Monthly Archives: August 2012
Leeds United: Promotion or bust?
Leeds United and Lincoln City Fan David Kirkbright takes a look Leeds United’s promotion chances this season plus a look back at the side of 1991/92
A few games into the season and other than takeover talks, Jermaine Beckford and constant rumours regarding Leeds players leaving oh and of course Ken winning his court battle against West Yorkshire Police it’s been hard to notice anything else happening in football. Of course people have seen the transfers and rumours but in June a TV deal was struck with BT to show 38 premiership games next season. Why does this matter to Leeds unless we go up? Well read the full articles on his My view blog here
Defeat The Fleet A’fore Another Imp is turned to Stone
The visit of Ebbsfleet United, sees the first of two home games for the Mighty Imps, with Alfreton to follow on Tuesday in similar vein. Forget being neat we must sink the Fleet for three points will sow the seed we need to accomplish a holy 6 point deed. These are both six -pointers but no one will anoint us with twelve as City delve to shelve, the destiny sweeping down Steep Hill for another managerial kill. Are we alone, in fearing that mythical hymn-book angel who seems so prone, will turn yet another Imp to stone? Oh ye faithless, do not groan, for Saviour Saint Jamie will astound, be Sincil crowned and take the throne.
Thank you for reading Neil Gentleman-Hobbs now to the teams & schemes
A warm welcome to Fleet & Imps fans to the first phase of the Sincil super Saturday STMI match zone. First the teams & schemes followed by a pretty graphic showing both sides heroes in their positions. May football as ever be the victor.
V 
Saturday 1st September K.O at 3 pm
*****
The Teams & Schemes
*****
Although Ebbsfleet played 4-1-3-2 in the defeat to Luton we can expect a return to 4-4-2 or perhaps even 4-3-3 against the Imps. Enver-Marum could join the front-men or play as a winger along with 6 ft Phipp, who can also play as a central midfield play-maker . We do seem vulnerable down the flanks and Enver-Marum, who scored 13 last term, already has two this, as does Phipp. Central midfielders Mills and Power should be too clever for Barrett and Bellamy, who is just back from a ban (a double yellow). So far this season Fleet have earned 9 yellows and two reds, with Enver-Marum, centre-half Ada and Bellamy on two a piece. Bore will hopefully cause problems while reliable Sheridan will have his work cut out dealing with Phipp.
This game is made for Jamie Taylor and Larkin should get off the mark too. Ada has already seen red and captain Lorraine is a brave fellow too, suggesting there may be a goal from the spot in the Sincil plot. Bore should plunder here as Stone is a midfielder, by trade, not a right-back. Gray’s throws should cause havoc too, as we will have height and physical presence thanks to the return of Boyce and Miller.
If Hutchison and Grey had been in the centre Elder and Akishodi would have posed a big threat, especially with Robson and Nutter having to deal with the height, pace and trickery of Phipp, as well as Enver-Marum down the flanks. However with Boyce and Miller likely to back we should be able to contend with 6′ 3″ Elder and Akishodi, a dynamite sprite and no slouch at 5′ 10″. Grey and Nutter will be able to deal with the wide men as and when they swap, with Miller and Boyce in support. We have a terrific back four when they are fit, it is just the rest of the side that needs to stand and deliver this Sincil super Saturday.
Lincoln City
4-4-2
***
1 Farman
15 Gray 20 Miller 5 Boyce 3 Nutter
12 Sheridan 8 Power 4 Mills 18 Bore
10 Taylor 34 Larkin
The Fleet
4-4-2
***
1 Edwards
2 Stone, 4 Ada 6 Lorraine 14 Howe
7 Enver-Marum 16 Bellamy 15 Barrett 11 Phipp,
9 Elder 10 Ashikodi,
The full Fleet Squad – Keepers 1 Preston Edwards, 12 Tom McNeill Defenders 2 Craig Stone, 3 Ryan Blake, 4 Patrick Ada, 5 Phil Walsh6 Paul Lorraine , 14 Joe Howe, Midfielders 15 Neil Barrett, 16 Liam Bellamy, 17 Ben Greenhalph, 18 Lanre Azeez, 20 James Forkes,11 Tom Phipp, Strikers 7 Liam Enver-Marum, 9 Nathan Elder, 10 Moses Ashikodi, 19 Adam Williamson,
Imps look to pull the plug on the Fleet.
