Lincoln City enjoyed a great start to the 2009/10 campaign by picking up 3 points and a clean sheet against a battling Barnet team at Sincil Bank yesterday.
The first half was won by Barnet in terms of chances and some fine saves from Lincoln City's goalkeeper Rob Burch kept the scores goalless at halftime.
Peter Jackson's team talk helped inspire the Imps to a one nil victory with the only goal of the game being scored by Hungarian centre back Janos Kovacs in the 59th minute after a freekick from Stefan Oakes found Kovacs whose initial effort hit the post but was then swept in from an acute angle.
The crowd for the Imps first league game of the season was 3,753 with 233 Barnet fans.
Sunday 9 August 2009
Friday 7 August 2009
Where will Lincoln City finish 2009/10?
Just where will Lincoln Ciy finish for the 2009/10 season? Here is a small list of some predictions:
The Guardian: Mid table
The BBC: Maybe could reach the play-offs
Team Talk: Won't feature in the movers or shakers
Soccer Lens: Not even a mention
Teletext: 13th place
Notts County Mad: 15th position
So, pretty much written off before the season begins but it's better being the underdog as less is expected off us.
The Guardian: Mid table
The BBC: Maybe could reach the play-offs
Team Talk: Won't feature in the movers or shakers
Soccer Lens: Not even a mention
Teletext: 13th place
Notts County Mad: 15th position
So, pretty much written off before the season begins but it's better being the underdog as less is expected off us.
Thursday 6 August 2009
10 ex Lincoln City players in the Championship
Lincoln City has recently become a breeding ground for young talent. A whole crop of talented youngsters are becoming members of the current first team squad. First teamers such as Danny Hone, Nathan Adams, Andrew Hutchinson, Kern Miller, Lenell John-Lewis, Shane Clarke are all products of the Lincoln City Centre of Excellence. Others coming through include Luca Colman-Carr and Graham Hutchinson.
In recent years a number of Lincoln City players have made the step up a division, but at the moment there are 10 ex Lincoln City players currently playing in the Championship. In no particular order, they are:
1. Gary Taylor-Fletcher (Blackpool)
Taylor-Fletcher has been playing in the right midfield position for Blackpool having worked his way up the divisions the hard way. When Leyton Orient brought him into League Football from Northwich Victoria he had a very torrid time, until Keith Alexander brought him to play for Lincoln City.
He scored some very memorable goals for the Imps, including a stunning strike at Leyton Orient in terrible weather conditions and also in the televised 2-0 win over Scunthorpe in the year we lost 2-0 to Southend United in the League 2 Play-Offs Final. He is currently gaining fitness after missing the end of last season through a nasty knee injury.
2. Jamie McCombe (Bristol City)
Jamie was another of Keith Alexander's signings to leave Lincoln City and move up a division. He left Lincoln for an undisclosed sum of money that was rumoured to be a very small sum. He signed for Bristol City in 2006 and in his first full season at Bristol City, the team won promotion to the Championship and he won player of the season. McCombe suffered 4 successive play-off failures whilst with the Imps.
3. Gareth McAuley (Ipswich Town)
Yet another of Keith Alexander's very shrewd signings, 'Big G' as he was known to the Imps faithful played alongside McCombe in defence for Lincoln before leaving to join Leicester City in the summer of 2006. He was named in the PFA League 2 Team of the Year just before his Lincoln City departure.
Leicester named McAuley as club captain for the 2007-08 season in which Leicester got relegated. McAuley managed to stay in the Championship by signing for Ipswich Town for a fee reported to be in excess of £1million. Gareth is Lincoln City's most capped player of all time and currently has 11 caps to date for Northern Ireland.
4. Jack Hobbs (Leicester City)
Jack Hobbs signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2005 after playing just 3 minutes for Lincoln City - a 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers in January, 2005. He started his Liverpool career in the youth team but quickly moved into the reserves where he became very highly rated. He landed a loan spell at Scunthorpe in the Championship in 2008 before joining up for a season on loan with Leicester City in League 1.
Leicester won the League 1 championship and Hobbs was named young player of the year by the Leicester fans and he was also named in the PFA League One Team Of The Year. In the summer of 2009 Hobbs signed a permanent deal with Leicester on a 4 year contract.
5. Dany N'Guessan (Leicester City)
N'Guessan signed for Leicester in the summer of 2009 after quite a scramble for his signature. Many clubs were queueing up to sign him after he put in some great performances and scored some stunning goals for Lincoln in the 2008/09 season.
MK Dons tried with two failed bids to sign Dany in January and after he rejected a further improved contract at Lincoln City it was just a case of decision making by Dany as to where he was going to play his football next season. As Dany was only 22 when he left Lincoln, the Imps were entitled to a fee for him which was finally negotiated between Lincoln and Leicester meaning no transfer tribunal.
6. Lee Frecklington (Peterborough United)
Lincoln born Frecklington was a product of Lincoln City's Centre of Excellence and also had school boy trials with Norwich City and Leeds United. He made his debut under Keith Alexander and was only used sparingly. It wasn't until John Schofield and John Deehan took charge of the Imps in the summer of 2006 that he really began to shine. He scored some very memorable goals that season including a bullet header against Walsall at home. His superb form led to him being the Steven Gerrard of League 2 and also a place in the PFA League Two Team of the Season.
Frecklington couldn't seem to reproduce his stunning form of 2006/07 on a regular basis and joined Peterborough in January 2009 on loan before signing for an undisclosed sum in the summer of the same year.
7. Dean Keates (Peterborough United)
Dean joined Lincoln City in the summer of 2005 along with Gary Birch from relegated Kidderminster Harriers. Although measuring up at only 5 foot 6 inches, Keates was a very fiery and tenacious midfielder who scored some great free kicks while playing for Lincoln. Two that spring to mind was the one he scored at Rushden and also one at Bury. After only 21 games, personal problems led to Lincoln allowing Keates to move back to the midlands were he signed for Walsall who got promoted the following season. Keates though decided to stay in League 2 by signing for Peterborough which now seems a good choice after enjoying two promotion seasons with The Posh.
