Lockdown, heaven or hell?

I have to admit I haven’t been in the mood for writing recently. This is a football blog after all and there’s no football hence no blog.

It wasn’t always that way, at one time the blog used to contain some items that were Lincolnshire rather than football orientated. Come to think of it I got readers from all over the place so perhaps I should have a look at doing that, it’s certainly been on my mind to do so.

Apart from anything else this present emergency has seen me have to give up my writing desk as my wife is working from home and I’m now on the dining room table which I have to admit does have a sort of writing in the garret authenticity. Years ago when I helped out on the Lincoln City Mad website we used to imagine ourselves in a ramshackle office named, unadventurously, Mad Towers but I have to admit that was one of my favourite times despite the fact that City were at a pretty low ebb. It did occur to me at the time that thin times we’re perhaps the best time to write.

Is our present predicament better or worse than our relegation threatened situation way back when? It’s certainly is a predicament and your guess is as good as mine as to whether we’ll survive it but lets suppose we do there are two outcomes to consider, one of which we can do something about one we can’t and the first is how the season will get sorted out. That’s the one that is out of our control.

I’ll say at this point I’m glad it is. Thinking about it the options are, declare the season over, or null and void. It’s neither here or there for us but that resolution would be awfully unfair on Peterborough United to name but one. Why are you bothered about them I hear you ask? Well it’s noting to do with the fact they’re sort of local but I just think, what if it were us, with the possibility of Championship football? Would we want a neighbour urging the league to do right by us? What about Leeds, what about Liverpool?

I suppose a points per game option is the least worse option, or a sort of pools panel to decide where the points would go in the remaining games. Good luck with that would be my response; I can almost see the writs flying when the lawyers get back from furlough.

Something that is in our control is what we do when an e mail arrives from that nice Mr Nates asking what were minded to do about the unused portions of our season tickets and possibly, for those that have paid for next season. What if there is no next season?

I suppose if that is the case the question is, will I still have a club to support but let’s keep our chins up and suppose we’re all still Imps when this dreadful business is a memory. Here I have to declare an interest and state that I’m aware there are many who simply cannot afford to write off what they have paid in advance and I say now, respect to you, you’ve probably scrimped and saved for your season ticket. You will need your money back and you’re entitled to it.

As for me, whilst I’ve been in that position, as a family man there were many seasons when I couldn’t even afford a season ticket but usually in life, things ease on the financial front, the mortgage gets paid off and things get a whole lot rosier. My situation now is that Lincoln City need my money more than I do, to the extent of the season ticket money, I’m not proposing to sell up and donate the money to the Imps.

So I suppose, as to the remaining games of the 2019/20 season, what’s done is done, the club can keep my money. I’m sure it’s gone somewhere apart from anything else .

As to next season that is a conundrum. I don’t think I want to lose the money I’ve paid but if the club have something to tell me about their finances, as a result of this situation as a shareholder I’ll listen sympathetically. Some more shares wouldn’t go amiss but, if the season won’t be starting in August and I can’t see that happening somehow then perhaps a credit note could be agreed.

Either way I’m glad I’m not a director or a professional footballer for that matter but they all have my very best wishes, wherever their allegiances lie.