Andrew Abbott gives us his take on the forthcoming Ebbsfleet fixture
V
Saturday 1st September K.O at 3 pm
*****
Liam Daish, Ebbsfleet United’s manager has just established himself as the Fleets longest serving manager, being at the helm since 2005 during which period LincolnCity have got through eight managers and presided over a remorseless slide to non league obscurity and financial uncertainty. It’s easy to say things would have been better with stability but you have to have the right man at the helm and even when a majority of fans perceived we had the right man in the hotseat there were those who disagreed and he moved on. That’s football for you.
I wrote last week that City really needed to register a win to banish the early season jitters and, as many of us half expected, they did not do so against Macclesfield to quickly resurrect their habit of losing at home although a late equaliser gave the team a share of the points at Gateshead. Lets give thanks for small mercies. City, for as long as I can remember have rarely made the most of a bank holiday double header and this August has been no different so, at the risk of sounding like Groundhog Day, City really need to register a win to banish the early season jitters.
Since the weekend the squad has been revitalised by the addition of Frenchman Mamadou Fofana, the manager having a little chuckle to himself by making comparison with Claude Makelele and Michael Essien but his tongue was firmly in his cheek. Luke Daley and Mark McCammon moving on. Daley perhaps provoking a bit of regret in fans eyes as they had enjoyed his performances for the Imps. Again, such is life for those of a red and white persuasion these days, perhaps things will look up a bit once Josh Gowling moves on. Fans are thinking this may be sooner rather than later and this will free up a sizeable chunk of the wage bill. Manager Holdsworth was on BBC Radio Lincolnshire however to say there will be no more additions, we shall see.
Ebbsfleet have a similar record to LincolnCity, they won on the opening day of the season and have not done so since. That looks like a recipe for stalemate but supporters will be hoping for better and indeed they do need to register a win to banish the early season jitters. Now where did I hear that before?
Read a version of this together with many other articles on LincolnCity and life in Lincolnshire by logging on to http://hykehamwriter.blogspot.com/
Holdsworth’s Imps Defining Seven
Ebbsfleet United tomorrow, ushers in the September seven, with Alfreton, Hyde and Nuneaton at home plus Telford, Tamworth and Forest Green (on TV) away. A reasonable if not quite lucky seven so to speak, after an opening five games against sides that the manager and STMI would reason to be a less than favourable opening. We need 10-12 points as those five will pale in comparison to Luton (H), Mansfield (A), Wrexham (A) and Stockport (H) in October. There is also the matter of the FA Cup.
Thank you for reading Neil Gentleman-Hobbs
Saturday poses an opportunity for David Holdsworth to placate his doubters. With the transfer window closing and no loan opportunities for a month, the focus will be on one game at a time, with a hopefully settled side, injuries permitting. The spirit within the camp appears high, but then the manager has deflected any criticism commendably, in what is becoming a trademark ‘water off a ducks back’ style. There are two sides to every argument, but, just as we should never look back in anger, so this next seven can and must be the watershed to our season.
