It’s finally happening, the deal breaker that the Cowley’s demanded is all systems go. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, here is your training ground.

Well, not your training ground, but you know what I mean. If we want to keep the managers, we needed a facility worthy of their abilities and now details have been revealed as to exactly what ground will consist of and where it will be.

They’ve gone for an out of town location, the development will be based on a 12.3-acre site on Health Lane, Scampton. It is no longer just a training ground either, oh no. Welcome to Lincoln City’s new Elite Performance Centre, the legacy of the 2016/17 FA Cup run.

This facility will boast three state of the art grass pitches, gymnasium, changing rooms and staff offices. The manager will have an office at the centre as well as the coaching staff and sports science departments, and there will be full catering facilities and a kitchen so that all the player’s nutritional needs are fully met. Outside the centre there will be an irrigation system purpose built drainage system so that the three full size football pitches can be maintained in top condition all year round. Also with the close proximity to the A15, it allows easy access to players both locally and that travel from outside of the City and County

The pitches will likely be ready first and they’re in safe hands. Talbot’s Farm & Landscapes have been appointed to oversee the development of the playing surface and they’ve been involved in a few little projects already, namely Wembley Stadium, Crystal Palace FC, Swansea City FC, King Power Stadium & Lords Cricket Ground. That’s a decent CV.

Obviously, the gaffer was delighted. In the official press release he say: “This will really help us on a day to day basis. With our own training ground and base, we will be able to improve the provision that we offer to our players. That will give them an even better chance to play at their best.”

So, there we go. There’s your big announcement, or at least one of them. It’s obviously a really important day for the club, this is the first step in a real-life Goal 2010, not some pie-in-the-sky ambition from a chairman with little football knowledge, but a real and tangible step towards us becoming a second-tier club. It is real, this ground will be built and it isn’t going on top of a heap of clay either.

No stone has been left unturned, no avenue unexplored. There’s been some mutterings of discontent that it hasn’t happened sooner, but hopefully they’ll get it right as a result of the hold up.

The pertinent thing to remember here is that this is what Danny and Nicky wanted. The work they do with the players is evident to anyone who has been on a training day or listened by the dugout. They’re incessantly improving the players fitness, tactical awareness and overall ability. You know we haven’t seen as much of James Wilson or Tom Pett yet? I’d wager it is to do with integrating to the ‘Lincoln City’ way. On a purpose-built training ground, it is going to be much easier.

This is an exciting development, mark my words.

Please vote for me in the Football Blogging Awards 2018

I’ve reached the final ten in the ‘Football Club Content Creator’ category in these highly prestigious and exciting awards to be presented at the Alexandra Palace in London on May 17th.

I NEED YOUR VOTES

You can vote two way, one is online, the other is via Twitter.

The on site voting is here.

To vote on Twitter, please copy and paste the Tweet below. Please, don’t just retweet as they don’t count, you must produce an original tweet.

I am voting in @theFBAs for @staceywestblog to win the #FBAfootballclub category #FBAs