As City face a run of five consecutive away games, it is being claimed elsewhere that they could actually become the first EFL club to play six consecutive away games should the Doncaster Rovers fixture in November be called off.
Where that claim has come from is unknown as even if City do play six on the spin away from Sincil Bank it will not even be a club record as on two previous occasions the travelling faithful, as Chris Ashton calls them, have faced seven away games before Sincil Bank welcomed the team home.
Hopefully not a portent for any future disaster but both runs came in seasons that saw City relegated from the third tier.
1978/79 started positively with a home win over Tranmere Rovers but that was as good as it got and by November City had picked up just three further points from draws by the time Colin Murphy was appointed manager. His first four games saw three draws and an FA Cup exit before on Boxing Day Graham Watson scored a 70th minute winner at Peterborough United.
Four days later City travelled to Exeter and fought back from 2-0 down with goals from Gordon Hobson and Glenn Cockerill only for the hosts to score an injury time winner. Heavy snow began to fall as City made their way back and the scheduled New Years Day home fixture against Bury fell victim to the weather.
A trip to leaders Watford opened 1979 and a not unexpected 2-0 defeat at the eventual runners up before Rotherham United’s visit was called off with the Pools Panel generously saying it would have ended goalless. Carlise was the next venue for the travelling Imps but the official supporters coach only got as far as Hartshead Moor services before being advised to turn back due to the snow so the 2-0 defeat was witnessed by very few Imps fans.
The following Saturday’s home against Shrewsbury Town was called off due to Shrewsbury still being in the FA Cup whilst the following weeks visit of Brentford fell foul to an early morning pitch inspection with the Pools Panel being of the opinion that City would have won their first home game since the Tranmere victory. City travelled to Walsall for the scheduled visit on February but a noon inspection saw the game postponed and a quick rearrangement for the following Tuesday met the same fate although before City had set off.
Heavy snow caused the visit of Blackpool to be called off on the Friday afternoon before City travelled to Colchester the following Friday February 23rd, losing 2-0, but despite initial hopes that the rearranged Shrewsbury fixture would go ahead on Wednesday night more snow and rain left Sincil Bank waterlogged and another postponement. On the road again on the Saturday City lost 6-0 at Swindon before another heavy defeat at Chester, 5-1, on the following Wednesday. Ironically the Chester fixture had been rearranged after the original December 2nd game had been postponed due to a frozen pitch.
Finally on Saturday March 10th 1979, 77 days since City had last played at home, the fixture against Southend United went ahead with just 2558 turning up to see a 1-1 draw.
City were again embroiled in a relegation battle in January 1986 but had just won for the first time in the League since October when Bury were defeated 2-0 on January 11th although a second home game four days later had seen Scunthorpe United triumph in the Freight Rover Trophy. The following game was away at Gillingham and resulted in a 2-0 defeat. With Bristol Rovers still involved in the FA Cup the following Saturday’s home fixture was called off with City next in action at Doncaster drawing 1-1.
Plymouth Argyle made the long journey to Lincoln on Wednesday 5th February only for the match to be called off at 5pm despite snow falling throughout the day and freezing conditions after dark being predicted. City were spared travelling to Reading for the Saturday game as that was called off early on the Saturday morning but did travel to Halifax for a pointless, both teams having been eliminated, Freight Rover Trophy game the following Wednesday with just 150 turning out for the afternoon kick off and seeing a 1-1 draw.
A frozen pitch saw the home game with Bolton postponed as it did for the following weeks visit to Brentford before a midweek trip to Blackpool, a game originally postponed due to a frozen pitch in January, saw a 2-0 defeat. Wolves were due at Sincil Bank on March 1st but a frozen pitch won before three away games in a week saw a Tuesday night trip to Bournemouth where City come back from 2-0 down to earn a draw with late goals from Gary West and Wille Gamble and even later drama at Newport four days later when Kevin Kilmore scored an 88th minute winner in a 2-1 victory. The third game was the rearranged fixture at Reading where City defied all the odds to win 2-0 at the runaway leaders.
The following Sunday March 16th City finally returned to action at Sincil Bank with an emphatic 4-1 victory against Swansea City.
This time it had only been 60 days since the last home game.
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