BSP Table
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Forest Green Rovers | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 11 | |
| 6 | Tamworth | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 10 | |
| 8 | AFC Telford United | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 8 | |
| 17 | Nuneaton | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 5 | |
| 18 | Southport | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 5 | |
| 19 | Lincoln City | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 4 | |
| 20 | Ebbsfleet United | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 13 | -4 | 4 | |
| 21 | Alfreton Town | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | -5 | 4 | |
| 22 | Hyde FC | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 2 | |
| 23 | Barrow | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 2 | |
| 24 | Kidderminster Harriers | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 0 |
| THE SEPTEMBER SEVEN | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 01st | Lincoln City | v | Ebbsfleet United | 15:00 |
| Tue 04th | Lincoln City | v | Alfreton Town | 19:45 |
| Sat 08th | AFC Telford | v | Lincoln City | 15:00 |
| Sat 15th | Lincoln City | v | Hyde | 15:00 |
| Sat 22nd | Tamworth | v | Lincoln City | 15:00 |
| Tue 25th | Lincoln City | v | Nuneaton | 19:45 |
| Fri 28th | Forest Green | v | Lincoln City | 19:45 |
Ebbsfleet come to Sincil Bank off the back of two defeats against Luton (1-3) and Hereford (2-4). They will be looking at us to break that duck. Then again our card collecting foe (9 yellows and 2 reds) are just the springboard we need with Alfreton at home on Tuesday to follow. These are the six-points we need and we have the side to do it, despite claims of injuries. Bore was on the bench last week and you feel he may start tomorrow with Smith still out.
The Imps travel to Telford, next who sit 8th after a 1-0 win at Luton and a 3-0 win against Braintree. They also drew 2-2 against Stockport on Monday and are unbeaten in their last three. We then entertain winless Hyde, who see this as a season of survival after promotion last term. Tamworth seem to be riding high in 6th, but they lost their first real test of the season at home to Wrexham on Monday. You would fancy us to beat Nuneaton just a point and two places above us in 17th. We simply must get 10-12 points from these games as the final game of September against Forest green ushers in a very tough run indeed.
STMI Salute Paul Farman
Paul Farman has been simply immense this season including 9 saves plus 3 claimed crosses up at his old Gateshead stomping ground on Monday. The former England C keeper is fast achieving cult hero status at the Imps, no mean feat considering the gloves he has to fill.
Ask, pretty much, any Imp, who their favourite City keeper has been over the last few years and they will say Mazza. Yes, there have been some contenders and pretenders to the throne, but his shot-stopping was almost as slick as his hair-style. However Farman must be in England C manager Paul Fairclough’s plans after some inspirational performances. Having scored for both Gateshead and Blythe Spartans, the only question is when he will pitch in at the other end.
His shot stopping so far has been nothing short of outstanding seeing him tied with Jamie Taylor on 7.4 in the profs STMI Lincoln City player ratings . The penalty and follow up save against Macc only saw him beaten by a third strike as his defenders inexcusably went to sleep. His two full-length saves in the opener against Kidderminster, plus a post, secured a vital three points for a gelling Imps side. Seven saves at Cambridge ensured we ran them close, as did another 6 at Newport County as we got a goal back having gone two goals down.
Well played Paul take a bow son!
Paul’s match ratings
| KH | CU | NC | MT | G | Ave | ||
| 1 | Paul Farman | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7.4 |
Paul’s Full match stats
| Sq no | NAME | Starts | sub | Mins | Saves | Let in | Clean sheets | YC | RC | Mins per goal |
| 1 | Paul Farman | 5 | 0 | 450 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 51.4 |
| Paul Farman | |||||
| Born | Newcastle | ||||
| DoB | 02/11/89 | (age 23) | |||
| Height | 6′ 2″ | ||||
| Weight | 12st 6lb | ||||
| CLUB | FROM | TO | FEE | BSP aps (goals) | FA CUP (goals) |
| Lincoln | 23/5/12 | Free | 5 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Lincoln | 04/11/11 | 22/01/12 | Loan | 8 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Gateshead | 01/07/09 | 01/05/12 | Free | 63 (1) | 2 (0) |
| Blyth Sptns | 01/08/08 | 01/07/09 | Free | 16(1) | 0 (0) |
Ebbing Imps Must Sink The Fleet
Ebbsfleet come to Impdom off the back of defeats against Luton Town (Home 1-3) and Hereford United (Away -2-4). We need a straightforward win so let us hope their coach does not break down again, something gaffer Liam Daish blamed for the battering at the Bulls. This is the start of a vital run of games that the Imps must win so please come out in force to will us on to three points.
