Grimsby Town cult-hero status followed controversial Sheffield United, West Brom flashpoint | OneFootball

Despite leaving Sheffield United under something of a cloud following the 'Battle of Bramall Lane', Georges Santos became a Grimsby cult-hero in 2002.

Georges Santos is, perhaps, best known for his time at other clubs throughout his 11-year career in English football, but his six-month stay with Grimsby Town in 2002/03 saw him become something of a cult-hero with Mariners supporters.

The powerful midfielder, who was equally comfortable operating in central defence had departed previous club Sheffield United ahead of his Mariners move under a cloud following his role in what was dubbed 'the battle of Bramall Lane', an extraordinary, fiery encounter between the Blades and West Bromwich Albion, 22 years ago.

Born in Marseille, Santos started out in the South of France with Toulon in 1997, before heading to Birkenhead outfit Tranmere Rovers, then a second-tier side managed by former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland striker John Aldridge.

The French-born Cape Verde international was part of the Rovers squad that memorably reached the 2000 EFL Cup Final, a match they would narrowly lose to Leicester City. However, Santos was out of favour by this point, and would soon move on to join West Brom on a short-term deal a few weeks before the end of that 1999/2000 campaign.

The physical competitor would soon move on to pastures new once more, signing for fellow second-tier side Sheffield United, where he'd become a useful member of Neil Warnock's squad for the next 20 months or so, before the bedlam of that fateful day in the spring of 2002.

Santos' previous club, West Brom, were the visitors to Bramall Lane, with midfielder Andy Johnson featuring, with whom a previous clash had left the Marseille-born man with a fractured cheekbone.

With the Blades already down to ten men, Santos was introduced as a second-half substitute. His appearance was to be a short, memorable one for all the wrong reasons, however, as he instantly sought revenge by lunging into a dangerous, reckless 'challenge' on Johnson.

Santos was immediately sent off, and more angry exchanges followed, as Patrick Suffo followed his colleague for an early bath for headbutting Albion's Derek McInnes.

United were now down to eight men, and, at 3-0 down after 82 minutes, were unable to complete the 90 minutes as late injuries left them with just six players - too few to complete the fixture under FA rules.

Flashpoint paved the way for Santos' controversial Mariners move

Understandably, the scenes at Bramall Lane made waves in the national media, with the Blades and Santos drawing plenty of criticism as a consequence.

Immediately placed on the transfer list by Warnock, Santos never played for the United again and was released in the summer.

He remained without a club until the end of the year, with his past indiscretions perhaps putting many off offering the experienced player a deal. The Cape Verde man, who won four caps for his country, eventually signed for Division One strugglers Grimsby in December 2002, on a deal for the rest of the campaign.

At first, it seemed a controversial move by the Blundell Park side, as some questioned his recent disciplinary record. However, nothing could be further from the truth, as Santos provided a calm assurance to a largely inexperienced Mariners squad battling against the odds against much bigger clubs with far more resources in the second tier.

Santos endeared himself to the Grimsby faithful with his composed, yet wholehearted displays at the heart of the defence, with a bullet-headed goal in a 2-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday particularly memorable for supporters to this day.

Despite his impressive displays, and the hard work of a limited squad put together on a shoestring budget, Santos couldn't prevent Grimsby from being relegated to the third tier in 2003, but his contribution has seen him remembered fondly as a cult-hero figure in North East Lincolnshire.

Santos' impressive stay at Grimsby led to Ipswich Town move

Grimsby's relegation led to Santos's exit later that summer, but his performances in a Mariners shirt had caught the attention of other second-tier sides, with the 33-year-old signing for Ipswich Town, with whom he'd spend the 2003/04 campaign.

Santos left Portman Road after one year. The veteran spent the next two seasons at Queen's Park Rangers, before ultimately ending his career in 2009 at the age of 39, following brief spells with the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Oxford United, and Fleetwood Town.

Grimsby fans will always hold him in high regard, and though his arrival at Blundell Park came about in unusual, somewhat controversial circumstances, it was a move that worked out for all concerned, with the French-born 54-year-old remaining well thought of by supporters for his short but impressive spell with the club at the start of the century.