8. Gareth Ainsworth (QPR)
Fourth place in the all time Lincoln City Legends list went to Gareth Ainsworth. He was simply adored by the Imps fans during his time with the club. John Beck bought him from Preston North End for £15,000 in 1995 and left for Port Vale in 1997 for a club record sum of £500,000. He became a huge favourite during his time with Lincoln and scored 37 goals in 83 games. While at QPR he has been caretaker manager twice and the chances of him ever returning to Lincoln are very slim as he is seen more in a coaching role rather than a player now at QPR. He is not surprisingly also considered to be a huge fans favourite there too.
9. Michael O'Connor (Scunthorpe United)
O'Connor joined Lincoln in the latter stages of the 2008/09 season on loan from Crewe Alexander. He always looked very accomplished on the ball and was certainly a better player than League 2 standard. Although Lincoln City were rumoured to be trying to buy him or get him on loan this summer, Scunthorpe came in with a deal that could net Crewe up to £225,000.
10. Scott Loach (Watford)
Loach is another product of Lincoln City's Centre of Excellence joining Watford in the summer of 2006 after an impressive loan spell in April of that year. He nearly joined Leeds United the following summer but Leeds were under a league imposed transfer embargo so Loach stayed put. He had loan spells at Stafford Rangers, Morecambe and Bradford before eventually become first choice keeper ahead of Richard Lee. He has also gone on to play for the England u21 team and has been rumoured to be joining a Premiership team this summer.
Spurs and Man United had been rumoured to be willing to offer multi million pound deals (The Sun reckoned £6million) and as Lincoln have a sell on clause agreement with Watford, when and if he does move on the Imps will be in line for a substantial windfall.
Rene Howe (Peterborugh United) and Joe Heath (Nottingham Forest) are currently on loan to Lincoln City from Championship clubs.
In recent years a number of Lincoln City players have made the step up a division, but at the moment there are 10 ex Lincoln City players currently playing in the Championship. In no particular order, they are:
1. Gary Taylor-Fletcher (Blackpool)
Taylor-Fletcher has been playing in the right midfield position for Blackpool having worked his way up the divisions the hard way. When Leyton Orient brought him into League Football from Northwich Victoria he had a very torrid time, until Keith Alexander brought him to play for Lincoln City.
He scored some very memorable goals for the Imps, including a stunning strike at Leyton Orient in terrible weather conditions and also in the televised 2-0 win over Scunthorpe in the year we lost 2-0 to Southend United in the League 2 Play-Offs Final. He is currently gaining fitness after missing the end of last season through a nasty knee injury.
2. Jamie McCombe (Bristol City)
Jamie was another of Keith Alexander's signings to leave Lincoln City and move up a division. He left Lincoln for an undisclosed sum of money that was rumoured to be a very small sum. He signed for Bristol City in 2006 and in his first full season at Bristol City, the team won promotion to the Championship and he won player of the season. McCombe suffered 4 successive play-off failures whilst with the Imps.
3. Gareth McAuley (Ipswich Town)
Yet another of Keith Alexander's very shrewd signings, 'Big G' as he was known to the Imps faithful played alongside McCombe in defence for Lincoln before leaving to join Leicester City in the summer of 2006. He was named in the PFA League 2 Team of the Year just before his Lincoln City departure.
Leicester named McAuley as club captain for the 2007-08 season in which Leicester got relegated. McAuley managed to stay in the Championship by signing for Ipswich Town for a fee reported to be in excess of £1million. Gareth is Lincoln City's most capped player of all time and currently has 11 caps to date for Northern Ireland.
4. Jack Hobbs (Leicester City)
Jack Hobbs signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2005 after playing just 3 minutes for Lincoln City - a 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers in January, 2005. He started his Liverpool career in the youth team but quickly moved into the reserves where he became very highly rated. He landed a loan spell at Scunthorpe in the Championship in 2008 before joining up for a season on loan with Leicester City in League 1.
Leicester won the League 1 championship and Hobbs was named young player of the year by the Leicester fans and he was also named in the PFA League One Team Of The Year. In the summer of 2009 Hobbs signed a permanent deal with Leicester on a 4 year contract.
5. Dany N'Guessan (Leicester City)
N'Guessan signed for Leicester in the summer of 2009 after quite a scramble for his signature. Many clubs were queueing up to sign him after he put in some great performances and scored some stunning goals for Lincoln in the 2008/09 season.
MK Dons tried with two failed bids to sign Dany in January and after he rejected a further improved contract at Lincoln City it was just a case of decision making by Dany as to where he was going to play his football next season. As Dany was only 22 when he left Lincoln, the Imps were entitled to a fee for him which was finally negotiated between Lincoln and Leicester meaning no transfer tribunal.
6. Lee Frecklington (Peterborough United)
Lincoln born Frecklington was a product of Lincoln City's Centre of Excellence and also had school boy trials with Norwich City and Leeds United. He made his debut under Keith Alexander and was only used sparingly. It wasn't until John Schofield and John Deehan took charge of the Imps in the summer of 2006 that he really began to shine. He scored some very memorable goals that season including a bullet header against Walsall at home. His superb form led to him being the Steven Gerrard of League 2 and also a place in the PFA League Two Team of the Season.
Frecklington couldn't seem to reproduce his stunning form of 2006/07 on a regular basis and joined Peterborough in January 2009 on loan before signing for an undisclosed sum in the summer of the same year.
7. Dean Keates (Peterborough United)
Dean joined Lincoln City in the summer of 2005 along with Gary Birch from relegated Kidderminster Harriers. Although measuring up at only 5 foot 6 inches, Keates was a very fiery and tenacious midfielder who scored some great free kicks while playing for Lincoln. Two that spring to mind was the one he scored at Rushden and also one at Bury. After only 21 games, personal problems led to Lincoln allowing Keates to move back to the midlands were he signed for Walsall who got promoted the following season. Keates though decided to stay in League 2 by signing for Peterborough which now seems a good choice after enjoying two promotion seasons with The Posh.
