LOUTH pair Nick Taylor and Victor Cooke have earned a shot of playing at Gleneagles in the final of Europe's biggest pro-am competition – The Lombard Trophy.

Taylor, 45, and Cooke, 67, teed up a chance to tread the fairways of the Ryder Cup 2014 venue when Cooke won his club qualifying competition.

He and Taylor now advance to the regional final at York's Fulford Golf Club in July, where they will play for the chance to secure one of the 16 spots available for the 36-hole grand final at the famous Scottish resort between September 3-4.

Cooke is a member of Louth Golf Club and has been playing the game for 15 years, and competes with a handicap of 21.

Taylor, who has been the pro at Louth for 10 years said: "It offers us a great chance to play at Gleneagles. I've played there before andI've got to say, it's pretty spectacular.

"It's a long and tough course but it's fantastic. It's a cracking place for the final – but it's about getting there first.

"We're looking forward to the regional final at Fulford. We're going to have a bit of practice together and Victor wants a few lessons on his chipping so we'll have a quick check of that, but he'll be fine.

"But he's done well to get this far so he's obviously in good nick – we're both looking forward to it."

The tournament attracts more than 50,000 competitors from across Great Britain and Ireland and is now its 29th competitive year.

The PGA National Pro-Am Championship has a total prize fund of £80,000, with the winning professional at the grand final taking home a cheque for £12,000.

"GOT now't else to do up here but breed and feed have we?"

The inspirational rhetorical question spoken by Dean, the main man filmed in Channel 4's latest escapade Skint. Following the lives of people living in Scunthorpe, the show aims to educate the stiffer middle-upper class on "how the other half live". "Drink beer, smoke weed" appears to be the phrase etched onto the inside of the residents' eyelids, while they sit and bleat to the wearisome cameraman about how awful their lives are, how there's nothing to do but get off ya rocker from substances brought from the "off license".

They snigger. Myself, as a viewer, doesn't.

I cringe at how much leeway these people seem to have to roll around in a metaphorical bath of their own glorified self pity and the emerging stereotype, perhaps a product of an overly-generous benefit system, they seem happy to present to the nation.

The characters of the show seem to inhabit a constant world of delinquency, where they fail to see the purpose of going to school when there's "nothing at the end of it".

Connor, Scunthorpe's number one lethario, is 15 and has been expelled from seven schools.

Worryingly, it seems as though Connor will end up similar to Dean and his terribly hard-grafting pals, who happily claim benefits, because, oh I almost forgot, they deserve it, don't they? For all they replenish into society.

The narrow mindsets displayed by those starring in the show are becoming the norm in more places than just Dean's utopia of Scunthorpe.

People are starting to take up home in this self-imposed state of poverty, blaming the world and his dog for the hand life's dealt them.

Funny thing is, they're the ones who, like Connor, don't go to school and consequently aren't being handed a job on a plate. They're the ones who continue to decide not to leave the walls of security Scunthorpe offers so highly, to maybe go and find a job (god, heaven forbid getting a job).

They're the ones who, despite having sex, decide not to go on contraception and therefore get lumbered with a baby at 15 (cue a vast majority of the women on the show).

I find myself, 20 minutes into the wannabe hard-hitting eye-opener, wondering what Dean's doing. Apart from becoming a super Z-list celebrity starring on Skint (only suitable for the super tough due to its heart-wrenching content) I wonder if he's aware he's declaring his state of poverty to the nation or whether he was tricked into it by the bosses at Channel 4.

After all, it takes some nerve to stand on camera for 40 minutes showing a cameraman, who is only doing his job, around your "hood" to meet your friends who, similarly to you have no job, no aspirations and no interests other than going to prison when life in utopia gets a bit tough and they "need a break".

Moreover, as a viewer, it worries me how Dean justifies buying knock-off stolen goods from a woman, because of the prices mainstream supermarkets charge.

I'm struggling here Dean, the supermarkets are going to have to charge more if your lady friend and others like her continue to steal from them.

I wonder what Dean would say if his daughter were to turn into the woman he so willingly buys stolen deodorant and razors from?

