Hull City have been a real help to Grimsby Town all through

Grimsby Town has consistently found itself at the top of the football hierarchy relative to Hull City. Indeed, Mariners fans frequently had the upper hand over their rivals from the North Bank of the River Humber until shortly after the turn of the century. Though the roles have mostly been flipped, things are significantly different now, and the Tigers’ success is undoubtedly beneficial to the Blundell Park club in this day and age.

The English Football League’s era of teams moving up the ranks swiftly is long gone. Of course, there are the odd outliers, but in today’s commercial, corporate sporting meritocracy, it is extremely impossible for a club to attain a continuous, quick upward trajectory unless they are financially funded by a wealthy benefactor or benefactors. Success is usually more elusive and depends on organisation, relationships, culture, and collaborations.

This is the result of a number of factors, including location, marketability, and unequal wealth distribution. As a result, there is a growing disparity in wealth between the Championship clubs and their League One and League Two counterparts, with many of the former having played in the Premier League. As a result of the subsequent infrastructure investments made by other second-tier teams, their Academy and youth setups have grown. Hull City has helped Grimsby Town in this area recently and is probably going to continue to do so.

Given that the two teams are at different ends of the professional game and that the footballing environment is changing as previously indicated, a natural bond has developed between them that benefits the Mariners, Tigers, and some gifted young football players.

Hull City trio standout whilst with Grimsby

Conor Townsend, Andy Smith, and current goalie Harvey Cartwright, all Hull City youngsters, have all picked Grimsby Town as the place to get good first team experience over the past 15 years as they look to launch their careers. All three have had a significant impact on the Mariners’ fortunes during their time at Blundell Park, with the former two moving up the ladder as a result of their standout stints on the East Coast.

Left-back Townsend spent two different stints on loan with Grimsby. The first was in the 2011–12 fifth-tier season, when he assisted then manager Paul Hurst’s team in stabilising and starting to move ahead after a challenging few years for the team. He returned for a second, but shorter, tenure during the 2015–16 National League season. One where Townsend made a significant contribution in terms of originality and calibre during his nine games, and one that would ultimately result in promotion for the Mariners. Since then, the full-back has continued to reach his full potential at the top level with West Bromwich Albion.

Smith, a central defender, played a crucial part in the Mariners’ promotion from the National League after joining Grimsby in January 2022. He assisted John McAtee in scoring an equaliser against Solihull Moors in the play-off final.

The next season, the elegant defender returned to the team on a season-long loan, and he once more was instrumental in helping the Mariners secure their best league finish in a generation and an amazing FA Cup run all the way to the quarterfinals. Although Smith’s third return to Grimsby would have delighted supporters, the 22-year-old had shown enough to earn a spot in Liam Rosenior’s Hull first team during the first half of the 2023–24 Championship season before going on loan to League One Cheltenham Town in January.

This season, the Mariners have borrowed custodian Cartwright, an England Under-20 international, from their Humberside neighbours. Although Cartwright appeared a little unsteady at first and needed some time to overtake Jake Eastwood in the Grimsby goal, the young player has recently gained confidence and is starting to show off his all-around skills, not to mention his willingness to gather high balls into his penalty area to relieve pressure on his defence.