8. Gareth Ainsworth (QPR)
Fourth place in the all time Lincoln City Legends list went to Gareth Ainsworth. He was simply adored by the Imps fans during his time with the club. John Beck bought him from Preston North End for £15,000 in 1995 and left for Port Vale in 1997 for a club record sum of £500,000. He became a huge favourite during his time with Lincoln and scored 37 goals in 83 games. While at QPR he has been caretaker manager twice and the chances of him ever returning to Lincoln are very slim as he is seen more in a coaching role rather than a player now at QPR. He is not surprisingly also considered to be a huge fans favourite there too.
9. Michael O'Connor (Scunthorpe United)
O'Connor joined Lincoln in the latter stages of the 2008/09 season on loan from Crewe Alexander. He always looked very accomplished on the ball and was certainly a better player than League 2 standard. Although Lincoln City were rumoured to be trying to buy him or get him on loan this summer, Scunthorpe came in with a deal that could net Crewe up to £225,000.
10. Scott Loach (Watford)
Loach is another product of Lincoln City's Centre of Excellence joining Watford in the summer of 2006 after an impressive loan spell in April of that year. He nearly joined Leeds United the following summer but Leeds were under a league imposed transfer embargo so Loach stayed put. He had loan spells at Stafford Rangers, Morecambe and Bradford before eventually become first choice keeper ahead of Richard Lee. He has also gone on to play for the England u21 team and has been rumoured to be joining a Premiership team this summer.
Spurs and Man United had been rumoured to be willing to offer multi million pound deals (The Sun reckoned £6million) and as Lincoln have a sell on clause agreement with Watford, when and if he does move on the Imps will be in line for a substantial windfall.
Rene Howe (Peterborugh United) and Joe Heath (Nottingham Forest) are currently on loan to Lincoln City from Championship clubs.
Thursday 9 July 2009
Lincoln City warm up against former Hungarian League champions Ferencváros
Lincoln City held Hungarian top flight team Ferencváros to a goalless draw at Sincil Bank last night in front of 1,221 fans. It was a useful workout for the Imps who fielded their four summer signings and also a couple of trialists.
All four of the new signings, Richard Butcher, Joe Heath (6 month loan), Jamie Clarke and Chris Fagan had steady games. Joe Heath had a great game at left back and has a very promising future ahead of him. It is unlikely Lincoln will be able to buy him after his loan spell from Nottingham Forest ends such is his potential.
The trialists were ex Cheltenham Town, Rochdale and Stoke City forward Paul Connor and right back Cian Hughton. Connor did everything right up front but lacked any real penetration. However, if he can regain any of the form that saw Rochdale pay £150,000 for his services then he could prove to be a shrewd buy. Hughton had a great game at right back. He made numerous surging runs in the opposition half and also when called upon in defence he held firm and put in some solid tackles. Hopefully Peter Jackson will be able to offer a suitable contract to Hughton as he seems to have a lot of potential.
Enigmatic midfielder Stefan Oakes started the game on the bench but when he was called upon with 25 minutes to play he produced some stunning long range passes. Whether he can produce this form in League 2 next season remains to be seen but I for one hope he does as on his day he can be our best player.
Next up in pre-season for the Lincoln City first team squad is Boston United away on the 15th July with a 7.30pm kick-off.
All four of the new signings, Richard Butcher, Joe Heath (6 month loan), Jamie Clarke and Chris Fagan had steady games. Joe Heath had a great game at left back and has a very promising future ahead of him. It is unlikely Lincoln will be able to buy him after his loan spell from Nottingham Forest ends such is his potential.
The trialists were ex Cheltenham Town, Rochdale and Stoke City forward Paul Connor and right back Cian Hughton. Connor did everything right up front but lacked any real penetration. However, if he can regain any of the form that saw Rochdale pay £150,000 for his services then he could prove to be a shrewd buy. Hughton had a great game at right back. He made numerous surging runs in the opposition half and also when called upon in defence he held firm and put in some solid tackles. Hopefully Peter Jackson will be able to offer a suitable contract to Hughton as he seems to have a lot of potential.
Enigmatic midfielder Stefan Oakes started the game on the bench but when he was called upon with 25 minutes to play he produced some stunning long range passes. Whether he can produce this form in League 2 next season remains to be seen but I for one hope he does as on his day he can be our best player.
Next up in pre-season for the Lincoln City first team squad is Boston United away on the 15th July with a 7.30pm kick-off.
Tuesday 7 July 2009
Lincoln City's pre-season 2009/20010
Lincoln City's pre-season got under way last week when the squad travelled over to Germany and the plan was to play two fixtures. The first against an army team was called off after the Lincoln City management thought the pitch was a bit on the dangerous side. The second match arranged was against lower league German team TuS Celle FC. Although the Imps lost 1-0 it was a solid workout for them with all players given a run out. Rob Burch save a first half penalty and although Lincoln dominated they failed to score. They were undone in the 37th minute through a deflected effort.
Lincoln's first home friendly of the season on the 8th July also has a European flavour about it when they play former Hungarian champions Ferencváros who have just been promoted back to the top flight. Ferencváros is presently owned by Sheffield United chairman Kevin McCabe and last night won 5-1 at Sheffield FC, the oldest club in the world. They finish their mini tour with a visit to Barnsley on Saturday 11th July. Ferencváros is the most famous football team to come out of Hungary. They have a great pedigree having won 28 championships, the Hungarian Cup 26 times and appeared in numerous European club tournaments. Quite simply put, they are the Manchester United or Liverpool of Hungary!
Other pre-season friendly fixtures involving Lincoln City's first team:
15th July - (A) Boston United (7.30pm)
20th July - (H) Arsenal XI (7.30pm)
28th July - (H) Sheffield United (7.30pm)
30th July - (H) Grimsby Town or Scunthorpe Utd, Lincs Cup Final (7.30pm)
1st August - (A) Goole Town (3pm)
Lincoln's first home friendly of the season on the 8th July also has a European flavour about it when they play former Hungarian champions Ferencváros who have just been promoted back to the top flight. Ferencváros is presently owned by Sheffield United chairman Kevin McCabe and last night won 5-1 at Sheffield FC, the oldest club in the world. They finish their mini tour with a visit to Barnsley on Saturday 11th July. Ferencváros is the most famous football team to come out of Hungary. They have a great pedigree having won 28 championships, the Hungarian Cup 26 times and appeared in numerous European club tournaments. Quite simply put, they are the Manchester United or Liverpool of Hungary!
