Transfer action at last!

Haven't been able to blog about much good news regarding Lincoln City for a while but the last couple of days have been a little better so i think we Imps in red and white all over the world can pour ourselves a long overdue glass of our favourite tipple.

So far on the playing side at least its been a very quiet summer at Lincoln City. Of the 6 transfer listed players only one has left; that being Mustapha Carayol who has joined Bristol Rovers for a undisclosed fee. Striker Andy Hutchinson has signed the one year deal Steve Tilson gave him and youngster James Wilson has been given his first professional contract.
And that was about it.

While quite a few Blue Square clubs had signed the odd player here and there, City were lying low. Personally i wasn't too concerned, the clubs that were signing were either clubs with big budgets or sides that had recently appointed new managers and were recruiting from their previous clubs. Lincoln don't fit into either category.

Then on Thursday we got something we have been so short of since March. Good news!

Defender Danny Hone signed the one year contract that the club had offered him. For me this is great news. Danny came through the youth system here, his dad Mark Hone played for the mighty Imps from 1996-98 and he was one of the very few players who looked as if he truly cared about what happened last season. In short he is an Imp through and through. He was also by far our best defender in the second half of the season last year (and yes i realise that that isn't saying much) He would have been the best defender in the first half of the season as well, but Chris Sutton viewed him as surplus to requirements and loaned him out to Darlington. In an odd way that could help Lincoln as he has experienced the Blue Square premier division so will have a good idea of the challenges that lay ahead for the Red Imps.

All sorts of rumors were flying about that we would be making numerous signings on Friday. First in was Striker Jamie Taylor. Taylor arrives on a two year contract from Eastbourne where he scored 19 goals in all competitions. Although his goals weren't enough to keep them in the Blue Square Premier last season. If he can repeat his goal scoring feats here at Sincil Bank next season i am sure there will be plenty of happy imps fans.
Nobody else signed on the dotted line but it was widely tipped that we would be signing midfielder Alan Power from Rusden and Diamonds on Monday. Watch this space as they say.

Friday also saw the launch of the new Imps home kit. So off i went to get one on the first day of release i mean i wouldn't want to run the risk of it selling out now would i? In the end i shouldn't have worried; the queue wasn't too bad, does one person count as a queue? The shirt is totally different to anything we have had for a good few years. So here i am modelling it complete with hayfever induced bloodshot eyes and "just got out of bed" hair.

This season has seen Lincoln team up with Nike (Or Nikey if you are American) and become stable mates with the likes of Inter Milan, Manchester United, Barcelona and Athletico Madrid (check out their home kit by the way) Part of the deal sees Nike take over the running and stocking of the club shop (As they do with quite a few clubs.) Quite how Lincoln benefit from this i am not quite sure so it will be interesting to see how it pans out. Notts County did a similar thing up until last season but bought themselves out of it as their chairman didn't think it was a good deal for the club. The range of goods is very good and we at last have some smart stuff in the shop, although as it is now "A Nike store", club shop season ticket holders no longer get 10% off all goods.