Thank you for reading Neil Gentleman-Hobbs & Prof Albeanz-Present
V
Saturday 1st September K.O at 3 pm
STMI extends a welcome to Fleet fans visiting the site and Sincil Bank this Saturday. Will the Fleet capsize for a third game in a row? Let’s cut to the chase and go look at the form of the foe.
The Foes Faltering Form
| Nuneaton | 4 | – | 5 | Ebbsfleet United | 1088 |
| Brown (8 & 94) Walker (17)) Thompson-Brown (56) |
Phipp (20 & 88) Elder (23) Ashikodi (32) Enveer-Marum (50) |
||||
| Ebbsfleet United | 0 | – | 1 | Braintree Town | 857 |
 Ada (51) |
Davis (70) Marks (90+2) |
||||
| Ebbsfleet United | 1 | – | 1 | Wrexham | 843 |
| Enveer-Marum (70) | Hunt (49) | ||||
| Hereford | 4 | – | 2 | Ebbsfleet United | 1906 |
| Watkins (27) Canham (37) Carruthers (49) Bowman (89) |
Bellamy (45+2) Ashikodi (50) Howe (93) |
||||
| Ebbsfleet United | 1 | – | 3 | Luton | 1701 |
| Elder (86) | Rendell (19) Fleetwood (10 & 73) |
||||
Pre-season form
| Fleet 1-1 Maidstone United |
| Ebbsfleet 2-3 Gillingham |
| Ebbsleet 1 Leyton Orient 0 |
| Ebbsleet 2 Reading XI 3 |
Transfer dealings
| IN– Forward/defender Phil Walsh from Dagenham & Redbridge |
| IN- Full Back Ryan Blake from Brentford |
| IN- Defender Patrick Ada ex Burton. |
| OUT- winger Michael West to Crewe |
| IN- Striker Nathan Elder from Hereford. |
| IN- Striker Moses Ashikodi from York |
| IN- Liam Bellamy from Brentford |
| OUT- Ricky Shakes to Kidderminster. |
| OUT- Callum Willock to Dover. |
Heroes & Villains
With the fans player fund swelling the war-chest by over £30,000 in has come strikers Elder (Hereford Utd) and Ashikodi (York City); two from Brentford FC – Bellamy and Blake; and defenders Walsh (Dagenham & Redbridge) and Patrick Ada (Burton Albion). It gets better with Liam Enver-Marum’s transfer to Stevenage FC averted after a summer saga of epic proportions. The Fleet are owned by My Football club, the innovative venture that saw a cross section of football fans take over and run a football club in 2006. New chair Jessica McQueen proudly named a stand after heroic manager Liam Daish prior to the start of the season.
| Goal machines | GOALS | Assists | |
| Enver-Marum | 2 | Howe | 2 |
| Elder | 2 | Stone | 1 |
| Akishodi | 2 | Akishodi | 1 |
| Phipp | 2 | Elder | 1 |
| Howe | 1 | ||
| Villains | Yellow | Reds | |
| Enver-Marum | 2 | Bellamy | 1 |
| Ada | 2 | Ada | 1 |
| Bellamy LorraineBlakePhipp Akishodi | 1 | ||
| Total | 9 | Total | 2 |
Preston Edwards
Keeper corner
Preston Edwards was signed from Grays for the 2010/11 season and made the no1 spot his own last season with 142 saves. He is an inspirational, brave shot stopper, even if he has jet to keep a clean sheet this term.
| Games | Sub | Conceded | Saves | Mins Played | Clean sheets | Mins per goal | Yc’s | Rc’s |
| 5 | 0 | 13 | 23 | 450 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 0 |
The Fleet Squad
Keepers
1 Preston Edwards, 12 Tom McNeill
Defenders
2 Craig Stone, 3 Ryan Blake, 4 Patrick Ada, 6 Paul Lorraine , 14 Joe Howe,
Midfielders
15 Neil Barrett, 16 Liam Bellamy, 17 Ben Greenhalph, 18 Lanre Azeez, 20 James Forkes,11 Tom Phipp,
Strikers
5 Phil Walsh, 7 Liam Enver-Marum, 9 Nathan Elder, 10 Moses Ashikodi, 19 Adam Williamson,
New Imps Blog – My View By David Kirkbright
David Kirkbright is a Leeds United and Lincoln City supporter, the blog, entitled My View, is a take on his football travels, the Ajax team of 1995 and the FA Cup
Hi all, This will be my 4th blog and if your still reading I must be doing something right. I am going to do a couple of new things in this blog including trying a slightly alternative “where are they now” and also will enlighten a few people into why ticket prices are not (insert an incredibly cheap unrealistic price) and also a look at the fa cup..
