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Match Reports | Next 5 Games | Golden Boot
Here at Torr we are delighted to be the home kit sponsors of one of the county’s finest U18 football teams.
Born from the long established and hugely successful Healing Hotspurs, and now playing under the Grimsby Borough banner, the majority of these players have played their whole amateur league careers in the same team together since starting school at the age of 5.
Under the first class coaching team of Matt Smith, Rob Taylor & Mark Crow, Healing Hotspurs completed the 2022/23 season as unbeaten league champions & Lincolnshire County Cup runners up.
The team are now known as the Grimsby Borough Hotspurs U18’s Mens – or GBH for short!
Top Left: Matt, Chaz, Rio, Dec, Baino, Rory, Joe, Jack, Toby & Rob.
Bottom Left: Harry, Joe, Kell, Smudge, Chase, Obi & Tom.
Grimsby Borough Hotspurs 2023/24 Season
Now for the 2023/24 season, we bring you game by game updates on the team’s progress as they wear the Team Torr Logo!
Including audio commentary ‘tit bits’ from our man pitch side – Andy ‘G’ Motson.
Next 5 Games:
| Competition | Date | Time | Home Team | Away Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Cup R2 | 12/11/23 | 13:30 | GB Hotspurs | Boston Town |
| Northern League | 19/11/23 | 10:45 | Cleethorpes Town | GB Hotspurs |
| Northern League | 26/11/23 | 10:45 | GB Hotspurs | Brigg Town |
| Steve Asher Cup | 03/12/23 | 10:30 | Navenby JFC | GB Hotspurs |
| Northern League | 17/12/23 | 14:00 | GB Hotspurs | Cleethorpes Town |
| Northern League | 14/01/24 | 14:00 | Gainsborough | GB Hotspurs |
Match Reports:
County Cup R2 – Grimsby Borough Hotspurs 3 – 2 Boston (12/11/23)
Today’s County Cup game saw the GBH back on their temporary home ground at Oasis Wintringham on the 3G.
An exciting first half that saw very little between teams, and several missed chances at either end.
It wasn’t until the 42nd minute when a crunching tackle inside the Barton’s penalty area put Alex ‘Smudge’ Smith on his back with a row of stud marks down his leg – and yet the penalty shouts fell on deaf ears with the ref.
While injured and being attended to, Smudge’s protests earned him a yellow card and 10 minute sin bin before he was even able to stand from his injury.
Further more vocal protests from Fin Goodfellow, and a comment drifted in the ref’s direction that didn’t fall on deaf ears this time, resulted in a red card for Fin, and with 3 minutes + injury time left in the first half, the GBH were down to 9 men. We survived further incident in the remaining minutes and the first half ended 0-0.
Starting the second half with 9 men, GBH started spritely, and when Rory was brought down in the box on 48 minutes, the penalty was awarded and clinically dispatched by Leo Wilcock for the opener.
6 minutes later Rory was involved again in a goal mouth scramble with Obi, that resulted in a Barton own goal. 2-0 GBH.
With goals in the 58th & 72nd minutes, Barton were back in the game at 2-2.
4 minutes later in the 76th miinute, a thunderous rocket from Julian Otu smashed past the Barton keeper to put GBH back in to the lead at 3-2.
And that’s how it finished, a tough game hard fought with 10 men for all of the second half, and progression for GBH to the next round of the County Cup.
Leo Wilcock Julian Otu
Game 7 – Grimsby Borough Hotspurs 3 – 4 Park Tigers (05/11/23)
The GBH were again without their pitch side commentators today, and playing home (but away) as our Carr Lane pitch is still suffering from the recent storms – so the game was played at Oasis Wintringham on the 3G.
Word is that too many soft goals were conceded and couldn’t quite get back into it within the 90.
The 3G didn’t seem to suit us today, but we’ll have to get over that as we have to play a few more home games on it while the grass pitch at Carr Lane recovers from waterlogging.
Harry Jackson Finley Towill
Game 6 – Immingham 2 – 0 Grimsby Borough Hotspurs (29/10/23)
The GBH were without their pitch side commentators today, but word is that the Ref wanted to be the star of this game – brandishing 15 yellows and 1 red card!
Game 5 – Park Tigers 1 – 3 Grimsby Borough Hotspurs (15/10/23)
The GBH made the journey to Scunthorpe today for their league away leg to Park Tigers.
A ground of two halves was the first impression for the travelling supporters, with one side of the pitch basking in glorious warm autumn sunshine, the other side however, where the supporters had to stand, was positively Baltic in the shade of the tall tree line.
And similarly it was a match of two halves. Scrappy, best describes the first half, with both teams struggling to play the ball on the ground for more than a couple of passes before losing possession.
And after both teams missing seemingly easy opportunities in the 6 yard box, and balls driven along goal lines without interception, it was Park Tigers that struck first going 1-0 ahead after 38 minutes.
Fortunately, the scores were back even just before half time courtesy of Dec Goodfellow’s ‘first of the season’ header that made it 1-1 going in to the half time break.
The second half was a much improved display from the Hotspurs, with the ball barely leaving the opposition half. It still took until the 62nd minute though until Obi Tomlinson scores his 4th of the season and puts us 2-1 ahead.
