Football Season Guide

The Imps will be hoping to live up to their nickname as they return to the Football League following a six-year absence. They were relegated from League Two in 2011 and failed to finish in the top half of the National League table before making a crucial decision in May 2016 to appointed Danny Cowley as manager. They were crowned National League Champions a year later and have already been installed as fourth favourites for the League Two title by the bookmakers. Cowley has signed a deal to keep him at the club until 2021 and has spent the summer strengthening his squad. He will be disappointed to have lost midfielder Alan Power, winger Terry Hawkridge and strikers Adam Marriott and Jack Muldoon, who all rejected offers of new deals to try their luck elsewhere. He is also facing a battle to hold onto Sean Raggett who is attracting interest from Championship clubs and would be a huge loss. However, Cowley will be delighted to have kept hold of influential midfielder Alex Woodyard, who was voted as Non-league player of the year. He will form part of the spine of the team alongside goalkeeper Paul Farman, left-back Sam Habergham, winger Nathan Arnold and last season’s leading goalscorer Matt Rhead. Cowley hasn't rested on his laurels either with the impressive captures of defender Michael Bostwick and winger Harry Anderson for undisclosed fees from Peterborough United. Strikers Matt Green and Ollie Palmer have plenty of league experience whilst the signing of winger Jordan Maguire-Drew on a season-long loan from Brighton and Hove Albion also appears to be quite a coup. The Imps sold over 5,000 season tickets by mid-June and they are going to have a huge backing at Sincil Bank this season. They also have plenty of momentum and are ready to prove the bookmakers right this season.