# 1995–96 Grimsby Town F.C. season

During the 1995–96 English football season, Grimsby Town F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred from | Fee |
| 12 June 1995 | CM | Nicky Southall | Hartlepool United | £40,000 |
| 19 September 1995 | CM | Johnny Walker | Clydebank | Free transfer |
| 29 September 1995 | FW | Ivano Bonetti | Torino | Free transfer |
| 17 October 1995 | FW | Jamie Forrester | Leeds United | Free transfer |
| 20 December 1995 | GK | John Burridge | Darlington | Free transfer |
| 9 March 1995 | CB | Enzo Gambaro | Bolton Wanderers | Free transfer |
| 11 March 1996 | CB | Richard Smith | Leicester City | £50,000 |
| 28 March 1996 | LB | Tony Gallimore | Carlisle United | £125,000 |

### Loans in

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred from | Date Until |
| 16 August 1995 | FW | Paul Jewell | Bradford City | 18 October 1995 |
| 30 January 1996 | CM | Peter Butler | Notts County | 27 March 1996 |
| 2 February 1996 | CB | Vance Warner | Nottingham Forest | 2 March 1996 |
| 28 March 1996 | FW | Mark Flatts | Arsenal | 31 May 1996 |

### Transfers out

| Date | Pos | Player | Transferred to | Fee |
| 8 August 1995 | CM | Dave Gilbert | West Bromwich Albion | £50,000 |
| 1 January 1996 | GK | John Burridge | Gateshead | Free Transfer |
| 28 March 1996 | LB | Gary Croft | Blackburn Rovers | £1,000.000 |

## Season summary

In the 1995–96 season, Grimsby had a disappointing campaign and Laws' initially successful managerial reign deteriorated after he clashed with Grimsby player Ivano Bonetti. Laws reportedly threw a plate of chicken wings at the Italian following a 3–2 defeat at Luton Town in February 1996 and caused the popular player to leave the club at the end of the season. Grimsby finished the season in 17th place and were in the battle to avoid relegation right up to the penultimate game of the season.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 15 | Birmingham City | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 61 | 64 | −3 | 58 |
| 16 | Norwich City | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 59 | 55 | +4 | 57 |
| 17 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 55 | 69 | −14 | 56 |
| 18 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 54 | 50 | +4 | 56 |
| 19 | Reading | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 54 | 63 | −9 | 56 |

