LASTSEASON
LEAGUETWO5thFACUPFirstRoundLEAGUECUP
SecondRoundTOPSCORERChristianDoidge(14)LASTSEASON
LEAGUE TWO 17th FA CUP Third Round
LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER Wes Thomas (12)78 Season Preview 2019-20 FourFourTwo
FOREST GREEn ROVERS GRIMSBY TOWn
2019-20
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO
FFTVERDICT
4TH FFT VERDICT
18TH
Forest Green seem to be improving
year after year, making shrewd
signings and steadily developing
an intelligent, easy-on-the-eye
style. They must do much better
than eight home victories from 23,
but the club with awards off the
pitch will succeed on it very soon.Signing James Hanson and Matt
Green highlights Michael Jolley’s
attacking intent. After a season in
which Grimsby experienced long
losing streaks on more than one
occasion, Mariners fans might be
happy just to see something a bit
more dependable from their side.The big talking point among the fans
is our proposed stadium move to the
side of the M5, rejected by the council.
The decision has split the fanbase.
This season will be different because
there is some sort of expectation on
us for the first time since promotion.
I won’t be happy unless we improve
our home form. Several drab games
at the New Lawn last season hindered
an automatic promotion challenge.
Our key player will be the league’s
leading right-back, Liam Shephard
[above]. His dynamism is integral to
how we play. It’s no coincidence our
worst run came when he was injured.
Our most underrated player is
Nathan McGinley, a classy, left-footed,
ball playing centre-half destined for
big things. Only 22, he really matured
towards the end of the last campaign.
The opposition player I secretly
admire is Crawley’s Ollie Palmer. He’s
a towering, aggressive centre-forward
and a nightmare to defend against.
The best away ground is Oldham’s
Boundary Park, a proper old-fashioned
stadium with plenty of character.
The one recommendation for away
fans is to not walk up the hill to the
ground. Only the fittest should try it.
The player I’d happily drive to
another club is Charlie Cooper. The
manager’s son is unfairly scapegoated
at times, but his unsuccessful loan
spell at Newport proved he isn’t good
enough for this level. His Forest Green
contract was extended this summer.
The one change I’d make to the club
would be to put the focus on football.
I’m not particularly bothered about
the whole veganism element of the
club, but constant tweets about how
to make vegan brownies are tedious.
The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is
that Mark Cooper [below] is building
an exciting team that plays attractive
football. His relationship with the fans
is improving. It was hard to warm to
him, despite promotion in his first year,
as he criticised fans and froze out
quality players such as Kieffer Moore- who’s now in the Championship.
We’ll finish 6th. Last season’s play-off
heartbreak will help us in the long run.
The big talking point among the fans
is a potential takeover. At last, will it
be the investment we so badly need?
I won’t be happy unless we begin to
see returns from this squad and move
up the league. A top-10 finish should
be the minimum requirement.
Our key players will be new strikers
James Hanson and Matt Green, who’ll
add experience to our attack that will
help our explosive youngsters to thrive.
Look out for Max Wright. The winger
returned from a fruitful loan spell at
Boston last season and caught the eye
on his first-team debut.
The best club social media account
is @onthisGTFCday on Twitter, which
is nostalgia central.
The best thing about the matchday
experience at Grimsby is cheap beer
and great fish and chips!
The opposition player I secretly
admire is Kevin Ellison. He plays well
against us, and to sign a new deal at
40 is testament to his professionalism.The pantomime villains will be
Salford, media darlings for years and
now Sky’s first pick to show live.
Our best celebrity fan is comedian
Lloyd Griffith, who’s a fantastic lad and
very funny, yet gets stick from some of
our fans even though he does a lot to
promote the club. Thomas Turgoose
(This Is England) is another gem.
The one change I’d make to the club
would be a new stadium, seeing as
we’ve talked about it for 30 years.
Save the date for the local derby
against Scunthorpe, the away trip to
newcomers Salford, and January 11:
Leyton Orient away. They’re a proper
football club with great supporters,
and words can’t do justice to what
they’ve gone through this summer.
The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is
that Michael Jolley [below] says the
right things and plays the right way.
After keeping us up in 2017-18, he
has had a full teething season and
more will be expected now.
If he left, he should be replaced by
Paul Tisdale, if he happened to be free.
We’ll finish probably somewhere in
the middle. My heart says top 10, but
my head says comfortably mid-table.FAn FILE
LAURIE MARTIN
@lauriemartin263
FAn FILE
ROB BARTLETT
@RobBartlettESPN