Imps Should Provide Inspiration To All Of Us

[Luke Imp]

But that's weak! We have to go Mansfield FFS. I'm looking for a better reason, I'm genuinely intrigued

There isn't actually a good enough reason. It's just one that historically has never been well attended. I can only remember filling the away end in BP two or three times since I've been following Lincoln and one of those was a PO game.

Notts County, Scunthorpe, Boston, Mansfield, Peterborough, Chesterfield and even Barnet see more travelling fans.

 

[PaulHaddock]

We don't even get filling in our pies.

Go on...

 

[Luke Imp]

Go on...

Well, I bought an all steak pie yesterday and the only 'all' I got, was fuck all. The bastard thing had a bit of gravy in and that was it.

 

[Imp in Branston]

Good post, I can't believe GodsGift and the rest of the Lincoln fans think these crowds are going to stay like this forever.

I am still trying to find the quotes where Godsgift and all us other Lincoln fans think the attendances will stay like this forever. If you find it SOC, please show me.

 

[PaulHaddock]

Well, I bought an all steak pie yesterday and the only 'all' I got, was fuck all. The bastard thing had a bit of gravy in and that was it.

FGR and their dirty antics at it again.

 

[Son of Cod]

I am still trying to find the quotes where Godsgift and all us other Lincoln fans think the attendances will stay like this forever. If you find it SOC, please show me.

Whooooooosh

 

[The Jovial Forester]

FGR and their dirty antics at it again.

Lincoln aren't the only club in the league inspiring the others, no meat in your pies is clearly the wave of the future. Either that or Luke Imp 's bought a badly labelled big hollow biscuit.

 

[Aber gas]

Lincoln aren't the only club in the league inspiring the others, no meat in your pies is clearly the wave of the future. Either that or Luke Imp 's bought a badly labelled big hollow biscuit.

Yes, I'm forever mistaking meat pies for " big, hollow biscuits"

 

[Chris FGR]

Poor Luke Imp, first no Akinola and now no steak in his steak pie. Life is just a string of disappointments for that lad.

 

[GEORGE]

Hats off to Lincoln I say. When I saw them at Rovers a couple of seasons a go I could not believe how bad they were. 100% improvement since the Cowley brothers have taken charge.
With regards to attendances as someone has already stated you cannot compare Lincoln with us or Portsmouth or Plymouth because of the sizes of towns and catchment areas.We all know it probably wont last but at the moment getting over 5k season ticket holders is fantastic especially for a 4th division club.They have certainly surprised me.

 

[shoddycollins]

It's impressive that they've turned around but as Frealaf hinted at a while ago I don't anything extraordinary is going on at Lincoln besides the success of last season. It sounds like they have a good chairman, but so should everyone. I think a lot of us if we'd had the kind of season Lincoln have just had would see a boost in attendances... apart from Luton as we well know there are no stayaway Luton fans, every single Luton supporter attends every single home game.

 

[GodsGift]

It's impressive that they've turned around but as Frealaf hinted at a while ago I don't anything extraordinary is going on at Lincoln besides the success of last season. It sounds like they have a good chairman, but so should everyone. I think a lot of us if we'd had the kind of season Lincoln have just had would see a boost in attendances... apart from Luton as we well know there are no stayaway Luton fans, every single Luton supporter attends every single home game.

When we finished in the L2 play-offs for five straight seasons from 2003-2007 we were averaging 4-6k. We're now averaging 8/9k, so I'd like to think this is a bit more than just your normal boost in attendance.

 

[Stringy]

When we finished in the L2 play-offs for five straight seasons from 2003-2007 we were averaging 4-6k. We're now averaging 8/9k, so I'd like to think this is a bit more than just your normal boost in attendance.

There has to be more to it than 'success'. We finished third in the Conference and won it the following season. We had some entertaining fixtures along the way, for example that FA cup game against Liverpool but not a great deal happened to our attendances.

Perhaps the 'success' explanation could work if you combine it with the growth of the city in the last decade. I don't recall higher education being much associated with Lincoln until recently. Perhaps it's brought wealth to the area into which the club is now tapping. But then again, even if population and income has increased, there has to be something else which is motivating these people to go.

