“Mid-table would do quite nicely.”

During The Imps first season back in Sky Bet League Two, they picked up three points against tomorrow afternoons opponents, Cheltenham Town. Danny Wright’s first-half strike was enough to give Cheltenham all three points in the away game last season, in front of a crowd of 3,312. The Imps won the home fixture with the same scoreline, with Neal Eardley scoring his first goal in over six years, in front of 7,891.

Anyway, let’s move onto this weeks Q&A!

Thank you to Cheltenham Town supporter Dave for answering our questions!

How long have you supported Cheltenham Town?

Since they first got promoted to the Football League about 20 years ago.

Where did you finish last season?

17th. Not a fact that etched into my memory.

What do you think of your Manager?

Mike Duff is only three games in after the sacking of Gary Johnson. It’s his first managerial appointment. He was a bit of a club legend in his playing days. He spent eight years with us before being sold to Burnley for £10,000, a pre-season friendly and a packet of pork scratchings. He is reckoned to have scored the goal that took us into the Football League so he is a bit of a fans favourite. He has played at every level in the game from what would now be the Hellenic League right up to the Premier League and international level. Needless to say, everyone wants him to do well.

What are your hopes and expectations for this season?

Following our promotion from the National League we’ve had two and a bit seasons of dross so mid-table would do quite nicely.

One(s) to watch?

Flinders our goalkeeper has been pretty good. Mind you, having to keep goal behind our back line is the opportunity of a lifetime if you want to show off your goalkeeping skills. Having said that the defence is a little better this term with Mullins at the helm. Broom is another to watch out for. Always looking to carry the ball forward to do something effective.

Who do you think will finish in the top 7?

Milton Keynes Dons, Exeter City, Colchester United, The nut eating tree huggers just down the road from us, Swindon Town, Tranmere Rovers and um, oh yes, Lincoln City.

Who do you think will finish in the bottom 2?

Looks nailed on it will be Macclesfield Town and Morecambe. Hopefully not us this time around!

What are your thoughts on Lincoln City?

Cowley has done a quite incredible job both on and off the pitch. The turnaround in your fortunes has been remarkable. Would love to have the kind of atmosphere you guys get at Sincil Bank. Don’t expect a Lancaster this Saturday though!

What do you think the score will be?

Duff is focussed on trimming our bloated squad and getting the players fit. We will play a pressing game until the aforementioned fitness problems start to kick in.

What will your likely default formation and style of play be for this season?

A bit more high tempo than of late. That wouldn’t be difficult to be fair.

Random fact about your Club?

Was Gloucestershire’s first and only Football League club until Forest Green Rovers gatecrashed the party. The club tries to survive in a part of the country where rugby is the dominant sport. This will always limit what we can achieve.

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

Haven’t got very familiar with your squad yet, but Woodyard and Raggett impressed me last term, though I know they are no longer with The Imps.

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

Beating Rushden & Diamonds in injury time at Nene Park. I’d still be there punching the air now if they hadn’t demolished the stadium. It was a big step to getting into the Football League.

Losing at home to Forest Green Rovers was pretty disappointing last season.

Who would you say is your most underrated player?

They’re nearly all underrated, at least by me!

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

Yes, we do, but I can’t claim to know much about that side of things.

Which was your favourite match involving Cheltenham Town?

See the Rushden & Diamonds game above!

Which was your least favourite match involving Cheltenham Town?

See the Forest Green Rovers game above.

Were you expecting better performances considering some of the early signings made by the club?

Expectations were pretty low under the last regime but might be rising with the change of manager.

Cheltenham Town FC’s nickname is “The Robins”. Is this after the seminal 70s sit-com “Robin’s Nest”?

Haha! Afraid not. I am old enough to remember Robin’s Nest. I would have drunk Tessa Wyatt’s bathwater.

Given Cheltenham’s narrow escapes from relegation during the last two seasons (four points and five points respectively), do you think a rookie manager was the right choice for the board to make?

The club is well run both on and off the pitch. We’ve got a bit of money following the sale of Mo Eisa so it’s not too much of a risk. Duff impressed at interview and the alternatives didn’t appear to be too exciting.

Gary Johnson – you couldn’t have got much more of an extreme comparison between his NL and FL records with you. Any thoughts on why that would be?

I think the fire went out with Gary. He will always be a bit of a hero for getting us back into the League at the first attempt but after that, he seemed to lose a bit of spark. We wish him well at Torquay United.