Other pre-season friendly fixtures involving Lincoln City's first team:
15th July - (A) Boston United (7.30pm)
20th July - (H) Arsenal XI (7.30pm)
28th July - (H) Sheffield United (7.30pm)
30th July - (H) Grimsby Town or Scunthorpe Utd, Lincs Cup Final (7.30pm)
1st August - (A) Goole Town (3pm)
Friday 29 May 2009
Lincoln City 1987/88 GM Vauxhall Conference (GMVC) Champions
The 1987/88 season was the season I became a regular at Sincil Bank. I had become hooked and needed my regular fix. I only attended home games as dad didn't go to away games and I wasn't old enough to go on my own I had to make do with just the home ones. What a season to become addicted to Lincoln City though - we had just become the first team to get relegated out of the Football League, under new rules and had been replaced by Scarborough. It was not the first time we had tasted non-league football though as we had been relegated from the Football League a couple of times in the early 1900s only to win our place back immediately.
Colin Murphy was manager and he had brought in virtually a new team having cleared out most of the players who got Lincoln City relegated. I think the only player who remained was 16 year old Shane Nicholson who returned to play for Lincoln almost 20 years later.
I have many memories from the GMVC season, most of them are good but there are a couple of sour ones. We couldn't have started the season off any worse, losing our first two games 4-2 at Barnet and 3-0 at Weymouth. Our first goal in the Conference was scored by the combative midfielder Bob Cumming. The first game I went to was the first home game which was a 3-0 victory against Dagenham in which David Mossman scored twice. The next game, a 1-0 home win against Runcorn had a moment of controversy when the scary looking Nigel Batch grabbed a Runcorn player by the scruff of his neck. Some of my memories are only vague and I may be wrong but I'm sure he tried to lift this player off the floor with his shirt collar!?! Our next match was a 4-1 victory at Stafford Rangers where the giant Mick Waitt scored a hattrick. Waitt scored 9 goals for us this season that was sadly cut very short with a broken leg against Cheltenham Town at the end of October. After another heavy defeat this time 4-1 to Runcorn, we lost our first and only home match of the season on the 30th September 1-0 against Kettering Town, the only team to do the double over us.
28t October brought the much anticpated home clash with top of the table Barnet. They had been sweeping all manner of teams aside including winning 7-0 at Loakes Park, where Wycombe Wanderers used to play before moving to Adams Park. Barnet arrived at Lincoln with a certain Keith Alexander in their forward line, managed by the noisy Barry Fry and the colourful Stan Flashman as chairman.
Lincoln won the game 2-1 with goals by Trevor Matthewson (freekick) and by John McGinley (penalty) but it was a game that had many talking points. It even made the back page of the Daily Telegraph the next day! Two Barnet players were sent off for nasty looking fouls and then there was fighting on the pitch by the players, after which the ref took no action! Even Barry Fry entered the field of play and had to be calmed down and was led from the field by a steward. There was a league inquiry after this match but no further action was taken against either team.
At the end of November, Lincoln suffered another heavy defeat, this time at the hands of Sutton United (4-1) and it was clear that it was going to be a long hard winter. However, this was to be the last league defeat until we lost at Macclesfield on April 12th, a run of 16 league games unbeaten which was our best run since 1980 when we went 18 unbeaten. Barnet were also on a big run too and by February they were 7 points ahead of us.
One thing I remember well was dad always used to make us leave early before the end of the match. "Come on son, we'll miss the traffic and the rush." I missed quite a few late goals because of this. One of them was against Northwich Victoria - the start of our long unbeaten run. We were 2-1 up with a couple of minutes to play and that was how I thought it finished until I watched the final scores on a TV in the Co-op - I always used to do this on the way home! We had actually won 3-2. Northwich had equalised and then we scored the winner straight after!
I didn't go to the Boxing Day game at Boston United but I've been told we were one nil down til the last few minutes but won it 2-1! It seems I missed out on some great away games that season but I know very little about them so I can't really pass much comment on these!
Two teams suffered drubbings at the hands of Lincoln City in successive games in late March/early April! First of all Altrincham were thrashed 5-0 (again I missed the last goal as I was on my way home with my dad again) and then local rivals Boston United were thrashed 5-1. Just as well that I didn't go home from this one easrly as Mark Sertori bagged 2 near the end.
Towards the end of April I'll always remember Barry Fry having a moan about Lincoln City on Grandstand. It was with two games to go and he was bragging about how Barnet were going up and we weren't. Lincoln had the last laugh though! In the penultimate game of the season, Barnet lost 2-1 at home to Kettering and we beat Stafford Rangers by the same scoreline to go top of the Vauxhall Conference for the first time that season. All we had to do was win the last game at home to Wycombe!
It was Bank Holiday Monday, May 2nd 1988, that Lincoln City reclaimed their place in the Football League with a 2-0 home win over Wycombe. The official crowd that day was 9,432 (the second time we'd broken the Conference crowd record that season - the other being 7,542 against Boston). However, it seemed like thousands more were packed into Sincil Bank that day - some have guessed around 13,500 was a closer attendance figure. Phil Brown and then substitute Mark Sertori (again) were the heroes who scored the goals that wonderul day to give City their league place back!
As Colin Murphy said in his programme notes 'Murph's Message' for the Stafford Rangers game, "Fate is a strange phenomenon and it would certainly be ironic if relevant to the only time Lincoln City were bottom of the Fourth Division was the last match of the season and possibly it may well be that the only time Lincoln City are top of the Vauxhall Conference may well be the last game of the season! Food for thought!" Indeed it was food for thought, moving to, and holding on, to the top spot after the Stafford Rangers game before the last game of the season!
