The Saddlers play host to The Mariners in the first Tuesday night game of the season, under the lights of the Pallet Track Bescot Stadium.
Kick-off time is slightly later than usual at 8pm so 15 minutes extra in the undercroft before the audience needs to head to their seats.
The Opposition
Despite spending the entirety of the 2nd half of last season just inside the top 10 and challenging for the play-offs (at one stage being 7th), Grimsby fell short, finishing the season in 9th place.
Manager David Artell will be looking for an improvement this season with a playoff place surely being a minimum expectation.
The Mariners have brought in many free transfers including Christy Pym (goalkeeper from Mansfield Town), Jude Soonsup-Bell (centre forward from Cordoba CF), Sam Lavelle (centre back from Carlisle United), Jamie Walker (midfielder from Bradford), Jayden Sweeney (left back from Leyton Orient), Zak Gilsenan (midfielder from Blackburn) and Justin Amaluzor (winger from Altrincham).
Similar to the Saddlers, Grimsby have also dipped into non-League for signings with Jaze Kabia (forward from Truro City) and Reece Staunton (left back from Spennymoor Town) being signed for undisclosed fees.
The Proposition
Early days with only 3 games gone but with both teams in the play-off positions they will be looking to test themselves against similar opposition.
Walsall’s last game against Barnet was a welcome win although questions will be raised after an unconvincing 2nd half. Brandon Comley had another good performance in midfield and will be hoping to start against his former club on Tuesday night. With Aaron Pressley getting off the mark against Barnet, surely he will start again alongside Jonny Stuttle. A second goal of the season for Connor Barrett would hopefully mean more goals from defence in future to replace the contribution of Taylor Allen.
Grimsby are unbeaten in 4, in both league and cup (3 wins, 2 draws), although their last game could be seen to be fortunate. A 2-1 win against Newport County in which their first goal was an own goal in the 1st minute and a second goal in the 94th minute. They did have a penalty miss in the 19th minute however. New signings Pym (GK), Sweeney (DF) and Kabia (FW) have started all 3 league games so it would be expected they lineup against Walsall.
The First Time
The first meeting between the sides, was in League Division Two on the 22nd October 1892, which resulted in a 3-1 home win for Walsall Town Swifts.
The Worst Time
On the 27th January 1973, Walsall lost 6-2 away at Grimsby in a League Division Three game.
The Last Time
The Saddlers last meeting with the Mariners was a 1-3 home loss in League Two on 8th March 2025, last season.
Played for Grimsby, Managed Walsall
Christopher John Nicholl (12 October 1946 – 24 February 2024) started his career at Burnley, but after failing to make a breakthrough, he dropped down to non-league side Witton Albion. He would later join Halifax Town before securing a move to Luton Town in 1969.
Nicholl established himself as a centre-half with Aston Villa.
In a Division One game against Leicester City in 1976, he scored all four goals (two of them own goals) in a 2–2 draw. He captained the side to victory over Everton in the 1976–1977 League Cup after two final replays. Nicholl scored a 35-yard dipping shot in a 3–2 victory against Everton in the second replay of the League Cup final.
Nicholl signed for Southampton in June 1977 and became the backbone of a successful side, missing only three league games in his first season as the club were promoted back to the top flight. In 1979, Nicholl appeared in his third League Cup final, where Southampton subsequently lost 3–2 to Nottingham Forest.
Nicholl joined Grimsby Town in August 1983, and helped them to a fifth-placed finish in Division Two in his first season at the club. This was their highest finish since they were relegated from the top flight in 1948.
International
Nicholl would not make his debut for Northern Ireland until he was 28. He scored against Sweden in the seventh minute of his first match for Northern Ireland. Nicholl scored a total of three goals during his international career, with one against Bulgaria in 1979 and the other against Australia in 1980. He was in Northern Ireland’s squad for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, playing its whole five games. On his 37th birthday in October 1983, he won his final cap, against Turkey. He won 51 Northern Ireland caps.
On to management
Southampton
After serving Grimsby Town as assistant manager, he returned to Southampton as the club’s manager when Lawrie McMenemy resigned in June 1985 and Nicholl kept the Saints in the First Division.
In 1991, the Saints finished in 14th place and Nicholl was sacked in favour of Ian Branfoot.
Nicholl was responsible for bringing some of the club’s most successful players into the first team. These included: Matthew Le Tissier, one of the most prolific strikers in the English league during the 1990s; Alan Shearer, sold to Blackburn Rovers for a British record fee in 1992 and then to Newcastle United for a world record fee in 1996, as well as scoring 30 goals for England; Rod Wallace, who helped Leeds United win the league title a year after leaving Southampton in 1991, and later won several Scottish trophies with Rangers. He also signed teenage goalkeeper Tim Flowers from Wolves 
in 1986, and seven years later he became Britain’s most expensive goalkeeper when he was sold to Blackburn Rovers, helping them win the league title in 1995.
Walsall
It was three years before Nicholl returned to football. Early in the 1994–95 season he replaced Kenny Hibbitt as manager of Walsall FC and his first season at the club was successful as they were promoted from Division Three as runners-up. The Saddlers finished in the top half of Division Two during the next two seasons but Nicholl quit in May 1997 after failing to get Walsall into Division One, citing family reasons.
Nicholl made a brief return to Walsall as then-manager Ray Graydon’s assistant in November 2001, but left in January 2002 through loyalty to Graydon, who had been sacked.
Northern Ireland
In 1998, he was invited to work alongside Lawrie McMenemy as assistant manager of Northern Ireland where he spent the next two years.
Personal life
In the BBC documentary ‘Dementia, Football and Me’ hosted by Alan Shearer, Nicholl revealed he often forgot where he lived due to his dementia, stating that he was “brain-damaged from heading balls”. After his illness got worse, he moved back to Southampton to be closer to his family.
Nicholl died on 24 February 2024, at the age of 77.
Also:
Brandon Comley, Rollin Menayese, Darren Wrack, Andy Butler, Martin Butler, Alan Buckley (played Walsall-managed Grimsby)…
I’m sure I’ve definitely missed a few. Comment below if you know anyone else.. 
Lump On
Our overall record against Grimsby (W34/D13/L25) is in our favour.
Lump Off
Grimsby are unbeaten in 4 games so far this season with 2 wins and a draw in the League and a win in the League Cup.
Goal Tally (sponsored by Owly McOwlface)
Connor Barrett - 2
Evan Weir - 1
Aaron Pressley - 1
UTS Match Poll
- Walsall Win
- Draw
- Grimsby Win