Remember it takes a lot to start writing and, with David just 4 posts in it would be nice if he receives the comments he richly deserves.
To cut to the chase click MY View here
Message-board Fear and Loathing at Lincoln City
Neil Gentleman-Hobbs is a Lincoln City and Arsenal fan who fell in love with the Imps having been talked into going by his son one evening, This was soon after he had been on one of those birthday party deals the community club used to be so good at. He, we, were bitten by the bug. Split allegiance should be hard, but true Imps make it easy to, in the words of the Clan Anthem… Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can’t help falling in love with you. Although Neil tries to keep all his websites, STMI included, Football first – it gets the reads in all honesty – inevitably we all need to peer below the surface occaisionally, perhaps while we still have a chance. His son like many Imps, chooses not to go, but that flame still burns within, even though it may not show. If they still ask the score its a foundation if not quite a start.
Having studiously covered things on and off the field at Lincoln City for seven years now, one gets a huge insight as to why the club, in truth, underperforms to such an incredible extent. It is as much an insight into who runs this City, as much as those who would use the word Community in the same phrase as club, for their own agenda and ends. Contrary to popular belief the club and its legal and accountancy partners are frightfully good at PR, but strange as it may seem football seems to come way down the Sincil scale of things. The need to neutralise the message-boards does not. The word board-games came up when I was prompted to spell check that.
But it is the methods employed off the field and, the obsession with the message boards that is the most staggering. Your sanity is questioned, not just for continuing to go but as part of the character assassination techniques employed by those involved with the politics always at the heart of the club. It epitomises the amateurish, lackadaisical, culture at City, when some of the abuse comes through email boxes with the tell tale @redimps.com suffix.
Anyone with an opinion different to what, as Chris Travers refers to as the CABAL, is damned with the message board foot soldiers acting under multiple user names that have the shelf life of a pay-on-the-day ticket stub. With coordinated military precision the pincer movement gives the impression that they are in fact the vast majority Therefore that must be the widespread fan opinion – but who would love to be privy to the email message groups or how big the membership of the secret forums such as this really are and what goes on?
Pure Imps? But are these the True Imps, who clearly cannot stand the disloyal drones? These foot soldiers, do not need to be named and shamed but they include ex and current Trust cronies, who feel the end justifies the means. It is good for their little club – in their eyes little, the ambitious Imps however have always believe in better. To strive is to survive in football.
Some of the underhand cads, use proxy servers to hide their true ID although many are not what they seem. They have destroyed Forums, silenced independent websites and ensured the positive propaganda reigns supreme, at the cost of apathy and alienation of the fans.
Small time actions, small time thinking that have led to a small-time club that is dieing before our very eyes. It has cost the club a PLC opportunity, which ironically would have broadened the ownership at a ‘Community club. It has driven Ray Trew to NottsCounty. It has kept Mike Foley from investing seven figures in the club. It is part of the culture that saw Chris Travers throw in the towel.
It gave us Bob because of the two he had more cash on the hip. Yes in exchange for between £250,000 and £400,000, we have paved the way to losing our ground. How soon until Sincil Bank becomes beholden to the holding company?
This following fast on the heels of £1,000,000 great Trust share Giveaway, deemed not important enough for a full vote, when the mere canvassing of opinion would do. But then tenants, if we are lucky, have few rights, when land and capital half of the key factors of the four factors (land, labour, capital and Enterprise) have been frittered away by those who do not have a clue. I may have been berated by the Trust as a Trust basher, but it is they who have shot themselves in the foot and been the architects of their own demise.
