 Having featured only featured once in the 2002–2003 season, as a substitute in the 3–0 home victory over Macclesfield Town on 26 August 2002, Black agreed to leave the Imps by mutual consent, reaching a satisfactory agreement of a severance deal on 10 October 2002.Black decided to retire from the game at the age 34 despite being offered several contracts from other clubs.He returned to Grimsby to play in John McDermott's testimonial against Hull City in 2005 in which he was joined by the majority of his former teammates from the 1997/1998 season.