The FA Cup Returns!

 

Newark FC 4-0 Deeping Rangers 

Firstly a big thank you to everybody who read last week’s blog. Needless to say i was pretty chuffed with the views and kind comments that it received. Let’s hope that the content and views continue throughout the season ahead. I must also add my general mood and state of mind has improved slight knowing i now at least have football to look forward to once or twice a week and that i get to share the journey with you all.  

Over the weekend results were mixed. Lincoln lost their friendly away at Oldham but there was a first win of the season for Dynamo Berlin thanks to a 3-1 away win at Berliner AK07. One game to look out for is the Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar being drawn against the mighty Glasgow Rangers FC in the Europa League second qualifying round.  Lincoln have come through two qualifying rounds to get here but the run will surly come to an end at this stage. In the other ties there is plenty of interest for Felice who has links to about 40% of the teams in it including Spurs and AC Milan.

Football fixture lists have been thrown upside down by the whole Corona virus pandemic and as such the FA Cup is starting before the various leagues kick off, needs must and all that though. Our FA Cup journey was to start at The Lowfields, home of Newark Town for their extra preliminary round match with Deeping Rangers.  A Brucie Bonus of doing the match was that this was my first new ground i have been able to tick off since Sunderland away back in January.

Last season Newark Flowserve (The Company that’s grounds the club plays in) became Newark FC and they look like a club on the rise and one  that has received a decent amount of investment. I had seen them in their former guise on a Central Midland League ground hop back in 2008 ish but i think this club is light years ahead of its predecessor. Newark is decent sized town and could easily host a step 3 club given the catchment area around it and last season the club did have several plus 400 attendances.

Newark were just too strong for Deeping Rangers on the night running out easy 4-0 winners. The homes fans really got behind the side with a group in the covered stand along the touchline making a real racket with the drum. The club reminds me of a mix between Retford United cira 2001-04 and Shaw Lane Aquaforce. I really hope the momentum can be maintained as there is defiantly a fan base in the town that could keep the club sustainable. I guess it’s a case of wait and see. But so far it’s a cautious welcome from me to the local Nottinghamshire non –league scene.  I must mention that Baz found the burger delicious and i was more than happy to pick up my first programme of the season.

Wombwell Town 1-4 Retford United.

You wait nine months to visit a new ground then you do two in five names. This time we headed to Barnsley to watch County league Wombell Town lock horns with Retford United of the Central Midlands League North.

I was a tad rough after a heavy night of drinking ale and sambuca shots in the White Lion but made it to the pickup point in good time ready to navigate our merry way to the ground. After bottling the sambuca Felice was driving and we made it in good time. The ground is a real old school effort and one that i rather liked.

At one time it appears that there was a running track around the pitch. At the bottom end of the ground there is a Go-Kart track and plenty of tyre walls can be seen. I have to say that this was one of the most welcoming clubs i have visited for a while. The chap organizing the car park, the old boys recording the track and track details, the lady making the tea, everybody was first class and it made for a great day out. There wasn’t a fixed entry charge but we all chucked a few quid in the donation bucket as i am sure most of the travelling support form Retford did. Retford United have had their knockers in recent years but you can’t fault the diehard band of fans they take to away games week in week out. It was especially good to catch up with Dave Wathall. He may be knocking on in years these days but his commitment to cause is as strong as ever.

Retford play their football at a higher level than their hosts and it showed as they dominated much of the game. The visitors ran out 4-1 winners but squandered many chances including a missed penalty. Credit must go to the hosts to however as they never gave up and i was glad they got a goal back late one. If you are busying planning which clubs to visit i thoroughly recommend Wombell Town! 

Elsewhere here are a few scores that caught the eye.

Crewe 1-2 Lincoln (League Cup

Iceland 0-1 England (Nations league)

Italy 1-1 Bosnia (Nations league)

FSV Lukenwalde 2-5 Dynamo Berlin

 

The season is underway!!

For me the 2020/21 season finally got up and running this week as myself and my sidekicks were finally able to take in some live football action. The fact that non league clubs are finally allowed to let supporters attend is a huge boast to both clubs and fans alike as i am sure plenty of clubs would start fearing for their future had games been behind closed doors for much longer.