I understand Skint has been cleverly manipulated by editors to humiliate Dean and his pals and, is clearly a provocative tool for Channel 4 to boost viewing figures and put a death sentence on Scunthorpe, but the attitudes and stereotypes the show demonstrates appear to represent far too many in today's society.

If, even after the broadcast of the show, you're still living in Scunthorpe. Why? According to Skint, there's very little there and house prices aren't set to rise anytime soon. If you should be so unfortunate as to find yourself condoning Dean's dodgy dealings and his mind-numbingly dreary way of life, then you need to get out more, the community on this programme make a complete mockery of not only Britain, but the north, too, showing us all to be scroungers, teenage tearaways and thieves, who like nothing more than a good bottle of Frosty Jacks at the end of a hard morning waiting in line at the Job Centre.

Is this really representative of our communities and young people?

A BOWEL cancer survivor has marked her 80th birthday with a special thank you to the medical team that saved her life.

Joy Ibbotson, of Ellesmere Rise, Grimsby, underwent an operation to remove the cancer in August last year.

And when her friends and relatives got together to organise her birthday bash earlier this month, Joy asked that instead of buying her presents, they donate to the Bottoms Up Fund at Grimsby's Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital. A total of £810 was raised.

Launched as the Bottoms Up Appeal in February 2009, the Grimsby Telegraph-backed campaign raised £192,000 in just eight months to pay for six new high-observation beds (HOBs) to aid the recovery of colorectal surgery patients.

The new bay, which allows for shorter waiting times and quicker recoveries, was officially opened in April 2011.

Since then, the Bottoms Up Fund has continued to raise money for new equipment to improve the service for bowel cancer patients.

Joy said: "The treatment I have had in the hospital has been absolutely wonderful. I can't fault it.

"I didn't want presents for my birthday. I wanted to give something back to thank the staff for what they have done for me."

Joy admits her first reaction on being diagnosed was one of "fright", but insists it is important for cancer patients to think positively.

"People shouldn't be frightened to come into hospital and have this operation. Everything is explained so well."

Joy underwent the five-hour operation last August. A few days later her surgeon Kishore Sasapu gave her the good news.

"He came in and said: 'We have got it all. You are going to be OK.' I was absolutely over the moon."

Joy went to see her doctor straight after she started bleeding and feeling ill – action which she believes may have saved her life.

"I had got an idea what it was, but all the time you think 'it can't be'."

"My father died from bowel cancer about 40 years ago. That was another thing that made me think."

Mr Sasapu said: "We are very grateful to Joy for this donation and we hope she has many more years of fulfilling life.

"The money will be used to improve the colorectal cancer services within the trust.

"We have bought new theatre equipment, contributed to the anaesthetic department and we have also built a room for specialist colorectal nurses to see patients.

"Donations to the fund are immensely important. If we had to rely just on money from the Government we would have to wait a lot longer to do all of these things."

ON THE WEB: Read more about the Bottoms Up Fund at www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk

A GRIMSBY man is embarking on a punishing 100-mile charity bike ride to say thank you to the local fundraiser who supported his epileptic daughter.

Ian Chapman, 44, is doing the ride to raise money for Surinder Fowler's Big Five Marathon Mission.

Tireless fundraiser Surinder donated £429 towards the appeal to create a safe play area for Ian's daughter Emily Rendall in the family's back garden.

A total of £5,000 was raised for a padded surface and a special sunshade for Emily, now five, who suffers from as many as 20 debilitating seizures every day, causing her to lose consciousness and fall.

Now Ian is repaying the favour by raising money for Surinder's chosen charities Diabetes UK and Sense for deafblind people.

Along with his friends Karl Myall and Ashley Corringham, both from Grimsby, Ian will cycle from Cleethorpes to Mablethorpe, then to the Humber Bridge and back to Cleethorpes on Tuesday, June 11.

Ian said: "It's going to be a challenge. I did the same route two years ago for Emily and it nearly killed me! Hopefully it will be worth it.

"Surinder did some fundraising for my little girl so I thought it would be nice to help her out."

Surinder, 54, is aiming to raise £5,000 for her chosen charities before running the Big Five Marathon in Cape Town on June 22.

She said: "Emily is a special little girl and I am very grateful to Ian for supporting my marathon mission."

