Our family has been involved with GTFC for over 50 years and my first memory was looking through my dad's fantastic football scrapbook that my grandad had put together.
Hearing my dad re-tell stories of Mariners games involving himself, Ron Rafferty and Johnny Scott made a young boy dream himself of one day pulling on the black and white stripes. The scrapbook featured headlines proclaiming "it was all worth Waite-ing for" and pictures of my dad lined up alongside Terry Venables and Martin Peters as an England U21 representative, one of a select number of Grimsby Town players who have also represented their country.
These early memories were followed by access to the inner workings of the club as my dad became assistant Commercial Manager working alongside Alec King. Meeting Graham Taylor, then manager of visiting Watford, who had played with my dad was a highlight that still seems like it happened yesterday. This was a great era for GTFC and watching the likes of Kevin Drinkell, Joe Waters and Bobby Cummings take on modern day powerhouses Chelsea and Newcastle were great footballing lessons for a hopeful professional, teenage footballer.
This was followed by my brief playing stint with the club. Never being fortunate (or good) enough to play for the first team I still cherish the memories of Grimsby Colts, Grimsby Juniors and the Reserves and my time as a YTS apprentice. Travelling with the Reserves to Roker Park and the abuse received from the Sunderland fans was particularly eye opening for a 17 year old. Overall, GTFC has been a huge part of the Waite family and we are thankful for the memories.
Mark Waite
The Alzheimer's Society recently launched a national initiative called Dementia Friends which is giving people an understanding of dementia and the small things people can do that make a difference to people living with dementia. Alzheimer's Society want to create a network of a million Dementia Friends across England by 2015 - for more information visit dementiafriends.org.uk
Memory added on December 11, 2013
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