Our season opener was a short drive into South Yorkshire to the picturesque village of Maltby to see Maltby Main FC  square off against Retford United. Incidentally when ex number one left me a couple of years ago after 17 years together she moved to this quaint little village with two cats that we had rescued , Onyx and Sapphire. I do hope the cats are ok as i do miss them so. 

For us midweek games and pre game fine dining go together like Juventus and spectacular Champions League failures. The first Kebabs of the season were served up by the Charcoal Grill Kebab shop just around the corner from the ground. I played it safe and opted for the large Lamb donner at £6.30. It was tasty enough but could have done with being a tad larger, or maybe i am just a fat bastard. Either way it met with our seal of approval and is recommended. A solid start on the food front this season.

There has been much speculation as to how clubs will cope with the new COVID regulations and how different watching football would be. After watching two games this week it looks like things won’t be too different. Upon entry we signed in (i helped Felice spell his name) and leave phone numbers for track and trace, after this you sanitize you hands and off you go. All pretty simple really. 

Maltby play their football two leagues higher than Retford United but you wouldn’t know that from this match as the Badgers gave as good as they got. Sometimes in these kind of games teams can look a little disjoined but both sides really went for it in this encounter. Maltby looking smart in there red and black home shirts with Retford rocking a kit that looks remarkably one a certain Nottinghamshire based underachieving/ Also ran’s League Two side would wear at home.

As with all friendly matches the result wasn’t of the highest importance and its more about getting the players match fit and using different formations etc. The game finished 3-3 and featured some high quality goals with Redford’s 1st probably the pick of the bunch. All in all a decent start to the season and the 7.30 PM kick off allowed us to be back at a decent time. Let’s have more 7.30 kick offs in local football please.

On Saturday we were meant to travel to Clay Cross to tick of a new ground. However mother natural had other ideas as overnight rain caused the game to be cancelled .Felice consulted Twitter and it was quickly decided that Kimberley Miner Welfare was to be our destination. 

The 2pm kick off meant for a 12.30 departure time and a steady journey down to Nottingham for the game. Driving through Kimberley the place looked a nice little place with plenty of pubs that looked welcoming and plenty of people going about, a completely different experience from Tuesday night. The entrance to the clubs “Stag Ground” can be found just before the Stag Inn pub on the left, it’s a real blink and you will miss it though so thank the lord for sat navs as without one i am sure we would have been travelling around aimlessly looking for it.

We made our way to the gate and parted with our £3 and signed in. It looked like the club had really got the COVID procedure sorted so hat tip to them. And a second hat tip to Felice for spelling his name correctly. Once inside the ground hot and cold drinks were available but sadly the clubhouse was closed. With over half an hour to go till kick off we made the decision to head next door to the Stag Inn pub for a pre game pint. It turned out to be a cracking decision as the pub is a belter, a proper old fashioned boozer with a fantastic beer garden and friendly barmaids. From the beer garden you get a decent view of the ground and what was evident was the amount of work that had gone into the pitch as it looked a cracker. I had visited the ground over ten years ago and it looks like little has changed, the ground is fully railed off with the only covering being behind the far goal next to the entrance point and clubhouse. There doesn’t appear to be much room for expansion but i wouldn’t think that would be necessary as the ground seems to meet the clubs needs. The club has been busy adding new dugouts over the closed season and with the work that has gone on with pitch it’s obvious they have used the enforced break well. 

Today’s visitors were Wednesfield Football Club who ply their trade in the West Midlands Premier Division, a league i know absolutely nothing about or ever seen a game in. After a quick Google search it appears that this league is at step 6 of the non league pyramid, the same level as Kimberley who still play in the EMCL. So in theory a close game was in store and that’s exactly what we got.

I am afraid i can’t really dress this up but this game was a tough watch. Both sides really cancelled each other out with very little goal mouth action to speak of sadly. 

ak of. And whenever decent football was in danger of breaking out the referee out a stop to it with some over the top whistling. The only real high-point of the first half came in when the visiting keeper shanked a goal kick at about 30 degrees out of play when under no pressure whatsoever. It was a relief when the halftime whistle went allowing us to retreat back to the pub. 