To sponsor Ian, contact Surinder on 07906 795576.

IT'S swingtime!

YMCA Humber and Get Hooked on Positive Activities (GHoPA) are inviting local people and organisations to take part in a charity golf day to help raise much-needed funds for work with socially disadvantaged young people.

The day offers not only a fun day of golf, but a raffle and a charity auction, with prizes ranging from a signed England football shirt from the recent friendly against Brazil, a World Matchplay dartboard signed by Phil Taylor and seven other top players, and much more.

GHoPA managing director Mark Fenty said: "We are excited about our first joint fundraising event with the YMCA and all proceeds raised will help both organisations help more vulnerable young people in the region.

"The event is also to cement and celebrate the on-going partnership and our commitment to work together to help and support young people."

Places are still open for teams of four to take part, priced at £120 per team, and the event starts at 11.30am with a bacon bun and refreshments on arrival.

There is also fish and chips for all participants after their round.

"We would be very grateful for any businesses or individuals to donate raffle or auction prizes," said Mark.

"We will invite e-mail bids and pledges prior to the event to ensure that we maximize the opportunity to raise funds."

"People are also welcome to attend Grimsby Golf Club from 5.30pm on the day to bid on auction items."

If you are interested in taking part in the YMCA/GHoPA Golf Day or would like to take up one of the sponsorship packages or donate a prize, call Jonathan Byrne on 01472 693388 or e-mail info@gcymca.org.uk

PLUMBER Daniel Hickling has been given a suspended jail term for carrying out illegal gas work that led to a massive explosion at a couple's home.

Martyn and Teresa Moody both suffered severe burns in the incident in Moortown Road, Nettleton.

Hickling, 32, trading as DGH Plumbing And Heating, was hired by the couple to reduce the height of two redundant LPG gas pipes in an old kitchen, which was being converted into a living room.

Hickling left a hole in piping which caused gas to leak into the home.

He cut off and capped the protruding pipe and then buried it under the floor during the conversion.

But he punctured the pipe and failed to carry out a straightforward test which would have located the leak.

Hours later, the Moodys smelt gas and began searching for the source.

While checking one of the rooms, Mr Moody flicked on a cigarette lighter and the flame ignited an explosion which rocked the house on July 21, 2011.

Mr Moody spent two weeks in hospital being treated for serious burns and has been left permanently scarred.

His wife suffered burns to her legs and feet, and was released from hospital after two days.

The house was so badly damaged it had to be almost completely rebuilt and it was a year before the couple were able to move back in.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Mr Hickling had never been registered with Gas Safe and was not qualified or competent to carry out the work.

Hickling, of Main Street, Howsham, Lincolnshire, admitted breaching Regulations 3(1), 3(3) and 5(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

Yesterday, at Lincoln Crown Court, he was given an 11-month prison sentence, suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £2,000. HSE inspector David Butter said: "Anybody who carries out work on gas pipes or appliances without being on the Gas Safe Register is breaking the law. Daniel Hickling endangered the lives of this couple as soon as he began work.

"They are extremely lucky to have survived."

A FITNESS instructor landed himself in hot water when he tried to stick up for his ex-girlfriend when she was assaulted by another man, Grimsby magistrates heard.

Daniel Wainwright, 24, of Hildyard Street, Grimsby, admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour on April 28.

Rebecca Dolby, prosecuting, said Wainwright became involved in a scuffle originally involving eight to ten people in High Street, Cleethorpes, after 4am.

He punched another man in the face, causing him to fall to the ground.

More fighting broke out and Wainwright kicked the other man while he was on the ground.

He later told police he was sticking up for his ex-girlfriend and added: "I will stand up for a woman every time."

He admitted: "When I am drunk, I have a little demon on my shoulder."

Ed Bates, mitigating, said Wainwright had been playing a drinking game at a party but "was not very good at it" because he kept losing and ended up drinking larger amounts of spirits.

He saw his ex-girlfriend being assaulted by another man and became involved in a confrontation.

The other man goaded him by saying "Come on then" and a fight erupted.

It was a "nasty" incident, but Wainwright acted out of character and was remorseful, said Mr Bates.

