# 1996–97 Grimsby Town F.C. season

During the 1996–97 English football season, Grimsby Town competed in the Football League First Division.

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred from | Fee |
| 11 July 1996 | MF | Tommy Widdrington | Southampton | £300,000 |
| 16 July 1996 | MF | Kingsley Black | Nottingham Forest | £25,000 |
| 19 July 1996 | MF | Darren Wrack | Derby County | £100,000 |
| 16 August 1996 | DF | Neil Webb | Nottingham Forest | Free Transfer |
| 31 August 1996 | GK | Andy Quy | Derby County | Free Transfer |

### Loans in

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred from | Date Until |
| 30 August 1996 | DF | Paul Trollope | Derby County | 1 October 1996 |
| 17 January 1997 | MF | Michael Appleton | Manchester United | 18 March 1997 |
| 28 January 1997 | GK | Alan Miller | Middlesbrough | 8 February 1997 |
| 21 March 1997 | FW | Jason Lee | Nottingham Forest | 31 May 1997 |

### Transfers out

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred To | Fee |
| 31 May 1996 | MF | Tommy Watson | Retired | Released |
| 31 May 1996 | DF | Enzo Gambaro | Sturm Graz | Released |
| 8 July 1996 | MF | Paul Groves | West Bromwich Albion | £600,000 |
| 1 August 1996 | MF | Steve Fraser | Lincoln City | Free Transfer |
| 2 August 1996 | MF | Jim Dobbin | Rotherham United | Free Transfer |
| 9 August 1996 | FW | Ivano Bonetti | Tranmere Rovers | Free Transfer |
| 2 October 1996 | GK | Paul Crichton | West Bromwich Albion | £250,000 |
| 1 November 1996 | DF | Brian Laws | Darlington | Released |
| 8 November 1996 | MF | Johnny Walker | Mansfield Town | £50,000 |
| 21 March 1997 | FW | Jamie Forrester | Scunthorpe United | Free Transfer |

### Loans out

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred To | Date Until | Ref |
| 4 October 1996 | MF | Jimmy Neil | Grantham | 4 November 1996 | |
| 17 February 1997 | MF | Darren Wrack | Shrewsbury Town | 15 March 1997 | |

## Season summary

The Mariners were relegated from Division One. Despite flowing goals from Clive Mendonca and good performances from John Oster and newcomer Kingsley Black, Grimsby failed to save themselves. The club had suffered from the losses of ever-present goalkeeper Paul Crichton and Gary Croft, who made a £1.5 million move to Blackburn Rovers. Manager Brian Laws had been sacked late in 1996; John Cockerill and Kenny Swain both had stints as caretaker during the season. At the end of the season, former manager Alan Buckley, who had taken Grimsby from the Fourth to the old Second Division in his first stint in charge, rejoined the club in an attempt to take Grimsby back to the second tier.

## Kit

Italian company Lotto became Grimsby's new kit manufacturers, and introduced a new kit for the season. Europe's Food Town remained kit sponsors.

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 20 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 48 | 61 | −13 | 54 | |
| 21 | Bradford City | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 47 | 72 | −25 | 48 | |
| 22 | Grimsby Town (R) | 46 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 59 | 81 | −22 | 46 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 23 | Oldham Athletic (R) | 46 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 51 | 66 | −15 | 43 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 24 | Southend United (R) | 46 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 42 | 85 | −43 | 39 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## Squad overview

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ENG | Paul Crichton (Departed in October 1996) |
| — | GK | ENG | Jason Pearcey |
| — | GK | ENG | Andy Love |
| — | GK | ENG | Alan Miller (on loan from Middlesbrough) |
| — | GK | ENG | Andy Quy |
| — | DF | ENG | Danny Butterfield |
| — | DF | ENG | Ashley Fickling |
| — | DF | ENG | Tony Gallimore |
| — | DF | ENG | Joby Gowshall |
| — | DF | SCO | Peter Handyside |
| — | DF | ENG | Kevin Jobling |
| — | DF | ENG | Brian Laws (Departed in November 1996) |
| — | DF | ENG | Mark Lever (captain) |
| — | DF | ENG | John McDermott |
| — | DF | ENG | Jimmy Neil |
| — | DF | ENG | Graham Rodger |
| — | DF | ENG | Richard Smith |
| — | DF | ENG | Neil Webb |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Michael Appleton (on loan from Manchester United) |
| — | MF | NIR | Kingsley Black |
| — | MF | ENG | Gary Childs |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Harsley |
| — | MF | WAL | John Oster |
| — | MF | ENG | Craig Shakespeare |
| — | MF | ENG | Nicky Southall |
| — | MF | WAL | Paul Trollope (on loan from Derby County) |
| — | MF | SCO | Johnny Walker (Departed in November 1996) |
| — | MF | ENG | Tommy Widdrington |
| — | MF | ENG | Darren Wrack |
| — | FW | IRL | Daryl Clare |
| — | FW | ENG | Jamie Forrester (Departed in March 1997) |
| — | FW | ENG | Jason Lee (on loan from Nottingham Forest) |
| — | FW | ENG | Jack Lester |
| — | FW | ENG | Steve Livingstone |
| — | FW | ENG | Clive Mendonca |
| — | FW | ENG | Neil Woods |