Imps axe reserve team

Lincoln City's reserve team is now a thing of the past after it was axed as the Imps try to save money following relegation to the Blue Square Premier. Also at risk of being axed and sold off is the training ground, a facility which the club has often boasted of being one of the best outside of the Premiership.

In an interview with the BBC, Bob Dorrian revealed that relegation has cost Lincoln City around £500,000. Reserve team football has become the highest profile cut so far, meaning that the opportunity for trialists to impress in an actual match will be limited to friendlies, and the training ground has also been looked at as a potential cost-cutting measure.

"We have to look at every area and decide if we can do without it. Everything is going to come under the closest of scrutiny. In real terms we are looking at half a million pounds," Dorrian told the BBC. "We've lost our solidarity payment from the Premier League, we've lost our TV money from the Football League and our youth department budget has lost half of its funding.  It affects the staff, the youth department, the training ground, the pro budget, the management, everything.  We have to wake up to the realisation that we are now a non-league club."

The youth team is expected to come under scrutiny as well. The Lincoln City youth team regularly finished towards the bottom of their division and the level of players "making the grade" has grinded to a halt over the last few years. Other than Graham Hutchinson, Lee Frecklington and Scott Loach being sold onto higher league clubs in recent years, the youth system hasn't produced many players capable of regular first team football, with only Danny Hone getting regular appearances in the first team.

Despite encouraging season ticket sales so far, the club will continue to look at cost cutting measures for the forseeable future.