# 1999–2000 Grimsby Town F.C. season

During the 1999–2000 English football season, Grimsby Town F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

## Season summary

After a brilliant first full season back in the second tier finishing 11th, Grimsby a season later really struggled and finished the 1999–2000 season in 20th, avoiding relegation at the expense of Buckley's former club Walsall.

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred from | Fee |
| 9 July 1999 | FW | Bradley Allen | Charlton Athletic | Free Transfer |
| 10 July 1999 | GK | Danny Coyne | Tranmere Rovers | Free Transfer |
| 9 September 1999 | MF | Alan Pouton | York City | £150,000 |
| 1 August 1999 | MF | Matt McKenzie | Dunkirk | Free Transfer |

### Loans in

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred from | Date Until |
| 5 August 1999 | MF | Alan Pouton | York City | 8 September 1999 |
| 4 November 1999 | MF | Ian Hamilton | Sheffield United | 4 December 1999 |
| 24 February 2000 | FW | Mark Nicholls | Chelsea | 28 March 2000 |

### Transfers out

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred To | Fee |
| 18 June 1999 | MF | Tommy Widdrington | Port Vale | Free Transfer |
| 1 July 1999 | MF | Jim Dobbin | Gainsborough Trinity | Released |
| 13 July 1999 | FW | Lee Nogan | Darlington | Released |
| 6 August 1999 | GK | Aidan Davison | Sheffield United | Free Transfer |
| 28 January 2000 | FW | Jack Lester | Nottingham Forest | £300,000 |

### Loans out

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred To | Date Until |
| 1 August 1999 | GK | Andy Love | Ilkeston Town | 1 October 1999 |
| 10 November 1999 | FW | Daryl Clare | Northampton Town | 29 January 2000 |
| 19 February 2000 | GK | Andy Love | Ilkeston Town | 8 May 2000 |

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 18 | Portsmouth | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 55 | 66 | −11 | 51 | |
| 19 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 46 | 67 | −21 | 51 | |
| 20 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 41 | 67 | −26 | 51 | |
| 21 | West Bromwich Albion | 46 | 10 | 19 | 17 | 43 | 60 | −17 | 49 | |
| 22 | Walsall (R) | 46 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 52 | 77 | −25 | 46 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## Results

