FOOTBALL FANS MAY PAY BRIGG A VISIT TODAY

Some people from the other side of the Pennines might be making their first visit to Brigg today (Wednesday, January 1) ahead of newly-appointed Grimsby Town manager Ian Holloway watching his side in action.
Football League newcomers Salford City will be playing at Grimsby in Sky Bet League Two (3pm kick-off).
We won't be surprised to see some of their supporters making a lunch-time refreshment stop in Brigg town centre before the final leg of their coach trip from Manchester to Blundell Park, Cleethorpes.
Salford's team colours - also worn by fans - are red, white and black.
Brigg Blog's forecast that some Nottingham Forest supporters would be stopping off in the town proved correct on Boxing Day. They were on their way to watch the 2-0 win at Hull City.
Fans of various teams calling in Brigg generates useful 'refreshment' trade for local pubs and fast food outlets. Wetherspoon's White Horse (pictured above) seems to be a favoured location.
Perhaps the football fans' grapevine will have informed Salford supporters that Brigg is a good place to visit.


BRIGG FOOTBALL REFLECTIONS AS IAN HOLLOWAY JOINS GRIMSBY TOWN AS MANAGER 


Grimsby Town's many fans in Brigg and district will be very interested in the appointment of Ian Holloway as the new manager at Blundell Park.
The high profile boss at a number of Football League clubs including QPR, Leicester and Crystal Place over a period of 20 years, Ian (now 56) has been working as a TV pundit more recently.
He had further talks in Grimsby yesterday (Tuesday, December 31) following which his appointment was announced by the club early in the afternoon.
After making a decent start to the current campaign, Grimsby have slid down Sky Bet League Two in recent months, with lack of goals the main problem.
Local people who can remember boarding buses organised by the Brigg Branch of the Grimsby Town Supporters' Club to watch home matches decades ago might reflect on a few comparisons with the past.
In football, many clubs' fortunes go through peaks and troughs.
Ian Holloway has been appointed at the beginning of a decade, and that's when Grimsby have enjoyed notable success in the past.
In 1951/2 under manager Bill Shankly, the future Liverpool legend, Grimsby finished second in Division Three North.
In 1961/2, with Tim Ward in charge, the club gained promotion from Division Three, as runners-up.
Lawrie McMenemy famously led the club to the Division Four championship in 1971/2, with veteran striker Matt Tees netting 27 goals.
Under George Kerr, the Mariners won the Third Division Championship in 1980 and then finished a creditable seventh the following season in the second tier of English football.
Alan Buckley managed the Mariners to promotion from the Fourth Division in 1990.
Brigg Branch buses ran from the early 1950s to the late 1970s, so Town fans from our town enjoyed watching games through most of these successful campaigns.
After the buses stopped running, many local supporters went to games by car or even train. 

Grimsby Town legend Matt Tees taking to the field at Brigg Town's Hawthorns ground in the early 1970s.