[FM23] Lincolnshire FC - Flying the flag for Lincolnshire from Step 8 to Premier League

[theBlackPrince]

[FM23] Lincolnshire FC - Flying the flag for Lincolnshire from Step 8 to Premier League

When you think of football and Lincolnshire you will probably know, there are no Premier League Titles or trophies won in Europe. Lincoln City are currently in League One after a spell in the Vanarama Nation League from 2011 - 2017. They now seem to be stable as the top team in the county, followed by Grimsby Town in League Two, Scunthorpe United in the Vanarama National League and Boston United in Vanarama National League North. Not exactly all pushing on towards top flight football. And then we move to footballers, the current top player born in Lincolnshire (Grantham) is Leeds United Striker, Patrick Bamford. 

So.... taking a team with only Lincolnshire born players or those who went through a Lincolnshire Academy first shouldn't be a problem? Can it be completed or will there not be enough players without raising the profile of at least another Lincolnshire based club?

Up The Yellowbellies!!!

The aim for the save is to take the team from level 8 to the Premier League, playing as realistically as possible and sticking to the rules.

• All players must be born in Lincolnshire or their first club was a Lincolnshire based club.
  • All players born in Lincolnshire will have a (L) as their name.
  • All players who went to an academy in Lincolnshire will have the team abbreviation in brackets (LC), (GT), (SU), (BU).
• All Staff must be born in Lincolnshire. If there is no-one for that role, we go without.
• We will start at Step 8, 2 promotions to the Vanarama Nation League North. This starting point is the Northern Premier League Division One East.
• The team was created and all players were released to build the squad from the ground up.

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by theBlackPrince

[theBlackPrince]

Step 1- Hire the Assistant Manager - Stuart Ruddington

Luckily there was some choice of staff which meant we could get an offer on the table on day 1. A few wanted wages too high for me so we ended up with 44 year old Stuart Reddington from Lincoln. He was once on the books at Chelsea after starting at Lincoln United before making 54 appearances for Mansfield Town. After this it was down to Lincolnshire non-league clubs to finish his career. At £55 per week for the season, it will give us ample time to see if he is the right man for the job long term.

Edited February 12, 2023 by theBlackPrince

[theBlackPrince]

Step 2 - Assemble the Team

It would be a difficult task putting the team together but for the first game of the season, we have 22 players with 5 of them coming in on loan, mostly from Grimsby Boro. Setting out a strict wage control from the start put many players out of reach but with financial stability required, going into large debt in the first few season's is not where we want to be. The top player signed so far looks to be DC Oliver Kemp (SU) who was released by Scunthorpe United. After some time away, he is back to prove them wrong. 

With the final loan signing of (DL) Max Baker from Grimsby Boro, we now have cover at every position as games do come thick and fast, especially if we have any cup runs. We will be continuing to reach out to players who may not be interested yet or demanding over £250 per week, which is just too much at this level. We have room for a 25 man squad so that is where we will aim to get to.

2022/23 - Lincolnshire FC Squad

We have Boston born Jake Frestle (L) as the #1 on the season. At just 19 years old, he was released by Boston United and bounced around a few teams. He has loan signing Liam Highton (L) for squad depth and brining in on loan takes away any wages we would be spending so makes good business sense.

The center of defense looks to be set as James Blunden (LU) and Oliver Kemp (SU) look to be two of the best players at the team. Sisa Tuntulwana (L) looks to be a star in the making on the right side but competition on the left is there to find the starter. Jack Barlow (L) looks to be the best midfielder in the team but competition will be there for all places as everyone is of a similar quality. 

We really struggled for strikers and it was looking a position of worry for most of the pre-season, but we managed to sign a pair of 30+ journeymen in Ryan Oliver (L) and Marc Cooper (L), who has scored goals at the level below this. We will see if they have the ability to bag the goals or do we need to keep out on the hunt for other options?

Edited February 12, 2023 by theBlackPrince

[theBlackPrince]

August Review -2022/23

A flying start to the League season and the board granted an improvement to the clubs Youth Facilities. I'll be honest, I meant to do Youth Recruitment and did not expect the club to say yes when pressed on the matter! Nevermind, we need to increase these and the training facilities (which some players wanted and probably should have been done first). On the field we managed to stay unbeaten in all the cup games including an impressive victory away in Kent against Chatham FC with 2,000 fans in attendance in the FA Cup Preliminary Round!

Currently in the top few spots in the League, a 90th minute goal from Cleethorpes in the Lincolnshire Derby cost the victory which would have put Lincolnshire FC on top of the table. A red card in the match by Brandon Buckley (L) and playing a weakened team with an FA Cup First Qualifying Round Game coming up at the weekend didn't help the cause. Overall, a spectacular start to the season and a board that may back the manager to make the upgrades needed to the club, when the money is there!

[theBlackPrince]

September Review - 2022/23

Well it seemed a long month with more cup games then league games, but the cup games bring money from increased attendances and match day sales. Despite the few League fixtures we remain at the top of the table and have a couple games in hand as there are only two unbeaten teams left, Worksop Town and us! 

An absolutely bumper month with £71,430 income (£29k gate receipts, £30k match day income) against only £24,964 expenditure, thanks in part to the low wages and no match day bonuses so far. The FA Cup qualifying rounds would see 1,722 fans witness the 6-3 win over Harefield United (Hilllingdon) before 1,843 saw Welwyn Garden City at the Yellowbelly Stadium for a 3-1 Victory. 

This sets up a mouthwatering away at Warrington Rylands in the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round. A third successive home game was too much to ask for but we avoided the larger teams from the Vanarama National League North/South which was a huge bonus. Can the run continue or will the long travel in a few days time be too much? We would also lose the other two cup games we played in, including a heartbreaker to Tilbury who we battered but they scored 2 from 3 shots to win.

On the transfer front we made 2 additions, and boy, one was good one. Lewis Norvock (L) initially wanted around £300 per week and he has still got more than anyone on the team, but he has graded out as the start player so was worth the 1 year deal with us having the option to extend. If he can improve over the next few years he may be able to still factor for us if we get to the Vanarama North. Oliver Ryan (L) may still have some sub appearances in him, but the journeyman striker is set to take on the scout role for us which we had not been able to fill with a Lincolshire born staff member up to now.

[theBlackPrince]

October Review - 2022/23

7 games in the League, 7 Away Games!! Talk about a tough slog away from the Yellowbelly Stadium. 3 Wins, 1 Draw and 3 Losses to give 10 points from 21 which is probably a few behind where we would like to be, but we end the month in 2nd place still and 2 points behind Brighouse Town. The fixture list looks much kinder in November and 3 from 4 league games are at home!

We would lose our on loan keeper due to lack of matches, which was fair. We did sign Luke Baxter (L) on £20 a week just to make sure we have a spare keeper on the roster, he wont be challenging Jake Frestle (L) for the #1 Jersey but injuries/illness can happen.