We missed the first five minutes or so of the second half but it hardly mattered as it followed a similar pattern to the first i.e. very poor. As the game dragged on it looked odds on that we would see our first 0-0 of the season but thankfully a couple of minutes before the end Kimberley were awarded a penalty that they duly converted. Only a fool would make a cast iron prediction on a pre-season game but on this showing i wouldn’t imagine that either will be challenging for honours this time around. However it’s all about getting minutes’ in players legs etc and while there was little quality plenty of effort was on display from all involved. Good luck to both clubs for the upcoming season and all that.

Back again!

Well here we are again, another season when i will attempt to keep this blog up to date.

I do however have reasons to be optimistic that I will make a better fist of it this time around. Firstly i produce very little content either written or vocal these days so I have more than enough time.

The second reason is far more serious. As anybody and their dog knows the world has become a much scarier place in the last six months or so and I alongside millions of others have seen their mental health plummet to new depths due to the Corona virus. Added to that fact i received a Text message dumping so for the second time in 3 years i am single and fancy-free. It’s not a situation that i am happy with and in truth i am a little scared about being alone for the rest of my life but if 2020 has proved anything to us it’s that we never know what’s around the corner.

I must add that i don’t want to make this blog just about football/ sports. I intend to use it to act as a diary of my way back to a place where i want to be mentally and physically to thank the people who have helped me to pull through and to open up about the people who in various ways have done all they can to pull me down and. I am looking forward to writing about things other than sport and i know that will in the long term put me in a better place.



But don’t worry 90% of it will still be football/kebab/ collectibles/piss taking, and who knows there may well be a sprinkling of darts and Warhammer painting thrown in for good measure.

I should be attending my first football match of the 20/21 season at some point this midweek so look out for it over next weekend.

Lincoln 2-0 Accrington

It’s been 21 long years since the Imps last played in the third tier of English football and it’s fair to say my life and that of the Caterday club founder members has changed quite a bit since then.  Lincoln opened up the 1998/99 season with a long trip to Bournemouth and thus we made a weekend of it. It was the first game i ever did with Baz and Felice and thus the start of two fantastic friendships that have seen us travel all over the country (and northern Germany) watching the Imps. Time flies as they say.

When we went to Bournemouth we had no plan. No digs booked (in peak holiday season in August) no real idea of where the ground was or even the best way to get there. All we had was a change of clothes for the night out and something to wear the next day. No phones or sat

 navs no research into the area, nothing. In the end we found some digs (after asking at about 40 B&B, s)  After we checked in we had a belly load of beer at various pubs along the beach  then back to hotel to freshen up then back out on the piss and ending up in the Opera House nightclub. On the pitch Lincoln were soundly beaten 2-0 and were eventually relegated.

Fast forward to today and there was to be no all day drinking/any drinking on the Friday and certainly no night clubbing by any of us. One thing that has withstood the test of time over the past 21years has been Felice’s inability to organise himself. The plan at 9.30 was to catch the 11.10 train to Lincoln however no sooner had i purchased my ticket the call came through saying he would be getting the later train.

Pre-game was spent in our favourite “Up hill” Lincoln pub the William Foster watching the Ashes. Until some fool switched the TV over to watch Salford v Stevenage which was  met with a round of boos and the cricket put on the smaller screen, not great but we could at least see England’s tail wag to get a 90 run lead in the first innings. The pub much like much of the city centre was full of Imps shirts and there seemed a genuine buzz around the city. The opening of a new Imps shop in the centre has been a welcome addition and both times i have been in it has been quite busy and with a great range of merchandise in stock it’s not hard to understand why. I genuinely think it’s the best we have had since i have been going to the Bank and long may it continue.

After a quick stop at the chippy it was off the ground to see the Imps take on Accrington. Although as a fan i normally prefer to be away on the opening day of the season i felt in this case started out in a new league it was important to be at home on the first day and thus get a better chance of the Imps getting three points. There are no easy games (cliché ahoy) in this league but a home game against probably the smallest club in the league is as good a fixture as you can hope for.

