End of Season 05/06

Manager of the Year: ETYY (Lincoln)

End of Season Table



End of Season Squad



ROLL OF HONOURS

WORLD CUP: ENGLAND

Champions Cup: FC Bayern

EURO Cup: Newcastle

Community Shield: Arsenal

English FA Cup: Arsenal

English League Cup: Arsenal

English Premier League: Arsenal
Relegated: Bolton, Sunderland, West Ham

English Championship: Sheff Utd
Promoted: Southampton, Norwich
Relegated: Burnley, Brighton, Stoke

English League One: Barnsley
Promoted: Nottm Forest, Gillingham
Relegated: Bournemouth, Blackpool, Hartlepool, MK Dons

English League Two: Lincoln
Promoted: Wrexham, Stockport, Northampton
Relegated: Carlisle, Mansfield

English Conference National: Accrington
Promoted: Hereford
Relegated: Tamworth, Altrincham

English Conference North: Stafford
Promoted: Hucknall
Relegated: Vauxhall Motors, Stalybridge

English Conference South: Weymouth
Promoted: Fanborough
Relegated: Hayes, Welling

LDV Vans Trophy: Lincoln

FA Trophy: Cambridge

Lincoln OVERALL STATISTICS

Overall Best Player: Sam Sodje (7.58)
Top Goalscorer: Carl Finnigan (25)
Most Assists: Andrew Keogh, Jurgen Kuresoo (12)
Most Man of Match: Sam Sodje (10)
Pass Completion: Johannes Djourou (72%)
Tackles/Game: Wilson Lizarazo (4.70)
Dribbles/Game: Fabrizio Cauffriez (3.46)
Shots On Target: Carl Finnigan (67%)
Most Appearances: Sam Sodje (43)

April

ETYY Signs New Deal with Lincoln

Lincoln’s manager has put pen to paper on a 2 year contract extension. Lincoln chairman Steff Wright has declared himself delighted that ETYY have agreed to renew his contract with the club. He feels that ETYY has shown fantastic commitment to the club by signing the new deal which he is sure will please the players and fans alike.

Historic LDV Vans Trophy Final for Lincoln

Lincoln City will appear in their first LDV Vans Trophy final in the club’s history when they play Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Whatever the result, Lincoln will be justly proud of their sensational run to the final, best remembered perhaps for their memorable victory over League One outfit Huddersfield Town on February 21st.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest will also be appearing in their first LDV Vans Trophy final in the club’s 141 years of history.

Media approaches ETYY

A Lincoln stalwart has picked out Kris Commons as a player you will need to watch out for in Sunday’s game. Will you be ensuring your team has a game plan to nullify the winger’s threat?

I feel that there should be no plans made adjustably for Kris. He is a fine player no doubt, but I believe that we have the necessary capabilities in our team to emerge victorious on the day. On the contrary, they should be more worried over our tactical threats.

LINCOLN WIN LDV VANS TROPHY!!!

Lincoln have won the English LDV Vans Trophy on penalties after the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at the Millennium Stadium.

Lincoln Fans Honour ETYY

Lincoln fans are ecstatic at winning the English LDV Vans Trophy, declaring immediately that they hoped ETYY would remain in charge for the foreseeable future.

A spokesperson for the official supporters’ club added that it is truly an honour to have a manager like ETYY in charge.

The Lincoln City board have issued a statement declaring that they are very happy with victory in the English LDV Vans Trophy and are grateful to manager ETYY for doing the club proud. They stated their surprise at this achievement and wished to thank ETYY for leading the club to this unexpected success.

Lincoln have also been awarded with £75,000 for winning against Nottingham Forest in the English LDV Vans Trophy.

