Are you watching the Imps? No? Are you mad?

I had prepared in my mind a rant about the attendance on Saturday. I think for a conurbation of well over 100000 a gate of under 4000, albeit just under, is not much reward for the efforts the team and management are putting in and in view of the excitement and joy, after all the fallow years, on offer.

I took a look at attendances on the Sunday morning though and it was the usual story, City, Wrexham and Tranmere well supported. The rest not justifying the notion that the National League is akin to league three. The top three are much of a muchness attendance wise . A glance at the gates for league two though makes interesting reading. The Imps would be well up the attendances table there too so maybe I’m expecting too much.

All this rather saddens me really on behalf of the missing fans. In a relatively small stadium and given that most people tend to find a favourite spot and stick with it some familiar faces, having sat through the seasons of dross have still not returned and I’m puzzled as to why. Some fans of course are simply not interested in non league. I can tell them though what we are seeing now bears no resemblance to the last few league campaigns and the set up is every bit as professional as it ever was. Much more so in the main. If things continue the way they are though I fully expect gates to rise and rise.

As to Saturdays game I got home elated. Somehow the murkiness of the day emphasised the sparkle on offer on the pitch and one can only hope that all this continues. Forest Green are one good example of how quickly things can change. They were potentially twelve points up on City before the fight back and, having lost again at the weekend incredibly are now just one point up on the Imps who have a game in hand. It’s the nature of this league that no one can feel safe even with a hefty advantage. In this season where everything finally seems to be going City’s way none of us can afford to be complacent.

It’s Wrexham tomorrow. We have been warned!