Big Match Review - Stockport 3 Lincoln 4

Stockport County 3-4 Lincoln City

Saturday January 22, Edgeley Park, (Att: 4,348)

Ashley Grimes's hat trick ensured bottom side Lincoln City earned a precious three points in their fight against relegation in a pulsating match against fellow strugglers Stockport.

The Imps took the lead after just five minutes when an instinctive finish from Grimes saw him lob the ball from distance over a stranded Matt Glennon.

However, the home side were level 20 minutes later when Adam Griffin reacted quickest to crash home a loose ball after Trevor Carson failed to hold onto Greg Tansey's free-kick.

Lincoln made sure they went back into the break on top when Adam Watts finished from close range after Danny Hone's nod down from a free kick.

Steve Tilson's men stretched their advantage on the hour mark, Grimes getting his second as he tapped home Gavin McCallum's intelligent pull back into an unguarded net.

County reduced the deficit three minutes later though, with David Poole sweeping the ball home after City failed to deal with a deflected cross from the right.

However, the Cheshire side soon found themselves two goals behind again as Grimes completed his hat-trick - tucking away the ball away after Glennon had kept out Luke Howell's initial effort.

Stockport rallied and ensured a nervy end to the game for the visitors when Watts deflected in Ishmel Demontanag's effort from outside the box.

Lincoln held on for a precious three points however which, although not moving them off the foot of the table, sees them just two points behind 22nd-placed County with five games in hand.

Big Match Preview - Stockport vs. Lincoln

Stockport County vs. Lincoln City

Saturday January 22, 15:00, Edgeley Park

Two sides deeply embroiled in the fight for Football League survival meet in the North West this weekend as Stockport County play host to Lincoln City in a big relegation six-pointer.

The visitors come into the match propping up the rest of the division - albeit having plenty of games in hands on their rivals, including a Stockport team sitting in 21st.

It's been a miserable start to 2011 for the Cheshire side who have lost four of their five games at the start of the New Year. That poor form led to the departure of boss Paul Simpson earlier in the month with assistant Peter Ward taking temporary charge of the Hatters.

However, he has only manage to oversee a 5-1 home thumping by Gillingham, followed by surrending a 3-1 lead to draw against Rotherham before last week's 3-0 thumping at fellow strugglers Hereford.

County have the division's worst defence, with 57 goals conceded, that includes 34 on home turf. That includes 5-0 wins for Port Vale and Hereford and Shrewsbury's 4-0 victory.

Only one win has been achieved on home soil, a 2-1 win over Barnet - also the last team Stockport beat, on December 28. No side has drawn more home matches than their seven stalemates, though.

County are also adjusting to life without top scorer, on-loan striker George Donnelly, who was sold by parent club Plymouth to Fleetwood. That leaves midfield Greg Tansey, on six goals, as their top scorer.

Steve Tilson has seen his Lincoln side slip to the foot of the Football League

For Imps boss, Steve Tilson, the trip to Edgeley Park see him takes on the side who provided the opposition in his first game in charge of City after taking over from Chris Sutton.

That game in October ended 0-0, however, since then a mixture of cup games and the wintry weather has ensured Lincoln have only played seven more league matches - including not playing at during December.

It's no surprise then that that inactivity has seen them slip to the foot of League Two - posessing five games in hand on Stockport alone.

City have lost their last three games though, and are without a win in the league since defeating relegation rivals Hereford in mid-November. That's one of just two wins Tilson has gained, the other coming away at Morecambe.

Lincoln have earned just one other away day success, at Gillingham, as well as a draw at Wycombe. Their other six trips have ended in defeat, however.

They have particularly struggled for goals this term, with just 17 in their 21 games being the lowest in the division. Three players, Ashley Grimes, Mustapha Carayol, and Andrew Hutchinson are joint top scorers with four.

This is a classic relegation dogfight, with two teams struggling for form but knowing the points are crucial. It also pits League Two's leakiest defence against the most shot-shy attack.

I just have a sneaky feeling that, despite their poor results, it's the away side who may well end up taking maximum spoils home with them.

Nobes' Prediction: Stockport County 1 Lincoln City 2

Classic Campaigns - League Two 1986/7

Our series reflecting on classic Football League seasons from the past continues.

With Torquay hosting Crewe in League Two this evening, Nobes looks back on when the pair met in the basement division 24 years ago. A final day like no other, for so many reasons.

The Orient Game: 1987 was an emotional year for all Burnley followers

Every dog has its day. So goes the old saying, anyway. For one, it came on May 9 1987 - the final day of an historic season in the basement division of English football.

Twenty four years ago, Torquay United against Crewe Alexandra was both sides' final game of the 1986/7 season - a match that was of vital importance to the home team whose very Football League existence hung in the balance.