Murph's Mission: Back to the league. Mission accomplished!
Colin Murphy was manager and he had brought in virtually a new team having cleared out most of the players who got Lincoln City relegated. I think the only player who remained was 16 year old Shane Nicholson who returned to play for Lincoln almost 20 years later.
I have many memories from the GMVC season, most of them are good but there are a couple of sour ones. We couldn't have started the season off any worse, losing our first two games 4-2 at Barnet and 3-0 at Weymouth. Our first goal in the Conference was scored by the combative midfielder Bob Cumming. The first game I went to was the first home game which was a 3-0 victory against Dagenham in which David Mossman scored twice. The next game, a 1-0 home win against Runcorn had a moment of controversy when the scary looking Nigel Batch grabbed a Runcorn player by the scruff of his neck. Some of my memories are only vague and I may be wrong but I'm sure he tried to lift this player off the floor with his shirt collar!?! Our next match was a 4-1 victory at Stafford Rangers where the giant Mick Waitt scored a hattrick. Waitt scored 9 goals for us this season that was sadly cut very short with a broken leg against Cheltenham Town at the end of October. After another heavy defeat this time 4-1 to Runcorn, we lost our first and only home match of the season on the 30th September 1-0 against Kettering Town, the only team to do the double over us.
28t October brought the much anticpated home clash with top of the table Barnet. They had been sweeping all manner of teams aside including winning 7-0 at Loakes Park, where Wycombe Wanderers used to play before moving to Adams Park. Barnet arrived at Lincoln with a certain Keith Alexander in their forward line, managed by the noisy Barry Fry and the colourful Stan Flashman as chairman.
Lincoln won the game 2-1 with goals by Trevor Matthewson (freekick) and by John McGinley (penalty) but it was a game that had many talking points. It even made the back page of the Daily Telegraph the next day! Two Barnet players were sent off for nasty looking fouls and then there was fighting on the pitch by the players, after which the ref took no action! Even Barry Fry entered the field of play and had to be calmed down and was led from the field by a steward. There was a league inquiry after this match but no further action was taken against either team.
At the end of November, Lincoln suffered another heavy defeat, this time at the hands of Sutton United (4-1) and it was clear that it was going to be a long hard winter. However, this was to be the last league defeat until we lost at Macclesfield on April 12th, a run of 16 league games unbeaten which was our best run since 1980 when we went 18 unbeaten. Barnet were also on a big run too and by February they were 7 points ahead of us.
One thing I remember well was dad always used to make us leave early before the end of the match. "Come on son, we'll miss the traffic and the rush." I missed quite a few late goals because of this. One of them was against Northwich Victoria - the start of our long unbeaten run. We were 2-1 up with a couple of minutes to play and that was how I thought it finished until I watched the final scores on a TV in the Co-op - I always used to do this on the way home! We had actually won 3-2. Northwich had equalised and then we scored the winner straight after!
I didn't go to the Boxing Day game at Boston United but I've been told we were one nil down til the last few minutes but won it 2-1! It seems I missed out on some great away games that season but I know very little about them so I can't really pass much comment on these!
Two teams suffered drubbings at the hands of Lincoln City in successive games in late March/early April! First of all Altrincham were thrashed 5-0 (again I missed the last goal as I was on my way home with my dad again) and then local rivals Boston United were thrashed 5-1. Just as well that I didn't go home from this one easrly as Mark Sertori bagged 2 near the end.
Towards the end of April I'll always remember Barry Fry having a moan about Lincoln City on Grandstand. It was with two games to go and he was bragging about how Barnet were going up and we weren't. Lincoln had the last laugh though! In the penultimate game of the season, Barnet lost 2-1 at home to Kettering and we beat Stafford Rangers by the same scoreline to go top of the Vauxhall Conference for the first time that season. All we had to do was win the last game at home to Wycombe!
It was Bank Holiday Monday, May 2nd 1988, that Lincoln City reclaimed their place in the Football League with a 2-0 home win over Wycombe. The official crowd that day was 9,432 (the second time we'd broken the Conference crowd record that season - the other being 7,542 against Boston). However, it seemed like thousands more were packed into Sincil Bank that day - some have guessed around 13,500 was a closer attendance figure. Phil Brown and then substitute Mark Sertori (again) were the heroes who scored the goals that wonderul day to give City their league place back!
As Colin Murphy said in his programme notes 'Murph's Message' for the Stafford Rangers game, "Fate is a strange phenomenon and it would certainly be ironic if relevant to the only time Lincoln City were bottom of the Fourth Division was the last match of the season and possibly it may well be that the only time Lincoln City are top of the Vauxhall Conference may well be the last game of the season! Food for thought!" Indeed it was food for thought, moving to, and holding on, to the top spot after the Stafford Rangers game before the last game of the season!
Murph's Mission: Back to the league. Mission accomplished!
Wednesday 13 May 2009
Dany N'Guessan set for Leicester City move?
Rumours are rife this morning that Dany N'Guessan is all set to sign for Leicester City, who have won the League 1 Championship this season. It is believed they have offered Dany a 3 year contract andit is thought the deal is set to be finalised as soon as possible.
There have been numerous clubs following N'Guessan since January with clubs such as Hull City, Wigan Athletic, West Brom, Sheffield United, Leeds and MK Dons believed to be just some of those to have been showing an interest in the talented Frenchman.
As Dany N'Guessan is under 24, Lincoln will recieve a transfer fee which is likely to go to a tribunal. It has been mentioned that a percentage of the transfer fee will go to his previous club Glasgow Rangers as a sell on clause is in place.
There have been numerous clubs following N'Guessan since January with clubs such as Hull City, Wigan Athletic, West Brom, Sheffield United, Leeds and MK Dons believed to be just some of those to have been showing an interest in the talented Frenchman.
As Dany N'Guessan is under 24, Lincoln will recieve a transfer fee which is likely to go to a tribunal. It has been mentioned that a percentage of the transfer fee will go to his previous club Glasgow Rangers as a sell on clause is in place.
