Grimsby v Wolves: So Many Angles

Stirring Up A Netful Of Mariners Memories

Mark Kendall makes a stunning point-blank save in Wolves’ 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Grimsby in November, 1988 – a time when they were on their way to a second successive lower-division title triumph. The other Wanderers players pictured are (from left) Tom Bennett, Keith Downing, Gary Bellamy and Nicky Clarke. Photo courtesy of the Grimsby Evening Telegraph.

It’s well over 20 years since Wolves played a game at Grimsby but the FA Cup pairing that sends them to the Humberside coast in a month’s time will still hold extensive memories for many of those in attendance.

After all, a good number of travelling fans will recall the club having played at Blundell Park in no fewer than four different first-team competitions.

On top of 13 League visits from 1983 to 2003, they have appeared there in the League Cup (1979 and 2000), FA Cup (1988) and Zenith Data Systems Cup (1991).

And we can expect another meeting of the clubs to be mentioned in despatches in the countdown to the unusually late mid-February fourth-round meeting.

Wolves, inspired by four goals from Dennis Westcott, hammered Grimsby 5-1 in the FA Cup semi-final of 1939 to add a fourth successive top-flight scalp in that season’s competition following their conquests of Leicester, Liverpool and Everton.

And, as we have said before, the tie has gone down in history as the game to have attracted a bigger crowd to Old Trafford (76,962) than any match Manchester United have ever played there. How good does that sound!

While that last-four clash, which was very belatedly followed this season by a shock Carabao Cup defeat for United at Blundell Park, packed them in at one of club football’s most famous venues, the meeting 34 seasons ago is reported to have attracted one of Wolves’ smallest away followings.

David Instone reported for the Express & Star on the club’s 1-0 Zenith Data Systems Cup defeat that night and is reliably informed that around 150 Wolves fans were present for a game in a competition staged for sides in the top two divisions who weren’t in Europe.

The attendance was a meagre 1,593, thus providing an example of the apathy that led to the scrapping of the tournament at the end of that season.

It was replaced by a reformatted Anglo Italian Cup which, along with the Watney Cup, Charity Shield, UEFA Cup and FA Cup third-place play-off, leads us to reveal that Wolves have played the following clubs in four or more different senior competitions.

Entrance of the 1949 Wembley combatants – but Wolves and Leicester have met in three competitions besides the FA Cup.

ARSENAL (League, FA Cup, League Cup, FA Cup third-place play-off); BIRMINGHAM (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Anglo Italian Cup), BOURNEMOUTH (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Freight Rover Trophy); BURNLEY (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Charity Shield, Sherpa Van Trophy); EXETER (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Freight Rover Trophy); GRIMSBY (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Zenith Data Systems Cup); IPSWICH (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Texaco Cup); LEEDS (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Zenith Data Systems Cup); LEICESTER (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Zenith Data Systems Cup); NOTTS COUNTY (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Sherpa Van Trophy); PORT VALE (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Sherpa Van Trophy); STOKE (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Anglo Italian Cup); SWANSEA (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Sherpa Van Trophy); TOTTENHAM (League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup); TRANMERE (League, FA Cup, League Cup, Anglo Italian Cup).

Burnley are therefore the club who have opposed Wolves in more different competitions (five) than any other…..unless you disagree, of course. If you think we have forgotten anyone, please let us know.