LDV Vans Trophy Final

Nottingham Forest 2-2 Lincoln (3-4 Penalties)



Manager’s Comment

It is certainly the best moment in this season for us. We took the lead at the first half but the opposition came out very strong and motivated after the interval. Our defence were run ragged and we have all to thank Stiel for his excellent performance. The score line could have made them resounding winners but he put in a couple of key saves to keep us alive. It wasn’t our best performance but at the results show, we are the holders for the trophy!!

League Two Match 41

Lincoln 4-0 Chester



Manager’s Comment

With the title and promotion secured and having won the LDV Vans Trophy, I will be trying out a couple of tactical changes and squad rotations for further possible implementation into our League One endeavour.

League Position: 1st

League Two Match 42

Lincoln 3-1 Macclesfield



Manager’s Comment

We were made to slog hard for this victory and with 4 games left to go, the team are aiming to set a new record for the League Two.

Mayo Demands New Contract!!

Lincoln’s full back Paul Mayo has stated that his current pay deal is too low for a player of his caliber. Mayo claimed that he would be happy to commit himself to the club, but only if the deal matches his expectations.

Manager ETYY has responded to the comments and have asked Paul to be patient as he will be restructuring the wages at the end of the season.

Mayo relief at new contract hope

According to an article in the local newspaper this morning, Lincoln City’s Paul Mayo seemed please when told that his manager had agreed to enter contract negotiations with him once the season has ended.

He revealed that he is very happy a new contract could become a reality. The 24 year old full back added that he loved playing at Sincil Bank and was delighted to have a chance of prolonging his stay at the club.

League Two Match 43

Mansfield 0-3 Lincoln



Manager’s Comment

Moreno had his first game since coming back from his injuring and I am pleased with his performance today. He is still lacking in match sharpness but I believe that a player with his determination, he will soon be banging in the goals.

League Position: 1st

League Two Match 44

Northampton 0-0 Lincoln



Manager’s Comment

It was a boring draw. We couldn’t make use of our chances. It is a pity to have ended our 14 consecutive league wins in such a fashion.

League Position: 1st

LINCOLN RESERVES WON TITLE!!

Despite being predicted to at most achieve a top half finish of the table, the Lincoln Reserves were able to clinch the title most would not expect to go to them.

English Reserves Group 3 Table



Awarded Players of Reserves Group 3

Overall Best Player: Mark Carrington (Lincoln) 7.95
Overall Top Goalscorer: Brett Pitman (Lincoln) 26
Overall Most Assist: Mark Carrington (Lincoln) 22

League Two Match 45

Lincoln 3-0 Bury



Manager’s Comment

We were impressive at both the front line and the back line. The lads took their chances well and played some good football out there. I am delighted that Moreno managed to find the net. He will be confirmed as a starting 11 for the final match and I hope to improve his match fitness and sharpness by giving him more training during the holidays so that he will come back next season to be a stronger player.

League Position: 1st

League Two Match 46

Boston Utd 1-2 Lincoln



Manager’s Comment

It was a good game. Carl managed a brace and would most probably get the Golden Boots Award. He has been a consistent scorer for the team and Lincoln will no doubt be missing him. It is a pity that Newcastle has slapped a 3mil price tag on him and we felt that it is not the amount we will pay for, but we will try to get him on a season long loan next year. We will have to see how things work out.

League Position: 1st

Roll of honours

Manager of the month – Denis Smith (Wrexham)

Player of the month – Martin Bullock (Macclesfield)

Young player of the month – Andrew Keogh (Lincoln)

March

League Two Match 37

Darlington 1-2 Lincoln



Manager’s Comment

It wasn’t of the most pleasant of games truth to be said. Nevertheless, we got the win and it is all that matters.

League Position: 1st

LINCOLN WON LEAGUE TWO TITLE!!

Following a hard-fought victory over Darlington, the Imps have won the League Two title. The town was in total euphoric mood and the fans were totally ecstatic over their team’s success. Celebrations and parties raved through the night as the fans kept chanting ETYY who miraculously brought them to winning the title.

