TOP-FLIGHT MEMORIES TO CHEER UP BRIGG SUPPORTERS OF GRIMSBY TOWN FC

Followers of Grimsby Town Football Club who live in Brigg or surrounding communities could really do with some cheering up at present as the Mariners are currently bottom of the table and looking in danger of relegation from the Football League. So today we remember when Grimsby were still a top-flight club playing in Division One (now the Premier League).
We are able to do so because of interesting archive material contained in a scrapbook made available to Brigg Blog by veteran local sportsman Col Mumby, who played for Scunthorpe United Reserves alongside future England star Kevin Keegan in the late 1960s.
Grimsby were a successful top-flight team for most of the 1930s, and also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in a tie watched by more than 76,000 fans.
But when the Football League resumed post-war, the Mariners were soon relegated - their final campaign among the 'big boys' being 1947/48.
This season started on a high note with a 3-0 home win over Aston Villa - forward Billy Cairns scoring twice.
However, it was immediately followed by an 8-1 drubbing at Wolverhampton Wanderers which rather set the scene for what was to follow.
Town went on to finish bottom of the table, conceding more than 100 goals (111) for the first time in their history, and were relegated... never to return to this elite level.
However, there were some fine performances during that final top-flight season by veteran goalkeeper George Tweedy, who had been capped by England in the mid-1930s.
Other teams in Division One back then included Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City, Liverpool and Blackpool for whom legendary England winger Stanley Matthews was performing with distinction and at the height of his game. The so-called 'Wizard of the Dribble' would be 50 years old, and still playing in Division One for Stoke City, when he finally decided to hang up his boots in 1965!
One of Grimsby's best performances in 1947/48 was a 4-3 mid-October win over Manchester United (then still playing post-war at Maine Road). Cairns netted a memorable hat-trick.
Just after Christmas the Mariners visited Stamford Bridge, London, and defeated Chelsea 3-2 before a 30,000-plus crowd - Tommy Briggs being one of the Town marksmen.
Grimsby: Tweedy, Sibley, Fisher (no relation to us!), Hodgson, Blenkinsopp, Reeve, Burnett, Whitfield, Briggs, Cairns, Wardle.
However, Town won only eight league matches in 1947/48 - then their 'record' lowest total. After beating Huddersfield 3-0 in mid-September, they did not taste victory again at Blundell Park until March 26 (Good Friday).
Cairns ended the season with a creditable 16 goals, but the next highest contributor was Briggs with five. The team managed only 45 goals in 42 games, earning 22 points (only two points for a win in those days).
Arsenal were champions with Manchester United runners up; Blackburn Rovers were relegated alongside Grimsby.
Scunthorpe United were still in the Midland League, finishing second behind Shrewsbury in 1947/48. Scunthorpe unsuccessfully applied to gain a place in the Football League that summer. However, they did manage to secure a spot in June 1950 and joined Division Three (North).

PICTURED: Full-backs Fisher and Sibley combine on the Grimsby line to stop Chelsea scoring on December 27, 1947 in a game the Mariners went on to win; centre-forward Billy Cairns in his playing days - later becoming a popular publican in the port; and Col Mumby in 2019 at Brigg Recreation Ground.