82/83 Comparisons | Page 14 | Vital Football

82/83 Comparisons

I still think we still have a good chance of finishing 3rd. Admittedly we probably need to win the next three games (not easy against Hull and Burton), but Sunderland have Blackpool, Hull and Accrington in that time, so one win more than them and we would be two points behind with a game in hand.
 
Gameweek 39:

An Easter Monday clash against vastly improving Walsall saw a holiday gate of 4,871, the best at Sincil Bank since the Pompey game on February 16th.

An Imps side of: Felgate, Simmonite, Neale, Cockerill, Peake, Brazier, Burke, Turner, Moss, Bell, Shipley (sub Hibberd) saw a brilliant left foot strike on the half volley from the edge of the box by Ernie Moss in the first half. Another penalty by the ever reliable Derek Bell resulted in a 2-1 victory, keeping The Imps just 3 pts behind 3rd placed Huddersfield Town.

38 years later, a 2nd half demolition of a similarly mid-table MK Dons side, inspired by Forest loanee Brennan Johnson who notched an incredible 11 minute hat-trick. The Imps are back up to 4th place with confidence fully restored and key players returning.

Up next, 3rd from bottom Millwall away, whereas today's Imps have 3rd from bottom Bristol Rovers away .... uncanny or what?

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Gameweek 40:

38 years ago The Imps travelled to the intimidating surroundings of The Den in New Cross, home of struggling Millwall. I didn't go, neither did my Dad and I doubt many Imps fans did either? The team of: Felgate, Simmonite, Neale, Cockerill, Peake, Brazier, Turner, Moss, Hobson, Burke, Shipley. City didn't field a substitute on the bench and were also missing the influential Steve Thompson and Derek Bell.

Millwall took the lead when Felgate could only push out Dean Neal's shot and Ian Stewart fired home. Gordon Hobson equalised for The Imps when he caught Peter Wells off his line with a well executed lob in the 33rd minute. Sadly The Lions wrapped up 3 crucial relegation points for them, with the winner in the 64th minute when the dangerous Neal netted with a brave diving header. 3,775 were in attendance for an improving side under George Graham, and one we would meet later in the month in the Football League Trophy Final.

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Almost 4 decades later the Mighty Imps travelled to relegation threatened Bristol Rovers, and came away with a hard earned 1-0 victory thanks to the ever reliable Anthony Scully, who just keeps popping up with key goals. A side without Walsh, Jackson, Bridcutt, Grant and Hopper who are all guaranteed starters, proves the 2020/21 Imps are made of sterner stuff.

Next up for today's Imps is an equally tough away fixture at a vastly improved Burton Albion under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Back in 1983 a home game against lower mid-table Wrexham awaited.

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Norfolk Imp said:
38 years ago The Imps travelled to the intimidating surroundings of The Den in New Cross, home of struggling Millwall. I didn't go, neither did my Dad and I doubt many Imps fans did either? The team of: Felgate, Simmonite, Neale, Cockerill, Peake, Brazier, Turner, Moss, Hobson, Burke, Shipley. City didn't field a substitute on the bench and were also missing the influential Steve Thompson and Derek Bell.
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Stuart Hibberd was an unused substitute. Steve Thompson, Chris Thompson and Derek Bell were all injured.

I was there and don't remember any feeling of intimidation, although Maurice Burton did report in the Echo that visiting supporters were kept in the ground for half an hour after the final whistle.
 
Gameweek 41:

So after the disappointing defeat in South London, the Imps faced mid-table Wrexham with little to play for. A side of: Felgate, Simmonite, Neale, Burke, Peake, Brazier, Turner, Moss, Hobson, Bell, Shipley (sub Thompson C) were comfortable winners in front of a disappointing 3,515 crowd at Sincil Bank.

Phil Turner scored his 3rd goal of the season, with Ernie Moss netting his 2nd, but despite the victory The Imps remained 6 pts behind the promotion places with just 5 games remaining.

Here in 2021, The Imps faced Burton Albion at The Perelli Stadium winning 1-0 thanks to a superb headed goal by TJ Eyoma, his first for the club. The goal came from a well worked corner, and a pinpoint cross from the ever improving Tayo Edun. A 12th away win of the season eclipses the 75/76' winning campaign's efforts, with only 3 defeats in 20 matches in the process.

This victory cements The Imps position in the L2 Play-Off slots drawing level with 3rd placed Sunderland, who drew 2-2 away at table topping Hull City. The Tigers from the other side of the Humber Swamp are next up at the LNER/Sincil Bank. I can guarantee the ground would've been packed to its 10,200 rafters if this blasted Covid pandemic hadn't prevented fans from attending.

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Norfolk Imp said:
This victory cements The Imps position in the L2 Play-Off slots drawing level with 3rd placed Sunderland, who drew 2-2 away at table topping Hull City. The Tigers from the other side of the Humber Swamp are next up at the LNER/Sincil Bank. I can guarantee the ground would've been packed to its 10,200 rafters if this blasted Covid pandemic hadn't prevented fans from attending.
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Too right - imagine the atmosphere at SB on Saturday, and at London Road the following week if we'd been in this position in 'normal times'. Sigh.....
 
Chesterimp said:
Too right - imagine the atmosphere at SB on Saturday, and at London Road the following week if we'd been in this position in 'normal times'. Sigh.....
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Off the scale I would say ... thousands locked outside for both games too (not literally) such would be the demand.
 
I'll miss not going to Posh next week, especially as it's only 8 miles from my house!

It's my nearest league ground. I think that in all the years I have lived round here (we first moved this way from Lincoln on 1st May, 1971, so fifty years ago!) I have only ever been to London Road twice without Lincoln City being involved; in 1978 I went alone to watch Posh play Tranmere Rovers (it finished 1-0) and then in 1983 I went with a Posh fan (who I played football with at the time) to watch them come back from a first leg 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in the League Cup to see them win by the same scoreline in the second leg which went to extra time and there were no further goals. Posh won the game 4-2 on penalties.
The first time I saw City play there was the famous 4-4 draw in February 1972 followed by another draw (2-2) later that same year (September). I have since been many times to that fixture but my favourite one was two days before Christmas in 2006, the Ryan Amoo game!
 
Impalex said:
I'll miss not going to Posh next week, especially as it's only 8 miles from my house!

It's my nearest league ground. I think that in all the years I have lived round here (we first moved this way from Lincoln on 1st May, 1971, so fifty years ago!) I have only ever been to London Road twice without Lincoln City being involved; in 1978 I went alone to watch Posh play Tranmere Rovers (it finished 1-0) and then in 1983 I went with a Posh fan (who I played football with at the time) to watch them come back from a first leg 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in the League Cup to see them win by the same scoreline in the second leg which went to extra time and there were no further goals. Posh won the game 4-2 on penalties.
The first time I saw City play there was the famous 4-4 draw in February 1972 followed by another draw (2-2) later that same year (September). I have since been many times to that fixture but my favourite one was two days before Christmas in 2006, the Ryan Amoo game!
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Yes that Amoo brace game was very special wasn’t it? To take 2,250 fans away back then was quite rare, compared to recently when we could’ve expected almost double that to travel down the A15 now.

My only non-Imps visit was way back in 81’ when my uncle took me to the FA Cup tie v Man City, Tommy Booth headed the winner at the away end, I think there was over 25k or something crammed inside London Road, but we were comfortably sat in the Main Stand.

When is their new stadium due to open?
 
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