A MIXED bag of a weekend for the club.

We had a very successful Sponsors Evening on Friday which will go to help put the club on a sounder financial footing, but it was with disappointment that we had to call off the North Wales friendly due to injuries and Covid in the visitor’s camp.

That was a blow to us in the boardroom as we look to the friendlies as an opportunity to create income without paying the players match bonuses and for all the additional spending in the ground.

Paul Crarey may not be as upset as me as the week off ensures that there are no further injuries in the camp and there is some real competition for places for our opening league fixture on Sunday versus Sheffield.

The Sheffield game is probably the ideal start for us. It is a game that we are very much hoping to win to get us off to a successful opening. By their own admission Sheffield are consolidating but they still have a very dangerous team that are more than capable of coming to Matt Johnson Prestige Stadium and stealing the points.

During the sponsors evening we spoke about how the club has grown in the last few years, especially regarding our off-field and community staff. I also spoke about how turnover has almost tripled, and I could see some impressed faces. What I should really have been saying was that we have created all these jobs but to simply survive we need to triple turnover.

We somehow need to average an income of around £140,000/month which is a massive challenge for us and one that can keep me awake at night.

We have diversified and created additional income streams, but we simply must be successful in all our areas if we are to both maintain the club and grow to where we want to be. At times it can be a scary proposition and it is out of my comfort zone to commit to the outgoings we have but we can hopefully reassure ourselves that we have been successful over the last couple of years, and we just need a repeat.

We need our supporters to come to the game in numbers. There were lots of free offers last season that resulted in our high average crowd, but we need to convert those fans into cash payers. We have an early entry £5 voucher which will be issued if you arrive at the stadium before 2pm. We want you to have you pre-match drinks putting money into the club.

After the game we will keep both the Raiders bar and heated marquee open and there will be after-match presentations and music. It is vital that we keep our fans in the ground.

As well as match day income we need all our other businesses to be successful and if our supporters can help in anyway then they will have played their part.

On match day there are still sponsorship and hospitality options available for most of our games, there are numerous other sponsorship opportunities especially relating to our advertising hoardings both inside and outside the ground. Our marquee is available for hire for private functions be they birthdays, christenings, weddings, engagements, or any other celebration.

Lincoln’s, our catering arm, need your support and it is vital that this contributes an income. Our merchandise is another revenue stream along with our friends in the auxiliary branch who still contribute a significant amount to the club through our lottery.

And finally, our events programme is vital to our survival. We have a number lined up and it is worth checking our website and the Events page. Paddyfest, Ciderfest, The Ultimate Tribute Festival and Oktoberfest are already in the calendar, and we hope to announce another concert partnership with Knights Promotions very soon.

Whichever way you can help they club it will be massively appreciated and hopefully we can repay our supporters with a successful season on the field, you all deserve it.