“At first, like many other fans, I wasn’t too keen on the appointment.”


The last time Lincoln City met today’s opponents Fleetwood Town was at Highbury Stadium on Friday 13th April 2012 in front of 4,511. This match finished 2-2 and resulted in their promotion party being put on hold. The Imps were 2-0 ahead after 20 minutes, with goals from Jamie Taylor (8′) and Jefferson Louis (20′). Jamie Vardy scored both of the Fleetwood Town goals that night (45′ & 49′).

The last time the two sides met at Sincil Bank was earlier in the 2011/12 season, on Friday 14th October. The Fishermen won 3-1 that night in front of a crowd of 2,332. Josh O’Keefe put The Imps ahead in the 42nd minute, but 3 goals in the second half from Ryan Jackson (53′ & 72′) and Andy Mangan (65′) secured all three points for the visitors.

Time for the Q&As. Thank you to Fleetwood Town supporters Ellie, Rick and Ben for answering our questions. The answers have been published on three pages. To get to the answers provided by Rick and Ben, simply click their names, or press “click here for the next set of answers!” at the bottom of the page!

First up, the answers provided by Ellie:

How long have you supported Fleetwood Town?

I’ve supported Fleetwood for around 12 years now, I have been attending games with my dad ever since I was 6.

Where did you finish last season?

We finished 11th, a good start to Barton’s managerial role.

What do you think of your Manager?

At first, like many other fans, I wasn’t too keen on the appointment, but I trusted the chairman and I like the way it’s panned out. There were certain moves that Joey made that the fans (including I) weren’t a lot sure on but it was for the best in the long run!

In my opinion, he’s a great manager and he knows the club’s ambitions, you’ll see this side to him if you watch our documentary that’s coming out soon.

Who Are The League One Managers? No.10: Joey Barton (Fleetwood Town)

What are your hopes and expectations for the 2019/20 season?

I attended the fans forum and from what I heard; I’m hoping for a top 6 finish. We have a strong squad and have the potential to reach the playoffs, maybe even automatics!

One(s) to watch?

Jordan Rossiter. A fantastic addition to the squad, in my opinion, on loan from Rangers. He’s a young lad who has got a good career ahead of him, he’s quick on the ball and makes great passes. I’ve heard him be called the ‘next Steven Gerrard’, so he’s one to watch!

Keep an eye out for Madden, as well as Hunter too!

Which teams you think will finish in the top six?

Ipswich Town, Blackpool, Lincoln City, Sunderland, Fleetwood Town and Doncaster Rovers.

Which teams do you think will finish in the bottom three?

Oxford United, Accrington Stanley, Southend United/Bolton Wanderers.

What are your thoughts on Lincoln City?

Being promoted from League Two, there doesn’t tend to be any high expectations from recently promoted clubs. In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting a jaw-dropping start from Lincoln, but I’ve happily been proved wrong! Lincoln are ones to watch this season and will be the underdogs.

What do you think the score will be?

I reckon it will be a tight game, so I’ll go with a 2-2 draw.

Random fact about your Club?

We are the only club in the Football League without a train station, but that’s another story to tell!

If you could steal one Lincoln City player for your own team, who would it be and why?

Cian Bolger! He might not have been the favourite of everyone else at Fleetwood, but he certainly was mine! The lad has a bullet header and scored his first goal for Fleetwood against one of our rivals, Southport! He was in our 16/17 playoff squad. That was a very special season pushing towards promotion and I will cherish that season forever!

What are your proudest and most embarrassing moments as a Fleetwood Town Supporter?

My proudest moment would be being promoted to the Football League back in the 2011/12 season. Although it did end up with Vardy going to Leicester, watching my hometown club being promoted to league two was an amazing feeling.

My most embarrassing moment would be the latest game we played against local rivals, Blackpool. Just the thought of that Delfouneso 94-minute goal makes me cringe!

Who would you say is your most underrated player?

I’d like to say the academy players that have recently been playing in the first team, the likes of Barry Baggley, Ryan Rydel and James Hill. It’s nice to watch up and coming players and it’s good to watch them develop. They’re only around 17/18 and they have a long way to go in their footballing careers but these lads do have potential!

Do you have a Supporters Trust and what role do they play at the Club?

We have a supporters club but not an awful lot of us are involved as the club is like a family and community itself.

Which was your favourite match involving Fleetwood Town?

A bit of a weird one but playing Hereford away in the FA Cup! It was a new ground for me and both legs were broadcasted, the winner would play Leicester. The pundits were so set on a ‘cupset’ due to our disappointing prior form, but we managed to pull it out the bag and got through to the next round!

Which was your least favourite match involving Fleetwood Town?

Barnsley away last season. I bet you can’t guess why!

Do you have a Former Players Association at Fleetwood Town?

Yes, we do! They meet every so often at our training ground, Poolfoot Farm.

What’s the best thing about Fleetwood?