The Devon side were one of three clubs who could end the day bottom of the old Fourth Division - or League Two as it is now called - and slide into the Conference.

This, too, was the first season of automatic promotion and relegation between the Football and Non Leagues, with Scarborough, managed by Neil Warnock, ready to take their place in Division Four as the newly crowned Conference winners.

At the other end of the Fourth Division, one of the biggest stories came at Preston North End. One of the most historic clubs in the country had finished second bottom of the entire Football League 12 months previously.

However, after winning a re-election vote, North End bounced back to finish as runners-up and gain promotion to the third tier.

They weren't able to match the form of Champions Northampton though, who blew their opponents out of the water, including winning 20 and losing just one of their home games all season.

Graham Carr's side with the attacking talent of Richard Hill and Trevor Morley were too hot to handle as they racked up 99 points and over 100 goals. The Cobblers and North End were joined by Southend in winning automatic promotion.

At the wrong end of the table, for much of the season it was the the North West duo of Rochdale and Stockport who were battling to avoid becoming the first side to be automatically relegated from the Football League.

However, as the second half of the season progressed others began to plummet into the relegation mix. One of them was Burnley, one of the original 12 members of the League in their second year in the Fourth Division.

Torquay - who had finished bottom in 1986 - were again in contention for the drop, and Lincoln City had nosedived from 7th at the beginning of January to find themselves in a dogfight.

In the penultimate weekend of the campaign, Burnley suffered a 1-0 reverse to Crewe and hit rock bottom. The Clarets were staring down the barrel of a gun.

Things were to get worse, Rochdale won their game in hand in the midweek before the final day to ensure their safety. Then Tranmere were allowed to play their final match on Friday evening - the Wirral club won to keep themselves up.

That left three in the mix - Burnley, Torquay, and Lincoln. The stage was set for a dramatic final day.

Fixtures:

Burnley vs. Orient
Swansea vs. Lincoln
Torquay vs. Crewe

Table:

.....................P...GD....PTS
22. Lincoln.....45....-18....48
23. Torquay....45....-16....47
-----------------------------------
24. Burnley.....45...-22.....46

Burnley knew that only a win against Orient at Turf Moor would do. If they managed it, then Torquay and Lincoln - the only side travelling - would then come into the picture if they failed to win their respective games.

For the Clarets, Champions of England as recently as 1960, they could scarcely believe the position they found themselves in.

Ask a Burnley supporter now, and they will tell you those 90 minutes in May '87 - known simply as 'The Orient Game' - were arguably the biggest in their club's history.

The prospect of losing professional football from the town - combined with the rise of upcoming neighbours Colne Dynamoes - threatened the very existence of the club.

Over 15,000 crammed into Turf Moor - delaying the first half by 15 minutes - to see if Burnley could pull off a great escape.

Goals from Neil Grewcock and Ian Britton either side of the break put the Lancashire outfit 2-0 up. Alan Comfort pulled a goal back for Orient, but the Clarets held on for a 2-1 victory.

The defeat for Orient cost them a place in the play offs - with Aldershot securing the final birth. The Shots would then go on to beat Bolton and Wolves in the end of season lottery to secure promotion.

The three points were enough for Burnley to survive, too. Emotional scenes at Turf Moor ensued after news had reached them from South Wales - Lincoln City had been beaten 2-0.

However, the story of that day was just of Burnley's great escape - but that of another team.

Burnley's win meant Lincoln and Torquay were in trouble, but the Imps would be safe if the Gulls failed to pick up anything against Crewe.

Things had certainly looked good for City at half time. Crewe, under the management of Dario Gradi, were 2-0 up against Torquay, with one of the goals coming from a young midfielder called David Platt. The Gulls were heading down into the Conference.

Then, early in the second period, Jim McNichol pulled a goal back for the hosts from a free kick. Torquay had hope - another goal would save them from relegation.

Into the last ten minutes and, with the Devonians still seeking a second goal, a police dog called Bryn, in attendance at Plainmoor, reacted to a close challenge by McNichol on his handler.

McNichol sustained a nasty thigh injury from the dog's bite - holding play up by four minutes. They were to prove four crucial minutes.

Deep into added time, a mistake in the Alex backline allowed Paul Dobson to smash home an equaliser for Torquay. Just like at Turf Moor, fans invaded the Plainmoor pitch in joy and relief. The Gulls were staying up.

Torquay's Jim McNichol with unlikely hero Bryn - the dog who bit him

Dobson's goal, however, meant Lincoln, who up until that point had not been bottom of the table all season, had been condemned to relegation.