ETYY hailed as wonder-maker

Imps favourite Mick Harford has declared that this was a very proud day for both the club and its fans.

Harford, who now manages League One teamWalsall, continued by stating that current boss ETYY had done wonders to win the English League Two with the players at his disposal and that the Lincoln boards should be extremely grateful to have such a talented manager in charge of the club.

League Two Match 38

Peterborough 1-4 Lincoln



Manager’s Comment

I am very pleased with the team’s effort and it is a very good build up for our next game which is against Huddersfield for the LDV Vans Final Leg 2. We will be going into the game very focused, sharp and motivated.

League Position: 1st

LDV Vans Trophy North Final Leg 2

Huddersfield 1-2 Lincoln (Aggregate score 1-3)



Manager’s Comment

It was a tremendous match. We certainly played our hearts out today and got into the attacking game we wanted right from the start. The lads have been brilliant in reaching so far and we just have one last hurdle left. With the title already secured, we will be going all out for the trophy.

League Two Match 39

Lincoln 2-1 Rochdale



Manager’s Comment

There were a couple of changes made to the team from the previous match. There is nothing to be concerned particularly why I made these changes, it’s just that the lads were tired out from the last game and it is always good to do a rotation and bring some freshness into our game.

League Position: 1st

League Two Match 40

Oxford 0-3 Lincoln



Manager’s Comment

We had a fantastic start to the game and controlled the match very well. We had to be patient after that for the second goal to come and we played our usual flowing football well to break open their defense.

League Position: 1st

Roll of honours

Manager of the month – ETYY (Lincoln)

Player of the month – Andrew Keogh (Lincoln)

Young player of the month – Shane Long (Wrexham)

End of Month Table



End of Month Squad

February

Jorg Stiel Announces Retire Decision

According to SkySports online, Jorg Stiel has announced and made known his decision to retire at the end of the season. Despite being told to reconsider and postpone his retirement by another year, Stiel was adamant and refused as he believes that he had been injury prone and remaining would do him no good for his future health.

“The club has a good backing in Anthony Silva and that the youngster is now ready for first team football. The lad should be given the chance to shine now and I believe he will play an integral part with Lincoln next season.”

ETYY was reported to be rather upset over his decision but wishes him good luck for his future and thanked Stiel for his solid performance throughout the season so far.

“Stiel has been very consistent in the goal line for us and that played an important role in our successful 13 consecutive league wins. I am sure he will always be remembered by the fans and by every management staff and players in Lincoln.”

It is reported that he will retiring on 1.7.2006 when his contract ends.

League Two Match 32

Rushden 0-2 Lincoln



Manager’s comment

Overall a good performance. Carl complained to me that he was feeling some pain in his hamstring and I took him out during the interval. It was a little disappointing as he was playing very well but we couldn’t risk him. Any problems with hamstring could be serious and we didn’t want him to be out for the game against Huddersfield in our LDV Vans cup finals leg 1 in two weeks time.

League Position: 1st

New Signings announced with Lincoln already looking to life in League One!!

Manager ETYY today revealed that with the club being in pole position for promotion to League One, they have already been looking into the market for potential buys fit into the life after promotion.

We have quite a few talks going on with many players and their agents. The management board is very optimistic of our chances in promotion by the end of the season and has given me the go ahead to do a reconstruction on the current squad. This is the time when the lads have to prove to me that they are capable of living up to playing in League One. However, I am quite certain that there will be a few players who will be leaving the club at the end of the season after being told that they were surplus to requirements for the team.

League Two Match 33

Lincoln 2-0 Wrexham



Manager’s Comment

Stuart came back from his injury and capped his fine display with two goals today both from free kicks. I am absolutely delighted with the commitment and dedication he has shown to the team and I am hoping there will be more to come from him.

League Position: 1st

Shock U-Turn!!

