My name is success and I’m hard. Really hard.

You know that feeling of elation when your team win a championship? Thanks to Danny and Nicky Cowley yes we do, but before that you’ve got to be an old fogey like me to have experienced it. Even “just” promotion is incredibly difficult. It’s overcoming that difficulty, climbing that mountain, beating the odds, that’s what produces the euphoria.

It’s a wise man or woman who is able to treat success and failure with equal distain and to move on with the quest with renewed enthusiasm. Remember learning to ride a bike? Some seem to do it straight away, others seem to forever have their Dads running behind them holding the saddle. Welcome to the world of being an Imps fan.

City have suffered a loss of form, no doubt about that. You can analyse it as much as you like, small squad, lack of a reliable striker, defensive slip ups, poor passing yes, even lack of water on the pitch. The list of insurmountable obstacles spreads out before us. It’s the teams that refuse to bow to the odds that prosper.

Lincoln City now have a week to gird their loins, recharge the batteries, forget what’s gone and look to the future. I don’t know what the answer is, a few days in Cleethorpes maybe? Bit of a booze up? Army camp? I really wouldn’t know but fortunately we have a couple of up and coming young managers who have a better idea than most. They won’t have lost any sleep over the latest setback, they’ll be annoyed alright but they’ll be plotting how to get back to winning ways.

It may be that in order to overcome the odds we may need to relinquish our top of the league spot. That brings its own pressures. Maybe we’ll suffer the ignominy of losing to our new favourite bad boys, FGR. No on second thoughts I really wouldn’t want that but if I had to I’d do it and after all, and you’ve probably been expecting this, whilst the pursuit of our dreams may seem impossible at times, impossible of course is just an opinion.

Not to be missed, the Lincoln City Circus rolls into town. Cast of thousands.

There’s never a dull moment in the United Impdom is there? This week, City drop four points, the pitch doesn’t get watered and Danny Cowley recreates a Kevin Keegan outburst live on BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

I suspect that spleen venting on Tuesday night had as much to do with the dropped points as the lack of slick passing and possibly that Cowleys Imps side got a bit of a lesson from a Carlisle United team well used to getting their own way on the road and showing how they do it to the league leaders in their own backyard. To quote another manager, this time rather closer to home “do I not like that?” Danny decidedly didn’t.

Still, the game wasn’t lost, the points tally rose, albeit by a small amount and Lincoln City remain in top place by three points and we move on, to Colchester United. Danny Cowley is fond of quoting this club or that as some way ahead of City in terms of development off the pitch and I suspect this may be the case with Colchester. Certainly they are accommodated in a good looking stadium whereas City are stuck in their, chooses words carefully, somewhat more homely surroundings.

I recall Colchester getting promoted through the playoffs the year City were promoted to the equivalent of league one. City were relegated at the first time of asking but Colchester went on to enjoy many seasons at the higher level. I see their new stadium is almost identical in capacity to Sincil Bank. Two clubs I think City would do well to emulate, Rotherham United and Peterborough United have different ideas of preparing for the future, Rotherham in a new facility, capacity 12000 and Posh redeveloping their London Road venue, capacity 15500. It’s half a superb stadium and half a fifties throwback. Decisions decisions.

City travel on Friday. Would they have done that in years gone by? I suspect not. It’s a bitty sort of trip, Colchester but I suspect finances would not allow a stopover previously but now money’s not exactly no object but there’s certainly enough to allow for the most meticulous preparation, Cowley style. I’ve already used water under the bridge last time but, you know, onwards and upwards. Colchester is a big ask when it comes to more points gained but Danny Cowley will be asking, you can be sure of that.

Far be it from me Danny, but Cambridge and Carlisle. It’s all water under the bridge.

In an extraordinary interview after last night's game v Carlisle United Danny Cowley attributed some of the blame for the draw down to the fact that it was not possible to water the pitch either before the game or at half time.