Final table:

.....................P.....GD....PTS
22. Burnley ...46...-21.....49
23. Torquay...46...-16.....48
-----------------------------------
24. Lincoln.....46...-20.....48

The intervention of Bryn had been crucial. Torquay were safe thanks to Devon's most famous dog since the Hound of the Baskervilles.

Almost a quarter of a century on and Gradi and Crewe return to Plainmoor this evening in much less dramatic circumstances.

Despite his lengthy tenure at the helm, you imagine the events of that May day ensure that it is one game the Alex's long serving boss will never forget.

City Stickers

With the appointment of Steve Tilson as their new manager, Nobes looks at whether Lincoln City can finally move onwards and upwards.

Steve Tilson gained back-to-back promotions at Southend United

There's a new league in town. With Rochdale's promotion and Darlington dropping into the Conference, the two longest serving members of League Two both departed last term.

Step forward a new club. After 12 consecutive seasons - and 22 of the last 23 campaigns - spent in the fourth tier, say hello to the Lincoln Division.

It's hard to say whether it's a desirable tag or not. After all, while the Imps have floundered in the basement division, they've seen themselves passed by smaller clubs with much less history.

Equally, however, they've seen the likes of Oxford and Luton - clubs who competed in the top flight and both won the League Cup during the '80s - drop into the Conference.

Maybe there's something to be said for consistency. Consistency is something City fans know all too much about though.

They set a new Football League record in 2006 when they became the first club to lose out in four successive play offs. Twelve months later, and they made it five on the spin.

However, if the play offs really are a lottery, it seems in recent years that they've stopped buying tickets at Sincil Bank. Since defeat over two legs to Bristol Rovers in 2007, they haven't finished in the top half of League Two.

It's a big fall for a set of fans who became accustomed to enjoying an extension to their season under the management of the late Keith Alexander.

In truth 'Big Keef' raised expectations at Sincil Bank to a level not seen for many years. After coming so close to going out of business in 2002 after the collapse of ITV Digital, the club seemed to be re-born.

Reaching the Millennium Stadium in 2003 for the play off final was one of the great achievements of lower league football. Alexander had built a squad of cast-offs and Non League punts that had taken the division by surprise.

The fact he managed to repeat the trick - albeit steadily improving and refining his team as his budget steadily increased - for the next three years, too, was a performance never truly given the credit it deserved.

However, over-achievement led to higher demands. His successor, Jon Schofield, also guided the Imps into the play offs but a poor start the next year cost him his job.

Indeed, the club appear to be decline ever since their fifth play off loss with recent seasons seeing them struggle towards the bottom and battling to avoid relegation.

For a generation brought up on the success under Alexander, recent managerial incumbents - the experienced Peter Jackson followed by rookie Chris Sutton - were never going to be given much time from the terraces to get things right.

Now the mantle falls to Steve Tilson - whose Southend side beat Lincoln in the 2005 play off final - to try and bring better times to the Cathedral City.

Tilson was always the front-runner in an extensive hunt for a replacement for Sutton that included former boss Steve Thompson, Dave Penney, and Accrington's John Coleman.

The latter eventually signed a long-term deal to remain in Lancashire, but spoke about the potential of City's fan base as "massive."

Lincoln have the potential for bigger crowds at Sincil Bank

It's an interesting point. The city and area around it has a population of around 250,000. The university, established in the '90s, is providing an historic city with a modern and dynamic future.

Unlike smaller clubs in areas like the North West, Yorkshire, or London, too, Lincoln are not surrounded by a whole host of much bigger clubs playing at the highest levels. There are fans out there for them to attract.

During the good times under Alexander they attracted crowds around the 5,000 mark. That's now down to just under 3,000 - with the economic situation as well as the team's poor form not helping to fill the stands at the Bank.

However, it's clear that, if the team is successful, the potential is there for Lincoln to pull in crowds good enough to sustain a higher level of football.

Imps supporters could also be excused for a few envious glances up the road to Scunthorpe - currently enjoying life in the Championship and in their third season out of four in the second tier.

Also, despite now being in the Conference, Grimsby enjoyed a prolonged spell in the Championship during the '90s and early Noughties.

Of Lincolnshire's three senior clubs, it seems as though City are the poor relation. If their county rivals can do it, then why not them? Tilson must attempt to finally realise that potential.

Certainly his credentials are impressive. He took over at Southend in similar circumstances to the ones he finds Lincoln in - stuck in a rut and struggling towards the foot of League Two.

However, after keeping them up, he led them to promotion in his first full season. A year later, and they had returned to the Championship as League One champions.

It was a spectacular turnaround in fortunes - achieved through a stylish brand of football and inspired by the goals of Non League bargain buy Freddie Eastwood.

