Mariners enjoy cup life

Lawrence has added stability to the Grimsby ship

BBC Sport's Alex Gerlis looks ahead to Grimsby's fourth round Worthington Cup match against Arsenal.

Liverpool could not lose cup games last season.

This season they have found themselves strangely vulnerable against sides from the great ports.

Last week it was Barcelona and the same happened a few weeks before when their counterparts from north-east Lincolnshire, Grimsby Town, knocked the cup-holders out of the Worthington Cup.

No doubt, Liverpool will dread being drawn against Southampton at St Mary's in the FA Cup.

The Mariners beat Liverpool thanks to a stunning winner from Phil Jevons - a former Everton player released by Liverpool as a junior.

The Mariners manager, Lennie Lawrence, described the Anfield result as "arguably the best result in the club's history".

Now it's Arsenal on Tuesday - a club that has a less-welcome place in Grimsby Town's history.

In the 1930s the Mariners were a power in the old First Division: they finished 10th in 1938-1939 and reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1936 (losing to Arsenal) and 1939.

The Second World War robbed the team of its peak years and their last spell in the old First Division ended on 1 May 1948 with an 8-0 defeat at Arsenal.

Stability

Since then its been 50 years up and down in the three divisions outside of the top-flight - the Mariners winning promotion and suffering relegation more times than any other side.

But the last 10 years have seen a bit more stability.

First under Alan Buckley and now with Lennie Lawrence the club have spent most of the past decade in the First Division.

For a club like Grimsby the new television money means that First Division survival is a financial imperative rather than just an issue of status.

Last season the Mariners had to wait until the last match of the season to ensure they would stay in Division One.

A 1-0 victory over Fulham had a strangely exhilarating effect on the team.

They started the new season so well that by the time they beat Barnsley on 1 September, they were top of the division for nearly 27 hours.

In such circumstances, every minute counts.

Not that anyone outside north-east Lincolnshire noticed.

Later that same day England apparently beat Germany 5-1 in a result that dominated the sports pages.

Jevons is just one of a group of improving players

Since then there has been some evidence of the team suffering from altitude sickness - they are now in more familiar territory a little bit lower down the table.

It will be a young Grimsby Town side facing whichever permutation of internationals Arsenal choose to field on Tuesday.

Jevons is a dangerous player as he proved against Liverpool in the last round.

Michael Boulding moved from the international pro-tennis circuit to Blundell Park but still seems to know where the net is.

Danny Butterfield will impress whether he's in defence or midfield and in goal Danny Coyne will be keen to show why he ought to be promoted in the Welsh squad.

Progress in the Worthington Cup becomes an opportunity to strive for glory and pay a few bills in the process.

Not too many Mariners fans or players at Highbury on Tuesday will have 1948 uppermost in their mind, but if Grimsby do win a few ghosts will have been laid to rest.