It was the 61st minute when Jack Braithwaite bangs in an awesome header from a corner, that sadly was ruled out as the ref was dealing with a player down on the pitch and didn’t signal for the corner to be taken.
Not to worry though, as in the 62nd minute when the corner was finally given the go ahead, it was an almost identical outcome, this time Harvey Smith rising to meet the ball, and a beautiful header in the back of the net for his 6th of the season so far, and for the 3-1 score line that the match finished.
Declan Goodfellow Obi Tomlinson Harvey Smith
County Cup R1 – GB Hotspurs 7 – 0 Gainsborough (08/09/23)
It’s County Cup action this week, with GBH’s return home leg league game against Barton postponed until a later date.
Of the 21 teams in the draw, 11 got byes (but not us) with the other 10 teams playing off for a place in the last 16.
Our opponents today, Gainsborough Trinity, have made a good start in the league – Played 4, Won 3, Lost 1. Only losing to the other Grimsby Borough team so far this season, the same team to beat us on the opening day.
But on the day it’s another commanding performance from the boys in red.
Just 3 minutes in the scorebook was opened by Fin Goodfellow, followed 20 minutes later by a 25 yard pass from Harvey Smith through to Toby Smith who slots home in the bottom corner.
A minute before half time, a master class in leaving your man behind and Chase McCartney slots a ball through to Leo Hallibone 3-0.
Sadly though, very shortly after the re-start, a bad landing after a jump by Alfie Snell leaves him in what is very obviously, even from the side-lines, excruciating pain.
“We wish him well.”
Quickly after Alfie was off on his way to A&E, Charlie Nickells leaps for the header…
And BOOM, it’s in the back of the net. 4-0.
Another composed finish from Toby Smith makes it 5-0, followed 3 minutes later by Fin Goodfellow with his 2nd of the day making it 6-0.
Then, in a rash moment…
“Got a bit of the ball…but mainly the player.”
And we’re down to 10 men.
Not that it mattered though, as Gainsborough can’t make any advantage of the extra man, and Brad Crow calmly slots the ball in to the bottom corner to make it 7-0 at full time.
Fin Goodfellow Toby Smith Leo Hallibone Charlie Nickells Brad Crow
Get well soon Alfie!
Game 4 – Cleethorpes Town 0 – 6 Grimsby Borough Hotspurs (01/10/23)
The return leg of Hotspurs biggest ever winning margin against Cleethorpes Town was played at the Blossom Way Club in Immingham on a great pitch.
A much improved performance by the home side this time out, with an exceptional turn around in form from the Cleethorpes keeper – who should have been named man of the match.
However, Hotspurs were by far the better team on the day, with 2 outstanding long range goals from Chase, and while a 21-1 was never on the cards again, though without the heroics of the Cleethorpes keeper it would have been close, Grimsby Borough still ran out 6-0 winners.
Chase McCartney Alfie Snell Oban ‘Obi’ Tomlinson Harvey Smith Charlie ‘Sorro’ Sorensen
And by Game 4, GBH are already effectively top of the table on goal difference:
Game 3 – Barton Town 2 – 5 Grimsby Borough Hotspurs (24/09/23)
The winning ways continue in this fine match at the superb Barton Town Stadium. A physical encounter with the Hotspurs prevailing.
Brad Crow Oban ‘Obi’ Tomlinson Leo Wilcock
Game 2 – Grimsby Borough Hotspurs 21 – 1 Cleethorpes Town (17/09/23)
After our opening game defeat, it’s an incredible bounce back for our 2nd Home game at our new ground, Carr Lane Social Club.
An under the weather Cleethorpes keeper and a freak 21-1 win – the highest in the teams long history.
Harvey Smith Alexander ‘Smudge’ Smith Harry Jackson Finlay Goodfellow Joe Holmes Chase McCartney Toby Smith Charlie Nickells Owen Baines Jack Braithwaite
“Boosh 21-1.”
Game 1 – Grimsby Borough Hotspurs 0 – 2 Grimsby Borough (03/09/23)
A tough start after the off season layoff with a below par GBH suffering their first league defeat in over an entire season.
GOLDEN BOOT:
| Harvey Smith | 6 |
| Harry Jackson | 5 |
| Chase McCartney | 4 |
| Finlay Goodfellow | 4 |
| Toby Smith | 4 |
| Obi Thompson | 4 |
| Brad Crow | 3 |
| Alex Smith | 3 |
| Joe Holmes | 2 |
| Charlie Nickells | 2 |
| Leo Wilcock | 2 |
| Owen Baines | 1 |
| Jack Braithwaite | 1 |
| Alfie Snell | 1 |
| Charlie Sorensen | 1 |
| Leo Halibone | 1 |
| Declan Goodfellow | 1 |
| Finley Towill | 1 |
| Julian Otu | 1 |
| TEAM TOTAL | 47 |
Commentary Gold… Unbelievable Jeff!
“Boosh 21-1.”
“We have crowd of approximately 42 and 3 dogs.”
“The theatre of wet dreams post match analysis.” (The Fever Tree Tattoo one).
“Thank you very much son, yellow card, off you go for 8 minutes – Dissent!”
“No referee turned up today…”
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