Imps to visit Burnley next. Burnley have one Scot and one Scotland international and they are two different people!

The draw for round five of the FA Cup was made last night and remarkably and uniquely there are two non-league teams in the last 16 of the competition. They are Sutton United and my current team on The Road to Wembley from Scotland – Lincoln City. The Imps were hoping for one of the mega clubs away from home and hence they have mixed feelings about being drawn away at Burnley.

The impressive Turf Moor will be full on the 18th Feb when Lincoln City are in town

Burnley are a Premier League side and they will provide a stern test for the gallant Imps. Lincoln City have never been beyond the last 16 of the FA Cup. The last time they reached stage of the competition was in 1902 when they beat Newton Heath along the way. Newton Heath were later to change their name to Manchester United. The fifth round match will take place on the weekend of the 18^th of February and there is a strong possibility that the game will be shown live on television. Burnley’s Turf Moor home holds just over 21000 spectators and with both sides eyeing a historic appearance in the quarter finals of the FA Cup it is likely that the stadium will be full and once again there will be a scramble for tickets. I will be scouring the internet in the coming days to try to secure a brief.

Regular readers will know that for each match I look for a link between the forthcoming fixture on 'The Road' and Bonny Scotland. Lincoln City have a rich Scots heritage but no kilt swirlers in their current squad. A quick check on Burnley after the draw last night shows that at this present time they have an Englishman who is a Scottish Internationalist and a proud Scotsman who plays for Canada!

George Boyd was as surprised as anyone when he was called up to the Scotland B squad in 2009 while playing for Peterborough. The midfielder from Chatham in Kent was previously capped several times by England for their semi-professional international team when playing for Stevenage. When Boyd reported for duty it was the first time had set foot in Scotland.

Southerner Boyd surprised but happy to play for his grandfather's country

It was four years later when he was called up to the full squad by Gordon Strachan and he made his debut against Serbia in Novi Sad in 2013. To date he has won two Scotland caps. He qualifies to play for the national team because his grandfather, who has lived most of his life in London, is from Motherwell. As he is a current Premier League player and he is still only 31 there is every chance that he will go on to win further caps.

Boyd’s team mate and colleague in the Burnley engine room is Scott Arfield. Arfield, the playing for Falkirk, was also called up to the same Scotland B squad in 2009 where he teamed up with Boyd for the first time. Prior to his elevation to the B team Arfield had played an incredible 17 times for the Scotland Under 21 team.

Scott Arfield proud to play for Scotland U-21s now a Canada international

The midfielder from West Lothian was clearly very proud to represent the county of his birth. Given that Scotland are not blessed with loads of talented footballer playing in the English Premier League it is surprising that he was never given the opportunity to win a full international cap for Scotland. Clearly frustrated at being overlooked by Gordon Strachan (perhaps if he had been English he would have had more of a chance) in February 2016 he filed the paperwork to FIFA to play for Canada. He qualifies because his father was born in Toronto. Since making the one-off permanent change he has won 6 caps for Canada. Interestingly, it has just been announced that Scotland will play a friendly against Canada on March the 22^nd in Edinburgh when Scotsman Arfield could play against a Scotland side featuring Englishman George Boyd. It’s a funny old game.

Over the next two weeks I will be exploring, and reporting on, the historical influence of the Scots at Turf Moor but football rolls on and tonight both Lincoln City and Burnley have important league fixtures. After the heady aroma of the FA Cup 4^th round the Imps will have the stench of the Vanarama National League in their nostrils as they head to the West Midlands for a vital fixture against Solihull Moors. Also this evening the Clarets from Burley are in action when they host the Premier League Champions Leicester City at Turf Moor. Will the Clarets be intoxicating tonight and will the Imps trample on the Moors? Come back here later in the week to find out … and .. keep reading!

Bedlam inside the Bank as Lincoln City knock Brighton out of the FA Cup

Saturday the 28^th January 2017

FA Cup Round Four

Lincoln City 3 Brighton and Hove Albion 1

Yesterday was the day that my project caught fire. A classic FA Cup tie where the lower league upstarts battered the ‘Fancy Dans’ from further up the football food chain. Lincoln City defied the odds, defied the football league tables and defied logic when they deservedly beat Brighton and Hove Albion by 3 goals to 1 in front of a sell-out Lincolnshire crowd who were verging on hysteria in their exhortations in support of their favourites. The BBC Football Focus team were also there to see it all happen.

Breakfast means Breakfast: BBC early riser Dan Walker points the way to Wembley

Thanks again to Kevin Oliver and his nephew Alan for sorting me out with a ticket for this incredible occasion. I am very grateful to you both. This is how the day panned out.