This was undoubtedly a setback and to be honest, whilst I didn’t twig the pitch hadn’t been watered I did notice City were invariably going long when surely passing the ball was the way to go.

On the other hand, Carlisle didn’t seem to have any difficulty finding their men. They certainly did it much better than us and showed why they have been so successful on the road.

The unlamented John Beck could always be relied upon to produce a quote or two and a couple of his that spring to mind are that even the most successful sides will have a blip or two throughout a season. The other is that, no matter how well drilled a team are they are human beings not machines.

I think in the cold light of day City’s problems last night could in no small measure be down to the chasing they were given on Saturday coping with most of the game a man down. The squad is quite severely depleted at the moment and one player in particular is sorely missed, Jason Shackell.

Danny’s disappointment surely mirrored our own, that’s two home games we hoped for four or even six points from but only garnered two. That’s football and that’s life so let’s try and get it in perspective.

Thanks ref, thanks a lot.

Yesterdays game at Sincil Bank was shaping up to be a real corker. City got off to a flyer with a well fashioned and well executed headed goal from Matt Rhead, relishing a rare start. Before long he found himself back on the bench and we, City fans and Cambridge alike, ended up with a damp squib.

The Imps were irresistible but Cambridge had other ideas and when they scored with an absolute worldy, City had the wind taken right out their sails. It was all set up for a pulsating contest as Cambridge belied their second from bottom situation and took full advantage of the Imps’ discomfort. Step forward referee Lee “look at me” Collins. It wasn’t just the controversial sending off of Ellis Chapman. I hesitate to say this because it doesn’t make any sense but Collins seemed to have made his mind up in advance that City were up to no good. Even leaving aside the sending off it was a baffling, disjointed performance summed up, for me in another incident he got totally wrong. Cambridge had a stonewall penalty case but it wasn’t given as by then Mr Collins had realised he messed up big time over the sending off so he waved it on. Of course if it wasn’t a penalty it was a yellow card for simulation but he couldn’t do that because it was a penalty. Two wrongs don’t make a right, unless it’s football of course.

Any fan is going to feel angry when one of his (or hers I should hastily add) players is sent off unjustly. Luckily I had an impartial observer sat next to me, my good friend the Boston United supporter. His comment “well he’s not a homer is he?” seems to neatly sum it up.

City attempted to snatch the points and at one point in the second half, with the crowd behind them, as ever, really looked as if they might gain the winner but Cambridge held out. Despite Danny and Nicky Cowleys attempts to whip up more fervour from the fans City's body language made the situation quite clear, the Imps were going to hold on to what they had.

Maybe it would have been a draw in the end without all the needless shenanigans, Cambridge certainly deserved something out of the game. Lady luck did not entirely desert our heroes, Grimsby did us a favour by holding Exeter (bless ‘em), Newport took a tonking at Crawley. Instead of a classic, played in front of another 9000 plus gate we got a humdrum affair that will only live in the memory for all the wrong reasons. Thanks for that, thanks very much.

Fly me to the moon.

What odds, would you say on Lincoln City playing in the prem in the foreseeable future. Ten thousand to one? A million to one? The answer, you may be surprised to learn is ten to one.

Those odds can say anything you want. Either the bookies think there is a realistic chance of the Imps continuing their journey to the ultimate goal or more likely they couldn’t give a monkeys so don’t want to get us all excited. It’s as good a time as any to pose the question just how far can this adventure take us?

Chris Ashton believes City can be restored to “their rightful place”, the championship. Most would find it hard to believe that City are not at least destined for league one. I’d have thought historically our rightful place would be right where we are now although I can remember, as can Mr Ashton, that Lincoln City did play, for several seasons at the second tier of English football. It has to be said though that the second level, in the days when I started my football watching career, involved just the one promotion, there being just the three divisions, with a north and south third division.