Tuesday 12 May 2009
Please remember the 56
Yesterday, May 11th, was the 24th year since the Bradford Fire disaster. A memorial service was held in Bradford, which was held in Centenary Square, Bradford and hosted by Bradford's Lord Mayor. A minute's silence to remember those who died was held at 11am.
54 Bradford City and 2 Lincoln City fans tragically died after the fire which started during the Bradford v Lincoln match. It was later found that the cause was probably a lit cigarette that was dropped under the Valley Parade stand which in turn ignited litter dropped under the stand.
Please remember those who are no longer with us after that tragic day, May 11th, 1985:
John Douglas Ackroyd Aged 32 from Baildon
Edmund Anderton Aged 68 from Bingley
Alexander Shaw Baines Aged 70 from Bradford
Herbert Bamford Aged 72 from Bradford
Christopher James Bulmer Aged 11 from Burley-in-Wharfedale
Jack Leo Coxon Aged 76 from Bradford
Leo Anthony Coxon Aged 44 from Halifax
David James Crabtree Aged 30 from Bradford
Harry Crabtree Aged 76 from Bradford
Derek Dempsey Aged 46 from Morley
Muriel Firth Aged 56 from Baildon
Samuel Firth Aged 86 from Bradford
Andrew Fletcher Aged 11 from East Bridgford, Nottingham
Edmond Fletcher Aged 63 from Pudsey
John Fletcher Aged 34 from East Bridgford, Nottingham
Peter Fletcher Aged 32 from Gildersome
Nellie Forster Aged 64 from Bradford
Felix Winspear Greenwood Aged 13 from Denholme
Peter Greenwood Aged 46 from Denholme
Rupert Benedict Greenwood Aged 11 from Denholme
Norman Hall Aged 71 from Bradford
Peter Anthony Halliday Aged 34 from Bradford
Arthur Hartley Aged 79 from Bradford
Edith Hindle Aged 79 from Bradford
Frederick Hindle Aged 76 from Bradford
Moira Helen Hodgson Aged 15 from Oakenshaw
Eric HudsonAged 72 from Bingley
John Hughes Aged 64 from Bradford
John Hutton Aged 74 from Bradford
Walter Kerr Aged 76 from Bradford
Peter Charles Lovell Aged 43 from Bradford
Jack Ludlam Aged 55 from Bradford
Gordon Stuart McPherson Aged 39 from Bradford
Irene McPherson Aged 28 from Bradford
Roy Mason Aged 74 from Silsden
Frederick Norman Middleton Aged 84 from Bradford
Harold Mitchell Aged 79 from Bradford
Elizabeth Muhl Aged 21 from Leeds
Ernest Normington Aged 74 from Shipley
Gerald Priestley Ormondroyd Aged 40 from Bingley
Richard John Ormondroyd Aged 12 from Bingley
Robert Ian Ormondroyd Aged 12 from Bingley
Sylvia Lund Pollard Aged 69 from Bradford
Herbert Price Aged 78 from Shipley
Amanda Jayne RobertsAged 20 from Bradford
Jane Sampson Aged 18 from Leeds
William Stacey Aged 72 from Sleaford, Lincolnshire
Craig Albert StockmanAged 14 from Bradford
Jane Ashley StockmanAged 16 from Bradford
Trevor John StockmanAged 38 from Brighouse
Howard Malcolm TurnerAged 41 from Bingley
Sarah Elizabeth TurnerAged 16 from Bingley
Simon Neil WardAged 18 from Shipley
Robert Wedgeworth Aged 72 from Guiseley
William James West Aged 78 from North Hykeham, Lincoln
Adrian Mark Wright Aged 11 from Bradford
May they all rest in peace.
54 Bradford City and 2 Lincoln City fans tragically died after the fire which started during the Bradford v Lincoln match. It was later found that the cause was probably a lit cigarette that was dropped under the Valley Parade stand which in turn ignited litter dropped under the stand.
Please remember those who are no longer with us after that tragic day, May 11th, 1985:
John Douglas Ackroyd Aged 32 from Baildon
Edmund Anderton Aged 68 from Bingley
Alexander Shaw Baines Aged 70 from Bradford
Herbert Bamford Aged 72 from Bradford
Christopher James Bulmer Aged 11 from Burley-in-Wharfedale
Jack Leo Coxon Aged 76 from Bradford
Leo Anthony Coxon Aged 44 from Halifax
David James Crabtree Aged 30 from Bradford
Harry Crabtree Aged 76 from Bradford
Derek Dempsey Aged 46 from Morley
Muriel Firth Aged 56 from Baildon
Samuel Firth Aged 86 from Bradford
Andrew Fletcher Aged 11 from East Bridgford, Nottingham
Edmond Fletcher Aged 63 from Pudsey
John Fletcher Aged 34 from East Bridgford, Nottingham
Peter Fletcher Aged 32 from Gildersome
Nellie Forster Aged 64 from Bradford
Felix Winspear Greenwood Aged 13 from Denholme
Peter Greenwood Aged 46 from Denholme
Rupert Benedict Greenwood Aged 11 from Denholme
Norman Hall Aged 71 from Bradford
Peter Anthony Halliday Aged 34 from Bradford
Arthur Hartley Aged 79 from Bradford
Edith Hindle Aged 79 from Bradford
Frederick Hindle Aged 76 from Bradford
Moira Helen Hodgson Aged 15 from Oakenshaw
Eric HudsonAged 72 from Bingley
John Hughes Aged 64 from Bradford
John Hutton Aged 74 from Bradford
Walter Kerr Aged 76 from Bradford
Peter Charles Lovell Aged 43 from Bradford
Jack Ludlam Aged 55 from Bradford
Gordon Stuart McPherson Aged 39 from Bradford
Irene McPherson Aged 28 from Bradford
Roy Mason Aged 74 from Silsden
Frederick Norman Middleton Aged 84 from Bradford
Harold Mitchell Aged 79 from Bradford
Elizabeth Muhl Aged 21 from Leeds
Ernest Normington Aged 74 from Shipley
Gerald Priestley Ormondroyd Aged 40 from Bingley
Richard John Ormondroyd Aged 12 from Bingley
Robert Ian Ormondroyd Aged 12 from Bingley
Sylvia Lund Pollard Aged 69 from Bradford
Herbert Price Aged 78 from Shipley
Amanda Jayne RobertsAged 20 from Bradford
Jane Sampson Aged 18 from Leeds
William Stacey Aged 72 from Sleaford, Lincolnshire
Craig Albert StockmanAged 14 from Bradford
Jane Ashley StockmanAged 16 from Bradford
Trevor John StockmanAged 38 from Brighouse
Howard Malcolm TurnerAged 41 from Bingley
Sarah Elizabeth TurnerAged 16 from Bingley
Simon Neil WardAged 18 from Shipley
Robert Wedgeworth Aged 72 from Guiseley
William James West Aged 78 from North Hykeham, Lincoln
Adrian Mark Wright Aged 11 from Bradford
May they all rest in peace.
