Darren Gribben has spent the last nine seasons building up his reputation as a goalscorer in The Scottish Football League and he is enjoying his most explosive start to a season however, he would enjoy it even more if it was not for a spelling mistake at the company that is responsible for keeping a database of football players throughout the UK.
Despite scoring over 80 goals in his career, the frontman was recorded inaccurately at the start of the season as Darren Grubben and, until yesterday afternoon, it was Grubben that lead the goalscorer stakes and had his name read out on Sky Sports on a Saturday afternoon and had also been recorded as Grubben on the SFL’s website.
Gribben is philosophical about someone else getting the credit saying: “If Darren Grubben ends up the top goalscorer in Scotland, I will actually be quite chuffed as it means I have scored a lot of goals. I have been about for nearly 10 years so it seems strange that this has just happened.
“However, I can assure everyone that it is Darren Gribben that has scored seven times so far this season and not Darren Grubben.”
Gribben’s journey into the wrong moniker of Grubben started off at Hamilton Academical where he made his debut aged 16 in a game against Stenhousemuir in January, 2003. He then moved on to Cowdenbeath, Forfar Athletic, Brechin City, Stranraer, Berwick Rangers, Dumbarton, Bo’ness United, Berwick Rangers again before it became Bo’ness United again.
He became a Red Lichtie in the summer after playing and training with East Stirlingshire and Alloa Athletic during the summer.
The Gayfield men have hit the ground running as Gribben explained: “Things are going really well just now and we are up to five games undefeated and hopefully, that will continue for a lot longer. It is a good bunch of players here and we have all hit it off which is great as a lot of us were new in the summer.
“We are still gelling together but everyone has treated me well at Arbroath and I am enjoying it after an unsettled summer.”
Gribben’s Arbroath career got off to a flyer as he notched a hat-trick in an amazing 7-5 success up at Elgin in The Ramsdens Cup as the season started in style and he said: “I have scored on my debut for a couple of clubs but I had never hit a hat-trick on my first game before. My final goal was a penalty and I had to take the ball off the gaffer Paul Sheerin to take it.
“When he realised it was for my third goal, he told me to take it. Lee Sibanda had already scored a hat-trick and he was telling the boss to take it as he wanted to keep the match ball as it was his first ever treble.”
The matter was resolved amicably as Gribben explained: “There was a bit of talk afterwards about who was getting the ball but I said Lee could get it since it was his first one. I then asked the Elgin Kit Man if I could get one from them and he arranged that which was good of him.”
As well as having match balls in his football collection, Gribben has two pairs of Ginger Boots that he has picked up from sponsor IRN-BRU for being the leading goalscorer in the months of September, 2010 and November, 2011 although one pair is slightly dirty.
“I wore my first pair to training before deciding I wanted to keep them good,” said Gribben before adding, “And then I got a second pair after finishing level with a player but then winning it on assists. Both of them will go on display with my match balls once I get round to it.”
Gribben has fitted in well to an attack minded Arbroath style although he reckons there is more to come from him as he explained: “There is usually goals involved when Arbroath are playing and so far, our five games have produced 27 goals. Elgin was a bit of a freak game but we do play with an attacking midfield and three strikers up in most games so we are always likely to score.
“As for myself, I have been quite lucky that the ball has hit off me and went in so many times. I am trying to do my best but I have not been playing as well as I can. I am scoring goals okay but there is more that I can bring to the team.”
The frontman is delighted to be playing in the Second Division after an unsettling period where he was told he was not needed at Third Division Berwick Rangers and left sitting on the bench at Junior club Bo’ness United.
Gribben explained what happened: “The Berwick boss, Ian Little, told me before the end of the season that I would not be in his plans for this season. As I knew early, I was able to leave Shielfield and return to Bo’ness for the final part of last season.
“I know their Director of Football, Allan McGonigal, very well and played with him first of all when I was just 17 or 18 at Forfar. I had success at Bo’ness in the past when he took me there but I never featured much this time out. I think I started two games for the Manager Paul Ronald and the rest of the time I was on the bench.
" When I left there for my summer holiday, I did not know what this season would bring.”
East Stirlingshire were keen to give Gribben a home when he returned as he explained: “I came back from America and John Coughlin got in touch and asked me to go into the Shire. I went in, trained and played in a couple of games and John was keen for me to sign.
“I know him well as he lives close to me in Bathgate and I wasn’t going to muck him about but I felt I could get a club in the Second Division. I told John I would sign for him even if another Third Division side came in for me but I wanted to keep my options open.”
Alloa Athletic and Arbroath got in touch and when the Recreation Park side ended their chase after Gribben played for them in the Oban tournament in July, Gribben had the easy choice to sign for Sheerin.
The Red Lichties boss impressed the striker with his approach on and off the park as he explained: “The gaffer still likes to play and he also does every training session. He simply loves football and he enjoys playing although he does have the luxury of picking himself!
“Stewart Petrie looks after things when the boss is playing or training and they are a really good team off the park.”
After a draw away to Stranraer and a win over Ayr United, Arbroath are in the second place position that they occupied for most of last season already and Gribben reckons another promotion push could be on its way.
“The Second Division is a hard division and there are lots of good teams,” said Gribben before adding, “We defeated Ayr on Saturday and they are one of the favourites so this is a good sign but I am a firm believer that the division will not settle down until the end of the first quarter of games.
“Arbroath made the Play-Offs last season and were not promoted. We would be disappointed if we had the same fate this season. It would be great to challenge for the title but we will know if we can in a few weeks’ time.”
Personal aims are coming into site already for Gribben who said: “I normally do not set myself any target other than getting into double figures. Anything above that is a bonus and the best I have ever scored is 17 so perhaps I will beat that figure this time. Mind you, being top goalscorer at Arbroath would be an honour in itself as Steven Doris usually grabs a few.
“I have the lead on him just now and if I finish above him at the end of the season, I will have had a good run.”
Gribben and his team-mates meet the only side sitting above them this weekend when they travel to the Alloa side he joined briefly in the summer. The Wasps have a one goal better goal difference and the striker reckons it will be a tight affair in Clackmannanshire.
“It should be a good game down there as they are a very strong side at Recreation Park,” said Gribben, who was ironically a substitute when Berwick were the only side to defeat the Third Division Champions at home last season.
He added: “They play a lot of good football with the ball on the deck. It was disappointing that I never really got the chance to show what I could do for them in the summer as I was told they were keeping the remaining funds in their budget for other positions. It would be nice to get a goal to show them what they missed out on.
“In saying that, I have to have my name on the team-sheet to do that and I will be telling the gaffer to remember that name is Gribben NOT Grubben.”
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