Being a Fleetwood girl born and raised at a time where the fishing industry has been and gone, it’s a bit of a difficult question to answer. I’d say the time people have for you to chat about Fleetwood’s heritage. I know for a fact the people of Fleetwood will happily chat about how it was growing up working on trawlers, having that real community feel and watching their loved ones come back home on the trawlers from their period at sea. Don’t forget to try the fish and chips whilst you’re here, although it isn’t ‘Fleetwood fish’ like it should be!

Will this match be all about Joey Barton?

Every game is about him in the eyes of the opposition.

Are the fans, in general, happy that Ched Evans is at the club?

Extremely happy! It’s great to see him back in the number 9 shirt, it was vacant until he signed for a reason. He put the icing on the cake when he made his first appearance this season for the club by scoring!

Are the club overachieving? Is the current level sustainable?

We’ve ‘overachieved’ for the past 14 years. If somebody told my dad 14 years ago that Fleetwood Town would be in the Football League in the future, he would have laughed. We’ve had the great help of our chairman these past years and the people of Fleetwood couldn’t be more grateful for what he’s done for us! This current level is sustainable.

This season’s attendances haven’t got near 3,000 and look down on last year. Any truth that Blackpool fans were showing up at Highbury during Oyston’s reign?

Of course, they were! Some people have even changed to supporting Fleetwood, which is a bit wrong in my opinion but it’s more attendance for us! During Oyston’s reign, Blackpool fans did disperse into the local teams of the Fylde such as; AFC Fylde, AFC Blackpool and other non-league sides.

Are you related to Fleetwood Mac?

Unfortunately, no, but they do have some good songs!

Page Two: The answers provided by Rick!

Page Three: The answers provided by Ben!

And now for the answers provided by Rick:

How long have you supported Fleetwood Town?

I was at Wembley in 1985 to watch them lose in the FA Vase Final to Halesowen however I got more involved as a supporter when Andy Pilley took over who I have known 20+ years so have followed his journey.

Where did you finish last season?

11th which for a club our size is always good to finish clear of safety.

What do you think of your Manager?

No pun intended but for me, the jury is still out. He seems to have the passion, and obviously he has the football experience, but seems to still make “interesting” decisions.

Who Are The League One Managers? No.10: Joey Barton (Fleetwood Town)

What are your hopes and expectations for the 2019/20 season?

I actually think for the first time we have some strength and depth in the squad, so even though we are “little” Fleetwood the playoffs aren’t out of the question. We also proved our capabilities last year getting wins against the so called big boys like Sunderland.

One(s) to watch?

Harry Souttar at the back has been an excellent acquisition at the back. Was with us for part of last year and signed a season-long loan this year. Very assured with his feet and wins most things in the air. Our jewel in the crown though is Paddy Madden. Excellent work rate, tenacious and knows where the back of the net is.

Which teams you think will finish in the top six?

I see Ipswich winning the league, and the big boys ie Sunderland and despite their bad start Pompey wont be far away. I think Peterborough will be challenging and Coventry seem to have had a good start. Then the remaining places are open to a lot. It’s a very competitive league this year.

Which teams do you think will finish in the bottom three?

With Bury’s sad news which is a travesty and Bolton Wanderers although saved are gone this year. I think Southend United and Accrington Stanley although early in the season look favourites for the drop.

What are your thoughts on Lincoln City?

A great addition to League One. Playoffs the previous year and Champions last year means you have earnt your place. A great start to the season not even conceding a goal, however, will be interesting to see how you bounce back after 2 defeats. Just hopefully not this Saturday.

What do you think the score will be?

Both teams have scored in every game so far so it’s one for the BTTS coupon. Considering your 2 recent defeats I will go for a 2-1 Fleetwood victory, however, I wouldn’t be too despondent with a draw

Random fact about your Club?

We had a world record breaker with Fleetwood legend Nathan Pond, His achievement has been officially recognised by Guinness as a world record under the title of ‘the most football divisions played in for one club by an individual.’ He won six promotions in ten seasons during his 11-year Highbury career, played in seven different divisions

If you could steal one Lincoln City player for your own team, who would it be and why?

With you new to the League I sadly has the time to study your squad, however, I suspect there would be a few players would be happy to have at Highbury.

What are your proudest and most embarrassing moments as a Fleetwood Town Supporter?

Proudest moment was when a very good friend (Pompey fan) travelled up last year to watch the game. Afterwards, I took him to Poolfoot, our £9million training ground. He spent the first 10 minutes taking photos, and couldn’t believe “little old Fleetwood” could have such facilities.

Who would you say is your most underrated player?

I wouldn’t say underrated but at the moment Ash Hunter isn’t getting the game time so could easily be on the bench tomorrow. He is 100% a game-changer though.

Which was your favourite match involving Fleetwood Town?

Has to be when we finally got the better of Blackpool winning 3-2 at home last year. I love the fact we are now in the same league as Blackpool so any game with them is something to look forward to. Ex Prem team vs ex Non-league so the expectation is always for them to win.

Which was your least favourite match involving Fleetwood Town?

