There’s a great clip on YouTube which I may try putting on here if I can. It’s David Mitchell playing the part of a pundit, seemingly ridiculing the beautiful game, poking fun at how it is marketed. He goes on about relentless football, huge matches to see who wins until the next time they meet, the never ending football which nobody really ever wins or loses, going on forever. I’m sure it is meant to parody the futility of being a fan as much as anything. For me, it manages to encapsulate it instead.
That constant is what surely brings people to Lincoln and indeed to clubs across the country. There is no end, there is no definite outcomes. You are never truly the outright winner, or loser. A club’s fortunes ebbs and flow, completely independent of your life and the things happening to you. I’ve often spoken of my battle with anxiety and one thing I always relied on was 3pm on a Saturday, where nothing changed. Sadly when I was at the height of my issues in 2011, I wished it had! Seriously though, the ground is there, the fans are there wanting the same thing I want. They might be completely different to me, they might be sinking pints, banging lines and wearing the clobber, or they might be the retired cynics looking back on their heyday with ever-increasing fondness. They might be the newer fans, attracted by Danny’s success or they might be people coming back after leaving, for whatever reason. It doesn’t matter, they’re there. I’m there. You’re there.
It’s why I get a bit down when I see people criticising each other for different things. Leaving early, not jumping and singing, banners, fund-raising, opinions on players… all these subjects divide us. The only thing that unites every single one of us is moments like last weekend, when the Lancaster flew over or when McCartan equalised and of course, Shackell’s winner. Those moments are the constants. It is those moments I’ll look back on in two or three decades time, fishing out a shirt or a programme that reminds me. Hopefully in 2037, I’ll still be writing about it and discussing it.
The point about leaving early was raised on the pod earlier this week and I’m going to end this rather aimless ramble by talking about that and fund-raising. I’m trying to adopt a ‘live and let live’ policy, something very few people seem to. Wouldn’t supporting Lincoln be a better place if you could express an opinion and not be called names for it? Wouldn’t it be good if you could leave five minutes early to beat the traffic and not be looked down upon as half a fan? If you missed Shackell’s winner last week, more fool you. It doesn’t make you less of a fan, it was you who missed out though.
It’s the same with fund-raising. I read earlier this week on a rare trip over to Vitals that they had pumped £14k into the club via sponsorship since 2011, a fabulous effort whether you like the site or not. I have no issue with Jules nor the site in general, they do good work and it deserves complimenting. However, further down there was a comment from a poster asking what the other Lincoln content platforms had given the club over the years. That grated my cheese.
I’m sure it wasn’t aimed solely at me, but I took exception to it. I’ve never pretended to run the Stacey West to solely raise money for the club and I would hope after 16 years of Poacher I could be forgiven for thinking I’d pulled my weight when it was needed. I feel a little defensive because I got a DM a couple of hours later, the sender of which I shall not disclose, asking the same question. The truth is, I can’t put a figure on it. I will say this though; I believe Vitals gets as many hits in a month as I have between January and August, due to the message board in the main. Everything I get is content driven and the sort of revenue my adverts generate is very, very small compared to theirs. What I have done is put money where I feel it is appropriate, the FPS for instance. I sponsored a hole on the FPA Golf Day, I’ve given to charities such as Mayflower House in Boston too. I’ve given proceeds of a book to the club too and supported the academy whenever I could.
I feel it is a shame when people who do try to do positive things are almost forced to show their hand by sceptical individuals hiding behind pseudonyms on message boards. Why could that thread not simply applaud Jules’ efforts, which it rightly should? Why can we not accept that others have different opinions to ours, or different ways of supporting the club, be it financially or in the stands? Why is it that there’s often competition, a ‘we’re better than you’ mentality when in truth, we all want the same thing. We all want late Jason Shackell winners, we all want three points this afternoon and if you’re there brilliant but if you’re not, it doesn’t make you less of a fan.
We all hurt when we lose, we all get the endorphin kick when we win and whatever happens, those of us with Lincoln City in our hearts will all be back next year.