Although he failed to keep them in the Championship, Tilson had marked his card as a promising young manager and was linked to bigger jobs including the regularly vacant hot seat at Norwich.

Financial problems ultimately saw Southend tumble out of League One last term and - although it seemed harsh to blame a manager working with his hands tied - he left the Essex outfit during the summer.

With a play off finish in League One also achieved during his time at Roots Hall, the 44-year-old probably felt he'd get back into the game at a higher level. Instead, he must now play the resurrection game again - both for himself and City.

Working on a budget will be a challenge he is familiar with.

However, for someone who likes to play a footballing game, he must also find a way to bring success to a club who, ever since the days of Graham Taylor in the 1970s, have only ever prospered under long ball managers.

It's time to change the record all round - but it will take time and patience.

Club Chairman Bob Dorrian spoke in the summer about ambitions of making it into the Championship. They now have a manager in place who has done it. The question is - can Lincoln?

What if... re-election hadn't ended?

Our series where we take a look back at pivotal moments in Football League history continues as Nobes asks what would have happened had automatic promotion from the Non Leagues not been introduced?

Walls come tumbling down: change was in the air 23 years ago

It's with a huge degree of bias that I say the following: 1987 was a special year. Indeed, there was plenty going on 23 years ago.

Maggie Thatcher was wrapping up a second landslide victory to stay in Number 10 for a third term. She then gave the go ahead for the Channel Tunnel to be constructed.

It was also the year of the Great Storm - Britain's worst for nearly 300 years - that battered parts of south and east England. Famously, the previous evening BBC weatherman Michael Fish had dismissed the storm happening.

In popular culture, Americans first caught a glimpse of a TV family called The Simpsons.

After far too many years of an ageing Roger Moore as James Bond getting cosy with much too young lasses we had a new 007, as well, with Timothy Dalton taking over the reins.

Things, it seemed, were changing. Typified by, perhaps, the most famous quote of all 1987 from US President Ronald Reagan who, on a visit to Berlin, demanded: "Mr Gorbachev - tear down this wall!"

That wouldn't happen for another couple of years. However, one barrier was being removed a little closer to home - that between the Football and Non Leagues.

Up until 1987, clubs seeking to gain promotion to the Football League from the Conference had to be elected by current League members.

It was the ultimate 'closed shop' with members able to prevent new clubs joining in favour of keeping the established order in place.

Indeed, the first eight winners of the Conference - established as the outright top division of Non League football in 1979 - failed to win election to the league.

Things had to change - and, in '87, they did. For the first time, the side who finished 92nd in the Football League would drop out of the top four tiers and be replaced by the Conference winners - as long as their ground met regulations.

So, it was probably appropriate that, in May 1987, Starship sat on top of the UK charts with 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now.' It was the prevailing mood among the ambitious clubs of the Conference desperate for their chance in the big time.

Neil Warnock and Martin O'Neill both led clubs into the Football League

That feeling was exhibited no more than on the North Sea coast - where the seaside town of Scarborough was celebrating their team having soared to the Conference title under the management of an ambitious Yorkshireman called Neil Warnock.

The Seadogs were to take their place in the Football League - eventually replacing Lincoln City - relegated after a frantic final day scrap also involving Torquay, and former English champions, Burnley.

The Imps became the first club to ever automatically be relegated from the 92 club - although they bounced back at the first attempt. No doubt they were thankful for the same rule they were cursing only 12 months earlier.

It was the beginning of the constant flow between the two divisions which - albeit thrice interrupted in the mid-1990s because of the condition of the grounds of the Conference winners - has become a natural feature of the English game.

In doing so, too, it opened the door to so many clubs previously restricted to try and make their mark in the Football League.

Just imagine, for a minute though, what might have happened had re-election not been scrapped? What if the team who won the Conference had to rely on a vote to gain membership of the Football League?

Without the change to the rules in 1987, what would fate have held for the likes of Wycombe Wanderers - Buckinghamshire's first professional club long before the MK Dons came into existence?

The Chairboys gained entry into the Football League in 1993 under Martin O'Neill and soon established themselves in what is now League One - remaining there for a decade.

In the past 17 years, they've also made it both the League Cup and FA Cup semi finals - memorably giving Chelsea and Liverpool runs for their respective money. Without automatic promotion, it may never have happened.

Yeovil Town, too, finally reached the promised land in 2004 after near misses in elections. After winning promotion in only their second season, they're now in their sixth consecutive season in the third tier.

Two clubs who, until the rules were changed, would never have been able to be the credit to the Football League they have become. Two counties in Buckinghamshire and Somerset that would never have enjoyed 92 club status.

Some could argue that they would have got there eventually. With persistence, a vote would have gone their way.