Putting it in perspective the population of Lincoln in the fifties was in the seventy thousands not the almost one hundred thousand now.The conjoined suburbs of North Hykeham and Bracebridge Heath and other areas surrounding the city boundary were mere ribbon developments and not the large populations they hold today, so lets say the Lincoln urban area was eighty thousand then and it’s more like one hundred and fifty thousand now. Would that be enough to sustain championship football?

I’ve written many times that the board of directors these days must wrestle with problems that their predecessors would have given their eye teeth to ponder. How far do we go with stadium improvements? Do we move? Is it all sustainable? One thing you can be sure of. No football club ever prospered by standing still and Lincoln City are not planning on doing so. By the same token no one knows whether the current interest in the Imps will survive the departure of the Cowleys. What would be the effect on crowds should the Imps achieve further promotion?

You would expect surely that they will increase should be City playing in the league above next season, both in terms of more interest in watching better opposition and those opponents bringing more fans with them. I don’t think there can be any doubt City would be in the mix as regards average gates in the higher division, towards the top end I’d imagine. Thereafter who knows? With a bigger and more enthusiastic supporter base than we’ve had at any time since I started going to Sincil Bank, with a few exceptions I’d like to think we’d not be entirely dwarfed. In any event even a few seasons at that lofty position would achieve, for me a dream I’ve harboured more and more the older I get.

One club that achieved just that, in fact almost got to the promised land at the top of English football were our opponents this weekend, Cambridge United. Admittedly that was under the guidance of our old friend John Beck and if they had reached that goal the “welcome” afforded by fellow fans would have been curmudgeonly I’d have thought such was the general disapproval of his methods, gamesmanship, long ball tactics and desire to win at all costs when those wins were achieved by staying just within the rules. Some people don’t like to see a club rise above the station their fellow fans imagine to be their place in the football firmament.

Does all this sound at all familiar?

We know what to expect. Translation. We know what to expect as long as Lincoln City play like they did last season.

Port Vale ought to have known what to expect, they shipped four goals last time, this time it was six. The gap between the teams should have been greater but for an uncharacteristic slip up and a referee exercising a bizarre handicap system based on sympathy presumably.

It’s becoming a reassuring aspect of the build up to a game, a manager or player claiming to be well aware of what the Imps are about this season, then showing they have no idea as they describe a playing style that got City out of the National League. Not that it matters really as, ready or not mostly they are shoved out of the way (Port Vale, Exeter) or huff and puff to little effect (Crewe). On each occasion the manager normally has his excuses ready by the Thursday before the game or if not maybe a mealy mouth justification. We won on points, we’re the guardians of the spirit of the game, not like those ruffians from Lincoln. Either way, City remain four points clear of the next contender taking advantage of clear waters ahead.

Looking forward a little and I’ll admit here that I got this idea from Tommo on BBC Radio Lincolnshire, it will not be all that long to the Christmas programme and a time when complacency has to be avoided. It is quite clear now that Lincoln City have the best squad and certainly the best management team. In order to maintain their supremacy City need to be thinking how things can stay that way by carefully adding to the strength of the player roster. Carefully because we don’t want to upset the apple cart but City have been at the head of the league in mid winter before (not that it feels even remotely wintry at the moment) and not strengthened and paid the price. Now, presumably, there are funds available, not necessarily to buy but there must be managers in league one or even the championship who would like a player or two to come to Lincoln and be part of a winning side, getting that winning mentality. I’d be surprised if the Cowleys aren’t way ahead of me in this thinking.

However, here we are at the end of another highly satisfactory week, another team who claimed to know what to expect but couldn’t deal with it. Here’s Scott Brown, Vales goalkeeper “They’re not even as big as last year” Well, if that’s your preparation, think back to last year you get what you deserve. Nothing.

Pett on then its auf weidersehen Alex.

I’m not sure I agree with Danny Cowleys assertion that City didn’t play well in yesterdays victory. I’d kind of hoped that the Imps might wipe the floor with Crewe for their temerity in humbling our heroes at Sincil Bank last season but as we all know football isn’t like that. The more you want something the less likely it can be.