The same goes for the collectors, the hoarders and the memorabilia geeks. Just because I have fifty (I counted them today) shirts, doesn’t make me any better or worse than someone who wears them until they’ve got covered in paint and then gets rid. Just because one fan shouts and swears, he’s no less or more of a supporter than Ian’s quiet fan with his Dad, mates or partner. If I sit in the box, I’m not getting less of an experience than those in Block 7, I’m getting a different one but who is to say yours is better, or mine is better? We’re all Imps, that awful saying that got over done couldn’t be more true. We all hurt when we lose, we all get the endorphin kick when we win and whatever happens, those of us with Lincoln City in our hearts will all be back next year.
Some of us will be there with a few more shirts and programmes. Some of us will be there wanting to hear Sweet Caroline before the game. Some of us won’t. Some of the content platforms will have stuck another four-figure sum into the club, some of won’t have earned a four-figure sum to stick in the club. Some of us will be writing articles, day in day out to entertain other Imps fans. Some of you will (hopefully) still be reading them.
But each and every one of us will still love this fucking beautiful game and the club we’ve chosen to call our own. Live and let live, yeah?
#impsasone
Pretty evident you have Aspergers Syndrome.
Hahahaha
As a 12 yr old I dreamed of wstching my Imps at Wembley , I acheived my dream when I was 57.Alan Jones screamer v Wednesday .5 goals v Donny to win Div 4. Keith.Murph Schoey Hobson Harford Ainsworth .Beating Stoke including Shilts and then the Cowleys league and cup run we are many things , late leavers ,good donators ,old ,young ,plastic,fantastic byt we are Imps ,we are imps ,we are imps
This is a good thoughtful summary of being a fan, any fan, and deserves a wider audience. I’ve supported Lincoln since the early 1960s,dipped in and out due living away. This has been a fascinating decade. I have followed routine battles against relegation in the Conference as Bob kept us afloat. I’ve been to Arsenal, Wembley and can now routinely chant We Are Top of The League.
You are right. The saga never ends. We all have our different ways and reasons to relate to and follow the team. Respect the team and each other. Tranmere on Tuesday.
Ive always said ” If you want to do any thing for the club do it cos you love the club “and NOT like lots do cos they want to say “Look what ive done” and look for congratulations! Any way you may be like a lot of truly loyal fans and get forgotten when you are not needed. UTI
On the Mitchell and Webb, I think it is more a dig at how Sky market the game and the premiership itself.
As for being a fan. I started out a Norwich fan, came to watch Lincoln at 15 when I moved here and got hooked. Through my time at uni, ironicaly at Norwich, the bond grew stronger as I was known as the Lincoln fan and also the club was a link to home. I came back home and followed us through the playoff years. Since then I moved down to London but as you have said the club gives identify. It resonated with me and going to watch Lincoln is getting touch with a friend or back home. I used to follow where I could down here.
However, as much as the last few years have been great, I have got detached. I am not sure if it is because I now have a wife and child so Lincoln City has moved down the list. Or if it is because it is not my club anymore. The slightly helpless entity that was floundering and unloved in 2015, has suddenly become a packed out fun machine. I struggle to get a ticket now as an occasional fan. Part of being a fan for me was the club needing me as I needed them. Now I am a nothing, which is fair. They are doing just fine without me. So I find myself more a fan of football, and sport overall as I am an avid Buffalo Bills and Yorkshire cricket fan. Not to mention Tour De France and the Olympics. It is just the way things have gone. I still listen to every Saturday game on line with my daughter in the hope she will pick it up as well. But I know the club don’t mind if I do or don’t listen. WHich is great, the club is going up a level. But it is sad to me because the element of belonging is lost.
Great piece Gary.
It’s so true that every imps story is different.
Mine started with a friend taking me to Donny away in 92 (iirc), I had no idea what I was missing.
I’m envious of those that were introduced by their father, mine doesn’t like football, never has.
I’m grateful to that old friend, like most are to their fathers.
I’m also envious of those that can go every week.
As you say though, we’re all fish out of water when we’re not there.
UTI