One curious thing in the build up to the game was what the crowd was going to be. For this game all of the Stacey West was available to the home fans with Accrington being placed in the bike shed stands at the other end of the ground. As kick off approached it became apparent that there was going to be quite a few empty seats in the Stacey West. In the end the crowd was 8,668 which is very respectable and the 3^rd highest in League One on the day. Now you will never find me moaning about “Only” getting 8668 through the gate but after three years of crowds growing it does make you wonder if as a club we have reached our limit. Obviously when the bigger clubs come to town and take all the Stacey West then tickets for the home sections will be much harder to obtain and sell outs will occur. Home ticket sales v smaller/less well supported clubs are defiantly something to keep an eye on as the club still wrestles with plans of moving to a new stadium or re-developing Sincil Bank for the long term.

Accrington are always held up as a prime example of what a club can do with a canny management team even if they have a low budget. John Coleman was even described in the programme as “The Alex Ferguson” on lower league football. That may be pushing it slightly but there is no denying the bloke has done a first class job at Accrington. They always give you a hard game especially at home. However that being said it was a game that on paper Lincoln were favourites to win. (in my eyes anyway)

The surprising team news was that last year’s top scorer John Akindie was on the bench. This was huge news and signaled a change in approach for the Imps. Last season Akindie was the first name on the team-sheet teams knew what they were in for and this change of tact seemed to surprise Accrington as they struggled to contain the Imps slick passing game plan.

As ever i never go into in-depth match reports on here, there are plenty of other places for that. This blog merely serves to give my overall views on the game. The Imps new signings of Morrel, Payne and Walker all impressed as did the whole Imps side. The first goals for the Imps game courtesy of a header from Micheal o’Conner on 35 minutes. The Imps never really looked in trouble at the other end but as we all know football has a wonderful way of kicking you up the arse when you least expect it and given how dominate Lincoln had been in the first half i did wonder if the Imps would pay for all the missed chances.

However i needn’t have worried as the second half followed the same pattern as the first. The Imps wrapped up the points on 82 when Akindie slotted home a trademark penalty to wrap up the points.

First day results can often bare little relevance to how the rest of the season is going to pan out but the signs today were positive. For me the big take away was the fact that the Imps now look to have two systems that can be used making them much less predictable. For much of the game City were very open and while that is pleasant to see at home i would think they will revert to a much more conservative style away from Sincil Bank.

So all in all a great start to the season with the Imps gaining three well deserved and impressive points. Good beer, nice pre game chips and a good performance. If only all games were as pleasant as this.

The Festival of Lincolnshire Football.

After a quiet summer waiting for news on friendly games to be arranged,the fixture list to come out and planning for the new season football was finally back and the first Imps game of 2019/20 was the festival of Lincolnshire football in Gainsborough. Actually i lie because it was actually two games as the festival featured the hosts Gainsborough, The Imps and Lincoln United.

There is something special about pre-season games, the sun is normally out, optimism fills the air, results don’t matter and there is normally a real buzz about going to these games. Plus you get to see fellow supporters/ goons you have missed over the long closed season months. Another reason i enjoy pre-season games especially in the early weeks if that it gives you the chance to go to grounds and catch up with clubs that you don’t normally get the chance to visit. A few years ago i use to get around many of the local non league clubs quite often throughout the season but a combination of purchasing an Imps season ticket three years ago and funds being needed for more important things in life means that forays into the non league game are few and far between.

Gainsborough is a town steeped in history that many people in the local area don’t really appreciate. As there is so much history to explore i suggested getting to the town early to try and find some of the historical sites of importance. Alas my ideas fell on deaf ears. Gainsborough gets its name after the tribe that made the first settlement here back in Anglo Saxon times, the Gaini. Gainsborough literally means stronghold of the Gaini.

The format of the day’s event was quite simple. The three teams would play each other once and the games would be 60 minutes long with 10 minutes for halftime. Two points were to be awarded for a win and one for a draw. I know some people wouldn’t count these are proper games given that they are shorter than normal but i am. Admission was a very reasonable £10 for adults in advance and rising to 12 if paying on the day. Baz, Emma Lou and i had used our loaf and ordered in advance but loads of money Felice opted to pay on the day. You always get one don’t you? Incidentally £12 is what Trinity charged last season in the 7^th tier of English football. That seems a couple of quid too much to me but what do i know? I suppose funds were needed to support the promotion push that followed relegation the previous season, the promotion push never really got going though which is a real shame as Trinity really should be higher up the pyramid.