Pre Match Communications: Following Lincoln’s win over Ipswich in the round 3 replay I joined a couple of Lincoln City facebook fans forum and the contributors have been great in signposting me towards the links between their club and Scotland. Brighton and Hove Albion fans too have been great virtual pals over the last two months. I am particularly grateful to Guy Morris and his pal Darren who were able to get me two tickets for the away end. This happened after Kev had sorted me out but it did mean that my fellow ‘Road to Wembley-er’ Peter Tissington was able to see the match. Thanks again guys. 8/10

Pre Match Pint: Lincoln City have a bar in the ground and a very welcoming hostelry it is too. I still find it difficult to think of Lincoln City as a non-league team. Whilst I was living in Lincolnshire between 1991 and 2008 they were always a league team and on the many occasions I went to Sincil Bank they oozed a league team mentality. However, maybe their unwanted spell outwith the league has seem them assimilate some of the more attractive attributes of a non-league club. These include the bar facilities being available to both home and away supporters. It was great to see the two sets of fans drinking together and chatting before the game. A real sense of ‘hail fellow well met’. Also, unlike the bars in the bigger grounds they had real ale on offer.

Drinking outside: Howie Baby and Peter Tissington - Jim Morrison (background) in typical pose

I went for the hand pulled beer from the local Lincoln Poachers Brewery and it was magnificent. It had that wonderful woody Lincolnshire bitter after-taste that lingers in your mouth. So good that the pre match pint turned out to be a few pre match pints. My only gripe (and probably unavoidable given the size of the crowd) the beer was served in plastic glasses. 8/10

Programme: In the last two rounds I have been disappointed by the match programmes produced by Charlton Athletic and Brighton. They seemed to have downsized their usual publication for their FA Cup fixtures. The Imps reversed this trend and produced a special edition for this historic match.

The 64 page glossy is a thing of beauty. All the usual stats are included but also lots of great reading. The photography is terrific and there is a great article on Lincoln City’s FA exploits from years gone by. Well done to everyone involved in producing this gem that given the result of the match is sure to become a collector’s item 9/10

Ground: The ground has not changed much since I was last there about 8 years ago. It still can be considered to be homely and fit for purpose. The stadium lay out is dominated by the large Co-op Stand that runs the full length of the pitch and must accommodate more than half of the 10000 capacity. There are two small stands behind the two goals and opposite the Co-op stand is the Main Stand.

The Main Stand at Sincil Bank: Tall, steep and narrow

The main stand is unusual in that it is narrow and steep. It does not run the full length of the pitch. It almost looks as if some giant has pushed in the stand inwards from the corner flags and squeezed the seating inwards and upwards. 7/10

Atmosphere: The atmosphere in the ground yesterday was electric. This was my first ‘full house’ on The Road to Wembley from Scotland and the ground was noisy as well as packed. The encouragement that the home team received throughout was a joy to behold. A full repertoire of songs celebrating the Imps recent achievements were essayed by young and old.

It's mayhem: Absolute bedlam in the Co-Op Stand as Imps take a 3-1 lead

The quirky feature of the air raid warning was terrific. The warning siren was played over the PA every time the Imps won a corner. The world war two aural pageant is a notification of an imminent aerial bombardment and the Lincoln City set pieces did not disappoint in this respect. When Lincoln City scored their three second half goals the goals were greeted by a mixture of hysteria and delirium that is probably best described as bedlam.  10/10

Scottishness: As with the previous round the Seagulls manager saw this match as an opportunity to ‘use the squad’ hence Glaswegian Jamie Murphy who has been in the starting line up recently began the afternoon on the subs bench. Jamie was introduced to the action after 70 minutes and made a strong contribution down the left with some direct running and good movement off the ball.

Lincoln City did not have any Scots on the pitch because the current Imps squad does not feature any jocks. However (and this is a tenuous link) they do have an honorary Scotsman in their team. The striker Theo Robinson has plied his trade in Bella Caledonia, playing for Motherwell last season

History maker: Theo Robinson celebrates the scoring THE goal

Theo never actually scored for The Well in his time at Fir Park but at Sincil Bank yesterday he scored arguably the biggest goal of his career when he ‘sealed the deal’ by notching Lincoln City’s third. 5/10

Entertainment:

There were quite a few defensive mistakes in this game, notably by Brighton, but as a spectacle it was compelling and exciting. Great entertainment. The Brighton team list showed 9 changes from their last league match and the Lincoln City line up was the same as for their cup replay against Ipswich. In short, the Seagulls tried to get away with resting key players whereas the Imps were ready to go for it by fielding their strongest side. You could argue that Brighton and Hove Albion got what they deserved.