Sunday 10 May 2009
The not so magnificent seven
Lincoln City have released 7 players from their squad with effect from the end of the season. The released (not so magnificent seven) players are Ayden Duffy, Frank Sinclair, Owain Warlow, Gary King, Martin Pembleton, Geoff Horsfield and Ben Wright.
The release of these players also comes at the time when the club have announced there will be a reduction in Peter Jackson's player budget for the new season. This is believed to be due to the average attendance for the past season to be less than the figure that the club had projected. The club had expected the average to be in the region of around 4,300 to 4,500 but the average eventually settled at just under 4,000.
Dany N'Guessan, Adrian Patulea and Sam Mullarkey have all been offered new deals for next season. Also, Lee Beevers offer is still on the table that was offered to him earlier in the season and the club are due to sit down with the player's representatives to discuss this offer.
Lee Frecklington is also set to complete a permanent move to Peterborough in the coming week that is thought to net the club close to £200,000.
The club are expected to receive further money from clauses relating to Jack Hobbs transfer to Leicester City and also Peterborough's promotion to the Championship meaning we receive money from the time that Keith Alaxander was their manager.
It is widely expected that Dany N'Guessan will reject the Imps latest offer and move onto a bigger club. As he is under 24 years old, Lincoln City are entitled to a fee which will be set by a tribunal. Many clubs have been linked to Dany since January and some of the clubs still being linked to Dany include Leeds, Leicester, Crystal Palace, Cardiff, Scunthorpe, Burnley and Preston. Other clubs rumoured to have been linked since January include Marseilles, Valencia, Wigan, Hull, West Brom and MK Dons. The Dons had 2 bids for Dany turned down in the January transfer window.
The release of these players also comes at the time when the club have announced there will be a reduction in Peter Jackson's player budget for the new season. This is believed to be due to the average attendance for the past season to be less than the figure that the club had projected. The club had expected the average to be in the region of around 4,300 to 4,500 but the average eventually settled at just under 4,000.
Dany N'Guessan, Adrian Patulea and Sam Mullarkey have all been offered new deals for next season. Also, Lee Beevers offer is still on the table that was offered to him earlier in the season and the club are due to sit down with the player's representatives to discuss this offer.
Lee Frecklington is also set to complete a permanent move to Peterborough in the coming week that is thought to net the club close to £200,000.
The club are expected to receive further money from clauses relating to Jack Hobbs transfer to Leicester City and also Peterborough's promotion to the Championship meaning we receive money from the time that Keith Alaxander was their manager.
It is widely expected that Dany N'Guessan will reject the Imps latest offer and move onto a bigger club. As he is under 24 years old, Lincoln City are entitled to a fee which will be set by a tribunal. Many clubs have been linked to Dany since January and some of the clubs still being linked to Dany include Leeds, Leicester, Crystal Palace, Cardiff, Scunthorpe, Burnley and Preston. Other clubs rumoured to have been linked since January include Marseilles, Valencia, Wigan, Hull, West Brom and MK Dons. The Dons had 2 bids for Dany turned down in the January transfer window.
Sunday 8 March 2009
Classic Matches – Lincoln City 4 – 1 Manchester City, 17/09/1996
This was a typical David v Goliath encounter. Lincoln City were struggling in 15th place in Division 3 (currently League 2) and Manchester City were in the top ten of the division currently known as the Championship. It was the first leg of the second round of the Coca Cola Cup and I had a ticket for the terrace area of the Stacey West End. As an adult I paid only £8 for my ticket. An absolute bargain considering what I was about to witness!
Manchester City were a team that lacked direction at the time of playing them. They were without a manager. The caretaker in charge for the game was Asa Hartford, who actually was part of the Manchester City team that won the trophy twenty years prior to this game! Manchester City had 10 players out injured for the game, including the mercurial Georgi Kinkladze.
Lincoln City fell behind within the first 40 seconds of the start and I like most others around me sensed a real drubbing. Uwe Rosler scored from a left wing cross from Paul Dickov who is still playing today! After this poor start Lincoln failed to cave in and started playing the style of football that manager John Beck is so well known for. We started to batter Man City’s goal and the equaliser duly arrived in the 29th minute when a Gareth Ainsworth cross (I think) was turned in by Terry Fleming with a sweetly executed volley! Terry is still playing his football in the city of Lincoln, currently plying his trade for Lincoln Utd!
Just before the break Lincoln City went in front from a typical John Beck set piece goal. Mark Hone (Danny Hone’s dad) put in a free kick that landed kindly on Steve Holmes head for him to place a bullet past Andy Dibble. I remember reading the next day that Dibble was unhappy with this goal as he felt Ainsworth had impeded him when the cross came in! So, Lincoln went in at the break leading 2-1 and it wasn’t long after the break that Lincoln City went further ahead! Another typical John Beck style goal it was too! Terry Fleming put in one of his trademark long throws and Gijsbert Bos’ near post header looped over Dibble to land in the far corner of the net. Sincil Bank was rocking. The atmosphere was amazing. The Railway End / Stacey West terrace was in full voice and the 1,500 or so Manchester City fans were very quiet.