We arrived in Gainsborough just after 12.30 and although the normal car park was reserved for “Players and media” we managed to bag a spot just around the corner and made our merry way into the stadium. The “Special souvenir” programme was on sale just inside the turnstiles for £2.50 and although it looked quite snazzy it has to be said it was poor value with not a huge amount of reading material other than pen pics of the squads and given the large number of trialists that all three sides were playing it made this a tad useless. However many clubs don’t issue programmes at all for friendly games so i suppose i should be thankful that a programme was issued at all.  

Lincoln City 4-1 Lincoln United.

First up was the Lincoln derby and from an Imps point of view it was quite hard to read anything into this. The Imps named 6 unnamed trialist’s in the line up in addition to Adebayo-Smith who recently signed his first pro deal for the club and is one of the most exciting young prospects at the club. Early pre season games like this are normally littered with trialists so it’s hard for us in the stands to work out how much chance any of these players have at getting a deal with Lincoln  You also have to consider that there is a 5 division gap between the two Lincoln teams so you would expect anybody trying to get a deal with a League one club to look competent against modest opposition. In the end the Imps won comfortably with Adebayo-Smith grabbing three of the goals and the fourth coming from “Trialist E” We had the pleasure of spending the first game in the stand with Felice as he told us all about his bird watching antics over the past few weeks and gave us the lowdown on the puffin scene in North Yorkshire, something he is hugely passionate about. He is almost as passionate about it as he was the burger that he stuffed down his face at a rate of knots.

Gainsborough Trinity 0-3 Lincoln City.

This line up was far more interesting to Imps fans as it contained players that were all contracted to the club. Much of the talk amongst Imps fans this week has been the signings of Jorge Grant and Jack Payne on full time deals along with Joe Morrell who arrived on a season long loan from Bristol City. All three started in this game.  

As with the previous game City were on the front foot from the start and never really looked in trouble. We watching this match from the Carlise Street terrace and we got a perfect view of city missing a penalty in the 8^th minute as Harry Anderson was adjudged to have been fouled in the box. New boy Payne stepped up to take the sport kick but it was well saved by the Trinity keeper. The Imps didn’t have to wait long for the opening goal, Andersons shot was well saved by the keeper but the rebound fell to Ellis Chapman who finished from close range. On 25 it was 2-0 as Matt Rhead finished off a good move from about two yards out. City added the 3^rd in the second half via another penalty with Jorge Grant stepping up this time to take the kick. It was a decent penalty and one that Felice missed as he snuck out of the ground at halftime. Shocking stuff i am sure you will all agree.

After the second game it was time to visit the world famous Blues club for a quick pint. The blues club like much of Gainsborough is a bit of a throwback to a bygone era but it does the trick. When we remerged it appeared that about 70% of the crowd had decided to call it a day due to the Imps have finished their two fixtures. This left Trinity and United to fight it out over second place. Trinity bossed the first period whilst United had much the better of the second. The result being a 1-1 draw thus lifting United into second place. I have to thank my good friend Rob for giving me a life back after the third game thus allowing me to be able to watch it as all my viewing companions for the first two games had left for various reasons. Rob is the leading light in the local football blogosphere so check out his version of events .here

So what were my overall views of the day? This was the first time that Trinity (to my knowledge) had hosted an event like this so with that in mind i think it went pretty well and something i could see being an annual event involving different Lincolnshire sides. Although it may have been disappointing to see so many city fans leave after the 1^st two games they had all paid their ticket money so neither of the two non-league sides sharing the gate money would have lost out but you would imagine the bar and catering takings would have been better if the Imps were on last as was originally planned. The bar and catering ques were fairly swiftly moving so from that point of view Trinity should be applauded. From what i could see everybody seemed to have a great day and i am sure all three management teams got something from it as well. I for one hope to see more of these in the future years and with a couple of tweaks i am sure this could be one of the high points on the pre-season calendar. I could see City, Grimsby and Scunthopre taking it in turns being the league club and another non-league side joining Trinity. If you invited say Boston or Grantham who would both bring a decent number the event could really take off.

Food for thought as they say.  