Ticket prices?

Football in the community?

Word of mouth?

Perhaps you're not well-run and it's all happened by accident...

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Historically the student population of a town/city is difficult to attract to the local football team/teams. Many clubs in the PST have stated that with 15K, 30K, 40K students In the city there is huge potential but it's proven difficult to harness on a regular consistent basis.

Although Lincolns isolated location certainly is a benefit on this score as there is very little else to distract them (football/sports wise) other than the Premiership on TV. No cricket, no rugby, no ice hockey, no other football side of note, no nothing.

That's the benefit of being a one horse town, no rival no alternative on your doorstep.

This is why Lincolns situation is very different to many clubs including for example Mansfield Town

 

[shoddycollins]

When we finished in the L2 play-offs for five straight seasons from 2003-2007 we were averaging 4-6k. We're now averaging 8/9k, so I'd like to think this is a bit more than just your normal boost in attendance.

But that's also saying, you fell at the final hurdle for four straight seasons. I'd be very frustrated with my club if we did that.

 

[AdamStag]

I never really got the student argument, I went to uni in Manchester (still live there) but never had an inclination to go and watch either of them live.

Instead, I leave home at half 7 for a "home game" - though that is to get to the pub for 11.

 

[shoddycollins]

I do think the FA Cup run is a bigger part of it that is being given credit for. For any team below the Championship promotion race, reaching the quarter finals is massive, let alone for a Conference team.

I think the university thing can only really help if it's encouraging young locals to remain in Lincoln. If the city is growing and become more prosperous I imagine that's a big part of it. Perhaps there was latent support last season that wasn't there last time Lincoln were doing well, which again might be more to do with people not moving away than it is to do with people moving to the city.

Also stayaways who claim they'll never go back when times are bad, don't necessarily immediately return once the bad times end, as they've lost some of the interest they had and found other things to do, but then perhaps a season like last season and they all come back en-masse.

Out of interest, what do the fans of other clubs think their attendances would be the season following a title win and an appearance in the later rounds of the FA Cup?

 

[Limerick Mariner]

I think aspirations for places like Mansfield and even Gy to achieve what Lincoln have done are not realistic. Don't underestimate the impact of the University - out of 15k students many will support the team from their original home town, but some of those will be Lincs born and the Uni will have kept them local instead of them leaving the area maybe never to return (as with the A level successes in Gy do) , but also the student and uni staff spend impact on the local economy means more disposable income. Plus there is the fast growing population of the hinterland - the East Coast main line corridor - Grantham / Retford / Newark, yes Forest will pull from that but so will a successful Lincoln City.

For the Mariners to compete at all, we have to get a new stadium:- the North Lincs rural / farming set that used to pack the old main stand in the 70s (no swearing please - if you want to use language like that please go into the Pontoon with the dockers) are not going to want to come back to streets of boarded up shops and pubs. A new stadium would at least give us a chance of pulling some of the former regulars back from the Mablethorpe / Louth / Rasen southern arc and the New Holland and Barton areas to the north west. That is essential for the club to counterbalance the falling and ageing population of Gy itself. A reasonable target might be to match what Rotherham have achieved, and what Chesterfield were doing before they went into reverse gear on the pitch.

 

[Vanni]

I don't think this sudden influx of new Lincoln fans is something to be proud of ,in fact I'd say it's tinpot to the extreme as it shows the rather high number of locals who couldn't be bothered before Cowley steered them to success. We have all seen traditional 4th division clubs (like Wigan) go from barely 2k to over 15k when 'the fans' see their side is on the up but fall down once again to a more realistic level of 'true fans' when the good run comes to a halt.

It's the core support that matters the most. Lincoln are just like my lot, in that we both only have some 2500 hardcore fans who will see their side irrespective of the product on offer. We were getting circa 2-2500k before Dickie Dosh took over, but were suddenly getting over double that amount when we got back in the league. Mind you, I'm fine with this as it means more income to the U's, but then again I'm not ok with building a 15k stadium like some fans were suggesting at one point.

 

[Hatter86]

Am I the only one who doesn't know or care who 'the Cowleys' are..?