Grimsby Town's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 7 August 1999 | Stockport County | H | 0–1 | 5,528 | |
| 14 August 1999 | Nottingham Forest | A | 1–2 | 17,121 | Groves (pen) |
| 21 August 1999 | Fulham | H | 1–1 | 6,196 | Black |
| 27 August 1999 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–1 | 5,440 | Lester |
| 30 August 1999 | Swindon Town | H | 1–0 | 5,705 | Groves (pen) |
| 5 September 1999 | Port Vale | A | 1–3 | 3,737 | Allen |
| 11 September 1999 | Walsall | H | 1–0 | 6,014 | Allen |
| 18 September 1999 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–3 | 13,294 | |
| 25 September 1999 | Portsmouth | A | 2–1 | 12,073 | Ashcroft, Coldicott |
| 2 October 1999 | Ipswich Town | H | 2–1 | 6,531 | Donovan, Ashcroft |
| 16 October 1999 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1–1 | 17,575 | Ashcroft (pen) |
| 19 October 1999 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 2–3 | 5,004 | Allen (2) |
| 23 October 1999 | Birmingham City | H | 1–1 | 6,266 | Allen |
| 26 October 1999 | Portsmouth | H | 1–0 | 5,912 | Awford (own goal) |
| 30 October 1999 | Ipswich Town | A | 0–2 | 16,617 | |
| 6 November 1999 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–3 | 19,036 | |
| 12 November 1999 | Charlton Athletic | H | 2–5 | 6,849 | Ashcroft (pen), Donovan |
| 20 November 1999 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0–2 | 12,415 | |
| 23 November 1999 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–1 | 4,297 | Ashcroft (2 pens) |
| 28 November 1999 | Norwich City | H | 2–1 | 5,333 | Ashcroft (2, 1 pen) |
| 4 December 1999 | Stockport County | A | 1–2 | 5,581 | Hamilton |
| 14 December 1999 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–1 | 4,036 | Allen |
| 18 December 1999 | Huddersfield Town | A | 1–3 | 14,065 | Groves |
| 26 December 1999 | Barnsley | H | 0–3 | 8,742 | |
| 28 December 1999 | Manchester City | A | 1–2 | 32,607 | Coldicott |
| 3 January 2000 | Sheffield United | H | 2–2 | 7,618 | Lester, Ashcroft |
| 15 January 2000 | Nottingham Forest | H | 4–3 | 6,738 | Lester, Ashcroft (2, 1 pen), Donovan |
| 22 January 2000 | Fulham | A | 1–0 | 10,802 | Lester |
| 29 January 2000 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–1 | 6,147 | Allen |
| 5 February 2000 | Swindon Town | A | 1–0 | 5,784 | Ashcroft |
| 12 February 2000 | Port Vale | H | 2–0 | 6,265 | Clare, Allen |
| 19 February 2000 | Norwich City | A | 0–3 | 13,533 | |
| 26 February 2000 | Crystal Palace | H | 1–0 | 5,421 | D Smith (pen) |
| 4 March 2000 | Walsall | A | 0–1 | 5,384 | |
| 7 March 2000 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–0 | 5,575 | Clare |
| 11 March 2000 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–1 | 10,450 | |
| 18 March 2000 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 0–1 | 5,289 | |
| 22 March 2000 | Charlton Athletic | A | 0–4 | 19,364 | |
| 27 March 2000 | Barnsley | A | 0–3 | 14,613 | |
| 1 April 2000 | Huddersfield Town | H | 0–0 | 6,993 | |
| 8 April 2000 | Sheffield United | A | 0–0 | 11,612 | |
| 15 April 2000 | Manchester City | H | 1–1 | 8,166 | Pouton |
| 22 April 2000 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 0–0 | 6,558 | |
| 24 April 2000 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–2 | 15,291 | Black |
| 29 April 2000 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 1–2 | 5,427 | Clare |
| 7 May 2000 | Birmingham City | A | 0–0 | 25,263 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| Third round | 10 December 1999 | Stockport County | H | 3–2 | 3,400 | Livingstone (2), Allen |
| Fourth round | 8 January 2000 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 0–2 | 4,270 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| First round first leg | 10 August 1999 | Carlisle United | A | 0–0 | 3,000 | |
| First round second leg | 24 August 1999 | Carlisle United | H | 6–0 (won 6–0 on agg) | 2,696 | Lester (3), Groves, Coldicott, Donovan |
| Second round first leg | 14 September 1999 | Leyton Orient | H | 4–1 | 2,238 | D Smith, Gallimore, Ashcroft (pen), Groves |
| Second round second leg | 21 September 1999 | Leyton Orient | A | 0–1 (won 4–2 on agg) | 1,036 | |
| Third round | 13 October 1999 | Leicester City | A | 0–2 | 13,701 | |

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | WAL | Danny Coyne |
| 2 | DF | ENG | John McDermott |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Tony Gallimore |
| 4 | DF | SCO | Peter Handyside |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Richard Smith |
| 6 | MF | ENG | Wayne Burnett |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Kevin Donovan |
| 8 | MF | ENG | David Smith |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Lee Ashcroft |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Mark Nicholls (on loan from Chelsea) |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Paul Groves |
| 12 | DF | ENG | Danny Butterfield |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Steve Croudson |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 14 | DF | ENG | Steve Livingstone |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Mark Lever |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Stacy Coldicott |
| 17 | MF | NIR | Kingsley Black |
| 18 | MF | ENG | Adam Buckley |
| 19 | FW | IRL | Daryl Clare |
| 20 | DF | ENG | Matthew Bloomer |
| 21 | GK | ENG | Andy Love |
| 22 | DF | ENG | Ben Chapman |
| 23 | DF | ENG | Matt McKenzie |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Matthew Oswin |
| 25 | FW | ENG | Bradley Allen |
| 26 | MF | ENG | Alan Pouton |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 28 | MF | ENG | Ian Hamilton (on loan from Sheffield United) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Jack Lester (to Nottingham Forest) |