Pre-season plans 19/20

I have always enjoyed pre-season games and the week or two that leads up to pre-season starting. After weeks and months of checking the Tony Kempseter Non league forum, Twitter and various blogs for interesting matches I now have a pretty good idea of which games I wish to take in before the real action starts on the 9^th of August. However as with all things pre-season (and in life in general I suppose) things can and probably will change. I did have the novel idea of doing seven games  in seven days but that was poo pooed by the rest of the Cat Crew. Disappointing news I am sure you will agree.

Retford FC V Hykeham Town July 3^rd

A nice and local one to kick off the 2019/20 season. It’s always good to get a game in early and get back into the swing of it all.

Retford FC has been a real success story over the past couple of seasons and last season gained promotion to the NCEL Division One. Off the pitch the Rail ground has seen significant investment thus making it a great place to watch football. I have a soft spot for the club given that on the field at the back was where I clean bowled Felice many moons ago in what can only be described as one of the best balls ever seen in Retford cricket.  Hykeham are new to the Lincs league this season so I know nothing about them apart from it will be a new ground to visit next season.

July 6^th the festival of Lincolnshire football.

This is a novel idea and a date that I am very much looking forward to. It’s a three team tournament consisting of hosts Gainsborough Trinity, Lincoln United and the Imps. Each side will play the other in a match that will consist of two 30 minute halves with 10 minutes for halftime. First up Trinity take on United followed by the two Lincoln teams facing off, before the Imps play Trinity in the final match. Two points are awarded for a win and one for a draw. Should two sides be level on points then a penalty shoot out will decide the winners. The games will kick off at 1pm, 3pm and the bar will be open all day which is great news all round. Tickets are on sale in advance for a mere ten pounds which will rise by 2 quid on the day. Further more you can save even more by getting the family ticket (as I have)which allows two adults and two kids in for £20 thus saving you even more (chortle chortle). All these savings come in handy as the food at Gainsborough is always top notch and the beer is cheap in the Blues club.

I have a lot of time for both Gainsborough and Lincoln United so I hope a good number of Imps turn out to support the event. To that end I do hope that Mr Felice Del Colle does attend. His record at attending pre-season matches is on the poor side which is disappointing to say the least. One of his most famous no shows in pre-season was actually at Gainsborough a couple of years ago when he missed out on the Lincs cup tie between the Holy Blues and the Imps despite it being very close to where he lives and is often seen stuffing his face in the local KFC, playing Bingo and attending dance nights in the famous Blues Club. If his car has broke down (a favorite excuse in pre-season) the he will no doubt be delighted to learn that Gainsborough Central train station now receives an hourly service and is a mere 5 or so minute stroll from the Northholme meaning he can catch the 2.35pm service from Retford and make the Imps first game at 3pm. Gainsborough has a rich history so I very much encourage people to watch this three part documentary about the history of the town before the festival.  

Ilkeston Town v Notts County. 13^th of July.

Something a little different with this game but that’s what pre-season is all about. I often like to partake with a couple of beers with the upper management of Barlow Enterprises and the combination of beer, sun and football is one that is too good to turn down. This is the start of a new Journey for Notts County as they adjust to non-league football and I am intrigued as to how see the start of it.  News of a proposed takeover has gone quiet in what is a nervous time for fans of the Magpies. I am sure they club will pull through but as we saw with the Imps it can take a while, but the good news is clubs like Leyton Orient completed the turnaround in just two seasons. Keep the faith as they say. Ilkeston have had troubles of their own over the past few years but won their league at a canter last season so it will be interesting to see them take the next step. The new Manor ground is a quality stadium with a large clubhouse. Let’s hope the bar is well stoked as Barlow drinking sessions are not for the faint hearted.

Ilkeston v Lincoln back in 2011

Lincoln United v Lincoln City 23^rd of July.

Another cracking game here and one that is not to be missed. The Lincolnshire Cup has a very special place in the Imps history, for the reason the Imps exist was that it was felt by people in the city that Lincoln needed a side capable of winning the highly prized Lincolnshire cup and ending Grimsby’s domination of the competition. For this reason alone I have always tried to get to the Lincs cup games however my fellow Retford Imps goons seem less enthusiastic about it. A warm welcome is always revived at Ashby Avenue so it should be a great night. It may well be a “Lincoln City 11” take to the field as the Imps host Stoke City the following night at Sincil Bank. The winners of this tie will face either holders Cleethropes Town or Spadling United at home in the semi finals.