Altrincham's Moss Lane could have been a Football League ground in the '80s

Possibly, but history also shows that clubs who missed the boat have never got as close again.

Take the example of Enfield. The Hertfordshire outfit won the Conference title in 1983 and 1986 - the final season of re-election. They missed out in the vote on both occasions.

It was to prove their high point. The club spiralled back down the pyramid and financial problems eventually saw them wound up and a new club created in 2007.

Altrincham, too, are another club who seemed to have missed the Football League boat. The Greater Manchester outfit won the first two Conference titles but lost out in the re-election process both times.

That included, in 1980, losing out by just a single vote. Although they are still in the Conference, they are now a small fish competing alongside a plethora of ex-League teams. They may never return to those same heights.

For every Yeovil, Wycombe, or Boston - who lost out on a vote in 1978 before finally winning promotion in 2002 - there are clubs like Wealdstone and Runcorn who drifted into obscurity when they didn't win election as Conference champions.

The Football League landscape could look very different to what it does now - and not just with the teams who could have made it, but those who've dropped down.

This season's Conference has more of a look of a 'League Three' about it than the top division of Non League football. True, there are still Histons and Eastbournes.

However, a division including the likes of Luton, Grimsby, Mansfield, Wrexham, York, Darlington, and Cambridge deserves respect.

The second relegation place - following on from the removal of re-election - has not only opened the door to many Non League outfits, but also seen an increase in the quality and size of clubs in the Conference.

It's also unlikely the likes of Carlisle, Exeter, Shrewsbury, or Oxford - all relegated from League Two before being subsequently re-promoted - would have ever lost a re-election vote.

All four clubs dropped down but returned stronger than when they went down into the Non Leagues. Arguably, it allowed them to start again and get things moving in the right direction.

Would the Crewe and Dario Gradi story have been the same without re-election?

With re-election, they could have survived by the skin of their teeth and never found any forward momentum - continuing instead to toil around the lower reaches of the basement division.

The argument could even be extended further - what if re-election had never existed in the first place? With the bottom club immediately being relegated, things could have been massively different.

For instance, how about that bastion of good football, producing young talent, and punching above their weight? Crewe Alexandra may be a neutral's favourite, but no club has finished bottom of the Football League more often.

On eight occasions, Alex have finished propping everyone else up. Most recently in 1984, when they survived re-election and temporarily denied Maidstone United a place in the Football League.

Had they slipped down in '84 - the first season under the management of one Dario Gradi - what would have happened to the conveyor belt of talent that produced the likes of David Platt, Danny Murphy, and Robbie Savage?

The Cheshire club may never have enjoyed the success they did in competing in the second tier for a number of years had they lost any one of their re-election votes.

It's also unlikely the term the 'Rochdale Division' would ever have entered the footballing lexicon had Dale lost one of a number of re-election votes they had to endure.

Most notably, just one vote saw them survive the drop in 1980 at the expense of the aforementioned Altrincham. Even in 1978, it was Southport who took the drop at their expense when Wigan Athletic entered the Football League.

Dale spent 36 consecutive seasons in the basement division until promotion last term - nobody has spent a longer continuous spell in it.

They also hold the dubious record of having the lowest average position of all the continuous members of the Football League in the past 90 years. Crucially, though, because of their continued election victories, they are continuous.

However, had they slipped down into the Non Leagues, what would have happened to the Spotland outfit? With so many clubs surrounding them in Lancashire, how long would they have taken to return, if ever?

Fortunately, such questions are no longer restricted to the hypothetical. Common sense prevailed back in '87. The closed shop opened its doors - improved immeasurably for it - and has never looked back since.

It was 1987, truly a special year.

Keith Alexander (1956-2010): A Tribute

If the remit of this website is to champion the lower divisions of English football, few men epitomised them more than Keith Alexander.

The sad news of the passing of the Macclesfield boss on Tuesday evening, aged just 53, has sent shockwaves through the grassroots of the game

Tributes have come flooding in from figures across the footballing world. Almost all have talked about Alexander the manager - a committed, hard-working man; but also the person - warm, larger than life, and "a great guy."

His playing career was unremarkable. A typical lower league journeyman, as a striker he enjoyed spells at Non League clubs in his home county of Nottinghamshire and eventually played for the likes of Barnet, Grimsby, and Mansfield.

As a manager he walked new ground though. In 1993, Lincoln City made him the first black manager in the history of the Football League paving the way for the likes of Paul Ince and Leroy Rosenior.

It was at Sincil Bank where he was to have his greatest success as a manager. His first spell ended in the sack when his young, footballing side struggled in the basement division.

He said the experience had taught him of the dangers of 'too much football' in the lower leagues.