Wainwright, a personal trainer and fitness instructor, was given 100 hours' unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and pay a Government-imposed £60 victims' surcharge.

"AS a Trust, our message has always been that, individually, fans can't do much, but collectively we can achieve an awful lot and this is a chance to do that."

That is the message from the Mariners Trust after Grimsby Town announced an increase to some matchday and season ticket prices for the forthcoming season.

There will be a basic increase of £1 in the Pontoon and Lower Findus and £2 on adult ticket prices in the Upper Findus.

However, there will be no change in the Adult price of a seat in the Main Stand.

The changes have also had an impact on season ticket prices with the 'Early Bird' price of an adult season ticket in the Pontoon and Lower Findus going up by £19 and £20 in the Upper Findus.

The Trust have been involved in discussions on the new pricing structure and while secretary Dave Roberts, pictured, admits they are not "100 per cent" behind the move, he believes fans will understand why changes have to be made.

Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: "This increase will help the club to remain competitive in the league and we understand that.

"It's fair to say, we're not 100 per cent behind where we finally got to, but we really do appreciate that prices do have to go up.

"As a Trust, our message has always been that, individually fans cannot do a lot but collectively, they can achieve an awful lot and this is an ideal chance to do that.

"Collectively, that extra pound or two each a week can add up to an awful lot of money which can make us more competitive and give us a cracking chance of next season."

According to competitor analysis undertaken by the club, the new pricing structure brings the Mariners 'in to line' with those of a number of Town's league rivals.

Indeed, the price of an 'Early Bird' adult season ticket in the Pontoon (£285) will be less than the un-discounted tickets at the likes of Alfreton – where season passes will cost £310 – and Braintree, whose full priced, unseated adult tickets will cost £300.

Mr Roberts added the Trust understands that there will be an degree of disappointment from some supporters, but said he hoped the majority will recognise that the changes are "not massive".

"We can understand that there will be some disappointment from fans at the increase," he said.

"But it's not a big price increase. Yes, it's disappointing but, in the grand scheme of things it's not massive – but collectively, it can be a massive help for the club.

"We've fought for things such as the Main Stand being left out of the price increase.

"We fought for that and have had it included, because we don't feel that it is a premium stand.

"This move gives people the option."

He added: "There was an average gate of 3,800 fans last season.

"3,800 people, each paying a little bit more, adds up to a significant amount."

STUDENTS felt cheated when their last day at school was cancelled – because some students didn't meet the academy's "exacting standards of behaviour".

Parents and pupils were outraged after being handed the letter at Oasis Academy Wintringham on Thursday afternoon telling them not to come back the next day.

It means the 15 and 16-year-olds won't get the traditional last day of tearful goodbyes enjoyed by Year 11 students at other schools and many Wintringham cohorts previously.

Prefect Laura Noble, 15, said: "I was looking forward to spending it with friends, signing our shirts and saying thank you to teachers – but now it's all ruined."

Michael Ashworth, 16, a community leader at the school, said: "We've spent five years of our lives here and they won't even give us the chance to say goodbye."

Principal Jane Bowman said the decision was taken because "a number of students have not met our exacting standards of behaviour recently – and have not responded to our encouragement to do so".

However, Georgia Collins, 16, who was on the student council, said it was unfair that the majority of good students are denied the last day because of a small minority.

She added: "We don't deserve this and it's all just because of rumours that a few people would pull schoolboy-style pranks – and I don't think they would have gone through with them anyway."

Parents were also unhappy. Lorraine Menzies, 53, of Maxwell Court, Waltham, said: "We all remember our last day for years to come and it really saddens me that they are being denied that.

"My daughter and many of her friends have worked hard and don't deserve this – what kind of message does it send to the next generation?

"Now, teachers are guarding the gates like soldiers, treating our children as though they were terrorists – it's ridiculous."

Two teachers were outside the gates as the Telegraph took photos – although this is normal for the end of school.

Holleigh Salthouse, 16, moved from Tollbar in Year 10.

She said: "They have been really good to me since I came, especially the pastoral staff, who I really wanted to thank – but I won't get the chance now.

"The school act like they care about us but they just handed us a letter which basically said don't bother coming back – it's a really sad way to end it.