The early exchanges favoured Brighton and prolific marksman Glenn Murray went close with a header in the first five minutes. The talented Seagulls winger Solly March then hit the bar after a great run. The Imps were struggling to contain their illustrious opponents and after 24 minutes Richie Towell opened the scoring when he latched on to Murray’s headed pass to apply a great volleyed finish from just inside the penalty box. Half Time: Imps 0 Seagulls 1

‘A game of two halves’ is an old footballing cliché but it certainly fits the bill here. The tireless, well organised, aggressive and skilful Lincoln City team dominated the second half. To quote another soccer cliché, in some ways this match was a ‘contrast in styles’ with the combative workmanlike Imps matching up to the silky lightweight Seagulls. This contrast could be seen in microcosm when comparing the two centre forwards. Lincoln City’s Matt Rhead is a bull of a man. His portly torso and his unkempt balding pate give him the look of Sunday League player who enjoys a few refreshments on a Saturday night as his pre-match ritual. Rhead will tackle anything. He also does not mind being buffeted about by defenders. In fact he quite obviously enjoys the rough and tumble and never complains when he is on the receiving end of a late tackle. At the other end of the pitch, the skilful, prolific goal scorer Murray seemed to be keen to go ground whenever he felt the slightest contact. Yesterday, Murray was always looking towards the ref for a soft free kick when a defender brushed against him. Hence it was a supreme irony that the turning point of the match was when Murray was adjudged to have fouled a Lincoln City player. A long hopeful ball was played into the Brighton box and as the Imp’s Robinson was about to challenge for the ball he was manhandled by Murray. The referee pointed to the spot. In the same incident the unbalanced Robinson collided with the Brighton keeper who had to leave the field. There was a long delay before Alan Power was able to take the spot kick.

Power-ing the Imps: Alan Power steps up to equalise from the spot

With the penalty despatched the Imps were well and truly on the front foot and five minutes later they took the lead. On loan Chelsea defender Tomori, making his debut for the Seagulls, turned a dangerous cross into his own net for a spectacular and significant own goal. Cue bedlam in the stands. Another calamitous defensive error saw the Seagulls defence give the ball away in their own half and after the Imps gained possession the ball was played to Theo Robinson who made no mistake from 14 yards out. Finally the Seagulls got their act together and laid siege to the Lincoln City goal to try to salvage something but it was too little too late and the best and most committed team won the contest. Full Time: Imps 3 Seagulls 1 10/10

Match Day Catering: The pies on offer inside Sincil Bank were all produced and supplied by Pukka Pies of Leicestershire. Four different fillings on offer and all pies priced at £3.10. I opted for the chicken and mushroom. Delicious 8/10

Value for Money: The admission price of £15 was tremendous value for an important fourth round FA Cup tie played in good surroundings. I am told that the usual walk-up price for a ticket for a league match at Sincil Bank is £18 so Lincoln City FC should be warmly applauded for keeping the cost down so that his historic match was accessible. Top marks in the value for money category. 10/10

The je ne sais quoi factor: The quirky feature of this match was seeing a relatively small club under a big national spotlight. Also, as the match was in Lincolnshire, it was great to see so many old friends at the match.

When we arrived at the ground at 1.00pm we noticed the unusual sight of the Lincoln City fans waiting outside the players’ entrance to get autographs from the Imps team as they arrived. I may be wrong but I suspect this does not happen when they are playing (say) Solihull Borough in a Vanarama National League fixture.

Sign here: Imps Sean Raggett with the autograph hunters

Another sure sign that this was no ordinary match was the presence of the BBC Football Focus team in the bar. The programme was transmitted from the club and broadcast had just been completed when we arrived. The BBC celebs were happy to stay on to get their photos taken with the fans. Never one to miss an opportunity I managed to get a pic with both Dan Walker and Dion Dublin.

Shake on it! The Road to Dublin from Scotalnd

Throughout this special day this very friendly football club were shown in a great light by the national media.

A fab feature of this blog project has been meeting up with old friends. Yesterday it was great to meet up with Howard ‘Howie Baby’ Nimmo, Peter Tissington, Jim Morrison, Gail Blanchard-Rivett and three generations of Frisbys.

Three generations of Frisbys: Fred, Rosco and Scott

It was also fantastic to meet up again with my old colleague and team mate Kevin Oliver. Meeting up at the game was good but it was a real buzz to get out for a curry with Kev, Jim and Gail on Friday night and catch up on what has been happening over the last 12 years! Inexplicably I forgot to take a snap of Kev, his nephew and his pal. Apols for that but as fortune would have it I will have another photo opportunity when I will join up again with Kevin to see Lincoln City in round 5. 8/10

Overall Road to Wembley from Scotland Rating 83/100 (highest so far)

At this point I have to bid farewell to Brighton and Hove Albion. I have been warmed by the friendship shown to me by Brighton fans on their FB forums and twitter feeds. Thanks to all the Brighton fans who have helped me with this blog. Especially those who helped me explore the links between Scotland and Brighton and Hove Albion. Good luck with your promotion campaign and now that you don’t have the unwanted distraction (?) of an FA Cup run I feel sure that you will achieve your goal.

So, Lincoln are now my team on the Road to Wembley from Scotland. For the Imps the FA Cup run is very much a ‘wanted distraction’. The management are loving it, the players are loving and the fans are lapping it up. The Imps have now equalled their best ever run in the FA Cup and the last time they reached this stage of the competition was in 1902. Who will they get in the next round? Will it be Man United, Arsenal, Man City, Spurs, Chelsea or Oxford United away? You will have to come back here on Tuesday to find out! Keep reading ….