 

[Chris FGR]

Sincil Bank is great tbh. Proper ground decent atmosphere when they get going. Why would Lincoln fans want to move out of there into a plastic stadium like Shrewsbury's? Shame when these historic grounds get torn down just to move to a bland as fuck stadium that's hardly ever gonna be full. Same's happening higher up. I mean who actually prefers The London Stadium to Upton Park, or The Emirates to Highbury? Shite atmosphere at both, But the hospitality is good, apparently.

At this rate it's going to be like FM in 3d mode where every lower league stadium literally looks the same, just with different colour seats.

 

[Flaxman's Alibi]

I do think the FA Cup run is a bigger part of it that is being given credit for. For any team below the Championship promotion race, reaching the quarter finals is massive, let alone for a Conference team.

I think the university thing can only really help if it's encouraging young locals to remain in Lincoln. If the city is growing and become more prosperous I imagine that's a big part of it. Perhaps there was latent support last season that wasn't there last time Lincoln were doing well, which again might be more to do with people not moving away than it is to do with people moving to the city.

Also stayaways who claim they'll never go back when times are bad, don't necessarily immediately return once the bad times end, as they've lost some of the interest they had and found other things to do, but then perhaps a season like last season and they all come back en-masse.

Out of interest, what do the fans of other clubs think their attendances would be the season following a title win and an appearance in the later rounds of the FA Cup?

I'm very sceptical about whether we'd get anywhere near that current Lincoln figure, if we mirrored their year.

You have to take in to account the product. Even though I suspect that Lincoln haven't been particularly pretty, they were pretty much top of the Conference for the entire season, whilst at the same time making remarkable forays in the Cup.

When we (Mansfield) won the Conference we were top for about a fortnight in the whole season and despite going on a lengthy unbeaten run that team was highly effective but remarkably grim to watch. It just didn't spark any reaction amongst the not-so-easily-swayed.

We also struggle from the distinct lack of desire to attract the next generation of supporters. The cheapest under 17 ticket is £12. When I was a kid (in the 80s) I attended in a mob of teenagers - I don't personally know many teenagers in Mansfield who have £12 disposable pocket money every fortnight. Perhaps I'm naive.

At the start of the millennium we had a once in a generation team of youngsters that came through the youth set-up, played startlingly good football and managed to rake in 5000+ averages. So we witnessed a small spike. However, Keith Haslam engineered the dismantling of that side, never invested and those gates declined fairly quickly. That's where Lincoln need to do the opposite: build and look after those customers that are so hard to attract.

Sincil Bank was full of kids on Saturday. That's your next generation of supporters being built, right there. There's just no comparison between my club and theirs regarding that aspect. As it stands, in a decade's time, Lincoln should benefit massively from attracting and keeping young fans; whereas look around Field Mill and its middle-age and pensioner heavy. My twelve year old stands out like a sore thumb in our block; so much so that she's conscious of the fact.

 

[shoddycollins]

I'm very sceptical about whether we'd get anywhere near that current Lincoln figure, if we mirrored their year.

You have to take in to account the product. Even though I suspect that Lincoln haven't been particularly pretty, they were pretty much top of the Conference for the entire season, whilst at the same time making remarkable forays in the Cup.

When we (Mansfield) won the Conference we were top for about a fortnight in the whole season and despite going on a lengthy unbeaten run that team was highly effective but remarkably grim to watch. It just didn't spark any reaction amongst the not-so-easily-swayed.

We also struggle from the distinct lack of desire to attract the next generation of supporters. The cheapest under 17 ticket is £12. When I was a kid (in the 80s) I attended in a mob of teenagers - I don't personally know many teenagers in Mansfield who have £12 disposable pocket money every fortnight. Perhaps I'm naive.

At the start of the millennium we had a once in a generation team of youngsters that came through the youth set-up, played startlingly good football and managed to rake in 5000+ averages. So we witnessed a small spike. However, Keith Haslam engineered the dismantling of that side, never invested and those gates declined fairly quickly. That's where Lincoln need to do the opposite: build and look after those customers that are so hard to attract.