The FA Cup Third Qualifying Round game saw Lincolnshire FC take the 165 mile trip across country to Warrington and would come away with the victory and the performance of the season from Jake Bayram (L) who would score all 5 of the goals (3 penalties) to take the 5-1 victory. He had a perfect game with a 10.0 player rating and 5 goals may never be beaten. The draw for the 4th Qualifying Round was huge, with the chance to qualify for the Main Draw on the first attempt. The 3rd ball out was Lincolnshire FC, a home game at least!! The next ball out, Thame United! Wow, wow, wow!! A game against a team at the same level and at home, this was perfect!

It would be a great game with both teams having spell's on top. It would be Callum Robinson (L), the Skegness born player with both goals, including a stunning 30 yard effort to put Lincolnshire FC up 2-0. Thame United would score in the 89th minute to set up a nervous last 5 minutes. But the 1,690 fans (1 away) erupted when the final whistle rang out, into the FA Cup draw proper for the First round. League One teams get added at this point but for now, just bring in the hat for the next round is more than ever imaged.

And the draw came out, and the Lincolnshire FC players and fans were made to wait until the last 2 teams in the round. It would be Dulwich Hamlet of the Vanarama Nation League South in the next round but would it be home or away. It would be another game at the Yellowbelly Stadium and the the club attendance record is probably going to be smashed in this game.

[theBlackPrince]

November 2022/23 Review 

The magical FA Cup run continued into a replay at Dulwich Hamlet after a late Max Baker (L) goal shocked the Vanarama National South team. They had taken a 0-2 lead by the 11th minute but Lincolnshire FC would fight back to stay in the game, 2-3 down at the half. The 2,525 fans, a new record were delighted with the equaliser and the chance to move to the second round. The away leg was totally different with Lincolnshire FC taking the early lead and would be 2-0 all the way up until the 79th minute when Dulwich Hamlet scored. They would gain a penalty in the 92nd minute and crushed the travelling fans, extra time the cards. The Yellowbellies would keep up the pressure and a superb Haydn Havard (L) shot from outsie the box helped restore the lead. The game was put to bed with a Jake Bayram (L) penalty with just 3 minutes to go. What a performance over the 2 games and a welcome £41,000 prize money to go along with the record gate money in the home tie.

The FA Cup second round would see League One Fleetwood Town come to the Yellowbelly Stadium. Despite a strong effort in front of a near capacity 3,683 which brought in another £40,810 in gate money, the League One team were jus two strong and ran out comfortable 0-2 winners. Not a bad result all things considering and the mammoth cup run certainly will set the club up for a while to upgrade facilities. We managed to get the much needed training facilities upgraded, which was a must for 8 of the players I had promised that to. The increase in Academy Coaching is a welcome boost, but no increase to Youth Recruitment unfortunately. 

 

Outside the FA Cup run, the league was 2 wins, 1 draw and a loss to Grimsby Boro, which moved them out of the bottom 3. Sticking to that 2nd spot in the table, Brighouse Town sit just 2 points ahead with 6 teams all on 30 or more points, keeping the top 5 places up for grabs at the half way stage of the season. With the cup games now done, can really focus on putting out the strongest 11 each week, not resting too many and challenging for Promotion this season.

[theBlackPrince]

December & January 2022/23 Review

After 3 straight defeats and facing top of the League Brighouse Town, a change in tactics was required from 4-4-2 to a 4-3-2W-1 to try and win the battle in the middle of the pitch. This limited their possession and attempts on goal to just 5 for the game and he Yellowbellies managed to get the only goal of the game from the spot from Jake Bayram (L) much needed 1-0 win. The team needed a few new faces in as it was becoming apparent that the squad was still behind where it needed to be. We managed to secure a few loan signings to hopefully give us the push to finish in the play-offs this season! Semir Karic (CU) is a player we would like to sign on a long term deal and Lynton Karkach (L) was someone we missed out on earlier on in the season. We will see if the additional firepower was needed.

After some record profit months, with few games we see a decrease each month of around £10,000 despite our frugal-ness. We should still be well in profit at the end of the season. In the League we cannot shake those below and cannot gain on those above, in that limbo last play-off spot. Ryan Oliver (L) has saved the month with 6 goals in 3 games for January and right now, who knows if we will stay in the hunt to go up!

[theBlackPrince]

February & March 2022/23 Update

2 steps forward, 1 step back and then a 0-4 defeat at home to local rivals Lincoln United to end the month. We were scoring for fun at the start of the season and now we struggle to score a goal a game. But with 4 games to go we have a 3 point lead on Tadcaster Albion who are currently in 6th and just outside the play-off spots. 12 points from 24 available in the 2 months and if we get 6 from the last 12 available, we should be in the hunt for the play-offs. Outside of that, been a frustrating time and little going on in the transfer market looking ahead. We are starting to offer contracts out for some players for next season but most we can leave until nearer the end of the year. The first youth intake has happened and will update separately. 

4 games to go, automatic promotion is off the cards (mathematically possible, but highly unlikely) so play-offs is all to play for!

[theBlackPrince]

2022/23 Youth Intake

Well, it could be a golden generation but the scouting at the club is not the best. We signed everyone to at least their youth deal so we can evaluate them over the next 12-18 months to see who may sign for us in the long term. As expected, 11 from the 16 are from Skegness but we do have 5 players with other nationalities amongst the intake. If any of the players look to break into the first team next year we will look at them in more detail!

[theBlackPrince]

Season 1 - End of Season Review

League Position - 2nd - (Knocked out Semi-Final Playoffs)

Well, we choked at the time it mattered and had 2 chances to win automatic promotion and then a 2nd seed for the play-offs but we would lose 2 games and draw another to see the season end early. It would still be a season of massive overachieving with a 20th place prediction at the start of the season so we have to take a great FA Cup run, improvement in facilities and money still in the bank. We will be able to get our under 18's up and running next year along with more players to bring along for our under 21's. Overall, so close but so far!

Jake Bayram (L) would not only lead the higher ratings and assists, but would come good with 20 goals from the spot or free-kicks. He would take home the fans player of the season also! Goalkeeper Jake Frestle (L) would play the most games as he had little competition at the spots and Ryan Oliver (L) lead all with 21 goals for the season.

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by theBlackPrince

[phnompenhandy]

I love a super-local lower league campaign.  Is Yellowbelly a real ground?

[theBlackPrince]

5 hours ago, phnompenhandy said:

I love a super-local lower league campaign.  Is Yellowbelly a real ground?

Unfortunately it is not. It's just the nickname for Lincolnshire people and there is a beer named after it (Yella belly, I guess to avoid naming rights)

 

[theBlackPrince]

2022/23 Player Overview

I found a little more time to look over the players from last season. Nothing too out of the ordinary and shows the large rotation of players to really only have Jake Bayram (L) (excluding the keeper) play a large percentage of the minutes available. Looking at the below it does show I have a glut of players who are "Surplus to Requirements" and will need replacing for the new season, which I knew already. Ryan Oliver (L) at +4.95 xG was surprising and looks to be one who will stay on despite is advancing years.

