Jae Martin
Jae Martin would have been a social media sensation. He came in on loan from Birmingham City, scoring twice to help us beat Barnet and Colchester United. John Beck wanted to sign him, and Trevor Francis wanted to recall him. Talk of a six-figure fee was floated, but in the end, he signed for £35,000. As a trade-off, ticket prices went up to £9 for adults.
£9. That’s around £18 with inflation.
Anyway, how would social media have perceived that? Martin would have been a fan favourite for sure, but opinions as to what came next would have differed. He scored twice more that season, then handed in a transfer request in June 1997. In 97/98, he only appeared seven times from the bench, and his most notable input was scoring the only Imps goal in a 10-1 reserve team defeat against Rotherham United.
Can you imagine the anger directed at him (or Beck) on social media? Fan favourite, dropped towards the end of the season, hands in a request. The anti-Beck brigade would have been furious, whereas the other side of the coin would accuse Martin of a lack of loyalty.
I shudder to think.