In a statement released by Lincoln today, Jorg Stiel has been reported to have made a shocking U-turn over his decision to retire. He was said to have been convinced by manager ETYY to postpone his retirement by a year and serve as a back up player/coach next season for the team. His invaluable experience in top flight football would no doubt be an asset to the Sincil Bank boys who will be desperately seeking to avoid fast relegation back to the League Two if they were to be promoted.

Lincoln Injuries Woes Worsen

Anthony Silva joined in the list of injuries in Lincoln’s already depleted squad. Key players like Vagner Leonardelli, Wilfredo Moreno, Johannes Djourou along with others the likes of Scott Marshall and Fabrizio Cauffriez are all out and injured. It is highly unlikely that they will recover in time for the big match against Huddersfield and ETYY will no doubt be racking his brains over choosing his starting line up for the match. The only other consolation for ETYY is that new signing Andrew Keogh looks to be enjoying a decent run of form scoring 8 goals in 9 appearances in the process while Stuart Thurgood is looking incredibly consistent and proving to be a very reliable team player despite just recovering from a serious injury. Andrew Keogh won’t be available for the match though as he is cup tied.

League Two Match 34

Lincoln 2-0 Bristol Rovers



Manager’s Comment

I am delighted with the way our team has been performing. People are asking why Keogh is being chosen over other established striker in the squad. Well, with the way this lad has been performing, I don’t see why he should not be given the chance for first team action.

League Position: 1st

League Two Match 35

Wycombe 0-1 Lincoln



Manager’s Comment

A bad performance from us. We were lucky to have got the goal. Things didn’t went well for us in the second half. Our opposition were really spirited and all fire up. They were unlucky not to have earned a draw at least but I am pleased that Stiel showed the fans why I was so desperate in wanting to keep him for at least another season.

League Position: 1st

LDV Vans Trophy North Final Leg 1

Lincoln 1-0 Huddersfield



Manager’s Comment

The lads were brilliant out there. It was a very even game which could have gone either ways in truth. They had a man sent off in the 67th minute and we went all out on attack for another goal which could prove to be decisive for us on the away tie. It was unfortunate we couldn’t get the goal but nevertheless, I am happy we were able to produce a clean sheet which may be vital for us in the coming leg.

League Two Match 36

Lincoln 3-2 Stockport



Manager’s Comment

A vital win for us. We were made to pay for some defensive errors by the opposition but we managed to come back from a goal down. Carl was brilliant here today with incredible vision by creating all the goals and even scoring one himself.

League Position: 1st

ETYY LEADS LINCOLN TO PROMOTION!!!

Lincoln fans are in jubilant mood after ETYY led them to the incredible feat of promotion from the English League Two. Lincoln leads the table with a massive 30 points from Grimsby who are occupying second spot.

A fans’ spokesperson announced that ETYY was undoubtedly one of the best managers around and are desperately hoping that he stays with the club for years to come.

The Imps board have announced to the press that they are extremely pleased that the team have secured promotion from the English League Two.

At a short press conference, a spokesperson for the board declared that promotion had not been on the cards at the start of the season and the board wanted to put on record their gratitude to manager ETYY for delivering the unthinkable.

PROMOTION-WINNING MANAGER ETYY was approached by a newspaper journalist on his future with the club.

Congratulations on gaining promotion but your future at the club is in some doubt. Will you sign a new contract and stay?

Well, it has been an incredible season for me. When I was out and down, Lincoln came in for me and offered me the post. I am enjoying my stay with Lincoln and the challenge of managing them. It is hard to predict the future but all I can say is that I want to stay with Lincoln. With promotion being secured, we are now setting our sights on winning the League Two title and I will be here with the team to help them achieve it.

Roll of honours

Manager of the month – ETYY (Lincoln)

Player of the month – Michael Branch (Chester City)

Young player of the month – Adam le Fondre (Stockport)

End of Month Table



End of month Squad

January

Transfers In

Andrew Keogh (100k, Scunthorpe) – a highly rated centre forward youngster, at the age of 19, he can only improve. Let’s hope he will get the goals coming.