"I keep seeing pictures of Tollbar students looking happy pop up on Facebook and I wish I had stayed."

However, the principal said that students will get the chance to say goodbye to each other when they pick up their results in August and at the school prom.

She added: "The most important consideration at the moment is a complete focus on examinations."

Below is a letter from a prefect about how pupils were "banished"

OPPOSITION councillors have accused the ruling Labour group of "demolishing democracy" in a row over changes to the council's constitution.

The number of ordinary full council meetings will be limited to just five a year, compared to the nine held in 2012/13, and the six scrutiny panels are being cut from five to six.

The council leader will be given 15 minutes to speak at the start of full council, while any other councillor wishing to ask a question will be limited to just one minute.

In addition, councillors will now only be able to ask questions about issues raised at previous meetings by submitting them at least a day in advance.

The changes, which were approved at the council's annual general meeting, have been described as autocratic and undemocratic by opposition councillors.

The Conservatives even compared North East Lincolnshire's Labour administration to the regimes of Hitler and Stalin.

However, council leader Chris Shaw, pictured right, (Lab, Sidney Sussex) said the changes would not prevent councillors calling a special full council meeting if an urgent issue arose.

He said the leader's 15-minute speech would enable councillors to be updated on the progress of motions passed at previous meetings, and that limiting questions to one minute would prevent members making rambling speeches not relevant to the questions being asked.

He added that requiring questions to be submitted in advance would force councillors to "do what they are paid to do and start reading the minute book".

Conservative group leader Keith Brookes (Haverstoe) claimed the opposition had got Labour "on the run" and said they made "Stalin look democratic".

Councillor Steve Norton (Con, Humberston and New Waltham) said the changes would "castrate" the opposition's ability to challenge the leadership.

Councillor David Hornby (Con, Scartho) described the move as a "demolition of democracy by the Labour party".

And in an apparent reference to Hitler, Councillor Peter Mills (Con, Wolds) said: "I can remember 80 years ago that someone else did this sort of thing – came to power and removed the opposition, preventing them from making comments, and we all know what the result was."

Liberal Democrat group leader Andrew De Freitas (Park) said the changes would "chill-off democracy in local government."

And Councillor Ron Shepherd (UKIP, Scartho) said: "This is undemocratic and it puts the council leader on transmit and the whole of the borough on receive."

But Councillor Alex Wallace (Lab, Sidney Sussex) responded angrily to the comparison with Nazi Germany, saying: "I will not take lessons in fairness from the party that supports the bedroom tax."

Councillor Shaw added: "It's very good to get a lecture on democracy from Andrew and Keith, the two men who gerrymandered the 2003 election by not putting candidates up against each other."

The new constitution was approved by 23 votes to 15, with one abstention – Labour's Karl Wilson.

A LABOUR councillor in North East Lincolnshire has defected to UKIP, saying she wants to be free to represent the people.

Councillor Jane Bramley, who represents the South ward, handed in her resignation letter to Labour group leader Chris Shaw yesterday.

The shock move gives the Eurosceptic party its third councillor in the borough, just over a year after its first councillor was elected and barely two months after it defeated the Conservatives in the Humberston & New Waltham by-election.

Local party members say the defection shows that UKIP is a viable alternative for all voters, and not just a protest vote for disaffected Tories.

In an exclusive interview with the Grimsby Telegraph, Councillor Bramley said she had become disillusioned at being ordered to obey the Labour party whip and vote for things she disagreed with – such as the decision to close Scartho Baths.

The life-long Labour voter stressed she had not taken the decision lightly, but said that UKIP was a "fairer party" that would give her a better chance of representing the views of residents in her ward. She revealed that Labour had informed her they would not be putting her up for re-election in 2014, but insisted this was not the reason she had chosen to leave the party.

She said: "The main reason for joining UKIP is freedom of choice. I became a councillor to support the people to the best of my ability.

"I didn't agree with the decision to close the swimming baths but I was told I had to vote this way.

"I have really thought about this carefully. I couldn't stay with Labour any longer to be treated like a small child. I agree with most of the policies that UKIP have and I think it is a fairer party. UKIP listen to the people and try to give them what they want. I am very grateful to them for taking me on and I hope we can all work well together."

