 In July 2002, two months after his release from Barnsley, Chettle and fellow Tykes defender Darren Barnard joined league rivals Grimsby Town on one-year contracts.Chettle was seen as an ideal candidate to step in the centre of defence and started the season alongside the club's player-manager Paul Groves and Jamaican youngster Simon Ford.After a slow start to the season for Grimsby, Steve saw his season blighted by injury, and through this, it pushed manager Groves into signing Sheffield United centre half Georges Santos and Middlesbrough's Jason Gavin as cover.