Miles on the clock for this match (inc overnight stay in Boston) 630

Total Miles on the Road to Wembley from Scotland so far 6501

The end game is in sight for Brighton but it's a bad Knight for the Imps. Next they will square up at Sincil Bank on Saturday.

Last night the Seagulls and the Imps played their last league games before the Big One on Saturday and I played chess. As was the case last Friday remarkably both the protagonists were live on telly. Brighton v Cardiff was live on Sky and Barrow v Lincoln was live on BT Sport. While the Seagulls and the Imps were sweating it out in Brighton and Barrow, at the Polish Club in central Edinburgh the live action was the match between Wandering Dragons C team and Civil Service Chess Club and I was sweating it out playing for the Fire Breathers.

What's on telly? Blogger neglecting his research duties last night.

Although I was not able to watch the Seagulls match I have seen a brief highlights package. The Albion were not quite on their A game and their keeper Stockdale had to make two good saves early on to keep the scores level. As the game wore on the Seagulls flying winger Solly March became more influential and looked keen to break the deadlock. It looked as if the home side might draw a blank but although their limbs may be weary their spirit is indomitable and after 73 minutes they scored the only goal of the match. Israeli international Hemed turned on the edge of the box and fired an unstoppable shot into the corner of the net.

Goalscorer Hemed gets a well deserved pat on the head from Scot Jamie Murphy

Scotwatch: Brighton’s only Scot, Jamie Murphy was in good form all evening and almost doubled the home side’s lead shortly after Hemed’s strike. It seems likely that Murphy will be given a starting place in the big match on Saturday.

On a murky night in south Cumbria Lincoln City lost for only the 6^th time this season in all competitions. The Imps are still in the FA Trophy, they top the Vanarama National League and of course they are still in the FA Cup. With so much football coming their way recently perhaps they were due an off night – and last night was an off night. I have just watched the re-run of the match on BT Sport and the 3-0 scoreline in Barrow’s favour does not flatter the home side.

Who loves ya baby? A touching Barrowmantic moment after Barrow's second goal

The better team won and the Imps played as if they had other things on their mind. With Brighton and Hove Albion due in town on Saturday I suspect that their minds were elsewhere. Barrow are no mugs and their first two goals were well worked and well taken. The last goal in the final minute of the match was a penalty and it looked like a soft award. Young Lincoln City defender Alex Woodyard was adjudged to have impeded a Barrow forward in the penalty box and the referee pointed to the spot.

Imp's Woodyard hides his head in shame after conceding the late penalty

Scotwatch: As has been previously reported Lincoln City do not have any Scots in their squad at this present time. However, their Jamaican international striker Theo Robinson does have a tenuous link with Bella Caledonia. The big front man played 10 games for Motherwell last season in the Scottish Premier League. Good on you Robinson.

The preparations are now complete. The next football to be played by the Seagulls and the Imps is the FA Cup tie at Sincil Bank on Saturday. There have been 2 previous FA Cup meetings between the two clubs, with one win apiece. The clubs first met in 1914/15 season when it was Brighton who were the Non-League club. However, it was the Seagulls who won on that occasion, but the Imps won in 2003/04 when they were the underdogs. A similar outcome this year will see Lincoln City equal the best FA Cup run of any Non-League club since the current structure was put in place for the 1925/26 season. Lincoln City are appearing in the Fourth Round for the first time in 41 years, but they have not appeared in the Fifth Round for 130 years, two seasons before the Football League even started, when they were defeated 3-0 by Glasgow Rangers. Brighton and Hove Albion, on the other hand, have made the Fifth Round three times in their last six FA Cup campaigns.

Who will emerge victorious in the game that will be match 13 on The Road to Wembley from Scotland?  You will have to come back here on Sunday to check – mate.

It should be called Sincil Brae! More about the Scots who have been a bit Imp-ish

Only four sleeps to go before stop 13 on the Road to Wembley from Scotland at Sincil Bank Lincoln on Saturday. Before then the two protagonists have to attend to league business tonight. The Seagulls will welcome Cardiff City to the Amex Stadium for the second time in a month. The previous journey from Wales was a wasted trip for the Bluebirds as the game was called off because of fog less than two hours before kick off. Both teams will be hoping for better luck tonight in the re-arranged match as Albion attempt to go back to the top of the Championship division. Meanwhile some 350 miles to the north in Cumbria the all conquering Red Imps play Barrow in a Vanarama National League fixture. This blog will note how they both got on in a wee post tomorrow. Before then a chance to pay further tribute to Lincoln City’s Scots heritage. Since the ‘Scots Imps’ post last week I have continued to be inundated by Lincoln City fans informing me of more Scots who have donned the famous red and white striped jersey. In no particular order we have Gordon Mair, Ian McInnes, George Peden, Alfred Price Burnett and George Kerr.