Were they aware that a consortium had gone to Bob, via Rob Bradley, but weeks before only to be turned down? If not then how did key trust board members not know? But then if you were in the Holding Company’s shoes the future would seem bright, if not necessarily red and white. Surely such an opportunity and rate of return would find funding easy even in the current economic climate and surely seem appealing to all around the table. Especially with the existing development expertise and stakeholders on the board and letterhead of Lincoln City Holdings. Oh for an opportunity to buy shares in that.
It gets better. Any trading of shares within the holding company, now valued at 10p each, can only be sold to other members of the holding company according to close inspection of the memorandum and articles of association. Therefore any clued up parties within the Holding Company could bag those Trust shares for say twenty thousand, over some prawns and a large scotch, even a hand shake and a promise to pay you later given the prudence and incompetence shown by the Trust board so far.
These are the same folk who did not allow the members a vote prior to the failed EGM, the last chance to save the club from the future fates. Indeed the decision to help create the Holding Company and gift the shares was made just weeks after Rob Bradley and the latest consortium were turned down by Bob. Yet on the message boards those of us who dared to suggest that there were those who would do Lincoln proud, were roundly turned upon with the usual coordinated and religious fervour and zeal. I don’t have to tell you who they are or air the dirty laundry, forget Jihad theirs is a belief structure that has spurned the Imphad. And we have been had, again and again.
That the Trust agreed all this has ensured own goals of titanic proportions. I would hope it was due to ineptitude as opposed to having any Trojan horse tactics employed. Either way, thank heavens long serving duo David Beck (The supporter Director) and Chris Ashton will have served the maximum 12 years of tenure by the end of this season. Good old Andy Townsend too, a good egg with his heart in the right place but does he really possess the skill set, to represent the Trust board amongst the seasoned individuals on the Holding Company Board?
When Lincoln City Banter managed to get two members on the board of the Trust, you felt it was mere lip service, with the road blocks already in place. When I offered my services for PR and the website, I knew there was no chance. The expected blarney in fact. The email to the trust secretary with whom I had regularly and recently conversed, had been lost. It would appear The Trust had suddenly needed to change its point of contact to a redimps.com email address. As did the admin email box of the old Lincoln Imps forum that saw most of its posts deleted one evening. What a great forum that was who remembers getting a reply prompt from matt@redimps.com? (Curiously this is the name of the son of an ex-Trust chairman)
Alas, I did not have the skill-set to run the Trust website. How many of you have either got web or marking advice from a guy who has authored hundreds of websites.? I have coordinated and handled the media side of things for several fans ideas, well before being airbrushed from the scene by folks who use the Trust basher lines, the mad one, the whiner and the cod head (apologies for being a Gooner as well as an Imp but you know where my heart lies and time is spent).
Let us not let facts get in the way, but I take my hat off to whomever this message board Machiavelli was. Credit where credit is due, for having a consistent and coordinated, indeed loyal band who feel that they are the righteous ones at the club who can employ ends that justify any means. One appreciates meeting ones match, in the face of the odds of the multiple user names and the politics that come with the Lincoln Turf. For that goes for football and commerce hereabouts.
The trouble is the Imp has turned – to even overcome the apathy the forum footsoldiers have helped to create. The band is growing. Having failed to shoot the messengers, you and your demigod Bob will be undone where it should always have counted. On the football pitch certainly, which is something most of us have far more interest in as the reading stats always show. But also, thankfully off it, with all fan groups finally coming together now that the era of divide and rule, finally seems to be coming to an end. Under the mantra of every little helps as the old Imp said weeing in the sea – YOU can help by clicking 1884 LCFC here.
Taylor Transfer Turmoil The Tipping Point For Imps
Could Grimsby Town , Mansfield Town, Stockport County, Cambridge United, Wrexham FC or Kidderminster Harriers be amongst the interested posse of BSP clubs said to be after Jamie Taylor? Even though Holdsworth says he does not want him to move, his article, in this weeks local paper, will heighten the players availability as opposed to quell it. This is designed to either make Holdsworth a hero if and when JT does not leave, or a martyr to the cause. Good old hard working -have to do it on my own- David, soldiering on at a no money club he will not bankrupt. Even though he has been allowed him to bring in 45 and rising.
