It's been a bad day for Imps and ex-Imps alike

By Nathan Jackson
May 3 2007

Thursday saw 2 current Imps effectively confirm that they wouldn't be here next season, and 3 ex-Imps are told to move on. Simon Rayner rejoined after a loan spell at Torquay, a loan spell he hopes will be permanent in the summer, whereas Gritton will begrudingly return after Saturday's game.

Simon Rayner has been on loan at Torquay for two months and despite being relegated, he become a very popular player down at Plainmoor and become first choice keeper for the Gulls. He has now been recalled by City because Olejnik is heading back to Aston Villa. However, it probably won't be long before Rayner leaves Sincil Bank. The Canadian keeper's contract expires in the summer and he has already stated that he hopes to join Torquay on a permanent basis.

Speaking on their offical website, he stated that he believes that not only will Torquay bounce back at the first attempt, but they will do so as Champions of the Conference. Ironically, if that did happen it would come exactly 20 years after City became the first club to go down and come straight back up again. A feat repeated by Darlington, Shrewsbury, Carlisle, and now potentially Oxford.

Another player who has been loaned out by City is Martin Gritton, he has played at Mansfield since February and wanted to stay there on a permanent basis. Billy Dearden (Mansfield manager) told him that he will not be offered a contract for next season after his Imps' contract expires.

Speaking to the Nottingham Evening Post, he also stated that he hasn't enjoyed his time at Sincil Bank.

"I was pleased with my form when I first came as it was the first run of matches I had been given for some time. But I started to feel it a bit and that's when the goals dried up. The thing was, I didn't get the chance to play through the bad spell and get back on track. The alternative would have been to sit and rot at Lincoln but instead I came here and have enjoyed it."

It seems almost guaranteed that Gritton will leave Sincil Bank in the summer, but clubs might be put off by his career record of just 1 goal in every 5 games, the vast majority of which came for Torquay United, the only side he has ever reached double figures for. He has only ever scored three times for the Imps. His first one his debut against Stockport last season, a 95th minute winner at Torquay earlier this year and the first in City's 3-1 win over Accrington in September.

Meanwhile, ex-Imps Ben Futcher, Guy Branston and Richard Butcher have both being told that their future lay away from London Road. Butcher is on the transfer list but Futcher and Branston have been made available on a free transfer. That would leave just 1 ex-Imp (Peter Gain) at Peterborough.