One Of Our Own - Single
Jim Connor

Town fans will know Jim Connor as an artist who’s produced countless cartoons, sketches, and paintings of the club over the years.

Jim first began drawing things associated with GTFC when he was studying Fine Art at Sheffield Art School in the mid 1970s, but it wasn’t until the late 80s when his work began being noticed by Town fans. He was a regular contributor to the fanzine ‘Sing When We’re Fishing’ and by 1992 he’d become part of the editorial team along with Steve Plowes, Sarah Johnson, Rachel Branson and Rob Briggs. In the days before the internet and social media, the fanzine was the only independent publication for fans to share their opinions on the football club.


Jim created many iconic cartoon strips for ‘SWWF’ over the years and included fans, as well as players, managers, chairman and staff members in his stories. These strips included ‘Futchenstein’, ‘Tony Gallonmore’ and ‘Oysterboy, to name just a few, and one of his recurring characters was the club’s maintenance man Norman ‘Nobby’ Atkins who Jim helped become a cult hero.

Around the time SWWF was coming to an end, Jim began contributing to The Mariner and almost 20 years later he continues to create bespoke pieces of players and managers from the club’s past. In recent years, Jim produced a book featuring the best of his ‘Tales from the Park’ series, was involved in the first food bank collection organised by Town fans, and right now he’s working on the cover for a new book by Rob McIlveen. He even appeared on the TV show ‘They Think It’s All Over’ explaining the origins of ‘Harry the Haddock’ and how the inflatable was actually a trout.


Jim started watching Town in the early 70s and was lucky enough to see Lawrie McMenemy’s team win the Fourth Division title in 71-72. He claims that after watching a pulsating 2-2 draw with Lincoln City at Blundell Park in January 1972, he was hooked. And one of his all-time favourites was the Exeter home game that season when the Mariners claimed the title and some fans famously watched from the roof of the Barrett Stand.

"But there's none to compare with my Grimsby"

One Of Our Own is a collaboration between Grimbarians and GTFC to celebrate and shine a light on the unseen heroes that make the club tick.


Profiles can also be found in the match day programmes of the 21/22 season.


Words are by Jack Johnson (Super Clive Content) for Grimsby Town Football Club. Photography by Dan Clarke.

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