Sincil Bank was full of kids on Saturday. That's your next generation of supporters being built, right there. There's just no comparison between my club and theirs regarding that aspect. As it stands, in a decade's time, Lincoln should benefit massively from attracting and keeping young fans; whereas look around Field Mill and its middle-age and pensioner heavy. My twelve year old stands out like a sore thumb in our block; so much so that she's conscious of the fact.

Our attendance in our Conference season was in the 7,000 mark, reaching heights of 10,000. Although it was a largely frustrating season, we expected to go straight back up (there were no big budget clubs that season so we naturally felt that with by far the biggest budget and a squad who had done well in the second half of our relegation season we should be very competitive) and made very hard work of it. The key factors were that at least we had some wins to talk about for the first time in ages and we had an ambitious owner who made the fans feel like we were going places. It was similar the following year in League Two as we won the title but quickly dropped away to current levels once we reached League One and hasn't threatened to reach those heights in some time.

We may have been in League One for almost a decade, and we even came very close to promotion on occasion but our owner had had enough almost as soon as we got up there, and our manager and top striker left for Preston, owner sold up and a group of directors took over seemingly because noone else wanted us and we've been under that ownership ever since. Almost immediately the feeling of ambition deteriorated and we started to just plod along in League One under the workmanlike guidance of Greg Abbott. There were many fans who just didn't like the product, and didn't want to go.

Right now we need something similar to what we had back then, and hopefully the fans will come back.

 

[Impish]

SOC very bitter in this thread. Very jealous, makes for uncomfortable reading to be honest.

Some very sensible comments by others, especially the original Mansfield poster.

 

[Davidimp]

I'm very sceptical about whether we'd get anywhere near that current Lincoln figure, if we mirrored their year.

You have to take in to account the product. Even though I suspect that Lincoln haven't been particularly pretty, they were pretty much top of the Conference for the entire season, whilst at the same time making remarkable forays in the Cup.

When we (Mansfield) won the Conference we were top for about a fortnight in the whole season and despite going on a lengthy unbeaten run that team was highly effective but remarkably grim to watch. It just didn't spark any reaction amongst the not-so-easily-swayed.

We also struggle from the distinct lack of desire to attract the next generation of supporters. The cheapest under 17 ticket is £12. When I was a kid (in the 80s) I attended in a mob of teenagers - I don't personally know many teenagers in Mansfield who have £12 disposable pocket money every fortnight. Perhaps I'm naive.

At the start of the millennium we had a once in a generation team of youngsters that came through the youth set-up, played startlingly good football and managed to rake in 5000+ averages. So we witnessed a small spike. However, Keith Haslam engineered the dismantling of that side, never invested and those gates declined fairly quickly. That's where Lincoln need to do the opposite: build and look after those customers that are so hard to attract.

Sincil Bank was full of kids on Saturday. That's your next generation of supporters being built, right there. There's just no comparison between my club and theirs regarding that aspect. As it stands, in a decade's time, Lincoln should benefit massively from attracting and keeping young fans; whereas look around Field Mill and its middle-age and pensioner heavy. My twelve year old stands out like a sore thumb in our block; so much so that she's conscious of the fact.[/QUOTE]

Your final point is the important one we've got so many kids going including my little monster, she's loves going all the kids do.
The management and players go round the schools and by doing this have made the school kids part of it.
Our prices aren't that flash really apart from the Junior Imps section where after a £10 membership for the season it's free for them and £12 for accompanying adult.
I don't know how grown the crowds so far and no doubt without the playoffs/promotion this season the crowds will drop back.
On the students coming again doubt that too we get a few who used get one game a season for free and then £7 a game but like others have said that have no connection with the area so why would they go? They wont have been to first 4 games this season as they returned to the city this weekend.

 

[PaulHaddock]

 

[Greenacres]

Sincil Bank is great tbh. Proper ground decent atmosphere when they get going. Why would Lincoln fans want to move out of there into a plastic stadium like Shrewsbury's? Shame when these historic grounds get torn down just to move to a bland as fuck stadium that's hardly ever gonna be full. Same's happening higher up. I mean who actually prefers The London Stadium to Upton Park, or The Emirates to Highbury? Shite atmosphere at both, But the hospitality is good, apparently.

At this rate it's going to be like FM in 3d mode where every lower league stadium literally looks the same, just with different colour seats.

