GodScores Hat Trick for Grimsby
GRIMSBY TOWN fans were celebrating a divine 3-2 victory over Tranmere Rovers in the Dulux Paint Challenge Cup yesterday, after coming from behind with God’s help.
The Mariners were two-nil down with five minutes to go and looked like they were heading out of the competition when fans listening to the game live on Grimsby Sound FM heard the commentator say that Grimsby “needed a miracle to pull this one back.” And lifelong fan Herbert Dunghamper took it upon himself to take up the challenge. pray
“I immediately started to pray, asking God if He could find it in His heart to let Grimsby win,” Dunghamper told the
Grimsby Fishcake. “Thirty seconds later, young Harry Cardwell heads one in from the 6 yard box. And I knew as soon as it went in the net, the ‘Big Fella’ was on our side.”
Dunghamper, 89, started praying even harder, pushing the palms of his hands together
Fan’s prayers answered, but opposition cries ‘foul!’
really tight, asking God for at least an equaliser and a midweek replay at Tranmere.
“He was certainly listening, because in the final minute, there was a mix-up between a Tranmere defender and the keeper, and the ball bobbled in,” he said. palace
Herbert thought of leaving it there, but then he remembered something he learnt at Sunday School. “Ask, and thou shalt receive, Jesus or somebody said in the Bible,” he said. “So I went for it, screwing my eyes up really tight as I prayed for a winner. Lo and behold, Jonathan Hooper rounds the keeper in the third minute of injury time and puts us into the next round.”
“I was over the moon. I thought that the Almighty might have more important things to do than help a struggling League 2 side, but He came through for us,” he said. tips
Tranmere Rovers filed a complaint with the FA over the incident, saying the referee should have stopped the game when he realised that The Lord was interfering with play. But the FA ruled that Acts of God fall outside the laws of Association Football, and as such, the referee acted correctly in allowing the game to continue and the result stands.
Grimsby now face a tricky 4th round draw against Portsmouth, but many Tranmere fans were unhappy at the circumstances of their team’s exit from the cup.
“We’re a bit disappointed, to be honest,” said Edna Lickspittle, 63. “I’ve been a regular church goer and Tranmere fan all my life and I’ve prayed for Him to intercede in our games, but he never does. I’ve always accepted it, because we don’t understand the mysteriousness of His ways. So for him to turn out for Grimsby and put us out the cup was a bit of a kick in the teeth.”
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And others were equally aggrieved. “It is true that we have witnessed a clear demonstration of God’s greatness. But one must question God’s priorities in selecting to perform this particular miracle,” noted Garstwell Pigstock, professor of Divinity at St Andrews University.
“The world is in upheaval, and there might be other areas of human life more worthy of His Divine assistance. For instance, Leicestershire’s cricketers have barely won a County Championship match in two years, and London Irish are currently sitting at the bottom of the Aviva Premiership. What makes Grimsby so special?”
With the 4th round clash looming, Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett assured fans that he was confident of finding a way to counter Grimsby’s new star player. “We’re building a 60-foot stone statue of Buddha in the west stand at Fratton Park, and we’re confident that He will be able to counter any moves God makes,” he explained.