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Grimsby-mad dad and son ditch family at airport to watch historic win
Aug 28 2025 20:38 · By Paul Sims/Paul Sims
· View Original
A FOOTBALL-mad dad waved his family off on holiday at the airport — and went to watch his beloved Grimsby Town make history instead.
Rob Hufton, 55, and son Harry, 14, were due to fly to Fuerteventura for a week but the start clashed with Grimsby’s Carabao Cup tie at home to Man United .
3 Grimsby-mad dad and son Rob Hufton, 55, and Harry, 14, ditched their family at the airport to watch their team's historic win against Man United Credit: Rob Hufton
3 Grimsby won a penalty shootout 12-11, sparking a pitch invasion Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
They could not miss the once-in-a-lifetime game, so said goodbye to Rob’s wife Emma, younger son Freddie, eight, and father-in-law Jim Crockett at departures.
The pair then went to Blundell Park, and saw Grimsby pull off a giant-killing which shocked the world on Wednesday night.
Engineer Rob said: “Me and Harry absolutely love the Mariners. We’re season-ticket holders so we go to every home and away game we can get to.
“When this fixture came up I nearly died. I thought, ‘We’ll be on holiday, and I waited all my life for this’.
“I sat and thought, ‘How can I get around it?’. It was actually my wife who suggested we just book another flight.”
The pair watched in disbelief as the League Two side went 2-0 up against the Premier League stars inside 30 minutes.
Two late United goals forced penalties and the fans were put through the wringer before Grimsby won a shootout 12-11, sparking a pitch invasion.
Rob and Harry, of Immingham, Lincs, then headed for their rearranged flight, arriving at East Midlands Airport in the early hours still in their Grimsby shirts.
Rob said from Fuerteventura: “People were coming up to us and shaking our hands like we were celebrities.
“We would have been happy just to get a goal. To see them win in the way they did was out of this world.”
Harry added: “I’m ecstatic. I felt a feeling I have never felt before.
“I would miss every single day of the holiday to watch that game again.”
It was the first time Grimsby had played United since 1948.
3 Rob and Harry said goodbye to Rob’s wife Emma, younger son Freddie and father-in-law Jim Crockett at departures Credit: Rob Hufton
