Grimsby Town

City went on to win this game 2 - 0.
Before the First World War many clubs used to run annual club outings. It was an opportunity for fans to save up and travel en masse to a game that was often chosen by ballot.
In the spring of 1905 City’s away trip at Grimsby was chosen for City’s first ever club trip. Fortunately, City had hit a rich vein of form just before the trip, so with interest sky high three trains had to be laid on. Two left the Exchange station at 08.42 and 08.50am. The third left at 11.55am so those who worked Saturday morning could join the party. Several large firms allowed their workers to leave at 11.00am in order to catch the later train.
Over 2,000 made the journey to Grimsby, with 1,880 being booked from the Exchange station, with the remainder being sold via the booking offices at St Dunstans, Laisterdyke and Dudley Hill. The Bradford Boys team travelled with the supporters as they were playing Grimsby Boys as a curtain raiser to City’s match. The trains stopped at Grimsby Docks, New Clee and Cleethorpes. As they didn’t return until 8.45, 8.53 and 9.30pm, there was adequate time for the trippers to visit the delights of Cleethorpes and doubtless many of the local pubs.
The fans were in high spirits. Toyshops were invaded in search of anything that would make a noise. During the second half a deafening sound emitted from the City followers. In front of the press box there was a cornet, concertina, a huge bell, squeakers and rattles. Andy McGeachan scored twice as City made it three victories on the trot. At the final whistle the City fans poured onto the pitch and carried McGeachan and Jimmy Conlin off shoulder high. A similar attempt with James Garvey proved impossible due to the keepers’ bulk, so he was carried off feet first!
Earlier in the season City’s misfiring attack had been the subject of nightly letters in the local press. As City slipped down the table there was a real threat that the club would have to apply for re-election to the Football League. In those days the bottom three clubs and several potential new members of the Football League were subject to a vote of all the league clubs, with the losers being thrown out of the league. The victory at Grimsby pushed City further away from the danger zone. The scenes at the final whistle prompted the Bradford Daily Argus to comment that it was ‘difficult to realise that this was the team that had been so much abused, and this was the crowd that abused them’.
Picture shows City's wing wizard Jimmy Conlin who was carried off the Blundell Park
pitch shoulder high.