[theBlackPrince]

Season 2 Preview - Lincolnshire FC 2023/24 - Northern Premier League Division One East

Had some more time to set up the excel spreadsheets so hopefully season 2 will look a little more complete! We left last season with many of the squad needing to be replaced and we managed to bring in 12 players in to bolster the ranks. 10 of these are on a full time deal with 2 loan signings, both from Scunthorpe United. We are very excited by some of the prospects who were released from their clubs at the end of the season. Martin Lathbury was the first we had seen and snapped him up before adding a second from Boston United in left back Dale Botterill. At just 17 many of these are on the cusp of the first team so will be given expose to the first team to see if they can cement a place.

That gives us a 23 man squad for the season with a few players in the under 21's who we cannot sell on at this point, but I cannot see them moving back to the first team. Lewis Norvock (L) is still the star man in the team and we have a genuine competition for the #1 jersey in goal. We may still only be projected to finish 17th but with 11 players on a potential 5th star for future ability, the future is looking bright. Is this season too soon or can the young squad push forward and defy their years?

[theBlackPrince]

Season 2 - July to August 23/24 Update

Well, the season started with a bang scoring 5 goals in 3 of the 6 games so far including a huge 5-1 win over local rivals Grantham Town. Unbeaten in the Cup's also with the hopes of another magic run to get the gate money so we can look to improve the training set up once more. We find ourselves at the top on goal difference but last season we started strong also, so not taking anything for granted so far. Up 29 season tickets on last season but that hasn't seen an increase on the day yet...

[phnompenhandy]

Very clearly presented graphs and tables - you're putting a lot of work into this! 

[theBlackPrince]

Season 2 - September & October 23/24 Review

As per season 1, these two months were CRAZY with fixtures every midweek and that currently has us 2 or 3 games behind everyone else. The good, we are still undefeated in the League but have drawn 6 games out of the 11 played. If we can keep winning at home and picking up these points on the road, we should stay in the top 4 or 5 teams once we catch up. The fixture list did catch up with us as we would go out of two cups, The Isuzu FA Trophy and the FA Cup at the Fourth Qualifying Round to local rivals Gainsborough Trinity. We still managed to make the most of that with several large crowds. We still have the Integro League Cup as we head into the Third Round with an away game against Liversedge.

Promising young striker Charlie Burden-Whittleton (L) has now bagged 7 goals in 6 (2) appearances and seems to be stepping up to play at this level. He has formed a great partnership with the veteran Ryan Oliver (L) and look to be the starting partnership.  All the young prospects have seen playing time with the heavy fixture list of the past two months. Dale Botterill (L) was looking promising with 2 assists in 4 games from left back until injury set him back several weeks.

[theBlackPrince]

Season 2- November & December 23/24 Review

We managed to get another upgrade passed the board but everything else was flat out rejected, I think we are at the limits until promotion happens, if it happens! We managed to grab 3 more signings to help us strengthen the squad for the rest of the season. Still a struggle to attract big names or better standard players to the Yellowbelly Stadium!

We are in our 6th month of making a profit in a row, which is a great situation to be in, keeping the club sustainable for the longer term. December was a pretty much perfect month in the league with 15 points from 15 and up to the top of the table. I wonder if out post Christmas slump will come sooner or later....

[theBlackPrince]

Season 2- January and February 2024 Update

The post-Christmas blues is real with 4 losses in the next 5 league games. This saw us fall outside of the play-off spots into 6th place and nothing was working on the pitch. We once again struggled to put the ball in the next enough. Just a majorly frustrating time when even an ultra-defensive formation lets goals in for fun. Then we had a stroke of luck when Keeper Patrick Boyes (GT) was without a club after a loan spell at Gainsborough Trinity. A massive upgrade on our current keepers and probably the best player at the club by a large margin, we beat a couple of clubs to his signature by offering a decent non-contract wage and the huge (for us who pay no bonuses) £350 bonus per clean sheet. 2 games, 2 clean sheets and 2 victories and back into the play-off spots and a current rating of 7.45, Boyes is certainly earning his money! 

This may just be our season saver!

5 points from the top spot, 3 points ahead of 6th place with 9 games to go. 4 at home and 5 away. Attendances are way up from the start of the season and similar to last year which is a positive and will hopefully continue to increase as we head into the final few games. Time to see if our new keeper can bring home a promotion!

[theBlackPrince]

Season 2 - Youth Intake Class of 2024

I really don't feel that the potential ability stars mean that much current as most of my players will never see anything more than Lincolnshire FC as their career highlight. Add the pretty poor scouting knowledge and ability at the club and basically, a lot of words to say I've signed everyone again so we can start to fill out our u18 and u21 teams! I have highlighted Matthew Holmes 24 player profile as he looks to be the best of the bunch and plays that AML spot that I don't have much cover for. He will probably be the first Lincolnshire Youth Academy Graduate to make a senior appearance and will get some game time this year.

72% of our 32 academy players to date are from Skegness, we have not branched out towards Louth, Boston or Grimsby just yet. We have a Canadian on our books now who's family moved around a lot due to military commitments and found themselves based near Lincoln at RAF Waddington. With schooling and football soccer high up on Steve Whitehead's list, his family have stayed on in Lincolnshire.

Will any more of the 2024 class (or the 2023 class also) rise into the ranks of the under 21's or first team? Right now, we still seem a couple of years away.

[theBlackPrince]

Season 2 - March & April 2024 Review

You know how last season we choked the change for promotion away with a terrible run of games after Christmas and then to end the year with several poor games, well it looked like history was going to repeat itself. 6 games without a win flashing up in the papers, 4 points from 24 but somehow everyone else was also dropping points and we were still in the hunt and likely to qualify for the play-offs with a 3 point lead and +5 goal difference from Liversedge below us. We played a fully rotated squad in the final league game and look what they did, thrashed Emley AFC who survived the drop by 1 point. What a break for both of us!

We would meet Stockton Town in a one leg takes all at their ground and the fully rested squad finally decided to show up, on loan signing Coden Gourlay (L) with a terrific strike on the 6th minute was followed up by a towering header from Charlie Burden-Whittleton (L) to score his 18th of the season. We controlled the game but they ended up scoring a tame goal, keeper Patrick Boyes (GT) misses out on his clean sheet bonus as his mistake lead to the goal on the 57th minute. The game was finally put to bed in the 77th minute as Charlie Burden-Whittleton (L) was clinical from short range. How we would love for him to score his 20th in the final! Most surprisingly, both the higher ranked teams went out so we would get a home tie for the final, advantage us!

[phnompenhandy]

Aarghh, you got me on tenterhooks now. Up you Yellowbellies!

