From European Cup winners to Wembley heroes, England internationals to forgotten loan signings, Nottingham Forest and Grimsby Town have shared some memorable names over the years.
Some arrived at Blundell Park with their best days behind them, others went on to bigger things after leaving Town, while several enjoyed considerable success at both clubs.
Dave Beasant
Few goalkeepers have enjoyed a career quite like Dave Beasant. The towering Londoner famously captained Wimbledon to their shock FA Cup Final victory over Liverpool in 1988, becoming the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in the showpiece event as he denied John Aldridge from the spot.
After leaving the Crazy Gang, Beasant turned out for Newcastle United and Chelsea before joining Alan Buckley’s Mariners on loan in October 1992. His stay at Blundell Park was a short one, making just six league appearances before moving on to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Beasant later spent four years at Southampton before joining Forest in 1997, initially on loan. He was part of Dave Bassett’s side that won the First Division title in 1997/98 and returned to the Premier League. His career eventually took him into his mid-50s, when he appeared for Stevenage in a remarkable return to competitive football.
Brian Laws
Brian Laws spent six years under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest, having joined the club from Middlesbrough in 1988. The dependable right-back was part of the Forest squad that collected successive League Cup trophies in 1989 and 1990, as well as reaching the FA Cup Final in 1991.
Laws joined Grimsby Town as player-manager in November 1994, succeeding Alan Buckley. The early signs were promising, particularly during the 1995/96 campaign when the Mariners briefly challenged at the top of the First Division and produced a memorable FA Cup run.
However, his time in charge will forever be associated with the infamous dressing-room confrontation with Ivano Bonetti following a defeat at Luton in February 1996. The Italian suffered a fractured cheekbone and the incident attracted national headlines.
Laws departed Blundell Park in November 1996, with Town eventually relegated that season. He subsequently managed Scunthorpe United, Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley, including a spell in the Premier League.
Steve Chettle
One of Nottingham Forest’s longest-serving defenders of the modern era, Steve Chettle progressed through the youth system at the City Ground and established himself in Brian Clough’s first team during the late 1980s.
The centre-half spent more than a decade at Forest, collecting a League Cup winners’ medal in 1990 and appearing in the 1991 FA Cup Final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. He remained at the club through relegations, promotions and the transition from Clough to Frank Clark.
After moving to Barnsley in 1999, Chettle joined Paul Groves’ Mariners in the summer of 2002 alongside fellow Tykes defender Darren Barnard. Unfortunately, injuries disrupted his only season at Blundell Park, limiting him to 20 league appearances.
His solitary Town goal came in a 4-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace, in a season that ultimately ended in relegation from the First Division. Chettle subsequently moved to Burton Albion, where he linked up with another member of the Clough family, Nigel.
Chris Doig
Scottish defender Chris Doig began his professional career with Queen of the South before moving south to Nottingham Forest in 1997. He made his first-team breakthrough at the City Ground and represented Scotland at under-21 level, eventually leaving Forest in 2005.
Spells with Northampton Town and York City followed, along with adventures further afield in Australia with Central Coast Mariners and Indonesia with Pelita Jaya.
Doig joined Grimsby Town in 2013, making 26 league appearances and scoring twice before moving into a coaching role alongside Paul Hurst. It was a partnership that would prove successful, with Doig helping Town secure promotion back to the Football League in 2016.
After following Hurst to Shrewsbury Town, Ipswich Town and Scunthorpe United, Doig returned to Blundell Park in December 2020. A second promotion followed in 2022, along with the historic FA Cup quarter-final appearance in 2023.
Gregor Robertson
Edinburgh-born Gregor Robertson was a product of the Hearts youth system before moving to Nottingham Forest as a teenager in 2001. He made his senior debut in a League Cup tie against Tranmere Rovers in September 2003, followed by a first league appearance against local rivals Derby County just four days later.
The left-back went on to make 36 league appearances for Forest before embarking on spells with Rotherham United, Chesterfield, Crewe Alexandra and Northampton Town.
Robertson joined the Mariners in January 2015 and became part of Paul Hurst’s promotion-chasing squad. His first season ended in Wembley disappointment against Bristol Rovers, but he returned to the national stadium twelve months later.
Robertson started the 2016 National League Play-Off Final against Forest Green Rovers, helping Town secure a 3-1 victory and end their six-year exile from the Football League.
He retired from professional football that summer and has since established himself as a respected football journalist and broadcaster.
Gary Crosby
Gary Crosby’s finest moment in a Nottingham Forest shirt remains one of the more unusual goals in English football history.
During a First Division encounter against Manchester City in March 1990, Crosby famously headed the ball out of goalkeeper Andy Dibble’s hand as he prepared to release it, before rolling it into an empty net. The controversial goal stood and Forest won 1-0.
