You’re not a keeper, Anyon.

Lincoln City’s website announced on Saturday that player of the season Joe Anyon is amongst those to be shown the door this close season with the club hinting heavily that wage demands are the root cause of the decision.


Jean-Francoise Christophe, Andy Hutchinson Danny Hone, Jefferson Louis, Richard Paquette, Nialle Rodney, Simon Russell, Tony Sinclair, Karlton Watson and James Wilson have also been pointed towards the exit sign. Mark McCammon has returned to Sheffield FC and Robbie Williams will no longer entertain us.

In a telling statement redimps.co.uk reveals:-

“Some players however need a reality check as we are still receiving wage demands that are frankly quite amazing!”

As ever, never a dull moment with City but quite clearly the club are no longer willing to be pushed about and player power is a thing of the past. We await further pronouncements with bated breath.

Rumour and counter rumour.

Don’t you just love this time when speculation is rife and reality is often the total opposite?


I mentioned my interest in the Kyle Perry situation yesterday and note that elsewhere in the blogosphere the striker is said to be set to return to Telford with Robbie Williams retracing his steps back to Sincil Bank. That would make sense. Certainly Perry seemed to be a popular figure with the Bucks fans as opposed to Perry’s own fans ie us. Similarly Williams has made an impression with the Imps and many would see his return as an advantage. Presumably these loans weren’t entirely made by coincidence and in these cash strapped days a try before you buy approach would avoid ending up with a pig in a poke so to speak.

AFC Telford’s website merely state that Perry will be returning to City but that Williams has been released. In the meantime no reason not to let our fevered imaginations run riot a bit is there?

Lincolnshire this week.

Lincoln went to the polls this week with a third of the seats on Lincoln City Council up for grabs. The council currently comprises 17 Labour seats, 14 Conservative, 1 Liberal Democrat and 1 Independent.


The county has been affected by a strike by members of the Aslef Union which has brought a large part of the rail network to a virtual standstill. The drivers, employed by East Midlands Trains are in dispute over pension payments. The company want to reduce the amount the employees pay into the pension fund. Why is that a problem? The amount the company pays goes down too. A spokesman for East Midlands Trains. Ian Smith told BBC Lincolnshire:-

"We delivered a good service for our passengers on 1 May despite the Aslef industrial action, and managed to run even more services than we had previously advertised.

"In total, we ran over 100 train services and more than 200 replacement bus services."

Typhoon jets from Lincolnshire have made the short (for them) hop to RAF Northolt in preparation for the Olympics this summer. The pilots will experience a totally different environment when they are based in London, to the relative calm of the skies over Lincs and the eight days training is to get them acclimatized.

Eight Lincolnshire beaches have been acclaimed in the latest Good Beach Guide. Skegness, Ingoldmells South, Chapel St Leonards, Anderby, Moggs Eye, Sutton on Sea, Mablethorpe Town and Cleethorpes have all been included in the guide published by the Marine Conservation Society putting the county in the top ten most recommended for quality beaches. East Lindsey District Councillor Craig Leyland, said: “Our wonderful beaches are a really important part of the visitor offer in Lincolnshire and it great news that they’ve once again made the Good Beach Guide for the cleanliness of the sea water.

“We are proud of this success and must continue to develop the offer along the coastal strip and inland to ensure that when visitors come they have access to great facilities and attractions and ensure that they want to come again time and time again.

"A quality holiday experience is vital in supporting our tourism economy and this is another acknowledgment that our offer is one of the best.”

Nottingham Forest owner Nigel Doughty who died recently left an estate of more than £194 million . The Lincolnshire father of four was found collapsed at his home in Skillington.

Bostons twice weekly market will move to Pump Square to make way for the May Fair before it moves back to the revamped Market Place following a £2 million revamp. The popular twice weekly market is planning a special celebration to mark its return home. Portfolio holder for markets Councillor Derek Richmond told the BostonTarget: "The council does not have a commitment to hold markets during the May Fair and some stall holders welcome the break.

"In past years we have made special arrangements to accommodate those who still want to stand and this year is no exception. In fact, I gave the traders the choice of two sites, one being Custom House Quay and the other Pump Square.

"The traders actually chose Pump Square where there will be approximately 20 stalls each day.

"This council is always willing whenever possible to assist those who wish to do business in Boston and a satisfactory arrangement has again been made to help with that during this year's May Fair."

A Lincoln author has written to the Pope to ask him to canonize Robert Grosseteste the 13th century Bishop of Lincoln. Dr Jack Cunningham, a theology lecturer at the Bishop Grosseteste University College reckons the Bishop should have been made a saint but political shenanigans damaged his reputation and he was never accorded the honour. Dr Cunningham’s book – Robert Grosseteste: His Thought and Its Impact – will be launched on Saturday as part of the college's One Big Reunion event. The author aims to use the event to rally support for his cause.

“It’s a really interesting story, and it’s a mystery why this influential mediaeval thinker was never made a saint,” Dr Cunningham explains.

