Build Up: Delighted with Easter wins and the league can be parked. Good week training with early recovery sessions, two training days and one to come on Saturday away from Lincoln. No injuries reported.
Fans & Community: Proud of the colours throughout the city, what it means to businesses, shops and the whole community. It has been a whole city, county and community effort. Overwhelmed by good wishes. Lincoln is a wonderful place, not enough people know about it and they should do. People should visit and see the facilities. Almost 27k fans was beyond their dreams but shows what can be achieved when everybody pulls together. Special mentions for match mascots Jack and Harvey; also Mick Bull recovering from his heart attack who was desperately still trying to be there. Unconditional support/loyalty against Crewe resonated with them, will remain long in the memory. Referenced how many fans had talked about the Graham Taylor, Keith Alexander, Colin Murphy days and lasting impact. Wanted Wembley to be the legacy that locks a new generation in for life to be talked about in forty years time.
Match Day: Excited but will be completely focused on the day. Football fog will descend on Sunday and everything else will be zoned out. Pitch variables (size/quality) have been taken into account with tactical tweaks accordingly. Will be keeping a close eye on the player’s body language to ensure their nerves will be converted into energy. Will be wearing a suit before and after the game but not pitchside – too lively to wear a suit in the game. Two Academy players in the matchday squad. Great experience for them also reward and encouragement to the work from the academy which was self-funded during the non-league years. Will be focused on the early part of the match to pick it apart, spot patterns and make game decisions.
Shrewsbury: Toughest game since Arsenal. Hurst/Doig are FL management duo of the year. Amazing job turned them around from relegation threat in such a short time. Recruited brilliantly, hungry fit players (several non-league) who work so hard for their managers and the team are really together. However, The Imps are not going for a day out, at their fitness peak for the season, taking a wealth of experience and confidence from last years FA Cup run into the game. Used to fighting with his managerial background, being underdogs and if the players can get to the best levels they have demonstrated in the season then Imps can be competitive on the day.
Miscellaneous: Great/proud that people who have been with them will be there. Parents will have more comfortable seats at Wembley than Concord, some Concord and Braintree people coming and will be dressed up in red and white as Imps for the day. Dreamt of this day as a child but never really expect it to happen. Too many near misses and felt jinxed especially with the Chelsea equaliser and Sam’s penalty not given in the shootout. Targeted this competition and put a lot of energy into it as they are used to winning and wanted a realistic achievement year on year. Even ineligible players are coming as he wants everyone to experience the day with half an eye on playoffs. 133 years too long for our wonderful club not to have been there; a travesty and does not want the wait to be as long next time.
https://www.facebook.com/bbclincolnshiresport/videos/1884634078236766/
DC: "our toughest opponents since Arsenal":https://t.co/bQNvO4alTB#ImpsAsOne #Shrewsbury #CheckatradeTrophyFinal
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) April 6, 2018
https://www.facebook.com/VitalLincolnCity/posts/1651544201548485
