On this day: 40 years of celebration

This is a self-indulgent article about me looking at the one weekend of the season that affects me. It’s the weekend of November 19th or to put it more accurately, my birthday.

All football fans have a special links between their birthday and matches, if they’re lucky enough for it to fall during the season. I look back on the matches that have fallen on my birthday weekend and in the main, I have very little to celebrate.

Last season for instance, my birthday weekend came as we played Coventry City in the league. I was a guest of Roger Bates in the Executive Lounge, a thank you for being involved with the away days book. Of course we lost 2-1 and I wasn’t particularly happy about it. I was given a nice bottle of champagne after the game by Charley and her Dad Dave Mallett up at the Tap House though, that dulled my disappointment.

Usually, my birthday falls on FA Cup weekend and the first I can remember as an Imps fan was beating Crewe 2-1 in the GMVC season. They had David Platt playing for them and maybe, just maybe I felt that I’d be gifted such a win in the years afterwards too. The following year, actually on my 10th birthday, Altrincham knocked us out the cup in the first round. Bastards. My third FA Cup weekend as a Lincoln fan and my third such birthday saw another exotic name come to the Bank, Billingham Synthonia. Shane Nicholson gave the 11-year-old ginger a happy day with a goal and a second round tie away at Rochdale.

I’ve already written how Crewe Alexandra owed me something for ruining everything a few years later, but my next big memory was my 15th birthday, when Walsall thrashed us 5-2 at the Bescot. I was beginning to think I might actually be a curse to City. 

Ever since I found out that the referee for the Imps the day before I was born was called ‘Hutchinson’, I’ve believed (like a loon) that my life is running some sort of parallel journey with the Imps

I’m told we drew 1-1 at Fulham on my 16th birthday, but I wouldn’t know. Girls, beer and the rest put my Imps’ passion on hold for a year or two. However, my 21st saw two worlds collide as my one-time ‘big club’ Luton Town met City live on TV in the FA Cup. That reinstalled my faith that my life and that of my club are forever entwined. After all, how likely is it that the one so-called big club I supported as a kid would play Lincoln, on my birthday and it be show live on TV? I shunned my 21st party for a while as I watched the game. We drew 2-2 and from there until my 22nd birthday life is a bit of blur, as it should be at 21.

What I do remember, clearly and above all else, is 2005 and 2006. My birthday fell on a Saturday in 2005 meaning a day of drinking, celebration and…. oh no, wait. Thanks to an England game we travelled to Cheltenham on the Friday night, not my actually birthday. Cue 4-1 thrashing and another ruined party. Cheers lads. A year later, Saturday 18th November 2006, Darlington hammered us 3-1 at the Bank and one Barry Conlon made me shit my pants after I abused him walking off the pitch. He deserved it and the full story will be in my upcoming book about being a mascot, but suffice to say I was left a little jaded for my ensuing 28th celebrations.

Since then I know there’s been a couple of wins again Hereford, but on the whole the weekend where I add yet another complete year to the log of my life, Lincoln don’t always have much joy. This weekend was no different either, was it? Even without playing we managed to lose the top spot, just pissing a little bit on the birthday cake I shall doubtless be consuming later on.

However, one weekend surpasses them all. One weekend was better, more enjoyable and exciting than any other that has gone before or since. That weekend, lovely readers, deserves an article of its own. You’ll see it shortly.