 Manager Brian Laws had been sacked late in 1996; John Cockerill and Kenny Swain both had stints as caretaker during the season.At the end of the season, former manager Alan Buckley, who had taken Grimsby from the Fourth to the old Second Division in his first stint in charge, rejoined the club in an attempt to take Grimsby back to the second tier.Italian company Lotto became Grimsby's new kit manufacturers, and introduced a new kit for the season.