The winger had joined Forest from non-league Grantham Town in 1987 and became an established member of Brian Clough’s squad, appearing in more than 150 league games and enjoying several trips to Wembley.
In 1993, Crosby made a brief move to Blundell Park on loan, but the spell amounted to just three league appearances without a goal.
He returned to Forest before leaving permanently for Huddersfield Town in 1994, later playing for Rushden & Diamonds and Burton Albion.
Neil Webb
When Neil Webb joined Grimsby Town in August 1996, the Mariners were acquiring a midfielder with 26 England caps, major domestic honours and experience of the 1990 World Cup.
Webb had first made his name at Reading and Portsmouth before joining Nottingham Forest for £250,000 in 1985. He became one of Brian Clough’s most effective attacking midfielders, scoring an impressive 47 goals in 146 league appearances during his first spell at the City Ground.
His performances earned him a £1.5 million move to Manchester United in 1989, where he won the FA Cup, European Cup Winners’ Cup and League Cup, although injuries restricted his progress.
Webb returned to Forest in 1992 but struggled to rediscover the form of his earlier years. By the time he arrived at Blundell Park in 1996, his best days were behind him.
The former England international made just four league appearances for Town before moving into non-league football with Aldershot. One of the biggest names to play for the Mariners in the 1990s, but one of the shortest stays.
Nicky Southall
Nicky Southall was a £40,000 signing from Hartlepool United during Brian Laws’ rebuilding of the Mariners in the summer of 1995.
The energetic winger spent two-and-a-half seasons at Blundell Park, scoring six goals in 72 league appearances, before moving to Gillingham in December 1997. His departure came just months before the Mariners’ famous Wembley double.
It was at Gillingham where Southall enjoyed the most productive years of his career, helping the Kent club climb into the second tier and establishing himself as a consistent performer.
After a brief spell with Bolton Wanderers, Southall returned to Gillingham before joining Nottingham Forest in June 2005. Playing in League One, he contributed an impressive 13 goals in 67 league appearances across two seasons.
Southall eventually returned to Gillingham for a third spell in 2007, having also represented Norwich City on loan during his well-travelled career.
Kingsley Black
Few players have scored a more important goal for Grimsby Town than Kingsley Black.
The Northern Ireland international had already won the League Cup with Luton Town in 1988 before Brian Clough took him to Nottingham Forest in a £1.5 million deal three years later.
Although he showed flashes of his undoubted ability at the City Ground, injuries and competition for places restricted his opportunities. In July 1996, former Forest teammate Brian Laws brought Black to Blundell Park for just £25,000.
His five years with the Mariners produced eight league goals, but it is one particular afternoon in April 1998 that stands out.
With Town trailing Bournemouth 1-0 in the Auto Windscreens Shield Final at Wembley, substitute Black headed home an equaliser with 15 minutes remaining. Wayne Burnett subsequently scored the golden goal in extra time to give the Mariners their first Wembley trophy.
Not a bad return on £25,000.
Jack Lester
A product of Grimsby Town’s youth system, Jack Lester made his senior debut in 1994 but had to wait until the departure of Brian Laws before establishing himself in the first team.
The diminutive striker became a popular figure at Blundell Park, with his close control, clever movement and ability to draw fouls making him a constant problem for opposition defenders.
Lester was part of Alan Buckley’s successful 1997/98 squad that secured promotion back to the First Division and won the Auto Windscreens Shield.
His performances eventually attracted the attention of Nottingham Forest, who paid £300,000 for his services in January 2000. He went on to enjoy two spells at the City Ground, separated by a move to Sheffield United, scoring 34 league goals for Forest.
Lester later became a prolific scorer and firm favourite at Chesterfield before moving into coaching. He subsequently worked in the youth setups at Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United, and joined Brentford as assistant first-team coach in September 2025.
Garry Birtles
Garry Birtles was a twice-crowned European champion before eventually finding his way to Blundell Park.
Signed by Brian Clough from non-league Long Eaton United, Birtles became an important member of the Nottingham Forest side that conquered Europe in 1979 and 1980. He famously scored twice in the 1979 League Cup Final victory over Southampton and earned three England caps.
His success led to a £1.25 million transfer to Manchester United in 1980, although he returned to Forest two years later. After a spell with Notts County, Alan Buckley brought Birtles to Grimsby Town in 1989.
He might not have been quite the goalscorer of his European Cup days, but his experience and quality proved invaluable to a young Mariners team. Birtles scored nine league goals during his time at the club, including a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Wrexham in April 1990.
He was part of the Town squad that achieved consecutive promotions in 1990 and 1991, taking the Mariners from the Fourth Division into the second tier.
From lifting the European Cup to helping Grimsby Town climb the Football League, Birtles certainly enjoyed a career worth remembering.