Gordon Mair from Bothwell came to prominence in English football when he was an integral member of the Notts County team that defied gravity to rise through the leagues and earn promotion to the top tier.

Having a Mair! Gordon ended up working in Morrisons

Gordon and his Magpies teammates found themselves crossing swords in league action with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Spurs. From a midfield berth he scored 9 goals in the top flight in season 1981-82. Life was pretty good. The only way was down. After County were relegated he signed for Lincoln City where he is remembered as ‘having some good games and some bad games’. He later returned to Scotland and played for Motherwell and Ayr United. Gordon’s most recent Wiki reference notes that he was working in Morrisons superstore in Bellshill in 2008.

Another Scot to represent Lincoln City in the 1980s was Ian McInnes. A native of Hamilton Ian moved south in 1983 to sign for Rotherham. He moved on to Sincil Bank in the 1985-86 season and appeared for the Imps for two campaigns.

From Lanarkshire to Lincolnshire: Red Imp Ian McInnes

He played a total of 51 times for Lincoln City and scored 5 goals. After his spell in Lincolnshire he returned to Scotland and signed for Kilmarnock. Later in his career he also represented Stranraer, Stirling Albion and Albion Rovers. He was at his happiest with the ‘wee Albion’ where he made almost 200 appearances over a six year span.

George Peden is a member of a very exclusive club in that he played for both Lincoln City and my beloved Hearts. George hails from Rosewell, a mining village just 4 miles away from my home here in Penicuik Midlothian. Peden had played 13 times for Hearts prior to his arrival at Sincil Bank towards the end of the 1966/67 season and went on to give Lincoln City seven years of loyal service, making over 250 appearances in all competitions. George was a regular in the City team following his arrival at the Club, although a broken leg sustained at Scunthorpe in March 1971 put him out of action for some time. Known for his no-nonsense approach to tackling and penalty taking, George was voted "Player Of The Season" in 1972/73 whilst he also shared a testimonial against Chelsea with John Kennedy in his final season. After playing for Lincoln United and Skegness Town, he returned to Scotland where he had a spell as manager of Bonnyrigg Rose who have recently been in the news for losing 8-1 in the Scottish Cup against Hibs at the weekend.

A young George Peden in the maroon of the Jam Tarts

Older and wiser: Peden in the red of Lincoln City

In May 1967 Lincoln City unusually played a ‘post season friendly’ against the glorious Hearts at Sincil Bank. Having only been in Lincolnshire for a few weeks George found himself lining up against his former employers. The match finished 3-0 to the Imps and the game is fondly remembered by ‘Lincoln City Banter’ facebook contributor Paul Wilson because it was the first match that he ever attended!

It really happened! Lincoln City beat Hearts 3-0 in 1967

Another contributor to the Lincoln City Banter fb page had even more reason for flagging up a link between Lincoln City and Scotland. Imps fan Jamie Burnett’s Aberdonian grandfather Alfred Price Burnett actually played for Lincoln City! Centre forward Alf played for Dundee United immediately after World War Two and then headed south to make a name for himself with Barrow who were then members of the football league. With the Cumbrians Alf scored 32 goals in 87 games. He joined the Imps in season 1949-50 but his stay at Sincil Bank was relatively brief as he then left football for a career in the police force.

Last in this brief, and certainly not comprehensive, round up of more ‘Scots Imps’ is George Kerr. George briefly managed Lincoln City in 1977 but left to take the hot seat at Grimsby Town. After also managing Rotherham he returned for a second spell as Imps gaffer in 1985. His record in second stint was awful and he took the Imps out of the football league and into the Conference. He later became manager of Boston United and still lives locally in North Lincolnshire.

Unfortunately there are no Scots in the current Lincoln City team but Yorkshireman Jamie McCombe does at least have a Scots name. Maybe Jamie will be the key man tonight when the Imps take on Barrow? Down in Brighton Glaswegian Jamie Murphy is expected to start tonight for the Seagulls against Cardiff City. Will either of the two Jamies make a name for themselves in these final league fixtures before the Imps and the Seagulls do battle on Saturday on The Road to Wembley from Scotland. Come back here tomorrow and find out …. and keep reading!

Seagulls flying high and the Imps are in devilish form as the build up to the big match continues

The next match on the Road to Wembley from Scotland is Lincoln City v Brighton and Hove Albion next Saturday. On Friday night both the protagonists continued their build up to the big match with important league fixtures. The Seagulls entertained Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship and the Imps played host to Dover Athletic in the Vanarama National League. With both matches shown live on TV I was able to watch the action unfold from the comfort of my armchair.

