Is this the new norm?

Promotion to league one was certainly a step into the dark for many supporters. For us old fogeys it was a chance to compare ourselves to Imps sides of many years ago. The last foray was short lived as City attempted to live with the likes of Manchester City and Stoke who were light years away in terms of finance.

That team came straight down at the first time of asking but it wasn’t always like that. Previous teams have prospered at the level although I always look back to a time I truly believed the Imps had made the permanent move to a third tier club and to think about it I was at college at the beginning of my career and now I’m retired. How time flies when you’re having such fun as an Imp (possibly).

Usually the problem was the old perennial, cash, or lack of it. Gates which rode to good levels during a promotion season, failed to live up to the promise built up and usually fell back to almost the previous situation as casual fans waited to see if the Imps could maintain their course.

So to that extent are we now in a new improved era as some would believe? The signs are good in two ways if not three. For a start, City have enjoyed two sell out games over the Christmas period. When was the last time that happened? I can’t remember it. The capacity of the LNER stadium was greater previously of course so it’s not a level playing field but even so, those who believed enthusiasm would wane after the departure of the Cowleys are wrong, so far at least.

Secondly, and this is the most important point as far as I’m concerned, City are settled off the field, with an innovative and pragmatic board, one of all the talents I’d say from my distant vantage point and the club are, I hesitate to say wealthier, but certainly well into the realms of solvency, unlike some clubs you could mention and others reliant of the goodwill of an individual or several benefactors who could lose interest at any time.

Thirdly (I’m not making this up as I go along, honest) the club seem to be able to make up for the geographic isolation of Lincolnshire, or the perception of it, by attracting players because of the much improved infrastructure not least the training facility. Also the stature of the club as a good place to send young players to further their football education, knowing that they will be looked after properly and that the club has the funds to facilitate that.

As fans of course that is by the by, performances and results are what matter to us and the Imps have just served up two delicious feasts of games in the Christmas home fixtures against Ipswich Town and Peterborough United. Those two names underline surely City’s progress, one a really big name, admittedly from the past but even now are a club we can marvel at defeating, not in a one off cup game but as a club at our own level. The other, a club who we probably regard as local given that, as a previous manager said, everywhere is an hour away but a club who usually manage to get the better of us and are certainly on a different planet financially. They provided us with, well amusement, I’d call it, especially given that Barry Fry was sat a couple of rows from me. His face bore the look of a man who couldn't beleve his eyes, especially as Posh had got their noses in front at one stage. Well, get used to it Barry!

Anyway, Happy New Year. I’m full of confidence, I hope you are.