After winning against Forest Green last Saturday, Grimsby earned a goalless draw at AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday to move eight points ahead of Sutton with two games in hand, and they would feel that a victory at the weekend would give their own survival hopes a huge boost with Colchester and Forest Green both facing sides in the promotion play-off zone in Barrow and Walsall respectively.

That win over Forest Green last week was Grimsby’s first in seven games and their first in 2024, their previous success having come at Salford at the end of December, their only away win of the season. Over half of their away games this season have been drawn, and in the most recent of those on Tuesday they came closest to scoring when Donovan Wilson, a member of Sutton’s National League championship side and who made over 100 appearances for us, scoring nineteen goals, hit the bar.

The meeting at Blundell Park in November also finished level, with Harry Smith cancelling out Rekeil Pyke’s goal just before half time, and then Sutton failing to take a number of second half opportunities to bring all three points back from the Lincolnshire coast.

American referee Alex Chilowicz is making his second visit to the VBS since joining the EFL list in December, having been in charge for our game against Mansfield just before Christmas. He has been a Major League Soccer referee since 2017.

We will be participating in Level Playing Field’s national campaign ‘Unite For Access’ – a celebration of accessibility and inclusion for disabled sports fans. Level Playing Field is the leading charity advocating for disabled sports fans in England and Wales, and the campaign has seen EFL clubs designating a game over the past fortnight to support the campaign.

 

If you want to know more about the work of Level Playing Field please visit www.levelplayingfield.org.uk.

You can also find them on social media by searching Level Playing Field.

Tickets are on sale on line here, with ground admission prices £21 for adults, £15 for concessions (age 60+/full time students with ID) and £7 for juniors (age 12-18). Under 12s are admitted free if accompanied by a paying adult or concession. Seat prices are £4 more in all categories. Remember that by buying on line you can avoid the £2 increase applied to tickets sold in person on the day of the game.

Our fanzone will be open from 12.30pm with a Signal happy hour until 1.30 when beer is £3.50 a pint. From 1.30 there will be live music and children’s entertainment in the fan zone, with Jenny the Giraffe being joined by her friend from Grimsby, the Mighty Mariner. After the game the Arsenal v Brentford game will be showing in Ambers’ Bar where there will also be a Strikers Are Key draw.

Yet again this weekend we regret that there are no Thameslink trains through West Sutton station due to engineering works. Southern trains are operating a normal Saturday service through Sutton station, which is a 15-20 minute walk from the ground and served by the 413 bus which goes past the main entrance and the 80 which goes closer to the visitors’ accommodation at the Collingwood end. Both those bus services also connect at Morden with the Northern Line, which is also operating a normal service. Drivers should also be aware of newly-reduced speed limits on some of the main roads in the area, including the A232 and A217.

For those not able to get to the game we will have our usual audio commentary through our iFollow service. A match pass costs £2.50, while monthly passes are available for £4.49. Overseas supporters can watch a live stream of the game for £10. Click here to buy the relevant pass. 

A match programme can also be ordered to be sent out after the game, priced £3 plus postage. Click here to buy a copy.

After seeing their game at Plymouth last week postponed, and then turning in an impressive performance to beat Horley 3-1 in the Surrey Senior Cup, our academy side play their first EFL Youth Alliance Merit League 1 game this season at Portsmouth on Saturday morning. Kick off is 11.00am at the Portsmouth training ground in Copnor Road, PO3 5EW