The Brighton v Wednesday match had more twists and turns than a botched up pasta dish. A first half goal from Brighton’s Knockaert seemed to put the home side at ease but underdogs Wednesday equalised on the stroke of half time with a goal that looked more like a Keystone Cops routine than a piece of football action. The Owls Forristieri’s left wing harmless cross was deflected not once but twice by hapless Brighton defenders past their own goalkeeper. The guilty Seagulls were Norwood and Dunk. Midway through the second half the visitors had a gilt edged opportunity to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Brighton’s Murray handled the ball in his own box, hence gave away a penalty and was sent off. A chance for the Owls to go 2-1 ahead and play out the rest of the game with 11 v 10. A chance spurned as Forristieri’s pathetic penalty was easily saved by the Brighton custodian Stockdale. Brighton took off their only Scotsman, Jamie Murphy, and began to take control of the game despite their numerical disadvantage. With five minutes to go the lively Knockhaert scored again.

Brighton's Knockhaert scores the winner from close range on Friday night

A Scot was to have a late impact on proceedings when the Owl’s substitute Steven Fletcher got himself sent off for a petulant clash with Brighton's Dale Stephens in the final minute. Not very clever when you are chasing the game with an extra man. Wednesday actually finished the game with 9 men when Hutchinson was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time as the men from Sheffield finished the match in disarray. The Seagulls continue to fly high in the Championship and are now looking well set to gain promotion to the promised land of the English Premier Division at the end of the season.

Meanwhile in Lincolnshire the Imps entertained the Whites, playing in blue, from Dover. An incredible 6497 fans turned up at Sincil Bank to see the FA Cup heroes return to league action.

No quarter asked or given: The Imps do battle with Dover on Friday night

Like Brighton, Lincoln City have declared that promotion is their top priority and that the Cup is a pleasant diversion. You can fool some of the people some of the time but the Lincoln public have their own take on things and their focus is firmly on the FA Cup. The crowd on Friday was so big because the club were handing each attendee a priority voucher to secure a ticket for the match against Brighton. The Brighton match is already a guaranteed sell out and it will be my first full house on the Road to Wembley from Scotland. The Imps did not disappoint the bumper crowd and ran out 2-0 winners. The early nerves were settled when the visitors gifted them an own goal in the first ten minutes and the deal was sealed when the talented Hawkridge doubled their advantage with a fine strike from the edge of the area with 7 minutes to go. In between times Dover went close a few times and in truth the Imps play did not reach the intoxicating quality displayed in their famous victory against Ipswich 3 days earlier.

Choo choo! The Imps play trains in their esoteric set piece routine

 There are no Scots currently playing for Lincoln City but as was reported in the previous post the Imps do have a rich Scots heritage. In addition to the Scots Imps featured on Friday, I have been advised by the Lincoln City facebookers that Jocks Gordon Mair and Ian McInnes also served the Imps with distinction and that the Imps were managed by George Kerr from Dunbartonshire. More about these Scots links in midweek as the build up to the big match continues. I have also been advised by Imps fan Jamie Burnett that his Scots grandfather Alfred Price Burnett played for Lincoln City. Watch this space for more. The facebook feed also reveals that there are many Scots living in Lincolnshire who have adopted the Imps as their team. I am hoping to meet the Lincoln City branch of the Tartan Army featuring Colin and Duncan Campbell and Sue and Archie Brown at the match next week.

The other feature in the previous post was a nostalgic glance back to my days playing alongside the late John Hale for the truly awful football team the Boston College Staff FC. Since the post was published Kevin Oliver has reminded me by email of a surreal incident from those less than halcyon days involving me and John. Kevin wrote to me as follows: “.. once when playing centre forward John stuck out his arm out and stopped the ball with his hand in the middle of the pitch seemingly, for no particular reason. When you said to him "What did you do that for?" his reply was "Nobody shouted", to which your reply was "What were we supposed to shout...don't handle the ball John?”

John Hale in goal on this occasion in a 9 man College staff team with a youthful blogger back right

On Tuesday night the Seagulls and the Owls both have important league matters to attend to before they fully focus on the Big One next Saturday. The Imps travel to Barrow while the Seagulls host Cardiff. Will they both continue their good form in advance of the FA Cup tie? Will any of their outfield players handle the ball in the middle of the pitch for no apparent reason.? Return here in midweek to find out and keep reading … 

Scots at Sincil Bank! It's just the ticket!

After the excitement of Tuesday night subsided and I found out that I was heading to Lincoln for stop number 13 on the Road to Wembley from Scotland I was faced with two issues to resolve. Firstly, it became apparent on Wednesday morning that the match between Lincoln City and Brighton and Hove Albion in Round 4 of the FA Cup was going to be a sell out and I needed a ticket. Secondly, I needed to find out what the links are between Lincoln City and Bella Caledonia. Thankfully, two days later I have a ticket and I now know that Lincoln City have a rich Scots heritage.

