I wore my shirt on Thursday morning which is not something I
would normally do. I don’t think they’re suitable leisure wear for anyone over fifteen
but for some reason on Thursday I wanted to preserve that warm glow I had when
I vacated the stadium.
Everything about Lincoln City has changed over the last few
years and no more so than the ticketing arrangements. I reminded my friend from
work days who was the manager in charge of staffing matters of my earliest days
in Boston when I spent probably far too much time hanging around Sincil Bank
trying to get play off tickets. Although he was a Boston United fan crucially
he was a football fan so although, in those days, I was a rival, nevertheless he
understood the need and my pass was secured.
How different it was this time and that’s with all due
respect to those who didn’t get a ticket and I do want to pay tribute to the
hard work of those issuing the tickets to ensure as many of us as possible were
in the stadium. Once in, a good hour and a quarter before kick off and,
amazingly the atmosphere was building certainly when the players entered the
pitch for the warm up.
It was of course the first time most of us had seen this
team in the flesh and my goodness they delivered. I’ve seen a lot of City teams
and even teams that competed at championship level although I can’t honestly
say I’ve got much recollection, but this is undoubtedly the best collection of players
any of us have witnessed.
My first impression was the speed of play. Not in a rushing
around the pitch sort of way but the movement and, yes, the aggression. For a
young team these boys certainly know how to mix it. Grateful though I am to have
been able to see most of the games, courtesy of i follow the teamwork is not
apparent when the action is captured on one camera. In particular I hadn’t
appreciated what a general Liam Bridcutt is, his influence is all over the
pitch whether he has the ball or not. I was also impressed by the industry of
Tom Hopper and that’s to name just two of this wonderful team.
Back at home I watched the TV presentation. I was going to
leave that till Thursday but I couldn’t resist. I was pleased it wasn’t a
Sunderland love in, which I was expecting but there was one hilarious moment
when the summariser, whoever he was declared Sunderland were now really getting
into the game. At that precise moment their keeper blasted the ball at Brennan
Johnson. Nine times out of ten the ball would cannon off for a goal kick or
something but, gloriously, fell at Johnsons feet for the easiest tap in he’ll
ever score. That almost summed the game up. The goal keeper of the season,
according to some gifted City a two goal advantage and meanwhile, in our hour
of need the Imps fielded stand in keeper, Joe Bursik who played as if his life
depended on it. I hope, wherever his career takes him he has good luck. After
that display we’ll all be forever grateful.
I thought about something as we waited to be released from
the stadium, right back to when I started writing, for the PFA’s website. Articles
had to go to an editor for approval and inevitably the headline was altered. It
was my first published effort and, on reflection it probably was a bit over the
top, welcome to our new Lincoln City writers column, that sort of thing, that
got deleted but the changed headline read “The life and times of a Lincoln City
fan”. The life and times of a Lincoln City fan. Welcome to my world. It feels
pretty good at this moment.
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