Ahead of tomorrow’s match at home versus Carlisle United in League One, which will be refereed by Tom Nield, we have done a Q&A with one of their supporters. Thank you to Lee from The Brunton Bugle Podcast for answering our questions!
QUIZ: How much can you remember from the last time The Imps played Carlisle United in a League match at Sincil Bank? Have a go at our quiz here or further down the page!
You can discuss what has been said in this article here, or in the comments at the bottom as well as get involved with our pre-match discussion, and many other topics on our 100% Imps forum!
How long have you supported Carlisle United?
Since December 1994 – this is my 30th season following the club and there’s never a dull moment!
What are your hopes and expectations for the 2023/24 season?
Staying up and establishing ourselves at League One level. Last season’s promotion was unexpected and probably one or two seasons ahead of schedule. We’re working with probably one of smallest budgets in the division so we’ll have to do things a bit differently but I’m confident we can get ourselves away from trouble.
What are your views on your manager?
A club legend – the man could walk on water. Paul Simpson is in his second spell as boss and arguably the promotion he got this time around (to go with the two he picked up in the mid-00s) is the best of the lot. To take a side with a bottom-six budget (after just avoiding relegation the following season) up via the play-offs was a minor miracle. Seems really happy and committed to the club, having a local lad in charge of your team really is something special – especially when they’re half decent at the job! He’s basically got the job as long as he wants it.
Style of play and tactics – direct/passing/hybrid?
We generally playing 3-5-2 and can be quite direct but I wouldn’t say we’re long ball. We do like to play nice football in the final third and we also have an ability to switch to 4-3-3 quite easily as one of our centre-backs has played midfield in the past (and he tends to bomb forward as much as he can anyway).
One(s) to watch now and in the future?
Owen Moxon: arguably the best player in League Two last season, signed from Annan Athletic last summer. Local lad who left our academy at 16 and has now returned to be the key man – 16 assists and 6 goals from midfield. We’ve got a job on to keep him long-term but hopefully, with our impending takeover completing soon, we’ll have the resources to make sure he stays.
Jon Mellish: the aforementioned marauding centre-back! Plays on the left side of the back three and has a licence to get forward (one of our co-hosts on the pod described him as a “box-to-box defender”). A proper cult hero with the fans, will run all day, often doesn’t know what he’s going to do next but neither do the opposition. You’ll see him in attack as much as in defence. A real wind-up merchant too.
Joshua Kayode: Signed for us on-loan from Rotherham United on deadline day – it’s his third temporary spell at Brunton Park. Big, strong striker who wins a lot in the air, we’re hoping he’s the missing link in terms of a targetman in this team. Also has a huge long-throw on him.
Random fact about your Club?
I’ll give you a few…
- Everyone remembers Jimmy Glass’ goal that kept us in the league in 1999, but did you know that another goalkeeper scored for us two seasons later? Peter Keen scored with a drop-kick from his own area in a 3-2 defeat against Blackpool in October 2000.
- We were the first English team to beat Roma in the Olympic Stadium, winning 3-2 against them in the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1972.
- We hold the record for having the youngest ever manager in the Football League – Ivor Broadis was appointed as player-manager at the age of 23 in 1946. Three years later, he transferred himself to Sunderland for £18,000 – just over £500k in today’s money.
Which were your favourite and least favourite matches involving Carlisle United?
Favourites:
- My first game – Carlisle United 3 Bury 0, 27 Dec 1994 (we were top, Bury were second – sold-out 12,000 crowd).
- The Jimmy Glass game – will never, ever feel that same euphoric feeling of that goal going in again.
- Carlisle United 3 Leeds United 1, Nov 2007 – Beating them to go top of the league infront of 16,000 fans. Incredible day.
- The play-off final at Wembley last May – the turnaround from where we were in the previous season made it a really special day.
Least favourite:
- Carlisle United 1 Cheltenham Town 1, April 2004 – Result that relegated us out of the Football League
- Carlisle United 0 Leeds United 2, May 2008 – Second leg of the play-off semi-final, Leeds won it with a 90th-minute strike. Closest we’ve got to the second-tier in my time following the club and never got anywhere near since then.
Which sides do you think will finish in the top six and which do you think will finish in the bottom four?
Champions: Bolton Wanderers
Second place: Portsmouth
Play-offs: Derby, Blackpool, Wigan, Oxford.
Bottom four: Cheltenham Town, Fleetwood Town, Burton Albion, and Leyton Orient.
What are your thoughts on Lincoln City?
My memories of them are of quite a direct long-ball team under Keith Alexander and that sodding air-raid siren. But that’s probably a bit out of date now and I tend to look at you as a club that has invested money it’s made from transfers and cup runs really well in recent seasons – the way you’ve cemented your place in League One is something we’d like to emulate in the coming seasons I’m sure.
What is your prediction for this match?
I’m going for a 1-0 win – Joshua Kayode to get the only goal of the game.
"Having a local lad in charge of your team really is something special." (Q&A):https://t.co/0M2S2Q92Zk
Thank you to @LeeRooney from @BruntonBugle for answering our questions!#WeAreImps #CUFC
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) September 15, 2023