Checking the Lincoln City web site on Wednesday night I noted that season ticket holders were allocated two match tickets each. After exploring a number of possibilities I thought – aha – phone Kevin Oliver. Kevin and I worked together at Boston College in Lincolnshire in the 1990s and the fanatical Imps fan has always been a season ticket holder. Kevin had promised his other ticket to a mate but made a few enquiries on my behalf and to cut a long story short his nephew Alan has sorted me out. Phew! Many thanks to both Kevin and Alan and a case of lager is on the way to Boston!

As well as working together, Kevin and I were also team mates in the all-conquering (not!) Boston College staff team of the 1990s when the team’s fanzine ‘Play On Until The Lights Go Out’ was produced and edited by College Registrar Johnny Hale. A very appropriate title given the average age of the team.

Boston College Staff FC circa 1995: Ticket Master Kevin Oliver left and Johnny Hale right

Unfortunately Johnny won’t be at Sincil Bank on Saturday week as he is no longer with us. He is sadly missed and his re-naming of the players to give the team a more exotic reputation still survives. When visiting Boston I am often recognised as Donkinelli. My pal Jim Morrison still goes by the name of Jiminio Morrisini. Johnny Hale was a big man in every sense – a huge personality and an ample girth that gave testament to the fact that he had been able to kick his anorexia problem at an early age. One evening we were strolling off the pitch at the end of another defeat from the Boston Fire Brigade and a young scally called out ‘Mister – did you score a hat trick?’ ‘No’ replied Johnny. 'Then why have you got the match ball tucked under your shirt?’ Thanks again for sorting out the ticket Oliveria.

As regular readers know, for each match I like to find out what the links are between the competing teams and Bonny Scotland. This is the Road to Wembley from Scotland after all. To find out more, I joined two Imps facebook fan forums: (i) The Lincoln City banter fb page and (ii) the Lincoln City Red Imps banter fb page. I then asked if the members knew of any links and I have been inundated. Thanks everybody.

The first suggested link with Scotland was the A1 … very funny! Then Susan Whitworth posted that she is a Lincoln City supporter but her parents live in Scotland! Thankfully the connections continued to come in and became a lot stronger. It would seem that there is a link between Lincoln and Scottish football that goes back over 100 years. Glasgow Rangers were founded by 4 young men, one of whom was William McBeath who died in Lincoln in 1917 at the age of 61. In addition to helping found the club, William also played for Rangers. William had a hard life and after moving to England found himself accused of selling adverts in a newspaper that was never distributed. It would appear that financial chicanery amongst the Ibrox community is not the exclusive preserve of the modern Glasgow Rangers. William spent most of his later years in a Lincoln Poorhouse where he was branded an imbecile. It is very likely that he was suffering from Alzheimers disease. Until 2010 his grave was unmarked when in the summer of that year members of the Rangers supporters internet forum Vanguardbears bought a 50-year lease on the grave.

McBeath -founder of Rangers and buried in Wahingborough Road Cemetery Lincoln

Another notable historical link between Lincoln City and Glasgow Rangers is that they actually played each other in the FA Cup in January 1887 at Ibrox. This makes Lincoln City one of a very exclusive club of football teams who have played an FA Cup tie in Scotland. The match took place in an era when a handful of Scottish teams entered the FA Cup. For the record Rangers won 3-0.

On the pitch at Lincoln City one of the first sightings of a Scot at Sincil Bank was an inside forward from Dalmuir, Tom McInnes, who played for The Imps between 1900 and 1903.  In the 1930s a left half / outside left from Fife called George Whyte represented the Imps for the whole of that decade. He racked up an impressive 322 appearances between 1931 and 1939. At that time this placed George 3^rd in the list of the biggest number of appearances for the club. This information was sent to me by Chris Henderson of the Lincoln City Red Imps Banter facebook forum. Chris is the great grandson of George Whyte. Thanks Chris.

A portrait of George Whyte: Commissioned by and lovingly maintained by his family

In the 1970s the Imps were managed by a Scotsman. In season 1977-78 Willie Bell briefly took the helm at Sincil Bank. After a successful playing career in England with Leicester City and Leeds United Willie tried his hand at coaching when he hung up his boots. 

Wille Bell: Good player for Leicester - carp manager for The Imps

The twice capped Bell got his first job manager’s job at Birmingham City in 1975. He was sacked after two unsuccessful years at St Andrews but was offered a second chance by the Red Imps. After the Imps finished in the bottom half of Division Three in 1977-78 Willie moved on again – to America where he made the good old US of A his home. In later years he became a man of the cloth and at the age of 79 it is believed he is still bashing the bible.

In the 1980s highlander Ross Jack played for Lincoln City for two seasons for the Imps appearing 60 times and scoring 16 goals.

Highlander Ross Jack in Imps 1980s regalia

Ross was a man of many clubs both north and south of the border. Norwich City, Everton, Dundee, Dunfermline and Kilmarnock all benefited from the Scottish striker’s eye for goal. After a break of about 10 years at the end of his playing career he is now back in the game. The 57 year old is currently manager of Turriff United who are going well in the Highland League.

