Ones to Watch - Grimsby Town

Last updated : 22 January 2010 By Duke

Goalkeepers:
Nick Colgan. Date of Birth: 19/09/1973 Height: 6' 1"
Colgan started his career at Chelsea where he managed just one first team appearance back in the 1996/97 season. He had several loan spells while at Stamford Bridge before joining Bournemouth in 1998, one season later he moved north of the border to join Hibs where he spent the next five years, before moving back south to join Barnsley playing in the winning the League One Play Offs in 2006. Colgan joined the Mariners last summer.

Leigh Overton. Date of Birth: 01/12/1990 Height: 6' 0"
At just 18 Lee finds himself in the first team squad as cover for Colgan . He is a product of the youth system at Blundell Park and is highly thought of.. Yet to be called on this season other than being on the bench.

Defenders:

Paul Linwood. Date of Birth: 24/10/1983 Height: 6' 2"
Linwood came in last summer from Chester City where he had spent 3 seasons making over 100 appearances. Paul started out at Tranmere and his only other club being Wrexham where he spent some time on loan.

Rob Atkinson. Date of Birth: 29/04/1987 Height: 6' 1"
Rob has great aerial ability and was signed in January 2009 from Barnsley after two loan spells where he came through their youth system; he also spent time on loan at Halifax and Rochdale.

Joe Widdowson. Date of Birth: 29/03/1989 Height: 6' 0"
Widdowson began his career as a trainee at West Ham United in July 2007, from where he went on loan for one month to the Millers in February 2008 making three league appearances. Then Grimsby manager Mike Newell made him his first signing, giving Joe a three year contract.

Matt Heywood. Date of Birth: 26/08/1979 Height: 6' 3"
Heywood began his career for Burnley in the summer of 1997, he went on to make 14 appearances in all competitions in his stay at the club, which came to an end mid way through the 2000-2001 campaign, when he transferred to Swindon Town in January 2001, on a free transfer, and played over 200 times for the club from between 2001 and 2004. A spell at Bristol City was followed by a move to Brentford where in 2007/08 season he was "Supporters Player of The Season" In June 2008 he signed a two year contract at Grimsby. After only one appearance this season he has been told he is free to leave the club, but was on the bench for the last Mariners match.

Robbie Stockdale. Date of Birth: 30/11/1979 Height: 6' 0"
Stockdale began his career at Middlesbrough in 1997, where he made over 50 Premier League appearances as well as earning five international caps for Scotland. He moved permanently to the Millers in 2004 after a loan spell making 27 appearances before moving to Hull City. Ronnie Moore signed Stockdale for a second time, this time as Tranmere manager in a £100,000 deal which also took Kevin Ellison to the club. Stockdale signed a two-year deal for Grimsby Town under Alan Buckley in June 2008. Stockdale looks to be missing against the Millers due to a hernia problem.

Nick Hegarty. Date of Birth: 25/06/1986 Height: 5' 10"
Nick was handed his first team debut at the tail end of 2004/05 and has since gained first team experience from spells with Whitby and Willenhall. Nick played just the 5 times this season.

Midfielders:

Peter Sweeney. Date of Birth: 25/09/1984 Height: 6' 0"
Sweeney initially joined the Mariners on loan from Leeds in March 2009 before making the move permanent during the summer of 2009. Sweeny played in the FA Cup Final in 2004 against Manchester United for Millwall, where he started his career. Sweeny later for Stoke, before loan spells at Walsall and Yeovil before joining Leeds. He is a left-sided player who can play in midfield or on the wing.

Peter Bore. Date of Birth: 04/11/1987 Height: 6' 0"
Peter joined Grimsby at the age of 12. He finished the 2006-07 season, his first as a professional, as Grimsby's joint top scorer after scoring eight goals in 36 appearances. Peter is an exciting player to watch, being somewhat of an old fashioned winger and on his day almost unplayable.

Michael Leary. Date of Birth: 17/04/1983 Height: 5' 10"
Leary started out at Luton Town, a product of their youth system. He joined the Grimsby in the summer of 2009 after impressing during a short trial, after spending the two previous seasons at Barnet. Leary also has league experience at Bristol Rovers, Walsall, Torquay and Brentford, with whom he spent the majority of the 2006/2007 season.