## Results

Grimsby Town's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 12 August 1995 | Millwall | A | 1–2 | 8,546 | Livingstone |
| 19 August 1995 | Portsmouth | H | 2–1 | 4,515 | Laws, Croft |
| 26 August 1995 | Derby County | A | 1–1 | 10,564 | Shakespeare (pen) |
| 29 August 1995 | Luton Town | H | 0–0 | 4,289 | |
| 2 September 1995 | Watford | H | 0–0 | 3,993 | |
| 9 September 1995 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–4 | 23,656 | Groves |
| 12 September 1995 | Reading | A | 2–0 | 7,283 | Woods (2) |
| 17 September 1995 | Port Vale | H | 1–0 | 4,066 | Livingstone |
| 23 September 1995 | Norwich City | H | 2–2 | 5,901 | Childs, Southall |
| 30 September 1995 | Southend United | A | 0–1 | 4,979 | |
| 7 October 1995 | Charlton Athletic | A | 1–0 | 8,997 | Jewell |
| 14 October 1995 | Oldham Athletic | H | 1–1 | 5,830 | Dobbin |
| 21 October 1995 | Birmingham City | A | 1–3 | 16,455 | Woods |
| 28 October 1995 | Stoke City | H | 1–0 | 5,683 | Groves |
| 4 November 1995 | Ipswich Town | A | 2–2 | 10,250 | Dobbin, Woods |
| 11 November 1995 | Barnsley | H | 3–1 | 6,166 | Lever, Livingstone, de Zeeuw (own goal) |
| 18 November 1995 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–0 | 8,155 | Bonetti |
| 21 November 1995 | Sheffield United | A | 2–1 | 9,884 | Southall, Childs |
| 25 November 1995 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 1–0 | 7,500 | Bonetti |
| 2 December 1995 | Charlton Athletic | H | 1–2 | 6,881 | Groves |
| 9 December 1995 | Norwich City | A | 2–2 | 13,283 | Groves, Livingstone |
| 16 December 1995 | Southend United | H | 1–1 | 5,269 | Forrester |
| 23 December 1995 | Leicester City | H | 2–2 | 7,713 | Dobbin, Walsh (own goal) |
| 1 January 1996 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1–1 | 7,524 | Livingstone |
| 13 January 1996 | Portsmouth | A | 1–3 | 6,958 | Groves |
| 20 January 1996 | Millwall | H | 1–2 | 5,218 | Livingstone |
| 24 January 1996 | Sunderland | A | 0–1 | 14,517 | |
| 3 February 1996 | Derby County | H | 1–1 | 7,818 | Bonetti |
| 10 February 1996 | Luton Town | A | 2–3 | 7,158 | Forrester (2) |
| 17 February 1996 | Reading | H | 0–0 | 7,041 | |
| 3 March 1996 | Sunderland | H | 0–4 | 5,767 | |
| 5 March 1996 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–5 | 11,548 | |
| 9 March 1996 | Leicester City | A | 1–2 | 13,784 | Livingstone |
| 12 March 1996 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 3–0 | 5,565 | Shakespeare, Livingstone, Forrester |
| 16 March 1996 | Crystal Palace | H | 0–2 | 5,059 | |
| 24 March 1996 | Huddersfield Town | A | 3–1 | 12,090 | Livingstone, Childs, Groves |
| 30 March 1996 | Birmingham City | H | 2–1 | 5,475 | Groves, Livingstone |
| 2 April 1996 | Oldham Athletic | A | 0–1 | 5,037 | |
| 6 April 1996 | Stoke City | A | 2–1 | 12,524 | Groves, Gallimore |
| 8 April 1996 | Ipswich Town | H | 3–1 | 5,904 | Mendonca (3) |
| 13 April 1996 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–3 | 16,116 | Forrester |
| 16 April 1996 | Port Vale | A | 0–1 | 5,796 | |
| 20 April 1996 | Sheffield United | H | 0–2 | 7,685 | |
| 23 April 1996 | Watford | A | 3–6 | 8,909 | Walker, Groves, Livingstone |
| 27 April 1996 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 1–1 | 5,408 | Mendonca (pen) |
| 4 May 1996 | Barnsley | A | 1–1 | 6,108 | McDermott |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| Third round | 6 January 1996 | Luton Town | H | 7–1 | 5,387 | Forrester (2), Livingstone (2), Bonetti, Southall, Woods |
| Fourth round | 7 February 1996 | West Ham United | A | 1–1 | 22,030 | Laws |
| Fourth round replay | 14 February 1996 | West Ham United | H | 3–0 | 8,382 | Childs, Forrester, Woods |
| Fifth round | 21 February 1996 | Chelsea | H | 0–0 | 9,448 | |
| Fifth round replay | 28 February 1996 | Chelsea | A | 1–4 | 28,545 | Groves |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| Second round first leg | 20 September 1995 | Birmingham City | A | 1–3 | 7,446 | Woods |
| Second round second leg | 3 October 1995 | Birmingham City | H | 1–1 (lost 2–4 on agg) | 3,280 | Southall |

## 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 |
| — | GK | ENG | Paul Crichton |
| — | GK | ENG | Andy Love |
| — | GK | ENG | Jason Pearcey |
| — | DF | ENG | Gary Croft |
| — | DF | ENG | Ashley Fickling |
| — | DF | ENG | Tony Gallimore |
| — | DF | ITA | Enzo Gambaro |
| — | DF | SCO | Peter Handyside |
| — | DF | ENG | Kevin Jobling |
| — | DF | ENG | Brian Laws (player-manager) |
| — | DF | ENG | Mark Lever |
| — | DF | ENG | John McDermott |
| — | DF | ENG | Jimmy Neil |
| — | DF | ENG | Graham Rodger |
| — | DF | ENG | Richard Smith |
| — | DF | ENG | Vance Warner (on loan from Nottingham Forest) |
| — | MF | ENG | Peter Butler (on loan from Notts County) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Gary Childs |
| — | MF | SCO | Jim Dobbin |
| — | MF | ENG | Mark Flatts (on loan from Arsenal) |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Groves |
| — | MF | WAL | John Oster |
| — | MF | ENG | Craig Shakespeare |
| — | MF | ENG | Nicky Southall |
| — | MF | SCO | Johnny Walker |
| — | MF | ENG | Tommy Watson |
| — | FW | IRL | Daryl Clare |
| — | FW | ITA | Ivano Bonetti |
| — | FW | ENG | Jamie Forrester |
| — | FW | ENG | Paul Jewell (on loan from Bradford City) |
| — | FW | ENG | Jack Lester |
| — | FW | ENG | Steve Livingstone |
| — | FW | ENG | Clive Mendonca |
| — | FW | ENG | Neil Woods |