Retford United v Worksop Town. 31^st July.

If you are about in the town of Retford on Tuesday the 31^st of July then you have a choice of two games to attend. Firstly and the game I was going to attend when I saw it was Retford FC hosting Lincoln United, but seeing how I plan on being at the Rail the previous week to see the CML North champions play Harworth (I like to get about a bit in pre-season) I have opted to take in Retford United lock horns with neighbours Worksop Town.

It wasn’t too long ago that these two clubs were in the same division and for a while it looked like United could overtake Town as Bassetlaw’s highest ranked side. That seems like a world away now though after Worksop ran away with the NCEL Premier division title setting records left right and center while United had a disappointing season finishing 4^th in the CML North. I am hoping there is a half decent crowd in for this and it will be good to see a few familiar faces.

Those are the games I would like to attend. However as i said previously some may fall by the wayside and others may be added. The Imps do host Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke City and Nottingham Forest but in all honestly the only one that really appeals is the Stoke game but  as the Lincs Cup game is the day before that takes preference as it is a competitive game. The ones v Forest and Sheffield’s 2^nd highest ranked side in the football pyramid should be well attended with both bringing a good following. The two games will tug on Baz’s heart strings as he is a former Owl and will be bringing his home made half and half scarf to the match. There has also be a long standing rumour that a picture of a young Baz exists wearing a Forest shirt posing with the European Cup from many moons ago but I haven’t see it so I won’t comment.

The newly formed/rebranded Lincoln City Women have a series of pre-season games planned too which are appealing and it would be nice to pop along to Elland Road should Leeds host an interesting overseas opponent as they often do. Yaxley FC also host an Imps youth side so that could be a goer but we will see.

Till next time Cat fans.

End of season awards 2018/19

As I am getting back into this blogging lark I thought it would be fun to award my own end of season awards for the 2018/19 season. It’s fair to say this have been a fantastic season for the Imps and one that will live long in the memory  

and this made some of these awards quite tough to call. As ever with my blogging the main aim is to have a little fun with these kinds of things. Some awards are serious, some less so. Some awards relate to events on the pitch and some off it. So without further ado...

Best away trip of the season.

1^st Everton (L 2-1)

2^nd Cheltenham (W 2-0)

3^rd Forest Green Rovers (W2-1)

As you can imagine during a season in which Lincoln had the best away record in the division there are a few strong contenders for this award. As anybody who travels to away games will tell you the day is about far more than just the game itself and from the baking heat of Northampton on opening day to the long trip to South Wales and Newport to close the season out many memories have been made.

Notts County is always a great away day (and the one I look for first when the fixtures come out). On the pitch the Imps were below par but as ever it was a cracking day off it. Cheltenham was excellent also – a new ground, great day on the ale with my best friend and taking both Cheltenham and Gloucester by storm (it was also a weekend away so that adds to the fun). Other grounds that were memorable were Northampton, Forest Green and MK Dons. But in the end the FA Cup tie at Everton was the clear winner. An iconic ground, huge away following and a very good performance from Lincoln on the pitch. Plus the staff at both Everton and Liverpool were all first class which added to the experience.

Worst away trip of the season

1^st Tranmere away  (0-1)

2^nd Oldham (1-1) 

It has to be said neither of these was awful, far from it. The reason Tranmere wins it is because it came at a time when my Asthma (which has been quite bad this season) was starting to get on top of me. It was quite a cold night so when you have a combination of a bad chest and a flat Imps performance you have the perfect factors for a poor away day. In a way I feel bad about writing this as I normally enjoy going to Prenton Park as it’s a cracking old school style stadium with fans that create a decent atmosphere but alas even a decent Kebab pre game couldn’t save it from this dubious award.

Oldham comes in second even though I didn’t go. Basically I am bitter. This was one that I really wanted to visit at the start of the season, a golden tick as it were as I have never been there. However my Asthma had other ideas and my plans were scuppered, and therfore it remains un-ticked.