In more recent times a forgettable link between Scotland and Lincoln City was the pre-season friendly between the Imps and Celtic at Sincil Bank in the summer of 2010. The fans of the green half of the ugly sisters disgraced themselves in Lincoln City centre and 20 arrests were made. Once inside the ground the Celtic fans continued to fight – this time amongst themselves!

A tenuous current link between Scotland and Lincoln City is provided by Chris Sutton. Chris is English but played football in Scotland for 6 years for Celtic between 2000 and 2006 scoring 63 goals for the Hoops. His one foray into management was an unmitigated disaster when he took control at Sincil Bank for one season in 2009-2010. His record as boss was abysmal and he set the Imps on a downward spiral that ultimately saw Lincoln City relegated out of the football league. 

Sutton as Imps boss pointing the way - downwards!

He now works as an outspoken pundit for BT Sport covering the Scottish games on that channel. Every time his angular ugly coupon appears on the screen it amazes me how a guy who was given a good chance to shine in management and blew it big style can be so critical of the current Scottish managers trying to ply their trade in an unforgiving environment.

Thanks again to all the face-booking Lincoln City fans who have helped me with the links between their club and Bella Caledonia. There are no Scots in the current Lincoln City squad but the transfer window is still open and maybe a tartan clad footballer will head for Sincil Bank before the end of the transfer window.

Tonight the Imps play host to Dover Athletic in a Vanarama National League fixture. The match is being shown on BT Sport and I hope to catch most of it. Maybe not all of it because also on TV tonight the Sky TV fixture is Brighton and Hove Albion v Sheffield Wednesday and I want to keep tabs on the Seagulls as they too gear up for the big match in Lincoln on Saturday the 28^th January. One thing for sure, the remote is going to take some punishment this evening.

Will The Imps continue their impressive form and rip the soul out of Dover? Will the Seagulls shit on Wednesday on a Friday? Come back here over the weekend to find out how the protagonists on the next stop on the Road to Wembley from Scotland got on in their preparatory league fixtures. Keep reading … 

Red Imps give Ipswich red faces and I am on my way to Lincoln later this month!

What a replay last night between Lincoln City and Ipswich Town. Very rarely has a 1-0 game been so scintillating and compelling to watch. The BBC coverage was excellent and I enjoyed the old school crowd shots capturing the romance and excitement of the FA Cup. A last minute goal is always a dramatic event and what a goal it was. With Ipswich fluffing their lines with a late free kick where they were trying to win the game, Lincoln got the ball back in their own penalty area and hero Nathan Arnold sprinted forward like a greyhound from the edge of his own box. He was fed a slide rule pass running at full tilt as he sped into the Ipswich half. Springing the offside trap he found himself one on one with the keeper. With a shimmy of his hips he sent the goalie onto his arse, coolly rounded the prostrate custodian and rolled the ball into the empty net. Cue the Gates of Delirium at Sincil Bank!

Arnold in the fast lane. Hero Nathan rounds the keeper

It had been an absorbing contest all night. Ipswich could never really get their silky passing game together because the energetic and diligent Imps players closed them down every time they had the ball. Lincoln were also quite happy to rough up their more illustrious opponents and full back Bradley Wood was particularly pleased to leave his foot in. Even cultured Ipswich Scots international centre back, Christophe Berra, looked uncomfortable on the ball. Up front Lincoln City had a front two that would give any team problems. The overweight and double chinned Matt Rhead was as strong as an ox and bullied defenders. Rhead has a surprisingly delicate touch for a big man.

Matt Rhead: Looks like a Sunday League player - plays like a Premier League player

Rhead’s partner was the on-form Robinson who seemed to enjoy a telepathic understanding with Rhead. Lincoln City may have scored very late on but they fully deserved their victory. They were the better team all night.

A Red Imps letter day! Lincoln City players celebrate a famous victory

This result means that the 13^th stop on the Road to Wembley from Scotland will be in Lincoln. When living in Boston Lincolnshire from 1991-2008 I went to many games at Sincil Bank and it will be great to return there as part of this project. Brighton and Hove Albion will visit Lincoln on Saturday 28^th January and I will be in attendance. It may also be another day out for some of my many friends in Boston to join me on ‘The Road’.

Sincil Bank: Next stop on the Road to Wembley from Scotland

The Red Imps may be playing their football in the Vanarama National League but it is clear from last night that their standard of play is way above that level. They will certainly be promoted back to the Sky Bet League at the end of this season. The Seagulls from Brighton should be wary of this fixture. The Imps have already bedevilled Ipswich and will now be looking for a Championship double.

I am looking forward already to the 4^th round FA Cup tie later this month. Firstly, I must find out what the links are between Lincoln City and Bonny Scotland. Have Lincoln City got a rich Scots heritage? Have the Scots had a significant influence on the development of Lincoln City as a club? All will be revealed when you return here. Keep reading