The 2019-20 campaign was a season of dramatic, mid-season resurgence for Grimsby Town, with The Mariners ultimately finishing 15th in League Two after the season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The year was defined by the charismatic appointment of manager Ian Holloway in December, whose arrival sparked a stunning upturn in form that lifted the club away from relegation concerns and within striking distance of the play-offs. Leading the line with crucial goals was the veteran target man James Hanson, whose nine league goals included the prolific run that earned him the EFL League Two Player of the Month award for August. It was a year of renewed hope, marked by Holloway's famous "Mary Poppins" quote, which remains a defining, albeit unfinished, chapter for The Mariners.