Friday being the day of the Professional's Transfer deadline yet Lincoln United were busier than most with their signings brought about by the unavailibilty of half of the first team squad.

Injured were Stuart Reddington, Sam Wilkinson and Ben Garrick.

Unavailable were Nathan Adams, Scott Coupland, Josh Raby , Lee Burns, David Coyde and Ben Clucas.

Wanting to play in the Reserves were Craig Leverett, Luke Shipman and Lee Pickering.

To have twelve players unavailable is unprecedented. We have already been threadbare due to holidays and weekends away and now this. Still Chasetown is two hours away.

Vice Chairman John Wilkinson commented, "Not much point in having a Reserve side if they are not on reserve. Commitment is a big part of any team game and the unavailibilty of players for away games is spreading."

He added, "In recent times the Reserves have struggled to field the same side away that play at home and now that seems to have spread to the first team."

"Players who don't make themselves available for the First Team shouldn't be at the club. If United had only one side it would be the first team.A lot of people give freely a lot of hours to enable football to take place at Ashby Avenue and to see some players wander in once a fortnight is not acceptable."

However he was keen to point to the positives by saying;

"let's talk about players who do want to play for us not those who don't. We were already talking to Steve Melton and thankfully that signing was sorted. Jordan Hempenstall also re-signed following his injury. The other four signings are bright, progressive and players full of DESIRE from the Youth Team, Jordan Curtis, Oliver McKay, Mitch Oakley and Fabian Rowe."

Wilkinson's final comment was, " We have checked their passports and they are able to play away games."