It was a team that included and nurtured the likes of Matt Carbon and Darren Huckerby - players who made the Imps good money when they went on to feature at a higher level.

Spells in Non League with Ilkeston and Northwich followed - here was a man who was just happy to be involved in football, whatever the level.

However, his return to Lincoln in 2001, first as assistant to Alan Buckley before being elevated to the manager's job due to financial reasons, was the beginning of a glorious reign.

City entered administration in 2002 and, having lost some of their most talented and best paid players, were favourites for the drop the following season.

Faced with one of the smallest budgets in the league, Alexander set about dipping into the Non League market he knew so well.

His decision to recruit hungry players with a point to prove in the professional game - men like Ben Futcher, Simon Weaver, and Simon Yeo - was inspired. All three were integral members of the Lincoln team who shocked the division.

The favourites for relegation ended up in the play-off final. A 5-2 defeat to Sean O'Driscoll's classy Bournemouth side couldn't disguise what had been a miraculous achievement though.

It was a sad oversight that he wasn't awarded the manager of the season award in League Two.

His side's uncompromising style and defensive solidity may have upset opposition managers, but it was the classic tale of a manager making the most of scant resources.

Lincoln turned in a profit the following year - a complete turnaround after coming close to going out of business - and their success on the field of play continued too.

However, in November 2003, Alexander suffered a cerebral aneurysm and had life-saving surgery.

It was testament to the spirit he had engendered at 'Team Lincoln' that the Imps once again made the end of season play-offs despite their manager being absent for four months as he recuperated.

Once again they fell short, as was also the case in the following two seasons. His record of taking Lincoln to two national finals is unlikely to ever be matched though.

His time at Sincil Bank also saw him bring in and develop talent like Jamie McCombe, Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Paul Mayo, and Gareth McAuley - all whom went on to play in the Championship.

At his next port of call, Peterborough, he was responsible for the signings of Craig Mackail Smith and Aaron McLean - who helped fire the Cambridgeshire outfit into the second tier.

And in his latest job at Macclesfield, he once again showed his ability to succeed on a tight budget.

It was that kind of achievement which earned him respect throughout the game.

The Sunderland boss Steve Bruce once told a tale of how he had been impressed by Alexander's thoughts on the game.

During a manager's conference, he had taken Alexander's advice over that of future England boss Steve McClaren when his then Birmingham side had been reduced to 10 men during a game.

McClaren had suggested a 4-4-1 formation was the best way to protect a lead, Alexander opted for a 3-3-3. Bruce chose the latter and saw his side win.

His work with the Prince's Trust and in helping children in his native St Lucia to have sporting opportunities was typical of a man with a heart as giant as his stature.

From personal experience, a couple of years ago during work experience at the BBC in Lincoln, I came across 'Big Keef' sitting in the reception.

I weighed up whether I should go over a have a word - congratulate him on his success at Lincoln and thank him for his services as a player at my club, Boston.

It is to my regret that I never found the courage to. Judging by how approachable he was whenever he was at York Street to watch a game, I know he would have welcomed me and appreciated it.

I'll have to make my tribute here, and it was heart-warming to see the England players wearing black armbands in memory of him during their game with Egypt.

It was a mark on the glitzy international stage for a man who spent his career working in the lower, less flashy, reaches of football. Work, and a man, well worth remembering.

R.I.P. Keith Alexander

Nobes.

Big Match Review - Morecambe 3 Lincoln 1

League Two

Morecambe 3-1 Lincoln City

Saturday October 31, Christie Park, Att: (1,701)

Morecambe recorded only their second win of the season as Sammy McIlroy's side comfortably saw off the challange of fellow League Two strugglers Lincoln.

The Shrimps began the game with purpose and took the lead within the first 20 minutes. A short corner routine allowed midfielder Stewart Drummond to get on the end of Craig Stanley's cross to head past Rob Burch in the City goal for his third goal of the season.

And the home side were 2-0 up just before the break, this time courtesy of Phil Jevons. The on-loan striker was fouled in the box by Imps defender Moses Swaibu and stepped up to convert the penalty himself.

The points were sealed nine minutes into the second period when Jevons capitalised on poor defending to pull the back back for Paul Mullin to convert the easiest of tap-ins.

Lincoln at least found themselves on the scoresheet with a consolation goal late on. Former Shrimps forward Rene Howe, on loan at Lincoln from Peterborough, finding space in the box to fire high into the net.

However, things were to end on a sour note for Chris Sutton's team when youngster Eric Lichaj was sent off aiming a kick at Morecambe's Laurence Wilson.

A welcome three points for the Lancashire outfit who move up to 20th in League Two and to within a point and place of their troubled opponents.

