Cod Almighty | Article
by Ben Gresswell
8 August 2011
In a nutshell, how does it feel?
Devastated, despair, desolation, disappointment....words no doubt used when describing the various thoughts and emotions of the average Town fan in May 2010. Fast-forward 12 months and these very same words will have come into play after a dismal season saw our county neighbours, Lincoln, suffer their second demotion from the Football League in 24 years.
So, how does it feel? Well, we both know now, don't we? You can't polish a turd: it's crap. Yes, we get to visit new grounds and try new ales in faraway places, but let's face it; we would swap all the new experiences for a place back in the League any day.
One positive to take from our collective woes, however, is that we find local pride at stake once again as we vie to become the best worst team in Lincolnshire. A festive double-header will, for many fans (for me, anyway), re-kindle memories of 3000-plus fans travelling in convoy across the Wolds for a festive bash at Sincil Bank. Sadly, those memories seem a long time ago and in 2011, an away following of 1000 will be more realistic.
Recent history
As I've hinted, dear reader, our foes down the A46 have been here before. Way back in 1987, City became the first team to automatically drop out of League football when they were relegated to the Vauxhall Viva Intermediary Conference Non-League (or whatever it was back then) thanks, in no small part, to a feisty police dog called Bryn. To their credit, they did what few manage in this day and age, and bounced straight back at the first attempt. As to whether this previous experience will serve them well this time round, I'm not so sure, but let us not judge by the failure of our own first attempt, eh?
A familiar site for many Grimsby fans who'll be glad of a proper local derby again. Photo by Si Wilson (cc by-nc-nd 2.0)
Re-established in the League, we all remember Lincoln's penchant for losing in the play-offs, followed, since the last time the Rough Guidereviewed Lincoln way back in 2007-08, with finishes tending towards mid-table, or worse.
Last season
The Imps' 2010-11 season, apart from a mid-season revival which saw the Imps earn 18 points from a possible 21, can be summarised by a lack of goals scored and too many shipped. Poor form home and away can only mean one thing and that, as we know all too well, is relegation.
They nearly got away with it though, as victory against Aldershot on the last day of the season would have seen them safe. However, a lacklustre, Burtonesque 3-0 reverse saw to it that it wasn't to be.
Next season
The impact of relegation to both football club and the local community is, one would imagine, fairly obvious but there is nothing like having business experts confirm this. As long as Lincoln keep their fiscal management tight, they should be OK, is the gist of it. So, no pipe dreams of new 'out of town' stadiums and no changing your manager midway through the season and you should be fine. Oh, and winning matches is 'vital', apparently. And judging by their pre-season results so far, the team are taking full notice.
At the time of writing they have beaten Ilkeston, Barton Old Gits, Brigg Town and Scunny (after pens). The only blots so far are the 1-2 defeat at Gainsborough Trinity, not to mention their 3-4 defeat in the final of the Lincolnshire Senior Cup. One area they will definitely need to work on, though, is adapting to the physicality of non-League as they don't like it up 'em!
To date, Imps manager Steve Tilson has made ten summer signings, including that of seasoned winger Simon Russell brought in from the manager's previous club, Cambridge United. Russell, along with other signings such as Jason Lee lookalike Josh Gowling and former town trialist Nicky Nicolau make certain that Lincoln will have a mixture of experience, silly haircuts and Mediterranean exoticness in their squad for the coming season.
Statistics
Squad size: 19 players
Betting: Can Lincoln bounce straight back? Well, no, not really, if the bookies are to be believed. Looking at current prices, the Imps are on a par with Town, hovering anywhere from 11/1 to 16/1 for the winners berth. Odds shorten, however, if you fancy a punt on a promotion or top five finish with prices as low as 7/4.
Apart from the football
In these modern times of needy kids, disappearing to the game on a Saturday afternoon without a thought for what the your children are going to do isn't easy. So, why not take them with you and drop them off at the top of that bloody great hill? They too can then share amusing anecdotes about Lincoln's very own 'Everest'. They could also pay a visit to that big church or the beautifully preserved castle which was built by William the Conqueror, didn't you know?
Lincoln's big church is quite nice. Photo by Anita Gould (cc by-nc 2.0)
If you are going to the game on Boxing Day and fancy a pint beforehand, the Golden Eagle on High Street has an excellent reputation with visiting fans for serving both a warm welcome and an excellent range of ales from the Castle Rock brewery of Nottingham. If Wetherspoons is more your scene, fear not, as The Ritz (also on High Street) is ready to quench your thirst for cheap bitter and cheap food. However, if our so-called 'fans' act up as in previous visits, you may be as well advised to take a flask and some 'packing up' in case the local pubs are closed/blocked off by police/clearing up after having the windows done in (delete where applicable).