Grimsby’s push to become the UK’s first ever Town of Culture has gained the backing of one of the town’s most familiar family names, and with it, the support of a civic institution that brings thousands of people together every weekend. The bid, known as GY28, is aiming to secure the 2028 title, and those behind it argue that the designation would recognise a community whose contribution has long gone uncounted.
Andrew Pettit, who became a part owner of Grimsby Town in 2021, believes the football club has a duty to stand behind the effort. For him, the Mariners are more than a team playing in a stadium; they are a place where the town gathers for a shared purpose, and a key civic institution in their own right.
“When the opportunity came up to buy the club, I felt it was so important to town and our identity, but also that it was a real opportunity to make a difference to a key civic institution,” he said. “It’s not just a club or a stadium, but a place where everyone comes together on a Saturday for the same reason.”
Pettit’s connection to Grimsby runs deep. His family opened a small butchers shop in the town around 150 years ago, and successive generations carried the trade forward. “My family have always been from Grimsby, my Great Grandad, Grandad and Father were all butchers; my family have been associated with the town for 150 years,” he said.
That history, he suggests, shapes why he sees the club as a way of repaying the people of the town. “Getting involved in the club was equally about giving back to the people of Grimsby. They’ve helped my family throughout the years and the people here are special. Their humour, humility and hard-working culture shows just how amazing they are.”
When Pettit joined the ownership, the club was competing in the National League. Through continued investment and what he describes as a desire to see the Mariners improve, he and the board have helped drive the push for promotion into League One. The club’s fortunes, in this view, are tied to the town’s own sense of what it can achieve.
Meanwhile, the bid for Town of Culture comes at a moment when Grimsby is redefining itself. The town was built on the fishing industry, but has since been regenerated and is developing in new areas, including the energy sector. Some of that transformation is visible from the terraces: the wind turbines that form part of the changing skyline can be seen from inside the stadium itself.
For Pettit, the timing carries a particular resonance. The Town of Culture award, if Grimsby wins it, would be held in 2028, the same year the football club marks its 150th anniversary. “Town of Culture being in 2028 and that being our 150th anniversary year feels like fate,” he said. “It goes without saying, we would be very proud to be associated with it should Grimsby win.”
His broader assessment of the town is one of quiet confidence in the face of outside neglect. “Ultimately, it’s a town that is often underappreciated, but proud of itself. It’s called Great Grimsby for a reason.”
The GY28 campaign now rests on exactly that argument: that a town with a century and a half of working culture, a regenerated economy and a football club at its heart deserves recognition on the national stage. More information about Grimsby’s bid for UK Town of Culture 2028 is available through the GY28 campaign.
Image credit: Jon Corken