2002 Kidderminster 1-1 Lincoln City

They say ‘you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone’, and whoever they may be, they’re right. The summer of 2002 was a scary one, because we went to sleep each night fearful we may not have a Lincoln City to support the following season. Until you have been there, you have no idea what it feels like: I’d rather lose away at Carshalton than not have a club at all. It made for a summer of deep reconnection, where my love for the club grew with each day I feared the club would die.

That made the opening day all the more special, even if it did appear uninspiring. The draw at Kidderminster wasn’t the best result of the season, but it did put a marker down: we avoided defeat and in a season where 23rd was going to be enough, it was a nice way to begin. As things worked out, we finished seventh and made the playoff final.