2011 Southport 2-2 Lincoln City

Wow, I’m picking some right matches here! This sticks in my mind because it demonstrated the nature of the football fan. We had been crap for a couple of years, but in 2010/11 we took it to new levels of crapness. We watched on as we routinely conceded five or six at home, as we limped pathetically towards oblivion with a squad of players who barely cared. When the trapdoor opened, it was expected rather than feared and yet just a few months later we travelled to Southport full of hope and belief. I remember they had a lad who tore us apart, John-Paul Kissock, and we could only muster a 2-2- draw against a team that should have been relegated but for Rushden’s demise. Still, it was a new ground, a new experience and despite it being non-league, we had such hope. Of course, it was ill-founded as we ended up battling relegation, but it was still a great opening day.

It’s memorable for me too; within six days of this fixture, I met Fe for the first time, making it the last Saturday of what I term the Dark Ages!