The Champions League kicked off last night, and the Imps had two former players featuring in matches.
Teams such as Lincoln Red Imps, FCSB and Ballkani were in action – teams you’re highly unlikely to see in the group stages. The Red Imps, our namesakes and a club we share links with, even if we’ve never met, won 1-0 against Hamrum Spartans of Malta, despite plaing the entire second half with ten men.
However, Imps interest in the first qualifying round of UEFA’s signature tournament came in Wales and Lithuania. The first game to feature an ex-Imp was TNS, known as The New Saints (but also once as Total Network Solutions) won 3-0 against Montenegran side Decic. Amongst their ranks was 31-year-old Jordan Williams.
We first crossed paths with Williams in the 2016/17 season, as he turned out for Barrow. He was a rumoured target that summer, but moved to Rochdale in League One. After failing to settle at Rochdale, he switched places with Bill Knott in January 2018, and came to help give us a push over the line in our play-off bid. He played 11 times for City, usually out wide on the left, but didn’t impress sufficiently and returned to Rochdale.
Since then, he’s been with Fylde and Stockport, before heading to Wales with TNS in 2021. He is now a three-time Welsh champion with TNS, and has appeared 19 times for his team in Europe, scoring once.
The other fixture we have a vested interest in is Panevezys and the Finnish side HJK. The former Imp here will be remembered far less fondly than Williams. Luke Plange played on loan under Mark Kennedy but is notable for doing next to nothing in a Lincoln shirt. He then joined Carlisle and is notable for doing next to nothing for them, other than scoring against the Imps. As you do.
He played for the Finnish champions last night, for whom he has six goals in 17 matches. However, he didn’t score, nor did his team; they wwent down 3-0 in their first leg match.
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