Last year’s 94-minute winner for Blackpool was hard to take.

Will this match be all about Joey Barton?

Not for us, a lot of opposing fans like to concentrate on Joey and/or Ched but doesn’t faze either person.

Are the fans, in general, happy that Ched Evans is at the club?

Yes, good to see we can get players of his ability at the club. He needs to prove his fitness but certainly an asset.

Are the club overachieving? Is the current level sustainable?

100% overachieving however I love this fact. People are waiting for it to all fall down around us, but we are improving not declining. It is sustainable while Andy is at the helm. I knew Andy when he was running a Sunday league side. He loves his football and is doing the same here but with his wealth now, he can do it with a professional football club.

This season’s attendances haven’t got near 3,000 and look down on last year. Any truth that Blackpool fans were showing up at Highbury during Oyston’s reign?

A few would have been down just to watch football during their battle with Oysten and the #notapennymore campaign however not that many. Fleetwood population is only 26k and no surrounding towns, so it will never be big crowds. I remember when we drew Bristol City away in the cup and that emphasised it all. The population of Fleetwood 26k Capacity of Ashton Gate 27k.

Are you related to Fleetwood Mac?

No, but glad when they changed the music coming out of the tunnel as it used to be them.

Page One: The answers provided by Ellie!

Page Three: The answers provided by Ben!

And finally, the answers provided by Ben:

How long have you supported Fleetwood Town?

I’ve followed Fleetwood 7 seasons now! Seen a few promotions and seen us grow and grow in League One!

Where did you finish last season?

A very solid 11th.

What do you think of your Manager?

I really like our manager Joey Barton! He’s had history but he’s learning in a new role and he’s starting to thrive. He has made mistakes but he’s starting to become such a good young manager! Hopefully, he can take us to the next step! Dare to dream we’ve won 6 promotions in 10 years and had a steady 5 years in League One Why can Barton not take us up!

Who Are The League One Managers? No.10: Joey Barton (Fleetwood Town)

What are your hopes and expectations for the 2019/20 season?

My hopes are Top 10, to be better than last year. We have a much better squad this year in Paul Coutts, Josh Morris, Danny Andrew. Very good players at this level!

One(s) to watch?

Paddy Madden! 4 goals in last 4 and over 100 EFL League Goals! He works so hard for the team as well!

Which teams you think will finish in the top six?

I think personally think Lincoln will make it into the top 6! They have decent players and such a good manager! Think Ipswich Town, Pompey, Blackpool, Peterborough United, Sunderland and Lincoln!

Which teams do you think will finish in the bottom three?

Bolton Wanderers, Southend United and AFC Wimbledon.

What are your thoughts on Lincoln City?

Really like Lincoln, good side have good ethos about them, a good manager who has promotions on his CV! Great fans electric home fans buzzing to visit the ground!

What do you think the score will be?

0-1 Fleetwood.

Random fact about your Club?

Alfie Boe is a Fleetwood Town Fan.

If you could steal one Lincoln City player for your own team, who would it be and why?

Jack Payne! Loved him since his time at Oxford. Did well at Bradford and such a good playmaker and makes things happen.

What are your proudest and most embarrassing moments as a Fleetwood Town Supporter?

Proudest beating Burton 0-1 to win at Wembley to secure promotion.

Most Embarrassing possibly losing 2-0 at home to Gillingham worst performance I’ve seen from a Fleetwood side in a long long time!

Who would you say is your most underrated player?

Ashley Eastham very solid centre back and a real leader at the back.

Do you have a Supporters Trust and what role do they play at the Club?

Yes, we do, they have monthly meetings and sponsor a player and try and have an impact with this amazing club.

Which was your favourite match involving Fleetwood Town?

Not including Wembley beating Mansfield 5-4 at home! What a game!

Which was your least favourite match involving Fleetwood Town?

Gillingham at home 17/18 season. We lost 0-2.

Do you have a Former Players Association at Fleetwood Town?

Yes, we do.

What’s the best thing about Fleetwood?

The Football Club. It’s an amazing community club.

Will this match be all about Joey Barton?

It’s not all about Barton for me it’s about the Club. And putting a good performance to be proud of.

Are the fans, in general, happy that Ched Evans is at the club?

When Ched Came back there was a real sense of belief! To beat of bigger clubs for him is massive! He thrived here last year let’s hope he can do it again.

Are the club overachieving? Is the current level sustainable?

The club is small but we are ambitious and are possibly are overachieving with our home gates however fans don’t win games and that’s been proven on the pitch in recent years!

This season’s attendances haven’t got near 3,000, and look down on last year. Any truth that Blackpool fans were showing up at Highbury during Oyston’s reign?

We haven’t had the so-called “ Big Boys of League One” Yet we’ve had smaller clubs similar to ourselves it should pick itself up when we play Portsmouth, Blackpool, Bolton and Sunderland.

Are you related to Fleetwood Mac?

No!

Page One: The answers provided by Ellie!

Page Two: The answers provided by Rick!

Exit mobile version