A Real Proper Football Match

Immensely looking forward to the match on Saturday between Tranmere Rovers and my beloved Lincoln City. This is the type of game that I have been longing for over the past 6 or 7 seasons. Two real football teams playing one another in a proper stadium at the top end of the league table. Yes it may only be top of the Vanarama National League but that is where both these historic football clubs find themselves at the moment. Two such clubs meeting at this level is somewhat sad but still it is a game to look forward too especially in a stadium such as Prenton Park a stadium to rival Sincil Bank, probably to surpass it if the truth be stated!

Second against third separated by just a point. Early in the season I know but a really juicy fixture to look forward too.

Can The Imps get anything out of the game, take the spoils or a share of the spoils? One would like to think so but it is going to be a terrifically difficult game. For me it would be the icing on the cake to take a point or three. To be there and be a part of this game is what I am truly looking forward to. Keeping my fingers firmly crossed for a good result though! Up The Imps.

Lincoln City FC - Reinstate the Stacey West Please!

Now. I am not a fan of locating myself in the Stacey West stand at Sincil Bank. For me the view is not what I am looking for but for many that is not the case.

The Stacey West Stand pre-match

The Stacey West, remember it is named after Bill Stacey and Jim West two life-long Imps fans who tragically lost their lives in the horrific Bradford fire, has always been viewed as a "home-stand" and should be regarded as just that. In my mind it has always been a rather perverse idea that it should be used for away fans and I know that I am far from alone in that belief.

When the decision to give the stand to the "away fans" was made the major effect was to move the "617 Squadron" into the upper tier of the Co-Op despite the resistance of many to the decision. "617" have never really sat, or should I say stood, comfortably there and there have been problems. Thankfully, these problems have been overcome but the feeling still remains that the Co-Op is not their proper home. Love them or not they are the noise generators and the atmosphere generators in the ground and having them tucked away in their present location does detract from their efforts, in my opinion. I am certain that if they were given the opportunity to return "home" to the Stacey West then hands would be bitten off!

There should be little difficulty housing away fans somewhere else within Sincil Bank, especially given the very small numbers in the majority of cases, that teams in the National League bring with them. The song fondly sung by "617" "You should have come in a taxi", bares witness to that. Do we really need the whole of the Stacey West to house, with very few exceptions, 30 or 50 away fans?

"617 Sqn" in full cry

My understanding of the decision to change the use of the stand was financial. It would save money on stewarding costs. When that decision was made I personally accepted it because of the financial position of the club which was, let us say, fairly fragile but that is no longer the case.

With the arrival of our new management duo there appears to be an uplift in positivity around the club and there is expected to be an uplift in attendance figures at the ground, which admittedly, have been less than one would like to see over the last few seasons. A deal of positivity would be added to the upswell if the Stacey West was returned to its natural use.

There seems to be little reason for the Stacey West not to be returned to the home fans, so come on Lincoln City. Let's see a sensible decision that will please a majority of your supporters, especially among the younger element who are the lifeblood of the club going forward.

"STACEY WEST FOR HOME SUPPORTERS IN 2016/17"

3 Up 3 Down From The Football League?

There has been much talk about the present situation regarding relegation from the fourth tier of the footballing pyramid, The Football League Division 2 and promotion into The Football League from the 5th tier of English football The Vanarama National League.

At the moment only two teams are relegated from League Division Two allowing two teams to be promoted from The National League. This does not compare favourably with the promotion and relegation numbers above this level:

• 3 teams relegated from The Premier League.
• 3 teams promoted from The Championship and 3 relegated.
• 3 teams promoted from League Division 1 with 4 relegated.
• 4 teams promoted from League Division 2 with 2 relegated.

The feeling is that this is an unfair situation and that there is a case for 3 teams to be relegated from Division 2 and 3 teams promoted from The National League. This may well be true but who is making the case for a change? Is the feeling of unfairness enough? How strong is the feeling among The National League clubs that there needs to be change? Has there been any sort of concerted effort from The National League itself, it's member clubs or the fans of those clubs to try and achieve a change? Has there been a case made along the lines of the closeness in standard between Division 2 and the National League? Is that actually the case? In my view, with very few exceptions, there are very few clubs that would be able to hold their own in the Football League. As far as I can see there has been no real effort to achieve change. So, it would appear, much talk but little action? Or is that unfair?

If there was to be real concerted action, what would be the chances of succeeding in achieving the change? I would suggest very little. There is no representation from The National League on the Football League and it is the clubs that make up the Football League that would make any decision. Why on earth would any club in the Football League want to make it more likely that they could be relegated out of the Football League? What case could be put to them that would make them want to vote in that way? It took many years, probably decades, to move away from the old "Seeking re-election" balloting system to automatic promotion and relegation for one team only. Nearly another two decades to move to a two up and two down system. So it is not looking good on that score.

In addition to the natural resistance to any change we should keep in mind that the "parachute payment" received by clubs falling through the trapdoor into "non-league football" has just been hugely increased by The Football League. Financially, those clubs would be big-hitters in the world of non-league football and we all know just how money talks in football! 

So it would seem to me that The Football League clubs, far from being of a mind to make it more likely that any of them would be relegated, have tried to ensure that any club that is unfortunate enough to be relegated have a much better chance of gaining promotion back into the Football League! Does that look like a group that is willing to listen to change? 

There may be much talk amongst the non-league clubs that the present system is unfair and needs changing but in my view there is a million miles to travel to change the system and there appears very little wish amongst the league clubs to see it changed. 

Those clubs now languishing in the National League are just going to have to get on with it and any club with pretensions of achieving promotion need to do so quickly because as hard as it is now to make it to the promised land of League football it is only going to get harder!

Good luck all.