Big Match Preview

League Two

Morecambe vs. Lincoln City

Saturday October 31, 15:00, Christie Park

Two basement division sides who could do with a win meet on the Lancashire coast this weekend as Chris Sutton takes his Lincoln City team to face fellow strugglers Morecambe.

For the hosts, in their last season at their Christie Park home before a move to a new stadium, it's been a disappointing start to the campaign. Just one win, ironically against big-spending Notts County, has been garnered this term.

Much was expected of the Shrimps after the summer signings of Ian Craney and Phil Jevons, both on loan from Huddersfield, and the subsequent capture of Accrington target man Paul Mullin.

However, things haven't quite gone to plan for Sammy McIlroy's men, with too many draws - nine in total - being their biggest frustration this term. That includes five stalemates on home turf where their unbeaten home record was ended by Northampton last weekend.

They'll be looking to get back to winning ways for the visit of Lincoln therefore, with the club, promoted to the Football League in 2007, lying just two points and two places above the drop zone back to the Conference.

Much will depend on loan man Jevons, a profitable striker at this level, the former Yeovil man has six goals to his name already this term. Midfielders Stewart Drummond and Michael Twiss have also been key figures again for the Lancashire outfit.

It's been a similarly disappointing start to the campaign for their opponents this weekend. Lincoln parted company with boss Peter Jackson last month after three defeats in their first five league games.

His eventual replacement turned out to be former England striker Chris Sutton, taking over at Sincil Bank for his first managerial role. Assisted by ex-Blackburn teammate Ian Pearce, the Imps have taken seven points from their four games under the new manager.

Chris Sutton is in his first managerial job at struggling Lincoln

That included 1-0 wins over Aldershot and Macclesfield, but City have gone two games without scoring in defeat at Northampton and then last weekend's draw against another struggling side in Torquay.

Indeed, goals have been hard to come by for Lincoln with just nine registered in their 14 league games. Four of those have come from striker Rene Howe, on loan at the club until the New Year from Peterborough.

Striker Chris Fagan, a product of Glenn Hoddle's academy in Spain after being released by Manchester United, has bagged three goals this term too, and is one of just four players to find the back of the net for Sutton's side.

Only bottom of the league Darlington have lost more games on the road this season as well, so the Imps, fresh from their first draw of the season, will be happy to take a similar result back with them to the East Midlands.

However, the Shrimps will be looking to bounce back from their first home loss of the campaign in their previous game, and a Lincoln side who struggle to score may well face the backlash. A tight game with few goals, just in favour of the home team.

Nobes' Prediction: Morecambe 1 Lincoln City 0

Lincoln take gamble on Sutton

Chris Sutton's successful strike partnership with Alan Shearer at Blackburn was affectionately known as SAS by Rovers fans.

Now the former England international has answered League Two Lincoln's SOS in taking his first steps into management.

The Imps, who sacked manager Peter Jackson earlier this month, have lost their last three games, and lie just three points off the drop zone.

Vice chairman Bob Dorrian, in outlining the search for Jackson's replacement, said the club were looking for a, "young, up-and-coming manager with good coaching skills."

And, although all of the former two can be applied to the 36-year-old, Sutton is a complete managerial novice and resembles a huge gamble by the City board.

Even his assistant, Ian Pearce, has no managerial experience, and both will be unfamiliar with the goings-on in the basement division. Indeed, a lack of experience seems rife throughout the club.

After failing to impress last season with a more experienced squad, Jackson's summer transfer policy turned towards recruiting younger, hungry players. However, after two wins in their opening three games, a poor run saw the club lose to Dagenham and Burton and drop out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

It was enough to see the former Huddersfield boss dismissed. Caretaker Simon Clark bemoaned the lack of experience amongst the playing staff though, and the need for more experience.

Why then have the Imps board chosen a novice to guide the way for a young group of players? Youth has its advantages, but the need for a solid spine of experience, players with nous, who are streetwise in League Two, are required for success.

Lincoln's sole win in the last seven games has come against rock-bottom Darlington, and when a young side gets onto a poor run, it can be hard to recover confidence. Youth may have no fear, but it lacks the experience in handling defeat.

Unsurprisingly, the appointment has been met with a combination of anxiety and disbelief. Former Nottingham Forest coach John Pemberton and ex-Cambridge boss Gary Brabin had been strongly linked with the post before Sutton's shock appointment.

It's difficult to see how either could have been less qualified for the position than Sutton (left). However, after the controversial sacking of Jackson, Lincoln appear to be willing to take a punt on a younger manager coming good.

Failure, and chairman Steff Wright, whose tenure has largely been poor, will face more calls to fall on his sword, as well as Sutton departing. The stakes are even higher for the club who became the first to be automatically relegated from the Football League in 1987. A repeat cannot be allowed to happen this time around.

