Ranking Grimsby Town's 8 worst players from modern times - Nick Colgan 3rd | OneFootball

It's fair to say the majority of the last 20 years have been difficult ones for supporters of Grimsby Town.

Having spent the entire 1990s in what is now the Championship or the upper echelons of the third tier, the club have sunk to the depths of non-league on two separate occasions alongside fighting multiple relegation scraps this century.

That downward spiraling trajectory has seen a high turnover of players enter and exit the scene at Blundell Park, plenty of whom have either hugely underperformed or have simply not been of the required standard, for one reason or another.

Here I look at some of those names, ranking those who, in my opinion, have been the poorest performers in a Mariners shirt since 2004. I appreciate this is a subjective topic. Football is very much a game of opinions. Each supporter with their own thoughts and judgements of players and their time on the East Coast; though I believe the players listed here will make many a Mariner shudder in their recollections.

8 Sam Kelly

Left-sided player Sam Kelly joined the Mariners from Port Vale ahead of the 2017/18 League Two campaign.

Having been part of both Norwich City's and Everton's youth setups at one time or another, then Grimsby manager Russell Slade brought in the wideman as he built his squad ahead of his first full season back in charge at Blundell Park in his second spell in the dugout.

What quickly became apparent is that Kelly wasn't suited to League Two football. The physicality and hustle and bustle of the fourth tier was not up Kelly's street at all. Whilst he had a decent left foot, he was barely noticed on the pitch.

Almost a non-entity, weak and looking either disinterested or well outside his comfort zone, Mariners fans soon became frustrated with the winger, as did the coaching staff who only selected Kelly on 12 occasions in league and cup before moving him on to Scottish side Hamilton Academical after just one season. Kelly's stay in Scotland was just as brief, as were subsequent spells at Braintree Town, Billericay Town and, to a slightly lesser degree, Kings Lynn Town, where he made his last appearance - three years ago.

7 Anthony Straker

Anthony Straker, again, a left-sided player, is another whose time at Blundell Park was somewhat underwhelming.

Able to play at left full-back or as a more attacking option on the left side of midfield, the Grenada international joined Paul Hurst's promotion-chasing side of the 2015/16 National League campaign as a free agent in February to add depth to the squad for the run-in.

An experienced player, having spent time at Aldershot Town, Wycombe Wanderers, Southend United, York City, and Motherwell, it looked like a shrewd piece of business to Mariners fans at the time. However, Straker instantly looked considerably out of his depth as supporters realised he wasn't going to make any impact on their side's fortunes. Manager Hurst quickly realised this too, as the Grenada man would only make two, very forgettable league appearances in a Mariners shirt before moving on back to Aldershot in the summer of 2016.

6 Virgil Gomis

French forward Virgil Gomis joined Grimsby on loan from Nottingham Forest during the catastrophic 2020/21 season, which saw the Mariners finish bottom of the EFL and relegated to the National League for the second time in 11 years.

Gomis, who had previous loan stints at Braintree Town, Notts County, and Macclesfield Town, was one of a plethora of players brought in among the chaos of a campaign played behind closed doors due to Covid. He didn't impress. Quite the opposite, in fact, as Gomis looked cumbersome and very ineffective throughout his goalless five league appearances at Blundell Park.

The Frenchman was last known to be paying for Paris FC's B team back in his homeland, though that was two years ago.

5 Luke McCarthy

Young winger Luke McCarthy joined then National League Grimsby on a short loan from Bury back in 2011. Though many Mariners fans will struggle to put a face to the name, as McCarthy's time at Blundell Park was a fleeting one.

Barely noticed in his six short appearances in black and white, McCarthy was similar to the aforementioned Sam Kelly in being completely ineffectual, too easily brushed off and bypassed by committed opponents. Following his later release by Bury, McCarthy had brief spells at Welsh club Airbus UK Broughton, Salford City, Mossley and Droylesden.

4 Alhagi Touray Sisay

Another rash addition by then Mariners boss Ian Holloway ahead of the dismal 2020/21 season, Spanish-born striker Alhagi Touray Sisay is a player remembered for all the wrong reasons by those who follow Grimsby Town.

Joining from Welsh club Aberystwyth Town as part of a poorly planned pre-season of recruitment from Holloway, Sisay couldn't force his way into one of the very worst Mariners sides of all time.

The forward also struggled to get regular minutes when sent on loan to Grimsby's eighth-tier neighbours Cleethorpes Town. Having made just two appearances for the Mariners in league and cup, Sisay unsurprisingly departed after one season at Blundell Park. Since taking in spells at Haverfordwest County and Accrington Stanley, the forward now plies his trade in the lower leagues of his native homeland.

3 Nick Colgan

When experienced Irish international goalkeeper Nick Colgan signed for Grimsby ahead of the 2009/10 season, it appeared to be a steady addition on the face of things. Whilst the former Hibernian and Barnsley stopper had something of a nomadic history, particularly in the way of short-term loan moves (one of which saw him join the Mariners from Chelsea in 1994, though without making an appearance at that time), it was hoped he'd provide a safe pair of hands behind the Grimsby back four.

What unfolded, however, was quite the opposite. Colgan looked nervous and shaky from the off, losing the confidence of fans and teammates alike as a succession of errors led to the soft concession of many preventable goals. Opponents appeared to see the unease, too, culminating in potshots from distance finding their way into the Grimsby goal in all manner of ways - be it through Colgan's legs or floating past him on the breeze. Colgan left the Mariners to join Huddersfield Town, initially on loan, before making the move permanent. The Irishman is now goalkeeping coach at Stockport County.

Despite only making a handful of appearances in a Mariners shirt, Newcastle-born defender Glen Downey will always be remembered by fans of Grimsby Town for two reasons.

Firstly, his headed winner away at Wrexham in a 2-1 victory in which the Mariners were forced into a makeshift side through injuries. Secondly, he's recollected for being so far below the standard of a professional footballer, he almost gained cult status because of it. Any Grimsby fans in attendance for their side's League Cup trip to Derby County that season will remember the absolute dread of seeing Downey, again brought on as a substitute due to injuries, facing up to County's wingers as they systematically overloaded him down Grimsby's left side.

Perhaps Downey was bizarrely a lucky charm for the Mariners, as, similarly to that afternoon at Wrexham, Grimsby came out winners at Pride Park that evening, too. However, despite his best efforts, and his memorable goal in North Wales, in terms of footballing ability and awareness, Downey certainly goes down as one of the worst players to pull on the black and white shirt in modern times.

1 Tommy Forecast

Ask any Grimsby Town fan their thoughts on Tommy Forecast, and you're almost certain to be met with either a grimace or laughter.

Forecast, a 6ft 6' goalkeeper was brought in on a short-term loan from Southampton early in the 2009/10 season as a replacement for the previously mentioned Nick Colgan, who had suffered a slight injury and was therefore out of action for a few weeks. Forecast would make his professional debut against Crewe Alexandra that weekend - and it was very memorable for all the wrong reasons.

The 'keeper looked completely devoid of any kind of confidence, and that resulted in him being unable to perform even the very basics of goalkeeping. Mariners fans watched on in horror as Forecast went from one calamity to another, perhaps the standout being lobbed by an effort struck from within his own six-yard box. Crewe went on to win the match 4-0, an afternoon still well-known among supporters of both Grimsby and The Railwaymen to this day.

Forecast's loan was cut short, as the Mariners looked for more competent cover, and though he went on to make a few appearances in Non-League for the likes of Eastbourne Borough, Bromley and Chelmsford City, Forecast's career never really got going at any notable level before he seemingly hung up his gloves in 2013.