Vic Erzantarz cannot believe what tomorrows chip paper has brought us today.
Hit-man Hearn’s ruptured achilles means he will be out for months, leading to the mid-table Mariners managing just 6 goals in their first five games, with a resultant win, three draws and a defeat. Wrexham may have knocked back a Bury approach for Andy Morrell but last seasons runners up are tenth with just 5 goals in five games yielding two wins, 2 draws and a defeat. Stockport, one place above them are also averaging just over a goal a game (6 from 5). Mansfield look more in need of a defender with 14 in the against column and 9 for, suggesting the big spending Stags will at least sit this one out. Cambridge have bagged eight and are starting to climb, although Smith has already joined them from the Imps this season for a fee despite an initial hands-off rebuke. Kidderminster have, despite huge investment, found themselves at the foot of the BSP. With just 2 goals scored and a reasonable respectable 8 conceded, it is clear why they have lost all five.
*****
This season the Lincoln City story is another train wreck in slow motion for the Imps waning faithful. Without Jamie, City would be just one goal better off than Kidderminster Harriers, who are at rock bottom. Taylor, 3 goals in 5, has been a ray of sunshine at Sincil Bank, as the injury and revolving door policy clouds continue to gather. With headlines like these we are hardly likely to see more than the 2009 fans (1931 home die-hards) that turned up last Saturday as we move into what has to be seen as a vital six games. Home games against Ebbsfleet on Saturday and Alfreton Tuesday are must wins and need to be the focus. Then it is Telford away, Hyde at home, Tamworth away and Nuneaton at home. Surely these must yield at least a ten points. If not Holdsworth may not even get his chance to lead the Imps into trial by Television, away to Forest Green, to follow.
*****
Thereafter, October’s fixtures are foreboding to say the least with managerial precident at Sincil Bank, suggesting a November change. The question is will a Taylor sale be the tipping point or could November be the time that financial shortfall comes home to roost for Bob Dorrian and a board who preach collective responsibility, when it suits?
| The September Seven | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 01st | Lincoln City | v | Ebbsfleet United | 15:00 |
| Tue 04th | Lincoln City | v | Alfreton Town | 19:45 |
| Sat 08th | AFC Telford | v | Lincoln City | 15:00 |
| Sat 15th | Lincoln City | v | Hyde | 15:00 |
| Sat 22nd | Tamworth | v | Lincoln City | 15:00 |
| Tue 25th | Lincoln City | v | Nuneaton | 19:45 |
| Fri 28th | Forest Green | v | Lincoln City | 19:45 |
Young Elliott Green Farmed To Eastwood Then
Manager David Holdsworth has slipped Elliott Green out on loan to his mates at Eastwood Town on the quiet, whilst signing a new central defender (who has apparently impressed on trial). Elliott is the fourth of the five centre of Excellence Imps who were promoted in the summer, only to then have been farmed out. That is, of course, excluding Bradley Barraclough who was clearly not a patch on cement shoes McCammon.
Thank you for reading Neil Gentleman-Hobbs & Prof Albeanz-Present
With injuries to Boyce and Miller, clearly game time to help shift high earner Gowling, is not in the scheme of things along with our promising youngsters. STMI are bracing ourselves for what looks to be an eventful next few days at Sincil Bank.
This has taken us completely by surprise as Mr Holdsworth Reg had seemed to be favouring Goole over Eastwood. Mr Holdsworth may not bankrupt the club but at least Grant Brown would give youth a better chance at our once proud club. But at least Connor should get a start on Saturday.
The Lincoln Youth Exodus
- Nick Draper to Sheffield on season long loan
- Karl Cunningham loaned to Goole until 2/1/13
- Dan Coupland loaned to Goole until 2/1/13
- Bradley Barraclough to Gainsborough 2/1/13
- Elliott Green to Eastwood 2/1/13
savethemightyimps 