[theBlackPrince]

Northern Premier League Division One East - Promotion Playoff Final 2024

They don't like to give you long off before the final Tuesday evening Semi-Final to the Final on Saturday. We did not get the chance to rest any players but I guess Whitley Bay didn't also as they beat top seed Sunderland RCA 4-1, after losing to them 1-2 just a few days before. Hugo Walklate would score 3 goals and might be the best player in the league and looks a handful as he is on loan from Vanarama North's South Shields. Sometimes you need a little luck in life and football, he picked up a yellow card also in that game and will be suspended for the final! We wont celebrate too soon as Tinashe Chakwana has scored 30 in 38 league games, they had combined for 53 goals. We would have one of our best central defenders out suspended in Oliver Kemp (SU).

The two games this year were shared with both teams winning their home game, having this at the Yellowbelly Stadium really looks to be a key factor if we can pack the stands and make it a loud environment. Whatever happens from here, staying here or moving up, it has been another season of exceeding expectations.

But I really, really want to go up!

We eased expectations in the Team Meeting which went down well, it is a young team and high expectations could lead to a nervous performance. We needed everyone to play like it was just another game, not one which ultimately decided the next few seasons of Yellowbelly football.

4-2-3-1 vs 4-4-2 on the day, biggest worry on the day is the pace of Tinashe Chakwana so we have drafted Ellis Humble (L) into partner Lewis Norvock (L) as he has the pace (hopefully) to limit the easier scoring chances. We have also dropped the line back to hopefully avoid the ball over the top to run on to. Josh Robertson (SU) is the man pulling the strings in the middle with striker Charlie Burden-Whittleton (L) looking for his 20th goal for the season in the League.

[theBlackPrince]

18 minutes ago, phnompenhandy said:

Aarghh, you got me on tenterhooks now. Up you Yellowbellies!

You and me both! Lets get this game done!!

[theBlackPrince]

Northern Premier League Division One East - Promotion Playoff Final 2024 Match Report

1st Half -

Early game, Lincolnshire FC the brightest and putting shots on goal, just not on target. One quick break-away from Tinashe Chakwana had us in all sorts of problems at the back, it will be a long day defensively as he will get his chance to score at least 1 today. 

15th Minute- GOAL Lincolnshire FC - Sisa Tuntulwana (GT) found Jake Bayram (L) alone on the left, 6 yards out at the edge of the box. Unchallenged to the 6 yard box to fire home in the far corner and that sends the 1,661 fans (pretty low I feel for what it is) into the dream-land of what could be promotion.

Not much else to report up to the 30th minute, routine football with little end product, one save for Patrick Boyes (GT) which was tipped over the bar. 9 shots from both teams, only 2 efforts on target to date. Chance in the 40th minutes as Lewis Norvock (L) header from the corner goes just wide. 45+1 minute, Martin Lathbury (L) runs down the right, crosses to Coden Gourlay (L) who is taken out in the box. No penalty is the call, that looked like it could have gone either way. Lewis Butroid (L) charges into the box and just with the keeper to beat blasts it wide to end the half. The second goal there would have made the half time talk much easier.

Half Time - Lincolnshire FC 1 - Whitley Bay 0

Key Stats - Possession - Lincolnshire 58% / Whitley Bay 42%

Shots - Lincolnshire 7-1 / Whitley Bay 6-2

Passes - Lincolnshire 170/234 (73%) / Whitley Bay 108/172 (67%)

2nd Half -

53rd minute, first real chance as Josh Robertson (SU) is allowed to drive into the box but his shot is tame and easily saved. Not much at all from Whitley Bay at the minute, they have not been able to really play to their strengths and most long balls has been successfully dealt with from the back 4.

60th Minute - GOAL Disallowed Lincolnshire FC - Jake Bayram (L) swung in the free kick from the left hand side, Josh Robertson (SU) was the furthest back and powered his header past the keeper. But the ref has blown for a free kick, disallowed. He was judged to be a little too physical. 

64th minute - GOAL Whitley Bay - No prizes for guessing who and how. Just a ball straight from the keeper to Tinashe Chakwana and he powered passed the defence and scored easily.

Chance, 77th minute and with his 20th goal there for the taking Charlie Burden-Whittleton (L) hits the ball straight at the keeper and misses a glorious chance from short range. Another chance from a effort from outside the box by Josh Robertson (SU) just goes wide. It's all Lincolnshire at the minute, but Whitley Bay are always dangerous on the counter. As the game clock rolls on, Lincolnshire have had the most shots but this game looks set for extra-time.

92nd Minute - GOAL Lincolnshire FC - Charlie Burden-Whittleton (L) makes up for his miss earlier and looks to have won Promotion for Lincolnshire FC. And it was a goal from nothing as Lewis Norvock (L) cleared the lines with a header. Winger Martin Lathbury (L) picked the ball up at the centre spot, 10 yards before playing a perfect ball to split the central defenders and no mistakes this time from Charlie Burden-Whittleton (L), sending the keeper the wrong way and drilling it into the bottom hand corner. Was this the goal that wins promotion? 

Yes, yes it was! A surprised promotion truth be told but we will take it!

We are going up, but how many of the players can play at the next level and how many can we start to attract to us that were previously out of reach?? But for now, crack open the beers!

 

[phnompenhandy]

You made it! Congratulations - I'll pour myself a cup of tea

[theBlackPrince]

1 hour ago, phnompenhandy said:

You made it! Congratulations - I'll pour myself a cup of tea

Tea for the Win!!

I am surprised, the way we couldn't win a game for a while. I think the stroke of luck of their star striker being suspended probably was the difference, but I'll take it!

[theBlackPrince]

Season 2 - End of Season Review

League Position - 4th - (Promoted via Playoffs)

Anytime you get a promotion its a celebration but we certainly had moments where it looked unlikely. Resting players for the final league game was probably a masterclass in getting through the play-off semi-final on the road. We were fresh, they hadn't rested players and it showed with a 3 day turn around. The final went our way with a dramatic 92nd winner when it looked like we would need extra-time/penalties to split the two teams. Our gamble on a non contract but higher bonus keeper in Patrick Boyes (GT) looked to have paid off as he was the signing of the season and sold the most shirts (92 total shirt sales, £294 of £2,940 from abroad, maybe to Cambodia?). Fans player of the season was Lynton Karkach (L) with Jake Bayram (L) winning the fans young player of the season. Jake Bayram (L) is the only player in the Lincolnshire FC all time top appearances, goals and assists.

We finish the year in a healthier position than the previous year, but we could not get any more upgrades signed off. Now we have moved up a league with the promotion, we will aim to get the training facilities upgraded once more. We had to increase the scouting range also for the last few months of the season in prep for the new season which increased the players we could see from Lincolnshire from 150ish to 300ish!

2023/24 Player Stats

I may start to look at these in a little more depth once we have a more stable team and climbed up the levels. Charlie Burden-Whittleton (L) and his 20 goals as an 18 year old was mighty impressive, especially when that was nearly +4 on xG. Martin Lathbury (L) was another 18 year old put into the starting 11 and despite only playing 1,823 minutes, ended with 7 assists, 2nd best on the team. Our first youth academy players to make a 1st team appearance was Matthew Holmes 24 and whilst not much to write home about, it is still a first for the club.