Mark Hudson Date of Birth: 24/10/1980 Height: 5'10''
Former Miller Hudson signed for the Mariners until the end of the season from Gainsborough Trinity in November 2009. At his time at Rotherham he made 33 appearances in the 2007-08 season, scoring nine goals. In the 2008-09 season he was a regular in the side, making 50 appearances and scoring six goals. After being released he spent a short spell at Blackpool before the surprise move to Gainsborough.

Josh Fuller. Date of Birth: 12/12/1980 Height: 5' 10"
Josh made his first team debut at the age of 17 during the last game home game of the 08/09 campaign and made his full debut at the start of the 2009/ 2010. Josh can play on either flank.

Paris Cowan Hall. Date of Birth: 05/10/1990 Height: 5' 8"
Midfield/ striker who signed from Portsmouth on an initial one-month loan deal at the start of January. Paris joined Pompey from Rushden & Diamonds in 2007. He can play wide midfield or striker. He made his Town debut against Bury on Jan 2nd, coming on as a second half substitute.

MillersMAD One to Watch.

Nicky Featherstone. Date of Birth: 22/09/1988 Height: 5' 7"
Nicky signed for a month long loan deal from Hull City in November, after the month he returned to Hull, but he re-signed for Grimsby for a second loan spell on 11 January 2010. A product of the Hull Academy he is an attacking midfielder.

Strikers:

Adam Proudlock. Date of Birth: 09/05/1981 Height: 6' 0"
Proudluck's league career started out at Wolves in 2001, he has played for Nottm Forest (loan), Clyde (loan), Tranmere (loan), Sheffield Wed (loan), Wolves, Ipswich Town, Sheffield Wed, Stockport, and Darlington, from where he signed a two and a half year deal in January 2009. 11 starts this season have produced just the one goal.

Michael Coulson. Date of Birth: 04/04/1988 Height: 5' 10"
Coulson is on loan fro Barnsley. His playing career stated at his hometown club Scarborough in 2004. Coulson has made 9 appearances this season scoring 1 goal.

Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro. Date of Birth: 04/01/1985 Height: 6' 0"
Exciting striker Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro joined the Mariners on a free transfer in December 2008. The 24-year-old is of Ivorian descent, and made a name for himself in France and Belgium as a regular goal scorer for Toulouse and FC Brussels. Akpa is an explosive player with tremendous strength and a good turn of pace. The Frenchman previously held trials with Colchester and MK Dons before arriving in Cleethorpes. Jean-Louis netted his first goals for the club in the 5-1 hammering of Lincoln in early March.

Ashley Chambers. Date of Birth: 01/03/1990 Height: 5' 10"
Ashley signed on Thursday for the Mariners from Leicester City until the rest of the season, and goes straight into the squad to face the Millers. Ashley joined the Foxes at the age of eight, and made club history in September 2005 when, aged 15 years and 203 days, he became City's youngest ever first team player. At the start of the season he went on loan to Wycombe Wanders, making 3 appearances and scoring one goal.

Wes Fletcher. Date of Birth: 28/02/1991
Fletcher was given his first professional contract by Burnley in March 2009 and became part of the first team for the 2009-10. After signing for the Mariners he made his professional debut against Cheltenham Town on 16 January 2010, less than 24 hours after signing on loan.

Nathan Jarman. Date of Birth: 19/09/1986 Height: 5' 11"
The 22-year-old former Barnsley man seized his first team opportunity last season and scored some important goals. With Barry Conlon moving to Chesterfield opportunities may now be more forthcoming this season for Nathan.

Adrian Forbes. Date of Birth: 23/01/1979 Height: 5' 8"
Signed a two year deal in 2009, after firstly being on loan from Millwall, where he only played 13 times and struggled to establish himself as a first team player. A pacy and skilful striker, who is also comfortable out wide, Adrian brings great experience from his time with Norwich, Luton, Swansea and Blackpool. Adrian looks to be out against the Millers with a leg injury.

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