Lincoln City chairman Clive Nates has taken to a club forum to express his anger at a rumour that has circulated today.
False rumours have linked goalkeeper Lukas Jensen with a move away from the club. One rumour claims he was in advanced talks with Rotherham United. It spread like wildfire on forums and Twitter, but like many of the rumours on social media at this time of year, it had no basis.
Sadly, it is usual for such things to gain traction; the summer window is a mixing pot of Chinese whispers, made-up ‘in-the-know’ accounts, and guesswork. What is unusual about this particular rumour is that Lincoln City chairman Clive Nates expressed his anger at the rumour, both on Twitter, and popular club forum Vital Lincoln City.
Really disappointing Darren, you would post crap like this. Total bullshit! At least spell his name right. https://t.co/8ItsT4OYPq
— Clive Nates (@cliven7) June 9, 2024
Posting on Vital Lincoln City, Nates said: “I can’t tell how angry it makes me that a supposed Lincoln City fan would make up a bullsh*t story like this just to pretend he is in the know.”
Jensen has one year of his contract left to run at Sincil Bank. He won the club’s Player of the Season award and kept the most clean sheets in the division. At the end of the season, it emerged that the club does not have an option on his contract, meaning he is entering the final year, after which there is a danger of him moving on.
That has prompted rumours, but this is one of the first times we’ve seen the Imps’ chairman scorch such rumours publicly. Andy Holt and Darragh MacAnthony are perhaps two chairs who enjoy similar interactions with supporters, and like Nates, they have also previously addressed wild internet speculation.
Clive Nates invested in the Imps almost a decade ago, in December 2015, and has overseen a rise from the lower reaches of the National League through to the League One play-off final. With two promotions as champions, two additional play-off campaigns, an EFL Trophy win, an FA Cup quarter-final and an appearance in the semi-finals of both the EFL Trophy and the FA Trophy, it’s fair to say his involvement has prompted good things for the club.
This season, the Imps only missed out on the top six on the final day of the season after losing just twice after January 2nd.
Writer’s View
These rumours are the bane of a sane fan’s existence in the summer months. Accounts on Twitter making up rubbish rumours often spark debate and discussion, but they can be detrimental to a club. For instance, if a player is linked with a move away, it can create a narrative he doesn’t want to be at the club and isn’t committed when there’s zero basis to the discussion.
Lukas Jensen was a key player for the Imps, and there’s every chance clubs could be interested, but it’s pretty clear now that the rumour doing the rounds today was just that.
It’s refreshing to see a club chairman come out with such passion, but that’s the Lincoln City man all over. It also shows that club staff are human after all, and underlines how frustrating it must be for them at this time of the year.
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