For many of the players, this will be the last time putting on the famous Yellow Jersey as we look ahead to a new season in a new league!

[phnompenhandy]

Ha ha, well done. We make the shirts here in Cambodia. There's always a few salvaged from the back of a lorry - no need to pay over $5 for a football shirt.

[theBlackPrince]

Season 3 - Transfers and Squad Overview 2024/25

I'm not going to lie, I thought with us moving up a level and now just 1 more away from the Vanarama National League North/South, I thought we would attract more players. Well we could have a great squad from what the scouts have seen, but they don't fall into the Lincolnshire Player Profile for recruitment. We have been left with signing promising young players who have been released from the various Lincolnshire clubs. This is only a problem if we cannot get the points needed to survive as 4 teams get relegated in this league. The future is the brightest it has been but we are a little light in a few area's and a little younger than I had hoped for at this stage. With no player over 21 wanting to come to us, it's the kids we trust to battle on this season.

Goalkeeper Patrick Boyes (GT) continues to be the best player in the team and it looks like we may have found a gem in Myles Piercewright (L) as a second striker. Released from Boston United he has moved straight into the team here and could be one to watch for the future. Matthew Holmes 24 is still the only academy player to make it to the first team and we will be looking to give him good playing time this season to aid development.

Playing Positions

We finally have some data analysis in the team, if only a little basic at this point it will help to see the best players at the current formation to aid in squad development and picking the team. If we change formation we will look to update this accordingly. No real surprises in this so far but t did help us to move the DM position from the left to right side as that was where Jake Bayram (L) was graded out several percentage higher. We look to have many players of a similar ability so swapping those around on a heavy workload does not see a huge drop off at any position, apart from GK, which we have no cover for at the minute.

[theBlackPrince]

Lincolnshire FC - 2024/25 Staff Team

Haven't really been mentioned before but as the team grows, we need the staff (and facilities) to also so everyone can improve. We have been extremely active in pushing for more coaching qualification and to have a complete Under 18's staff of 4 coaches, up from the initial 2 allowed. With the Lincolnshire only allowed for Staff Members pretty happy so far, but wages are rising to a £150 per week normal now so this will soon get much more expensive which needs to be balanced by increased attendances.

[theBlackPrince]

Season 3 - July and August 2024 Update

I'll be totally honest, I did not expect us to be in the top 10 after the first 5 games and be undefeated. Going down 0-2 to league leaders Leek Town and to rescue a late draw with 2 goals in the last 10 minutes was a joy to behold and showed the true fighting spirit of the team. The opening day win against Warrington Town was a huge confidence booster and this has carried on to the following games But, let's not get too far ahead. We always have good spells and bad spells and the only aim for this season is to not be in the bottom 4. But so far, a great start but the attendances dropping for the games is worrying when it should be increasing.

• 46 points was needed to be safe in 2022/23
• 41 points was needed to be safe in 2023/24
• Target points for safety - 50
• Current points after 5 games - 9 points - 18% points needed

[theBlackPrince]

Season 3 - October and November 2024 Update

We seem to be holding our own in this division with the young guns and find ourselves with most of the table below us. The initial worries of staying up are definitely long gone and whilst thoughts of Promotion are not in my mind, I'll be happy to get past that 50 point marker so we know we can build for challenging the title over the next few years. We are currently the leagues top goal scorers which is great fun for us and out fans with a season high 727 coming to see FC United in the last home game. They were treated to a master-class of football and a huge 3-0 win. Let's hope we can keep those extra 200 supporters coming to the matches,

We managed to get another youth recruitment request in after some "gentle" nudging but that was it, no movement on training improvements or junior coaching. We will take it, we can't really train players quickly currently so let's try and bring better quality in, or that is the plan! Finances are stable as we didn't get a long cup run this year so if we can end the season over £200,000 that would be pleasing.

Edited February 16, 2023 by theBlackPrince

[theBlackPrince]

Season 3 - November to January 2025 Review

Well, only having one keeper really did hurt us when Patrick Boyes (GT) decided to up and leave for less money and no massive clean sheet bonus. He wouldn't even entertain a new contract as we had been unable to upgrade our training facilities. We went out and managed to secure a couple of keepers, one on loan and on permanently to cover the gap but they are not at the same level. We do however continue to stay in the top 10 in the table which is way above all expectations and anything in the top half will be a bonus come the end of season. 

We are winning the majority of our home games which is pleasing, and is the formula for success over the next few seasons once we can get some success on our travels. Much, much more to come on player stats after reading some other posts on the forum and changing up the skin. I have grown fond of the team and couldn't start again so more updates to follow. 

Edited February 17, 2023 by theBlackPrince

[theBlackPrince]

Lincolnshire FC - Season 3 - Lets look at the Stats

After reading this and several other topics about attribute less playing, tactical analysis/scouting and then downloading the fantastic Hodr skin (hides all attributes), going to move to look more into the "stats rather than stars" which has always been the way I've played. It's been really refreshing not looking for a reason to play someone just because they have more stars and will now be looking into the playing stats more carefully. I will still be following the Lincolnshire only players/staff which does hinder bringing in players.

The 4 - 1DM - 1 - 2W - 2 Formation

I will post up the tactic later on as it's still receiving tweets most weeks to try and find what works best home and away. Home we are close, away isn't that close yet. There is still time and the squad is weaker than most with no players close to the ability of those top players in the league. I have left the keepers out from the below as well, they have only played a handful of games at this point.

Wingbacks

We play attacking wingbacks with the DM role covering when they go forward. They have contributed 9 assists from 50 with Sisa Tuntulwana having nearly half of those. He has less competition on the right but is contributing greatly to both attacking and defensive roles. He has a 21+ high intensity spring per game and a team high 8+ interceptions per 90 minutes. On the left the situation looks a little more complicated with Lewis Butroid the higher "star" player but Dale Botterill is my one to look out for the future. His stats are not far behind Butroid and is creating more changes. 

• Tactical Tweak - Attacking WB on the right, set LB on left to support as not much offered attacking on left, may help us defensively.

Central Defenders

Lewis Norvock leads the team in Pass Attempts and headers won, both his goals are from headers. The battle to back him up looks wide open from the other three players with them all in rotation for playing time. Harry Elliott-Bell looks like he is settling in and is the player giving away the least fouls per appearance but Jamie Bramwell may just have the edge as the second starter currently. 

Tactical Tweak - Nothing currently, Norvock pass completion is only 68% which may be why he makes so many passes, remove him from ball playing defender is an option.

Central Midfielders

We are a little light in this department but we have a few players who can cover when needed. Jake Bayram leads the team in appearances over the past 3 season's and continues to play a large numbers of games. His interception rate for a defensive midfielder is not as impressive as I would hoped, but he does win more tackles then most. Aaron Braithwaite seems to have taken his playmaker role to heart as he leads the team on open play key passes and expected assists. He currently accounts for 8 of the 50 assists. Oliver Kemp plays all 3 spots from DC to MC so is a vital part of the team.

