grimsby Town failed to gain automatic promotion into League One after conceding a last minute goal against Northampton Town, combined with a Lee Steele goal giving Leyton Orient victory at Oxford United which condemned Grimsby to the play-offs, despite being amongst the automatic promotion places for the majority of the season. The Mariners faced local rivals Lincoln City in the play-offs semi-finals, going on to win 3-1 on aggregate. They faced Cheltenham Town at The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff but lost 1-0, meaning that it will be League Two football at Blundell Park for the 2006/2007 season. On 31 May, manager Russell Slade left the club after failing to agree terms on a new contract. His assistant, Graham Rodger, was promoted to replace him.
The best season the Mariners have had in recent years was the 1997-98 season, where they twice travelled to Wembley Stadium and won, in the Auto Windscreens Shield with Wayne Burnett scoring a golden goal in extra time and then in the second division play-off final with Kevin Donovan scoring the winner. They also beat several clubs above them in the league structure that season, including (in the League Cup) Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City (who were the holders of the cup at the time).
Grimsby play their home games at Blundell Park, which has possessed an all-seated capacity of just under 10,000 since 1995. Since the late 1990s, there have been plans for a new 20,000-seat stadium at nearby Great Coates - expected to be known as the Conoco Stadium - and it is likely to be ready for the 2008-09 season.
1 Englandcap (6 February1935, vs Northern Ireland, 2-1, Goodison Park). Has the smallest road in Grimsby and Cleethorpes named after him, the only Town footballer to be honoured in this way.
Welsh international goalkeeper 1996-present, 11 caps.
Colours
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| style="font-size: 94%; line-height: 140%" | Grimsby Town's traditional home kit
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The black and white stripes are synonymous with Grimsby, and have rarely not featured on the design of the home kit. The notable exceptions being the pinstripes in 1958-1959, 1965-1966 and 1993-1994, plus the shirt from 1960-1962, which was plain white. However, this trend was slightly bucked for 2006-2007 season, where the amount of stripes were halved, with the stripes getting bigger.
Honours
CompetitionLeague divisions given as pre-Premier League names
1997-98 - Promoted to Division One after play-offs (SF Fulham 1 Grimsby Town 1, Grimsby Town 1 Fulham 0 - Agg 2-1; F Grimsby Town 1 Northampton Town 0 @ Wembley)
1997-98 - Won Auto Windscreen Trophy April 19, 1998 @ Wembley