She said Councillor Shaw was "very nice and polite" when she informed him of her resignation, and didn't attempt to change her mind.

However, he told her she would be removed from the committees she was due to sit on this municipal year, including the standards and adjudication committee of which she was to be deputy chairman – a move which she described as "unfair".

Councillor Bramley said she believes most of her constituents will support her decision, even though many of them are, like her, traditional Labour voters.

"A lot of people had asked me why I was still with Labour and said they would be voting for UKIP. This is what the residents in my ward would want. They don't want to vote me in only for me to turn round and say I can't support them because my hands are tied."

SHOW our heroes you are here for them.

That is the call from a former soldier who, with 300 others, will march from Grimsby to Cleethorpes in memory of tragic Woolwich Drummer Lee Rigby on Monday.

The 25-year-old father was slaughtered in the street outside his barracks in an apparent terrorist attack by two Muslim fanatics on Wednesday.

Shocked at the brutal killing, Private Liam Ladds, from Grimsby, who has served two tours of Iraq, has organised a peaceful protest march from Grimsby Cenotaph to Cleethorpes Cenotaph at noon.

Also 25 years old, the attack has had a profound impact on Liam and his comrades.

He said: "It is horrific. It is hard enough to take when a soldier dies in Afghanistan, but when it happens on home soil it makes you feel sick.

"It has angered a lot of my Army mates but getting angry is not the way.

"This will be a peaceful protest to show everyone we are here for our heroes and serving soldiers and show the country we must stand together."

Since Liam, who now works at IT Industries near the Humber Bridge, set up Facebook group, 'March In Honour of the Woolwich Attack and Our Fallen Heroes', 238 people have joined.

On it he stresses: "This has nothing to do with race, colour or religion. It is 'purely to pay and show our respects and to stand together'.

North East Lincolnshire Communities Together and North East Lincolnshire Interfaith Forum, added: "We deeply regret the pain, suffering and loss of life. Likewise, we deeply regret the atrocities carried out by others in the name of faiths we follow. Our faiths do not condone or encourage this."

A minute's silence will be held at Grimsby Cenotaph before the march and a poem will be read.

Liam added: "I will always wear my Help For Heroes band. We are not going to back down to extreme individuals. We are all standing together."

Help For Heroes fundraising group, The Pink Berets, echoed Liam's pledge.

Chairperson, Linda O'Sullivan, added: "This will show his family there are people out there who care and show respect to him and the job he did to keep us safe."

Humberside Police are monitoring social networking sites after reports some were using them to incite racist attacks.

A spokesperson said: "Officers remain vigilant and ready should the situation occur where response is required."

Members of the English Defence League (EDL) have announced they are planning a flash protest in Grimsby today to "make the Government take notice".

EDL activist Lee Croucher said the rally at the Riverhead, which will start at 11am, was not racist, with protesters from "many different backgrounds" attending.

He said the local branch of the EDL, which he claimed had received more than 500 calls from residents in the Grimsby area alone, felt compelled to take action following the murder of 25-year-old Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

Mr Croucher said: "People just want to say they have had enough.

"They are letting people in all the time and terrorists are now killing soldiers in their own country."

GRIMSBY Town will increase ticket prices for the forthcoming season – the first rise of its kind for nearly a decade.

The club have announced that there will be a basic increase of £1 in the Pontoon and Lower Findus and £2 on adult ticket prices in the Upper Findus.

However, there will be no change in the adult price of a seat in the Main Stand.

It is the first time the Mariners have increased ticket prices since the 2005/06 League Two season – when the average price per head went up from £8.92 to £9.42.

As a result of the changes for the upcoming season, senior citizens and young adults (aged 15-18) will see an increase of £2 on the price of a ticket in the Upper Findus, but prices will remain the same in all other stands.

Tickets for unaccompanied juniors (aged one to 14) will be increased by a £1 but those juniors who attend with a responsible paying adult, will gain entry for £1 less than last season.

Today, club bosses have defended the move, describing it as necessary in order for the club to remain competitive.

Chief executive Ian Fleming, pictured, pointed to the fact that prices had not been increased for almost 10 years – and had been reduced for the 2009/10 season, remaining at those levels for the last four years.