Best disappearing act sponsored by Lord Lucan

Lee at Tranmere. 

Very easy one this. After failing to attend a game for over a year the winner this award was as one sided as a North Korean election, step forward Mr Lee Housman!! Little more I can say really. Shocking to think both mine and Felice’s other halves attended more away games than him. He did however attend the same as all our pet cats combined so that’s something.

Best new ground visited

I realise I may be going against the grain on this one but for all the stick the club get I found Forest Green Rovers, New Lawn to be a lot better than I expected. Yes it’s pretty small but it’s clean and it is perfect for what the club needs as opposed to clubs that build grounds that are way too big for them. The FGR fans really made a decent bit of noise behind the goal which always adds to the atmosphere. Although we didn’t get time for a pint there looked to be some decent pubs in the village and the chippy was nice if not exactly cheap.

Best piece of navigational skills

For once I am going to give this to myself. Macclesfield has always been an awkward place to get to and Felice was really struggling with this one. Thankfully I saved the day and got us there in good time. I won’t go into it too much as i am not one to blow my own trumpet too much but safe to say he would have been fooked without me.

Embarrassing moment of the season

Normally things that happen late on in the season stand more chance of winning these awards however for this we are going back to the first pre season game and a visit from Sheffield Wednesday. As we ambled round to the fanzone the smell of pork filled the air as the visitor’s team bus pulled in. With this Baz turned around to go and greet the players while I continued my trip to the bar.

In second place I have myself pouring salt instead of sugar in my tea during halftime of the Lincoln v Morecombe game. The weather was awful and coupled with the shock of Felice getting the teas in meant I grabbed the container with what I thought was sugar in only to pour lashings of salt into my much needed cup of tea. What a twat.

In third it has to be Felice getting all the way to the turnstiles at a home game only to realise he left his phone in the car. Thus meaning he needed to go back and get it. What made this all the more amusing was the fact he was busting for a piss and waddling like a duck. Why did he need his phone? To check how his bets were coming along and to play some stupid farming game on his phone at HT of course.  The icing on the cake was Bolton winning at his beloved QPR to mess his bet up.

Best team seen this season

This is quite a tough one to judge as firstly I have seen some sides three times, some  twice, some once and a couple not at all. Bury really gave Lincoln a run for their money in the televised game at Gigg Lane and ran us close at the Bank when Lincoln defeated them 2-1. Both games v Mansfield were also close with very little between the teams. This season however many sides have looked to sit back and given that at times Lincoln have struggled to break teams down you cannot really blame them for employing this tactic even though it’s awful to watch. I have always been a believer that the best form of defence is attack and thus I respect teams that try to win games. Not necessarily all out attack for the first whistle but not just sitting there is with 10 men behind the ball timewasting from the start. So to that end I tip my hat to the likes of Forest Green, Tranmere and Bury who did try to win the game. It’s hard to pick a winner but I would say Bury, FGR then Tranmere were the best I saw this season. Credit also goes to Northampton who looked decent in all three games against the Imps and were on the end of a Josh Vickers masterclass on the opening day of the season.

Worst team seen this season

Quite a few up for this one award as well. Oldham looked totally disinterested when they visited the Bank and gave the Imps the easiest three points of the season by far. Away from home Cheltehnam were awful with the Imps barely needing to get out of second gear in their 2-0 win at Waldon Road. Notts County were poor at the Bank but were unlucky not to take all three points in the 1-1 draw at Meadow Lane. Both Macclesfield games were close contests with little to choose between the teams and although I missed both Yeovil games Baz informs me they were poor in the game at Huish Park.

So overall Oldham get my vote as the worse side seen this season with Morecombe coming in second. I feel bad writing this as they are one of the smallest teams budget wise in the league and the fact they are still in the league is achievement in itself. As for third... let’s give it to Grimsby because... why not?

And lastly and most importantly.. The food! 

This is the hardest one to judge. Hand on heart i dont think we have had an outstanding Kebab this season nor an awful one. So with this in mind i thought i would just post a few pictures for you all to drool over! 

Bury (home) from our normal joint on the High Street

Cheltenham away

Tranmere away

WBA Away (FA Youth Cup)