‘No Truth’ In Reports City Are Targeting Former Stockport County Man

June 24, 2025 Gary Lincoln City, Rumours, Transfers 0

Credit Graham Burrell

Reports emerged yesterday that the Imps had tabled a bid for former Stockport County man Macauley Southam-Hales.

The 29-year-old, who has had three injury-hit campaigns, has been released by Stockport ahead of their push for promotion this season. The report suggested that we had offered him a deal, along with Wigan Athletic and Bristol Rovers.

It was met by a lukewarm reception from me. I wrote yesterday that I would have to question the move, if it were one we had initiated.

“If we were going for it, I know there would be questions asked about fitness, and rightly so. 47 league outings across three seasons would feel like a risk … If there are legs in it, I’ll label it a calculated risk. However, I suggest we’re more eager to find a left back than we are cover for the right side of defence, but, in fairness, we will need someone in that area.”

Having attempted to verify the story, it is my understanding that Southam-Hales is not a player we are pursuing this summer, and that there has not been an offer tabled for him. My feeling is that he is not on a long list with the club, and therefore, the story does fall foul of my ‘rule of three’ legitimacy test.

That’s not to say the outlet reporting it hasn’t been given it in good faith, but there is a big difference between a report suggesting a player is interesting a club, and a player has been offered a deal. The news that we’d offered Sonny Bradley a deal came as a single club report, and was spot on. Usually, speculation articles (often agent-driven) do not go as far as to suggest a contract has been offered.

It’s a short but sweet report, I know that, but I’ll always try to find out if there is a modicum of truth to a story, especially one that doesn’t feel quite right. This didn’t, and as I understand it, my gut feeling was spot on.