Lincoln City manager Danny Cowley has labelled his side’s support as massive, as they prepare to travel in numbers on Saturday.

The Imps have sold around 5,500 tickets for the trip to second placed MK Dons. As they look to draw closer to promotion with a vital win.

Cowley on the massive following

The league leaders were held to a frustrating draw last weekend against relegation threatened Macclesfield Town. But that hasn’t deterred fans from travelling the long distance to Milton Keynes, to see their team in action again.

The Stadium MK has a whopping capacity of 30,000, which is easily the biggest in League Two. So the Imps saw this an an opportunity to have one more big away day before promotion was confirmed.

And Danny Cowley has expressed his delight at the following that they have for this important, table topping clash.

He said:

“You have to pinch yourself don’t you? That as a League Two club you’re taking near on 6,000 supporters, it’s an incredible effort.”
“I can’t articulate how appreciative we are of their support. We’ve said all along, it’s never about 11 people. If we want to achieve what we want to this season, it’s always going to require a whole City. A whole County effort.”
“The fact that they’re so behind us, makes us feel really privileged and really humble.”
“I said to the players, they deserve a lot of credit for that. Because the work they’ve done in the community and the way they’ve connected, but also with the way they’ve played.”
“The people of Lincoln see something in them and their work ethic, that they want to come and support. And we’re going to need everybody come Saturday.”

The number of fans travelling to MK Dons has set a new record for the Imps. With it being their highest away league following this century. Which will no doubt boost the squads confidence ahead of such a massive fixture.

Cowley on MK Dons

The crowd will certainly have to do their part, with Lincoln’s opponents on Saturday being no push-overs. The Dons will no doubt prove equal to the challenge that Cowley and his boys will bring, as they boast the league’s best home record.

Paul Tisdale’s side have won 13, drawn four and lost three of their 20 home games this season. So Lincoln can expect an extremely difficult test as they look to maintain their momentum.

And Danny Cowley has labelled the match as their ‘toughest of the season’. A statement that many will agree with.

On Saturday, he said:

“It’s a great game, it’s one we’re certainly looking forward to. I know the whole of Lincoln is. I think for us, we’ve worked very hard this season as a group. And when you work hard, you deserve to play in these big games.”
“I think Paul (Tisdale) is a very good manager, he’s tactically astute, and very pragmatic. And certainly you can see some of the principals in their play. He obviously likes to change personnel and systems in game, and always asks questions of you tactically.”
“They’ve got the best home record in the league. They’ve got a Premier League stadium, and we’re certainly looking forward to our visit come Saturday.”
“The expectation will be high for them. I think anything other than automatic promotion for them will be seen as a failure. And they’ve certainly done a good job in getting into a very strong position.”

Lincoln will be looking to preserve their incredible unbeaten run on Saturday. The Imps have avoided defeat for 17 straight league games, stretching all the way back to Boxing Day.

Cowley on agent fees

News was released this week about the fees that are paid to agents per club. With Lincoln sitting as ninth highest in League Two, despite claims that they have the biggest budget.

And Danny Cowley spoke about how the system works, and how agents play their part.

He said:

“You normally have to pay agents somewhere between five and ten percent of the deal. So you pay them for their services. Historically the player would have taken on some of that expense, because obviously they’re working for the player.”
“But more recently it’s the responsibility of the club, although sometimes it can be a dual responsibility.”
“For me, there’s some really good agents out there. But then there are some that try to take advantage of the system and the game.”
“Ultimately we have to respect where football is. And we have to respect that they have a role to play in football.”

Despite his unease of the subject, Cowley will have felt the agent fees were money well spent. As the players he has brought in have delivered continued success to the club as a whole.

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