Tactical Tweak - We see very few goals from these positions, and the shots on target percentage is low. May look to restrict these positions from shooting as Bayram mainly scores from free kicks/penalties.

Attacking Wingers

We have competition for both slots and everyone has had a fair chance to start and get game time by now. Youth Prospect Matthew Holmes has performed above expectations and seems to be holding his own on the left, chipping in with both goals and assists. I am more than happy for him to continue to start on the left long term. On the right we seem to be struggling for both of those but Matthew Lathbury leads the team in tackles won and dribbles, a positive sign despite lower assists. Akheem Peterkin came in on loan with high expectations but is currently no better than what we have, stats wise.

Tactical Tweak - We may look to keep the AML to attacking and reduce AMR to support/defensive or bring the role back to MR as the defensive duties seems higher on the right, which makes sense if Sisa Tuntulwana is charging forward more often.

Strikers

This is a fun one to look at with 50 goals between them and Miles Piercewright has 26 of those with and xG of only 17. He has been on fine form and his shot on target ratio is over the 50%. The main two strikers were performing that well, 2 other forwards went out on loan to make sure we could play our best two for as many games as possible. We should see two players over the 20+ goal limit and maybe even into the 30's at this rate,

Tactical Tweak - Not sure much needs to change currently. Both are scoring goals at a high rate currently.

[phnompenhandy]

I'll be interested to see how you find playing FM in a new way.  I've undergone the same journey this iteration. 

[theBlackPrince]

On 18/02/2023 at 05:57, phnompenhandy said:

I'll be interested to see how you find playing FM in a new way.  I've undergone the same journey this iteration. 

The main squad is absolutely fine, but trying to make sense of the youth players and new intakes is a challenge at the minute!

[theBlackPrince]

Season 3 - 2025 Youth Intake

A rather different intake in terms of less "Elite" talent, so maybe we are catching up to the level that we are and of our youth recruitment. And also, not seeing the star rankings for the first time is, interesting. Not much else to show you yet as they guys will sit in the under 18's for a while to see if any develop! One to watch is 194cm Keeper Aleix Monteagudo, a man mountain in goal once he fills out his frame!

[theBlackPrince]

End of Season 3 Review - 2024/25

Northern Premier League Premier Division Final Position - 13th 

We would really struggle in the last 3 months of the league which saw us only gain 3 wins from the final 13 games and slump to mid-table. We would have taken that at the start of the season but we will need to look at our squad and tactics for the new year. We could score plenty, but we could also concede goals just as easily. We will be saying bye to a few key Lincolnshire FC players who either want to move on or want wages above our level (especially when losing £50,000 last season). One of those is current appearance and assist leader Jake Bayram (L) who has played 128 games, but his wage request of over £300 per week is too much for a player who does not seem to be improving. We hae multiple players in on loan which we cannot get back so we may have to promote from within and hope players get up to speed sooner rather than later as all players we have spoken to about joining want crazy money (£600 per week and upwards).

We have slowly managed to increase our youth recruitment but all other area's is not happening with the board. It looks like we need another strong FA Cup run to help increase the finances once more as we are right back to opening balance 2 years ago.

Squad Stats

We struck gold with Charlie Burden-Whittledon (L) and Myles Piercewright (L) scoring both over 30 goals and 65 on the season. Behind that, was very little indeed and it would Myles Piercewright (L) who came away with the fans player of the year award.  Aaron Braithwaite would pick up a season high 12 assists with no other playing getting close to 10. Sisa Tuntulwana (GT) looks like he has cemeted his place in the starting 11 as he played the second most minutes, starting all the games he played in. Our first youth academy player to make the first squad is Matthew Holmes 24, he would see action in 42 games and chip in with 5 goals and 7 assists. The only other who would play, an emergency game was keeper Harri Jenkins 23.

Edited February 19, 2023 by theBlackPrince

[theBlackPrince]

Lincolnshire FC 2025/26 Transfers and 1st Team Squad

Season Preview - 22/22 - 300/1

This may have been the hardest pre-season I have had playing football manager and attracting players to the team. Players who are a similar standard to those we have will not come up from lower clubs and the ones that will are wanting absolute stupid wages (£800-£1000 per week) which are out of the question. We had to limit ourselves to only 5 signings, 4 of them were under 20. Lee Male was the one we took a gamble on due to his National League potential ability to give him a large wage, if we can help him to develop to that level is another story. And according to the league once again we have no choice, and the assessment of the squad looks similar. We are short on quality at this level but with plenty of potential!

Keepers - Hugo Banks (GT) looks to be the starter but we will look to bring on Aleix Monteagudo 25e on for some games to aid his development. He will be available for the under 21's for the season also. We had looked to try and find a Northern Premier League standard player but had no joy.

Defenders - Lewis Norvock (L) looks to anchor the back line one more and is one of only 2 players who are Northern Premier League Standard. Everyone else behind him is playing for a starting role and will be monitored in the first few months to see if anyone is standing out stats/performance wise. Sisa Tuntulwana (GT) is the player who performed well last season and will be looking for him to carry that on this season.

Midfielders - Another wide opening competition wit everyone on a similar footing to start the year. Aaron Braithwaite (L) is returning after 12 assists last year and will be looking to repeat once more. Matthew Holmes 24 had a great season and his development is still a key focus to see how good he could be with more playing time. Mohammed Fahes 23 is making the step up to the first team, not likely to start but will be in the match-day squad to gain experience.

Forwards - Myles Piercewright (L) is currently unhappy at the club after a £500 bid from Sheffield Wednesday was rejected. Him, his agent and the team went mental and we offered him back out with a loan back option and a sell on and nothing! Thank you very much Sheffield Wednesday. He has a 2 year deal so he won't be going anywhere but will he play well when unhappy?

Edited February 21, 2023 by theBlackPrince

[theBlackPrince]

Season 4 - Lincolnshire FC - Mid Season Update

Reducing the updates from every 2 months to a middle and end of season unless something major pops up as we look like a middle of the range team for this season and maybe even a couple more. Step 7 of the Football Pyramid is looking to be tough to escape with quality teams from top to bottom. To keep finances up we need good cup runs and have to focus on them rather than the League as we have to balance the books each season, which we are doing a great job by limiting things like salary and scouting, outside of key periods.

We started the season slow and with the cup games, found ourselves in the bottom half for the first 15 games. Although we never looked in danger, 5 points from the first 6 games was not what the doctor ordered. 3 home wins in a row settled the nerves and allowed us to focus on the cup's and bring that vital income for September and October which saw a 4th Qualifying Round exit in the FA Cup to Vanarama National League Side Rochdale. Absolutely no shame there but a great home payday with 3,063 fans which would give us around £35,000 in income. A shock 5-4 (penalty) win after an historic 0-0 draw with National League North side Scarborough Athletic in the Isuzu Trophy set's up a remarkable 9th home cup game of the season. This is a very winnable game against Plymouth Parkway who are 23rd in the Vanarama League South. Will they focus on surviving and put a weakened team out, we can hope!