“The story goes that after his death he appeared as a ghost to Pope Innocent IV and hit him in the side with his bishop’s staff as punishment for the pontiff’s waywardness and corruption.

“In fact this is a legend which has no basis in truth, but it was recorded by the Benedictine chronicler Matthew Paris and, as a result, Robert Grosseteste went down in history as an English hero who stood up to the Pope.

“His reputation was scuppered. Clearly he should have been canonised but he became associated with an anti-Papist movement which ultimately led to the formation of the Church of England.”

Well bless me that’s all we have time for this week. Have a good weekend.

City at least able to field a five a side team.

The club have announced that Alan Power, Sam Smith and Bradley Barraclough have signed re engagement forms for next season so City can at least boast a five a side team plus subs.


Today’s Lincolnshire Echo focuses on the future of much travelled Jefferson Louis, speculating that the Imps might not have the wherewithal to fend off interest from Woking.

Personally I’m fascinated to know what the future holds for Kyle Perry. The big frontman was farmed out on loan but returned to not exactly universal acclaim where he duly scored the obligatory goal against the Imps. The difference this time was that the player was, is still contracted to City. It’s assumed that David Holdsworth is not amongst Perry’s admirers although I have to say I thought he was outstanding when playing for Telford at Sincil Bank.

The problem for Perry is that if he can only put in a full shift when playing against his employers he’s not much use to us and no doubt his future is away from Sincil Bank. He’s still contracted though and one would presume the club are not in a mood to use up scarce resources paying him off so unless someone comes in for him he will remain a problem for the manager to resolve. Perhaps that will involve another loan. I can’t believe that City are that well off for striking talent that we can afford to have him sitting in the stands but then what do I know?

A time for renewal.

Yes it’s that time of year again, when Lincoln City announce season ticket prices. They remain the same although there are more goodies.


Season ticket holders are this years blue eyed boys, Bob Dorrian wrote to them earlier in the week and they come in for special praise again, loyal and dedicated, not to mention more money than sense. Only kidding.

Prices remain the same but the early renewal price is less, £279, concessions £179, Juniors, £55. The full price is £355 (Coop/Echo Stand). Most fans will be aware free Stagecoach travel to and from games is included and, this year if you introduce a friend you get a cash back of £20 for a full ticket £10 for a new junior.

I’m being slightly tongue in cheek but, clearly it’s not possible to reduce prices, City football watchers have shown that the sort of initiative where prices are reduced in the hope that gates will rise often end in failure.

Clearly after the season we’ve had those that do buy a season ticket do so more in hope than expectation although, if you go week in week out, particularly if you travel by bus then a season ticket does offer very good value for money against paying each home game and as the club point out it’s a life saver for them over the summer.

Hodgson OUT!

Of the hotseat at the Albion (after the season has ended) and into a much hotter one, the England managers. Already the hacks at the tabloids have unearthed some salacious facts. Old Roy played in South Africa during the apartheid years. As if footballers have any regard for or influence over political regimes. Get used to it Roy. He plays a straight bat:-


“I think it’s unfair to bring that up, I didn’t think about the political situation”

Apparently Harry Redknapp has sent a good luck message. Hopefully he omitted to say what he thought, you’ll need it!

Amongst Lincoln City supporters, at least those I follow on my twitter account the mood seems to be of acceptance of the new manager and positive sentiments. It’s too much to hope the English press will follow Imps fans in giving the manager a fair crack of the whip judging by the early quotes coming out of the press conference. T’was ever thus.

Hibernian in bitter sweet cup agony.

As if following one unsuccessful football club isn’t enough I also take an interest in the green half of Edinburgh represented by Hibs.


In an otherwise undistinguished season, Hibernian have somehow found themselves in the Scottish Cup Final where they will play their bitter rivals, also from Edinburgh, Hearts. I would have rather liked to attend the cup final and thought it might be possible with both Hibs and Hearts being relatively modestly supported but it has proved impossible to get a ticket. Just as in England the blazer wearers have snapped up a large proportion of the tickets and with Hampden being nowhere near the capacity of Wembley there are few enough tickets for proper fans let alone casual attendees like me.

Unfortunately, like most clubs, Hibs have a large number of fans who now live abroad who have bought flight tickets on the assumption that a ticket for the final will be the least of their problems only to find whilst they can get to Glasgow they won’t be able to get in to see the game.

All this pales into insignificance though with the realisation that the club, having flirted with relegation all season but safe in the knowledge that Dunfirmline are in last position and in, if anything worse form than Hibs or were in worse form until very recently when a draw and an unlikely win have buoyed Dunfirmline and have got Hibs in a right old flutter. To add to the agony Hibs must play Dunfirmline on the back of two defeats themselves but not before they play Aberdeen who they knocked out of the cup in the semi final.

Still with us? Hibs fans, never really convinced that they will do any good in the final now face the nightmare possibility of losing in the cup final and losing their coveted Scottish Premier League place.

They say there’s always someone worse off than yourself don’t they?