Lincoln have rolled their dice.

Nobes.

Impatient Imps dismiss Jackson

They used to crank up an old air raid siren at Lincoln when the home side won a corner. Now it's the sound of a panic alarm reverberating around Sincil Bank. Just seven games into the season, and the Imps have sacked manager Peter Jackson.

It's a far cry from a couple of seasons ago. The club were struggling at the wrong end of League Two and relegation to the Conference for the first time in 20 years looked a possibility.

In came Jackson, and the former Huddersfield boss turned fortunes around - the appointment was heralded a huge success. Fans and board alike were energised, falling in love with the Yorkshireman's passion and enthusiasm for the game and club.

Then, in 2008, when Jackson was diagnosed with throat cancer, the fans and club rallied around and supported him as he made his recovery. He had been embraced into the Lincoln family - a match made in heaven it seemed.

So where has it all gone wrong, and how has it come to this less than a month into the new campaign?

Fans will point to a disappointing season last time out. After a summer of expensive recruits like former Leicester man Frank Sinclair, Jackson declared his squad, "the envy of League Two," and sent out a clear message that the Imps would be challenging for promotion.

They didn't. A frustrating campaign, where they managed just six victories on home soil, saw home crowds take a dive. Supporters who had been promised so much felt badly let down.

Twelve months on, and Jackson downplayed his side's chances, preferring to keep quiet and learn from his error last season. However, despite winning two of their opening three matches, dispiriting losses to Burton and Dagenham, where fans turned on the manager, saw the side continue in last term's inconsistent form.

Last night's loss at League Two's bottom club, Darlington, in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy was the final straw. Indeed, the board, in their statement, indicated that the exit from two cup competitions so early on was a factor in their decision.

However, should it have been? The JPT is not a huge money-spinning competition and, as attendances show, fans only really start to care about it when their side gets to the semi-final stage. It's not a competition that should influence a manager losing his job.

And then in the League Cup, despite a good performance, they lost 1-0 to Championship side Barnsley. Were they expecting to beat a side two divisions above them? It was a tough fixture that the South Yorkshire side were always the favourites in. No, Jackson should not be blamed for that defeat.

So what about the league form. Just five games have been played, and although City lie 16th, they're just three points from the play-off places. Not a disastrous start to the season by any means.

And, although Dagenham and Burton are smaller clubs, losing to them is not a disgrace. The Daggers are top of the table after all, and Burton are an unknown package having been promoted last season. Performances may have been poor - but where does the responsibility of the players come into matters?

Jackson had been in charge at Lincoln since 2007

However, this is football, where common sense seems to have no place or merit. Explaining the dismissal, Chairman Stef Wright referred to the anti-climax of last season as part of the reasoning.

If this was the case, why then did the board agree a new contract with the manager in January? Why not simply allow Jackson's contract to run down and him leave at the end of the campaign?

Why allow him to continue for a few games this season, tell him he has no more budget to strengthen with, then spend a lot of money paying him compensation when giving him his P45? The nonsensical nature of how to run a football club.

Wright is a poor chairman though, and he has proven it in the past. Ever since replacing Rob Bradley, he has overseen a downward trend at the club. If anyone should leave, it should be him.

Lincoln's major problem though is that they were spoiled during Keith Alexander's reign at the club. He led the club to four successive play-off finishes, the first of which was totally against the odds with the club freshly out of administration.

His replacement, John Schofield, also led the Imps to the play-offs, where they lost for a fifth successive season, a League record. However, Schofield paid the price for a poor start the following campaign.

Alexander's legacy is now a raised bar at the Bank though. Fans expect their club, who had previously never made the play-offs, to now challenge for them every season. City have been in the basement division for 11 years though, and only the man known as 'Big Keef' has brought them any success.

They are far from one of the biggest or richest clubs at that level and competing is always going to be difficult. However, fans don't want to hear or accept this. Lincoln supporters were unhappy with the style of football under Alexander, despite the results. Then they quickly turned on Schofield, and now Jackson.

Yes, in harsh economic times, football teams almost become even more important. People look to their club to bring them joy during hard times, especially at home matches, and City were struggling to do that.

However, the season is still so young, and this was a time for everyone at Sincil Bank to hold their nerve, back the manager, and give him the time he needed to get the side challenging. They have failed spectacularly.

"We are Imps," the fans sing on the terraces. "We are Impatient," might be more appropriate. This sacking is largely supporter driven, and City fans have got their wishes.

And if they also get their way, John Ward (left), the former Carlisle and Cheltenham boss, and Lincoln player, will fill the vacant manager's seat. Then again, they do say to be careful what you wish for. Jackson is better off without them.

Nobes.