Vagner Leonardelli (400k, CFA) – rock solid centre back and has been a long time transfer target for me, he will be partnering with Sodje as my two first choice DCs.

Scott Marshall (55k, Newcastle) – certainly did enough to persuade me to sign him over during his loan stay. He is going to rotate with Stuart Thurgood for the MC position.

League Two Match 26

Carlisle 0-2 Lincoln



Manager’s Comment

It was overall a good game. I felt we could have done better but at least we got all 3 points today. We are now 16 points ahead in the league table and I will be hoping to stay up there until the end of the season.

League Position: 1st

New Signings Debut!!

The new boys of Sincil Bank, Andrew Keogh and Vagner Leonardelli had their debut today. ETYY was asked on how they fared for their debut.

Well, it was certainly a good game for both the lads. Vagner showed much composure and was a rock in the heart of our defence. He made a couple of important tackles and was looking comfortable with the team already despite linking up with the other lads for the first time only.

Keogh got the debut goal he wanted. A debut goal is always nice as it will calm and settle the player down well into the team. Overall, it was a good game but I think they can definitely still improve on their game and show the fans what they are really worth.

Lincoln to face Hartlepool in LDV Vans Trophy North Semi Final

Lincoln was handed an away tie with Hartlepool on the 25th of January. The Sincil Bank’s boys has been enjoying a good run of form in the cup and will be looking to step up on their games against a slight favorites League One Hartlepool team.

League Two Match 27

Lincoln 5-0 Barnet



Manager’s Comment

I have to be honest and say that the score line wasn’t what we deserved. Barnet were equally well matched but their defence made some school boys error during the match. Our lads grabbed the opportunity well to result in such a one way result. I am delighted with Vagner’s performance by making some very important interceptions and winning key headers to deny the opposition of any clear cut chances.

League Position: 1st

League Two Match 28

Lincoln 2-0 Leyton Orient



Manager’s Comment

It is our 5th game won in a row now. Really shows how well the team has gelled despite the introduction of new faces in the squad. We will be looking to improve more on our games and hopefully we can overtake our previous record of 13 games won in a row.

League Position: 1st

League Two Match 29

Grimsby 1-1 Lincoln



Manager’s Comment

It is a pity. This was a game we had to win and should win to further lead the league by another 3 points. We dominated right from the start and Keogh got us the goal at the very 1st minute. Our 3rd choice keeper misintercepted a back pass which resulted in the equalizing goal. We were only to be left frustrated after it as we saw most of our shots on goal being denied by their keeper.

League Position: 1st

League Two Match 30

Lincoln 3-1 Cheltenham



Manager’s Comment

A very good win against a team like Cheltenham. We showed our grit and mettle as we endured a very long period of being bombarded by the opposition attacks. We were pressed back on our own half for most of the game but Sodje and Vagner once again proved how formidable they are as partners.

League Position: 1st

LDV Vans Trophy North Semi Final

Hartlepool 1-3 Lincoln



Manager’s Comment

I had to take the risk to field Stiel who had just returned from a thigh strain against a League One team. I couldn’t take my chances on Lewis who has been rather inconsistent during the last few games when Stiel and Silva were still out and down with injuries.

The game itself turned out to be breathtaking with 30 shots being made by both sides. In the end, we showed our class out there with some very good lay outs and vision. Scott took his chances very well by blasting in 2 long range shots. I’m sure it was a fascinating game to watch.

League Two Match 31

Notts Co 3-5 Lincoln



Manager’s Comment

I felt that our boys did us proud today by showing their determination in overcoming a 3 goals deficit. We had a disastrous start to the game and were trailing by 3-0 even before half time. Deschacht was introduced during the break and obviously he has other thinkings today. He showed us his class and i am happy he got his hat-trick.