He said: "At Grimsby Town, we haven't had a price increase in almost ten years. We actually decreased prices four years ago and we've tried to maintain and absorb the increased costs that we've had to incur over that period.

"But we are now at a time where we have to slightly increase our prices in order to remain competitive.

"The prices that we're proposing are not unrealistic – it's a £1 increase in some areas.

"We've tried to restructure to be fair to everybody."

He continued: "Over the last number of years we've had a hike in almost every area of running the club, whether it's out utility bills or the VAT increase – which we absorbed as a club in the hope that the government would return to 17.5 per cent, which hasn't happened.

"We've done competitor analysis and looked at the pricing structure of other teams in the league and in terms of the facilities that we have compared to them, it's far better value for money.

"Some clubs, who have open terracing behind the goals, are charging in excess of what we are proposing. We're confident that we've got the right things in place to take the next step into the Football League, we just need the fans behind us again."

The changes have also had an impact on season ticket prices with the 'Early Bird' price of an adult season ticket in the Pontoon and Lower Findus going up by £19 and £20 in the Upper Findus.

However, in the Main Stand, the price of a season ticket has actually come down by £14.

The price of an accompanied junior season ticket has gone up from £20 to £50 in all stands with the unaccompanied Junior increasing from £70 to £80. The price of an OAP and Young Adult season ticket remains the same in the Main, Pontoon & Lower Findus.

Accounts manager, Steve Wraith added: "There's not one person out there who can say that, over the last ten years, the cost of everything has gone up.

"Despite that, we've maintained our prices for so long, so we hope that, now that we've come to a point where we have to make a nominal increase, that our fans will accept it.

"Our supporters are really important to us. Over ten years, we've not put our prices up because we cherish every supporter and we want them here at Blundell Park next season."

COMMUNITY leaders have condemned an attack on a Grimsby mosque in the wake of the murder of a soldier in London.

In a united front against apparently racially-motivated vandals, church leaders, police chiefs and council leaders today said the behaviour of a gang of drunken youths was "disgusting and unacceptable".

Muslim leaders were less than a metre away from where bricks landed inside their mosque – which had been lobbed by teenagers at the windows of the building, at the junction of Weelsby Road and Legsby Avenue, shortly after 11pm on Thursday. It is believed that an end-of-term house party escalated into a backlash against the murder of drummer Lee Rigby, in Woolwich.

Cars were also damaged and bins were overturned, and Humberside Police arrested 11 teenagers, aged between 16 and 17.

Welcoming community leaders to the mosque, the Imam, Dr Ahmad M Sabik, said: "We should not feel guilty about what happened in Woolwich – it is nothing to do with Islam. There is no way that Islam could allow this crime in London.

"If they call themselves Muslim, it has nothing to do with Islam."

Chairman Diler Gharib, on behalf of the Islamic Association of South Humberside and Grimsby, said the murder in Woolwich was "sadistic" and "inhumane", and he called upon all faiths to stand together.

He said: "We condemn this callous act which has no basis in Islam, that preaches peace, tolerance, mutual respect and harmonious coexistence among all world communities."

Neighbourhood Policing Chief Insp Will Jenkins said the investigation into the incident in Grimsby will consider if whether the mosque was targeted for racial reasons. He warned that parents could end up paying for the damage caused, adding: "We will not tolerate this type of behaviour. We will take positive action against anyone found to be responsible during such incidents. It is wrong that a number of residents and the local mosque will be left somewhat distressed and out of pocket following the actions of a group of teenagers that shouldn't have been drinking in the first place."

One Legsby Avenue resident said she saw 25 youths in the street at about 11.30pm. She said: "They were chanting things like 'we know where you are, we are coming to get you'.

"There was some abuse and they were running down the avenue. It was very scary."

Neighbour Paul Shreeve, 77, said: "We have lived here for 54 years and we have never seen or heard anything like this."

North East Lincolnshire Council's leader Chris Shaw said: "I deplore this disgusting and unacceptable behaviour."

On Monday, former soldier Liam Ladds, 25, and 300 supporters will march from Grimsby Cenotaph to Cleethorpes Cenotaph in memory of Lee Rigby.