Manchester City started pressing and came close on quite a few occasions. Nigel Clough even hit the post for them on about the hour mark. Lincoln however wanted more and we got more! Another Terry Fleming throw wasn’t dealt with and Jon Whitney stabbed in from close range in the 79th minute to send the Lincoln faithful wild and cue the hordes of Manchester City fans heading for the exits!
This ranks as one of my all time favourite city games. Ok, the style of football under John Beck wasn’t for the purists but he knew how to grind out results which led to promotion the following season. Did anyone else go to this game? What were your memories of this amazing game?
The teams that played that day were:
Lincoln City: Barry Richardson, Steve Holmes, Grant Brown, Jon Whitney, Gareth Ainsworth, Mark Hone, Terry Fleming, Worrell Sterling (Colin Alcide 34), Gijsbert Bos, Jae Martin.
Manchester City: Dibble, Lomas, Wassall, Symons, Ingram, Summerbee, Clough, Whitley, M Brown (Crooks 63), Rosler, Dickov
Goals:
Lincoln City:
Fleming (29), Holmes (44), Bos (49), Whitney (79)
Manchester City:
Rosler (40 seconds)
Attendance: 7,599.
We fared pretty well in the second leg, taking well over 2,000 fans to Maine Road! That match will be discussed in a future blog entry!
Manchester City were a team that lacked direction at the time of playing them. They were without a manager. The caretaker in charge for the game was Asa Hartford, who actually was part of the Manchester City team that won the trophy twenty years prior to this game! Manchester City had 10 players out injured for the game, including the mercurial Georgi Kinkladze.
Lincoln City fell behind within the first 40 seconds of the start and I like most others around me sensed a real drubbing. Uwe Rosler scored from a left wing cross from Paul Dickov who is still playing today! After this poor start Lincoln failed to cave in and started playing the style of football that manager John Beck is so well known for. We started to batter Man City’s goal and the equaliser duly arrived in the 29th minute when a Gareth Ainsworth cross (I think) was turned in by Terry Fleming with a sweetly executed volley! Terry is still playing his football in the city of Lincoln, currently plying his trade for Lincoln Utd!
Just before the break Lincoln City went in front from a typical John Beck set piece goal. Mark Hone (Danny Hone’s dad) put in a free kick that landed kindly on Steve Holmes head for him to place a bullet past Andy Dibble. I remember reading the next day that Dibble was unhappy with this goal as he felt Ainsworth had impeded him when the cross came in! So, Lincoln went in at the break leading 2-1 and it wasn’t long after the break that Lincoln City went further ahead! Another typical John Beck style goal it was too! Terry Fleming put in one of his trademark long throws and Gijsbert Bos’ near post header looped over Dibble to land in the far corner of the net. Sincil Bank was rocking. The atmosphere was amazing. The Railway End / Stacey West terrace was in full voice and the 1,500 or so Manchester City fans were very quiet.
Manchester City started pressing and came close on quite a few occasions. Nigel Clough even hit the post for them on about the hour mark. Lincoln however wanted more and we got more! Another Terry Fleming throw wasn’t dealt with and Jon Whitney stabbed in from close range in the 79th minute to send the Lincoln faithful wild and cue the hordes of Manchester City fans heading for the exits!
This ranks as one of my all time favourite city games. Ok, the style of football under John Beck wasn’t for the purists but he knew how to grind out results which led to promotion the following season. Did anyone else go to this game? What were your memories of this amazing game?
The teams that played that day were:
Lincoln City: Barry Richardson, Steve Holmes, Grant Brown, Jon Whitney, Gareth Ainsworth, Mark Hone, Terry Fleming, Worrell Sterling (Colin Alcide 34), Gijsbert Bos, Jae Martin.
Manchester City: Dibble, Lomas, Wassall, Symons, Ingram, Summerbee, Clough, Whitley, M Brown (Crooks 63), Rosler, Dickov
Goals:
Lincoln City:
Fleming (29), Holmes (44), Bos (49), Whitney (79)
Manchester City:
Rosler (40 seconds)
Attendance: 7,599.
We fared pretty well in the second leg, taking well over 2,000 fans to Maine Road! That match will be discussed in a future blog entry!
Saturday 14 February 2009
Lincoln City’s most internationally capped player of all time
City’s most internationally capped is Gareth McAuley. Gareth joined Lincoln City in 2004 from Coleraine of Northern Ireland and after a very solid first season for the Imps was called up by Northern Ireland to play a friendly against Germany at Windsor Park on the 4th June 2005. McAuley started the game on the bench but was finally brought on for his international debut in the 70th minute, replacing Keith Gillespie. By that time Northern Ireland were already 3-1 down and Michael Ballack had already scored two goals.
Northern Ireland’s next game was against Malta in the August of 2005, for which McAuley wasn’t called up.
McAuley missed out on the wins over Azerbaijan and England but was on the bench for the World Cup Qualifier against Wales. However, he never made it off the bench as Northern Ireland crashed to a 3-2 defeat.
McAuley next game was a friendly against Portugal and he again started on the bench. This time though he came on at the start of the second half, replacing Steve Jones who on the books of Crewe Alexandra at the time. The game ended in a 1-1 draw with Warren Feeney, then playing for Luton Town grabbing a second half equaliser.
Gareth McAuley started the next game for Northern Ireland at Windsor Park, which was a 1-0 friendly win over Estonia. This was to be the first time he was in the starting line-up for Northern Ireland.
Jeff Hughes alongside his Lincoln City teammate Gareth McAuley was called up to play two friendly games in America at the end of the 2005/2006 season. They both played in the defeats to Uruguay and Romania.
The defeat to Romania was to be the last time McAuley played in an International match whilst with Lincoln City. A summer move to Leicester City on a free transfer put an end to that.
To date, McAuley has made 12 appearances for Northern Ireland, with 5 of those callups coming while he was playing for Lincoln City. His first International goal came against San Marino on the 11th February in a 3-0 away win in the World Cup qualifying tournament for South Africa 2010.
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