Stat Attack: Grimsby Town vs. Notts County, Saturday 21 January 2017

Notts County and Grimsby Town have met a total of 79 times over the years, with the first fixture coming on 5 October 1893. Notts won the Division Two clash 2-0 at Trent Bridge.

The Magpies have 27 wins, while the Mariners have 32, and 20 games have been drawn.

Grimsby Town FC was formed in 1878 after a meeting held at the Wellington Arms public house in Freeman Street, Grimsby.

Several attendees included members of the local Worsley Cricket Club who wanted to form a football club to occupy the empty winter evenings after the cricket season had finished

The club was originally called Grimsby Pelham, this being the family name of the Earl of Yarborough, a significant landowner in the area.

In 1880 the club purchased land at Clee Park which was to become their ground until 1889 when they relocated to Abbey Park, before moving again in 1899 to their present home, Blundell Park.

The club is the most successful of the three professional league clubs in historic Lincolnshire, being the only one to play top-flight football. It is also the only club of the three to reach an FA Cup semi-final (doing so on two occasions) and is the only one to succeed in two finals at the old Wembley Stadium. It has also spent more time in the English game's first and second tiers than any other club from Lincolnshire.

Notable managers include Bill Shankly, who went on to guide Liverpool to three League titles, two FA Cups and a UEFA Cup triumph and Lawrie McMenemy who, after securing promotion to the then third division in 1972, moved to Southampton where he won the FA Cup in 1976.

Alan Buckley is the club's most successful manager; he had three spells as team manager between 1988 and 2008, guiding the club to three promotions and two appearances at Wembley Stadium during the 1997–98 season winning both the Football League Trophy and the Football League Second Division Play-Off Final.

In 2008 Buckley took Grimsby to the capital again, but lost out to MK Dons in the final of the Football League Trophy.

The Mariners had also reached the Football League Two Play-Off final in 2006 at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, but lost the match 1–0 to Cheltenham Town.

Later trips to the Wembley in 2013 and 2016 saw them defeated in the FA Trophy final by Wrexham and FC Halifax Town respectively.

Grimsby managed to reach the Conference play-off final in both 2015 and 2016, after losing to Bristol Rovers they defeated Forest Green Rovers to earn promotion back to the Football League.

Initial relegation from back in 2010 made them the fourth club to compete in all top five divisions of English football (after Carlisle United, Oxford United, and Luton Town).

Team news

Grimsby boss Marcus Bignot will be boosted by a trio of new signings as the Mariners look to get back on track against Notts County at Blundell Park.

Midfielder Chris Clements signed from Mansfield for an undisclosed fee on Thursday and Jamey Osborne and Akwasi Asante have joined from Bignot's former club Solihull Moors.

Bignot has no new injury worries but may look to make changes after his side's heavy 3-0 loss to Exeter last week.

Sean McAllister could start after a successful comeback from his groin strain while defender Gavin Gunning is also being lined up for his first start.

Notts boss Kevin Nolan, meanwhile, has the luxury of a fully fit squad to choose from.

Louis Laing has returned to Motherwell following the end of his loan spell, meaning Haydn Hollis, Thierry Audel and Richard Duffy are the only available central defenders at Nolan's disposal.

Duffy and Audel were impressive against the Stags and were singled out for praise by Nolan for their performance.

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