Football

Grimsby’s Forgotten Upset – North Nods Middlesbrough Out at Ayresome

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$(KGrHqR,!k4E+fU8M7BkBQIV0N2pyw~~60_35THE FA Cup is renowned for its giant-killings and one of the tournament’s greatest ever upsets took place on 7th January 1989 when non-league Sutton defeated 1987 Cup Winners Coventry 2-1 at Ganders Green Lane.

And only that result could overshadow Fourth Division strugglers Grimsby travelling to top flight Middlesbrough and coming away with a 2-1 win thanks to a brace from Marc North. Whilst Sutton’s exploits are now part of FA Cup folklore, the Mariners’ goals are consigned to the archives and a short video clip on YouTube.

Here I take a look back at that famous win, one that deserves so much more credit than it receives. How tragic that both the Mariners’ heroes that day – North and Keith Alexander are regrettably no longer with us.

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Former Chelsea Stopper on Wimbledon, Liverpool, the FA Cup and the Mariners

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FROM WIMBLEDON to Wembley to the World Cup, goalkeeper Dave Beasant will forever be remembered for being the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup Final, when he denied John Aldridge on the way to the Dons’ famous 1-0 victory in 1988.

What many football fans outside North East Lincolnshire will forget is that the stopper, affectionately referred to as ‘Lurch’, had to resurrect his career with Grimsby Town after being cast onto the scrap heap at Chelsea.

In 2006, I was fortunate enough to sit down with the former England international, who talked about everything from the ’88 Final to his spell in Cleethorpes to the fortunes of then-club Fulham. Continue reading →