Back to the league and an away win against high flying Radcliffe on the road was the only real positive from the 4 games in October (and the final game in September, losing badly to bottom of the league Blyth Spartans). November would be much more fruitful dropping just 5 points in 6 games to see a surge back up the table into 8th. A win over Lincolnshire rivals Spalding United at their place was a particular good result and now we sit just behind them as they battle for a play-off spot. Do I think we can get to the play-offs? It is possible, but I think that 9th to 14th place is out calling for the season.

Season 4 - Lincolnshire FC - Mid Season Update Other News

We had some fantastic news when star striker Myles Piercewright (L) took his name off of the transfer list and we took great delight in signing a new deal with the striker. This starts at the end of the season on a 2+1 option year. We have included a sizeable goal bonus to hopefully keep the goals flying in. Can we keep him for the 3 years, probably not, but least now we do not have to release him for peanuts wit the long term deal arranged. 

We would be able to sign 2 more players in this time, both coming from local Lincolnshire side, Boston United. Aaron McCartney (BU) can play several positions and his versatility was what attracted us to him, and the face that Boston United were not going to sign him to a new deal. There was several teams in for him so we increased the offer to keep him in Lincolnshire and he accepted the deal. Australian born Marcus Palmer (BU) is a central defender who has the pace we may lack at the back but doesn't have the ariel threat, hopefully we can balance him against other players. Both look to have bright futures but we will have to see how they develop over the coming years. Both look set to move into the first team straight away and challenge for playing time. 

We were finally able to get another youth recruitment upgrade after some "gentle" nudging with the board. They would not accept anything else and we do not have the finances to upgrade the training facilities which look to be what is needed to hep develop players at a quicker pace. We will keep trying and maybe need to be closer to the £300,000 range this time around?!

 

[theBlackPrince]

Season 4 - Lincolnshire FC - Mid Season Update - Player Stats

Young keeper Aleix Monteagudo 25e has pretty much shared playing time with Hugo Banks (GT) and currently is conceding 1.29 goals per game compared to 1.60 from the more senior keeper. With no clear #1 we will continue to rotate the time between them and see how much Aleix can improve.

Lee Male (L) commands a high salary ad has high potential, but he currently has one of the lowest average rating's in the team and is struggling to match the other options for defensive work, but seems the better option moving forward with 2 goals and 2 assists. The other thing on that, neither of the other two have really stepped up in the game time they have had to try and take on the starting role. Sisa Tuntulwana (GT) continues to be a force on the right wingback spot as he is in the top average ratings on the team and has chipped in with a joint team high 8 assists. Interceptions, headers won and sigh intensity sprints are unmatched in his positional group and leads the team on chances created per 90 minutes. Dave Jones (BU) has not had much chance to play and most likely will not get those opportunities this season and back in the under 21's.

Lewis Norvock (L) continues to be a leader on and off the field and currently leads all with a 7.27 average rating. His ability in the air is clear for all to see and has seen that rewarded with 4 goals from corners. Oliver Kemp (SU) has enjoyed playing most games and has been a solid option so far but with the arrival of Marcus Palmer (BU), there is more depth and competition for places.

Last year Aaron Braithwaite (L) would lead the team in assists, this year all central midfielders have taken a back seat in that department. Still the best option in that deep lying playmaker role, he has seen the aggressive loan signing Philip Vincent-Day (L) along side him more often that not. The young Scunthorpe United player is a machine on the training field and out works every other player every week and will most likely outgrow us at the end of the season. He does have 2 red cards and gets excited at times! New signing Anthony McCartney (BU) has only played 180 minutes but so far is leading most categories, will that stay the asame with more games as he has hit the ground running, or will this reduce with time? He has earnt the right to try and keep it up at thus point. 

Our own Matthew Holmes 24 has made that Attacking Left Winger role his own and has 5 goals and 8 assists on the season. He is an automatic starter as he offers a threat when on the ball. Martin Lathbury (L) has not had the best season on the right hand side and we may need to look at other options or bringing a player in next year. He does have a right back that does get forward which we need to see if that is impacting him and the game we need him to play.

You can easily look at the goals scored and see that, even unhappy Myles Piercewright (L) is probably good enough to move up a level or 2. 17 goals, just under 50% shots on target and winning a large number of fouls for the team. He could easily go over 30 goals once more. Charlie Burden-Whittleton (L) had some injuries at the start of the season and is playing catch-up, but still have 11 goals and 4 player of the game awards. He is training well and showing no sign's of slowing down in his development. Surprisingly, Edwin Essel (L) has the most shots and shots on target in 90 minutes and is nearly in double figures despite only playing 687 minutes. He certainly has put his case forward to start more games and is really starting to show his ability in what is a very good group of players. Finally, Bulgarian Mohammad Fahes 23 is able to play several positions but has played most up front, he has still chipped in with a few goals but is finding his feet at thus level.

7 formations tried this year but the main 4-1DM-1-2W-2 formation is still the one played most often and creating the most chances. We have moved to a more defensive 4-4-2, 5-3-2 and 4-3-1-2 formations for several away games to try and help us gain some points but we still are really trying to find what suits us best in that department. More work to be done and more tinkering is required for the rest of the season as would really like to stick to 2 or 3 main formations. We are performing well in the analysis in the League but are a huge outlier on the passing front with fewer passes allowed but fewer passes completed so far.

Edited February 23, 2023 by theBlackPrince

[theBlackPrince]

Season 4 - 2026 Youth Intake

The elite talents are getting less and less each season now, so maybe we need to start to see if there are any other Head of Youth Development out there?! With no stars to go by we have to give them time to develop and see who may be good enough longer term. Ian Tam 25e is already rated as one who may be a first team player sooner rather than later, which would make two keepers in two years with the honor. Tom Stillitoe 26e, the Welsh wonder is the other to be well liked, with the coaching team thinking he could be better than loan signing Philip Vincent-Day (L). That is high praise as Philip is a workout monster with a focus we have not seen before at Lincolnshire FC. The final mention goes to Will Dale 26e who could be better than recent signing Aaron McCartney (BU). The young full back comes into a crowded position so may have to wait his turn over the next few years. This years class is not that ambitious so let's hope we can change that and they all can develop...

[theBlackPrince]

End of Season 4 Review - 2025/26 Season

4 places and 8 points better than the 24/25 season has Lincolnshire FC aiming for a play-off spot in the next season or two. With a solid year in the cups, the bank balance is the healthiest it has been but that still hasn't been enough to upgrade the training facilities. That is greatly needed right now as player development does not seem to be as quick it could be, especially in a part time setting. Myles Piercewright (L) would claim the leading scorer on the season with 29 goals, which takes him to 61 overall. Charlie Burden-Whitton (L) still leads all with 80 goals. Lewis Norvock (L) would have the highest rating on the team and looks to be returning for another season, could he also be the first player over the 200 appearance marker? Matthew Holmes 24 was close to breaking the assist record set the season before but he had 11 on the season and now sits with 19 all time, just 1 behind SIsa Tuntulwana (GT) who had another impressive season.