Kind of agree with this, although I have only been to Sincil Bank once and that was around twenty years ago. I can't remember how many people were there, though the ground was almost empty at the final whistle as the home fans had all left early to avoid being chased home by Cardiff fans...who they had been giving stick to for around 80 minutes, something about having an affection for sheep and not being British anymore, following the vote in favour of a devolved Parliament.

Anyway, back to the constructive rather than just the historic and observational points, it is a pretty good ground. Surely they could build a fairly decent stand on the side of the ground that has the smaller stand on, maybe even something that could become the main stand with space for all the corporate stuff. By doing that they could increase capacity to something like 15k, which should be plenty for their needs, and avoid having to move somewhere else.

 

[Davidimp]

Road access to the current stadium is the problem hence the reason the board want to move.
They wanted to build a road off South Park Ave where the ambulance/fire stations are but they can't approval.
Where the new ground is due to go they are building proper access roads into the site.

 

[Imp in Branston]

Kind of agree with this, although I have only been to Sincil Bank once and that was around twenty years ago. I can't remember how many people were there, though the ground was almost empty at the final whistle as the home fans had all left early to avoid being chased home by Cardiff fans...who they had been giving stick to for around 80 minutes, something about having an affection for sheep and not being British anymore, following the vote in favour of a devolved Parliament.

Anyway, back to the constructive rather than just the historic and observational points, it is a pretty good ground. Surely they could build a fairly decent stand on the side of the ground that has the smaller stand on, maybe even something that could become the main stand with space for all the corporate stuff. By doing that they could increase capacity to something like 15k, which should be plenty for their needs, and avoid having to move somewhere else.

This has been done to death many times before but the main reasons behind moving are the transport and access facilities in and around SB. It's bad enough with 3-4000 people as it's hemmed in by housing and Sincil Drain. Access has been looked into many times but it's just not feasible no matter what has ever been trialled or suggested. Then there is the commercial prospects, a new build will enable facilities to be used 365 days a year and so garner much more revenue on and off the field. Our chairman keeps mentioning Chesterfields set up with the income streams they get solely from this aspect and that can then get ploughed back into the club wherever necessary. SB is just not used enough or commercially viable to make money on the larger scale with conferencing, retail and similar incomes. A new build out of the centre (but not that far out) will be able to get grants and tie ins with the colleges and universities so it's probably cheaper to do that than to knock down and start again with certain parts of SB. I know a lot of fans will be sad to leave if/when this happens, but if it meant a greater chance of success on the pitch, I would reluctantly say we need to do it to compete more where it matters, on the pitch.

 

[Son of Cod]

I think aspirations for places like Mansfield and even Gy to achieve what Lincoln have done are not realistic. Don't underestimate the impact of the University - out of 15k students many will support the team from their original home town, but some of those will be Lincs born and the Uni will have kept them local instead of them leaving the area maybe never to return (as with the A level successes in Gy do) , but also the student and uni staff spend impact on the local economy means more disposable income. Plus there is the fast growing population of the hinterland - the East Coast main line corridor - Grantham / Retford / Newark, yes Forest will pull from that but so will a successful Lincoln City.

For the Mariners to compete at all, we have to get a new stadium:- the North Lincs rural / farming set that used to pack the old main stand in the 70s (no swearing please - if you want to use language like that please go into the Pontoon with the dockers) are not going to want to come back to streets of boarded up shops and pubs. A new stadium would at least give us a chance of pulling some of the former regulars back from the Mablethorpe / Louth / Rasen southern arc and the New Holland and Barton areas to the north west. That is essential for the club to counterbalance the falling and ageing population of Gy itself. A reasonable target might be to match what Rotherham have achieved, and what Chesterfield were doing before they went into reverse gear on the pitch.

Agree with most of that, however as someone who grew up in Barton I can categorically state that the Barton/New Holland/Barrow area won't be supplying (m)any new Town fans. The fairweathers/bandwagoners/Premier League fans all got swept up by Hull's two stints in the top flight. To an almost sickening degree. Walk around Barton now and people I know "supported" Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd, etc. are suddenly life long Hull fans. Every Town fan I knew growing up has remained a Mariner though, thankfully.