One thing I would say is that Crewe Alex did play well. After looking as if they would be swamped in the early exchanges the visitors got to grips with City’s fluidity and gave as good as they got for long periods.

Man of the moment, for all the wrong reasons, John Akinde, fought manfully to impose himself on the game and it didn’t quite come off for him but he showed why he is so important to the side. He came off frustrated but to the sort of reception from the crowd that will confirm to him that his efforts are appreciated by the majority.

It all hinged on the appearance of another player in the news, no doubt bristling with indignation at being left out after many fine performances, Tom Pett. He wasted no time in demonstrating his influence on the side, his volley to score City’s winner was his first touch of the ball. Cowley cited tiredness as the reason for his failure to start. That was the only failure in another excellent performance.

The other newsworthy event was Michael Bostwick’s haircut. Would Samson’s drastically reduced barnet sap his strength? Ask Crewe’s strikeforce. I think the answer was no.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable performance with the benefit of hindsight. No it wasn’t pretty it was functional, workmanlike. We all like to watch blokes dig holes in the road and although it’s not glamorous toil it serves a purpose and that’s how I saw City yesterday as they edged another week forwards towards their goal. The other teams faltered slightly and the Imps advanced another point in the right direction.

As we all know it’s a marathon not a sprint and City have settled nicely into their stride again after the midweek setback.

Support needed. Have you got that?

I’m not easily shocked but after all we’ve been through together these last couple of years the last thing I expected to hear on the radio was manager Danny Cowley having to appeal to an admittedly very small section of Lincoln City fans to get behind the players, all of them and cut out the petty sniping that has crept in particularly where John Akinde is concerned.

I’ve been away so haven’t seen for myself the last few games but I would say if there has been any drop off in standards sounding off against a player or players isn’t going to help. We’ve built up a reputation as supporters for getting behind our team through thick and thin and I think we’d all agree it’s been rather more thick than thin. It’s not as if City are on the slide. When I last looked the Imps were still top of the table. When a team go on the sort of run ours has been on I suppose one loss does seem something of a blip but that’s all it is. Let’s get on with what we do best, support and lets keep it how it has been of late, unconditional.

Having said all that I do have to say I sit in the Selenity Stand, formerly not exactly the most fervent of areas in Sincil Bank where patrons used to have no qualms about sounding off when things weren’t to their liking but all I hear now is encouragement and that’s how I hope it will continue.

If I know Danny Cowley and if I know our team I’d say someone or some team is going to pay for the Imps’ discomfiture against Tranmere. Who better than Crewe who gave us such a hard time at the Bank last season?

John Beck used to say no matter how good a team were or how well they did at some stage they are going to have to overcome a setback and its how they bounce back from it. One loss away at a difficult venue hardly counts as a bad patch and I fully expect City to recover their momentum on Saturday. As Cowley says we owe Crewe one and there’s no bad time to improve the goal difference.

Let’s occupy ourselves with achieving that and leave the negative stuff to other lesser clubs. We've got a reputation to live up to. Up the Imps!

Imps good all over the pitch. There’s your problem.

On to Tranmere then and a selection headache for the manager as Lee Frecklington is available once more following his three match ban. The problem? Everyone has played well and effectively in his absence. Will Freck be slotted back in? I’m tempted to say maybe not and not for tactical reasons.

There are all sorts of reasons why Freck should return and all sorts of reason why not. I’ve just got a feeling he will have to make do with a place on the bench for the simple reason that even favourites must pay the price of misdemeanour.

After the tinkering of early season City have a settled approach when it comes to selection. The mix and match of earlier has given way to a broadly similar look where possible. It’s never easy but I don’t expect too much change from Cheltenham.

There was a time when a visit to Prenton Park was tricky to say the least. Latterly it has held no fear and City have a good record against Tranmere. Being top of the league presents its own challenges not least the fact that you become everyone’s cup final.

As the Imps have shown though, they’re not too shabby when it comes to cup finals.