A slow start, a pretty good middle and a last 3 games to forget to end the season in 9th place, well above of those below. Attendances are up slightly by just over 400 on the season and we have more money in the bank then at any time. The wage bill will increase next season as we have to secure our best players longer term to get into the fight for promotion. Will the chairman step down and find a new owner for the club for the new season? A small cash boost would be lovely also!

We were proud to see our academy player Matthew Holmes 24 have double figures for goals and assists at only 18 years old. He has made the AML position his own and could see that be his for many years. His reward will be a new contract at the end of the season. Loan signing Philip VIncent-Day (L) from Scunthorpe United worked hard all year on and off the pitch and is returning a different player than he returned, we would love to have him back but he is ready to play at a higher level. Martin Lathbury (L) is still not excelling at the AMR position but with little competition, may get another season to start. The keeper situation could go one of 3 ways for next season with all 3 playing well at times, and with two still only young the future looks good.

[Vakama2619]

Gainsborough relegated, in any case other than a Lincolnshire save, I would've loved that

[theBlackPrince]

On 24/02/2023 at 08:17, Vakama2619 said:

Gainsborough relegated, in any case other than a Lincolnshire save, I would've loved that

I haven't managed to gain many players from them yet, maybe they will be open to move more now they have dropped down another level. In other news, Lincoln City are in the Championship. 

[theBlackPrince]

Season 5 - Lincolnshire FC 2026/27 - Northern Premier League Premier Division

Season Preview - 15 / 22

An off-season with a twist as we finally managed to attract a couple of players well above the rest of the team, finally. That does mean we had to stretch our wage bill which will really impact our finances if we do not have a good cup run and/or get more people through the gate each week. We would also smash the previous transfer record of £0 as we splashed out £1,000 to bring keeper Patrick Boyes (GT) back to The Yellowbellies! We have some youth keepers who will be fine in years to come but we need that proven shot stopped to help sure up our defense. His wages at £400 per week and £200 per clean sheet are steep, but might just help us in a push for the play-offs. We would also be able to secure the signing of talented central midfielder Billy Brooks (LC). The Irish player started his career with Lincoln City but with them heading to the Championship, he would find himself released. Another wage structure broken with £300 per week but a real focal point in the midfield to build around. We were able to use Boston United once more to find some more promising 17 year old's who had not made the grade in Steve Giddings (L) and Ben Ashley (L). Both look set to move into the first team and could play from day one.

What to expect from this season? Hopefully we can fight for a top 5 spot to have a chance for promotion. With only 1 automatics place up for grabs, it really is a lottery after that point in the play-offs.  

2026/27 Lincolnshire FC Squad

I had to revert back to the stars to showcase this as the gulf in class from the top players, Patrick Boyes (GT), Aaron McCartney (BU) and Billy Brooks (LC) is huge. There is only one other player who grades out at over 3 stars compared to them which is Myles Piercewright (L). We still have plenty of players with great potential, those who could improve a lot, but development at this level seems to be slow unless we find those high developing players who train well. Some of the key things to pick out from below.

• Aleix Monteagudo 25e, the huge 198cm tall keeper looks like he is almost playing at this full potential which is a real, real shame. I had high hopes for his long term future.
• Lee Male (L) commands a high wage so we need to see a much improved season from him to make sure of another contract.
• Lewis Norvock (L) is the leader of the team but he may struggle to see playing time this year. However we need his leadership ability despite his wages.
• Aaron McCartney (BU) is by far the best defender on the team, we need to secure him long term.
• He may be unhappy and will not sign a new deal but Aaron Braithwaite (L) continues to stay at the club.
• Billy Brooks (LC) is the heartbeat of the midfield, we need to build around him and his strengths.
• Steve Giddings (L) is mainly an AMC, a role we have not used until now.
• We lack depth for wide players currently, but much stronger in the middle. We may need to move away from a 2 winger system to bring more bodies in the middle.
• Saying that, we will want to see Matthew Holmes 24 start and contribute from the left wing. He has developed well and want that to continue.
• Edwin Essel (L) is the unlucky man to not be a starter, but he takes is opportunities when they arise and is great cover for injuries. 
• Average age for the team is still only 20 and 8 of the squad could play at a higher level if they develop as they can.

 

[theBlackPrince]

Season 6 - 2026/27 - August Update

I was not planning on doing an update so soon but it may be a long time before we start like this once more. 5 games, 5 wins, 17 goals and 4 clean sheets to go with that. Pretty much perfection as 2 of those games were against those in the top 5 currently. It is a long season and games at this point are Saturday, Tuesday and Saturday and then cups to add in. If we continue on this form, we may have to play a weakened team in cups and put everything on the line for promotion. Charlie Burden-Whittleton (L) leads all with 6 goals including one hat-trick (2 penalties). Sisa Tuntulwana (GT) is enjoy the freedom on the right side of the pitch with 3 assists and has almost doubled the next player in open play cross attempted in 90 minutes. and all the starting players are over 7.00 average rating. Patrick Boyes (GT) is proving that a top keeper at this level is vital as he leads in several categories at this stage of the season.

It was a large loss for August, hopefully we can regain some of that back in September with a large number of fixtures to be played. We are also showing the tactic which we are using so far. The main focus was to get the best players on the pitch, which gives us a lob sided look with the right open for runs from the attacking wing back. We have less of a threat from the left wing back as we have a wide playmaker in front of them to create opportunities. We have not played with an AMC before but but adds another attacking minded player down the middle rather than out on the right wing. We are still changing the instructions to get what fits best for the team but for now, it is working well. We play more cautious when away from home.

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by theBlackPrince

[theBlackPrince]

Season 6 - Big Match Alert - Lincolnshire Derby - 1st vs 2nd

In an all Lincolnshire Derby, Grantham Town would travel to The Yellowbelly Stadium in 2nd place, hoping to close the gap to 1st place. With just 1 loss so far and all points won at home, Lincolnshire FC were confident. Charlie Burden-Whittleton (L) would open the scoring after a prolonged period of pressure where Lincolnshire FC had 10 shots but it needed an error from their keeper to get ahead. Then in a moment of madness, Myles Piercewright (L) was sent off after 37 minutes for a lunging 2 footed tackle, the ref was not amused and a straight red. Lincolnshire FC survived until the half, leaving just 1 up front.

It was all one way traffic an then as if the ref had money on the game, he sent Lewis Norvock (L) off with another straight red card, his one looked harsh but it didn't change the outcome. Lincolnshire FC down to 9 men and still 32 minutes + stoppages to go. In a rare attack, it would be Matthew Holmes 24 who would slot home from a hopeful Sisa Tuntulwana (GT) cross that was for a second time, fumbled by the keeper for an easy finish. Grantham Town would get one back and put the ball in the net a second time, luckily the player was about 3 yards off-side. Yellowbellies hold on for the victory in what might be a huge result later on in the season against a fellow title challengers.