League Position: 1st

Roll of honours

Manager of the month - ETYY (Lincoln)

Player of the month - Curtis Woodhouse (Grimsby)

Young player of the month - Andrew Keogh (Lincoln)

End Of Month Table



End of Month Squad

December

FA Cup 2nd Round

Huddersfield 1-0 Lincoln

League Two Match 21

Lincoln 1-2 Northampton

League Two Match 22

Bury 0-1 Lincoln

League Two Match 23

Lincoln 0-1 Shrewsbury

LDV Vans Trophy North 3rd Round

Darlington 0-1 Lincoln

League Two Match 24

Torquay 0-2 Lincoln

League Two Match 25

Lincoln 3-1 Boston Utd

Roll of honours

Manager of the month - Bobby Ghould (Peterborough)

Player of the month - David Bayliss (Wrexham)

Young player of the month - Marvin Williams (Peterborough)

End of Month Table



End of Month Squad

November

Lincoln in all smiles with FA Cup 1st Round Draw

Lincoln was drawn at home against minnows Canvey Island of the Conference National league. The match will be played on Saturday, 5th of November.

When asked about his team's chances of getting through the first round, ETYY was in all smiles and hinted that he could rest some key players for the match.

It is definitely a good draw for us. With all due respect to Canvey Island, we could have drawn a much tougher opponent. I'm glad with the way things has worked out and i am keen on resting some of my regular starters so that they could be all fresh and ready for the next league game against Mansfield.

League Two Match 17

Lincoln 3-1 Darlington

FA Cup 1st Round

Lincoln 2-0 Canvey Island

League Two Match 18

Lincoln 4-1 Mansfield

LDV Vans Trophy North 2nd Round

Bradford 3-4 Lincoln

League Two Match 19

Chester 1-2 Lincoln

League Two Match 20

Macclesfield 0-2 Lincoln

Roll of honours

Manager of the month - ETYY (Lincoln)

Player of the month - Paul Hughes (Darlington)

Young player of the month - Lewis Callaghan (Darlington)

October

Lincoln to face Chester in LDV Vans Trophy North Round 1

League Two Match 12

Lincoln 7-0 Wycombe



Manager's comment

One hell of a game. The boys were really fired up and it was a mesmerizing game to watch.

League Position: 1st

League Two Match 13

Lincoln 1-0 Peterborough


Manager's Comment

It wasn't the best of games but i couldn't by happier. We got all three points despite resting a few of our regulars. I think the youngster really showed their mettle and determination out there.

League Position: 1st

LDV Vans Trophy North Round 1

Chester 0-3 Lincoln



Manager's Comment

It was a very intensive and physical game resulting in 2 being sent off by the opponent and 6-7 yellow cards awarded to both sides. It is always nice to be able to get through to the next round by such a scoreline and i am particularly pleased with Sam Sodje. He has been consistent throughout the season so far.

League Two Match 14

Rochdale 1-3 Lincoln


Manager's Comment

Sam Sodje was brilliant today. Yet another MoM performance from him. The match today i am sure was a treat for the neutrals. We played great flowing football and this is what the game is all about.

League Position: 1st

League Two Match 15

Stockport 1-2 Lincoln



Manager's Comment

Things are certainly looking great at the moment. We have won 7 consecutive league games already and the punters have revised the odds again. We may be favourites to win the title but there is still a long way to go and we with a number of our first team regulars being out and injured, i might have to bring in some fresh faces in the next transfer window for more backup and options.

League Position: 1st

League Two Match 16

Lincoln 4-1 Oxford



Manager's Comment

Another quality performance turned in by the team. Nathan Jarman got his debut goal and we are looking forward to playing the next game already. Everyone is happy and are raring to go and claim the title. With our current form, why not?

League Position: 1st

Roll of honours

Manager of the month - Russell Slade (Grimsby)

Player of the month - Stuart Thurgood (Lincoln)

Young player of the month - Johannes Djourou (Lincoln)