We do love a question-and-answer session on the podcast, and we often turn to our Patreons before a broadcast to broach some of the subjects they want us to attack.
This week, we covered a handful, looking at finances, and which of the current XI might get into our all-time Lincoln City XI. They’re great questions, but we only got to answer three or four before time ran out. Then we answered some more, and now the podcast is over an hour, again. Oh well, you get your money’s worth!
If you wish to join our Patreon, this is a little reminder that you can. For the price of half a lager a month, you can join our community and get two (or more) dog walk videos a week. We offer the chance to put questions to us, and there’s the Discord channel where a friendly community can debate without falling out. We’re giving you a rundown of the 1975/76 season through the headlines on there as well, and on April 11th, there is a super special Patreon-only live show, which is technically free.
You can join the Patreon here – patreon.com/staceywest
In the meantime, here are seven questions we missed, which I have answered. I actually dictated the answers while I was in the gym, between hurting myself lifting weights…
Waddle: Would you rather get over the line as quickly as possible with two wins, or drop some points so we can mathematically clinch it at home?
Great question. Obviously, that assumes we are going to do it. If the question is whether it would be better to clinch promotion at home or away, then ideally it would be at home. The ideal scenario would be Stockport dropping points against Wimbledon so we know that bettering Bolton’s result at Plymouth would take us up, and then it could potentially be wrapped up on Good Friday.
I do think we could beat Wimbledon, it will be a tough game, but we owe them one from earlier in the season. I also think Plymouth could beat Bolton, so we might even be able to afford a draw with Wimbledon.
But if the question is would I rather drop points just so we can clinch it at home, then no. I would rather get it done as soon as possible. Get it done sooner rather than later and then everyone can start enjoying it a little bit more.
Mancimp: What do you think the impact of promotion could be on the academy lads coming through? Is it realistic to think that some of the potential money could be spent on improving facilities, scouting under-21s, etc?
I think that is realistic, but when we talk about money coming in, we are talking about a small portion being moved into the academy for facilities, scouting and development. Building the academy is something the club has been interested in for years, ever since Roger Bates helped keep it open. We are now seeing the benefits with players like Jovon Makama, Freddie Draper and Sean Roughan.
The issue if we go up is attracting the right level of young player and giving them opportunities. When you are in League Two or lower League One, you can recruit and give players a pathway into the first team more easily. The higher you go, the fewer opportunities there are, the better the young player has to be.
So we might need a more robust loan system. You see examples like Max Conway, a young Bolton player who went out on loan, developed and then stepped up. Players like Zane Okoro and MJ Kamara might find promotion actually makes their pathway harder because they would be coming back into a Championship environment, so need an additional loan before troubling the first team.
I do not think we would move to a full Under-21 setup because that adds another layer of cost, and the output from academies each season is relatively small. Usually, only one or two players come through each year. But I still think there will be some investment in the academy.
As to whether we keep going with the same intensity after promotion is concerned, the to million pounds prize money for being the Champions would surely be an incentive. Particularly if the players were given a small share of it too.