Fans will have to wait a bit longer to watch Lincoln City play live at the LNER Stadium, as Lincolnshire will go into tier 3 lockdown.
Football supporters have been eagerly awaiting the return to stadiums, with professional matches being played behind closed doors since the Premier League restarted in June.
The EFL followed suit when the 2020/21 season kicked off, and has had no fans in grounds throughout the campaign so far.
As per the new government guidelines, and the move from national lockdown to a tiered system on Wednesday, December 2, fans in tier one and two areas can now welcome a small portion of fans back to the ground.
Due to Lincolnshire being in tier three, Lincoln City will not be able to have this luxury, and will instead continue to play behind closed doors until further notice.
No club in England’s top four divisions fell into the tier one category, which permits 4,000 fans to be in the stadium, but multiple were in tier two where 2,000 are welcome.
In Lincoln’s division, League One, 12 of the 24 teams fall into tier two, while the other 12, the Imps included, are in tier three and thus cannot have any fans in the stadium on match day.
Elsewhere in Lincolnshire, Grimsby Town and Scunthorpe United have also been dealt the same fate, with no supporters allowed in the ground for their respective League Two fixtures.
Also, the new guidance allows for the likes of Boston United, Gainsborough Trinity and Lincoln United to resume matches after they were cancelled during lockdown, but fans cannot be there.
A review of the tiers is expected in the middle of December, and should Lincoln move into a lower tier, the club will be allowed to welcome fans back to the LNER Stadium.
Liam Scully, CEO of Lincoln City Football Club, said: “It is very disappointing news to Lincoln City, our fans and everyone associated with the club that we cannot welcome our unbelievable supporters back just yet, however, we respect the systems that have been put in place by the UK government.
“We have repeatedly asked the government for a road map for the return of fans to stadiums and whilst it’s disappointing that we are unable to benefit from this, it is heartening to see other clubs in tier one and tier two being able to welcome fans back into their stadiums.
“We understand the next review will be in the middle of December and in the meantime, all at Lincoln City FC remain fully committed to working with the authorities to enable fans to return safely once permitted.
“We urge all of our supporters to stay safe and hope to welcome you back soon.”
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An amber warning for heavy rainfall and flooding has been issued in Lincolnshire for three days this week, from Tuesday to Thursday.
There are currently four warnings and fourteen alerts of flooding for the county, with floods expected at the River Trent and the River Witham.
Associated fens from Chapel Hill to Boston, Washingborough to Metheringham, and Woodhall Spa back to Chapel Hill are expected to be affected by floods.
Multiple flood warnings and alerts across Lincolnshire. | Photo: GOV.UK
Heavy rainfall combined with snowmelt across the hills is being predicted to cause flooding across the county, causing the Met Office to issue an amber warning.
The rain warning lasts for three days in Lincolnshire, starting at 6am on Tuesday, January 19 and finishing at 12pm on Thursday, January 21.
Temperatures are likely to hit around 10-11℃ on Tuesday and Wednesday, before dropping back down to a more consistent 6℃ by Thursday ahead of the weekend.
Heavy rainfall is expected to hit Lincolnshire this week. | Photo: Met Office
Lincoln MP Karl McCartney has been given a formal warning for promoting his role as a magistrate on a political leaflet.
The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said Mr McCartney’s advertising of his role as a magistrate on the supplemental list “gave the appearance of seeking to gain advantage, which is contrary to guidance that is intended to protect judicial independence and impartiality”.
A statement from the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Robert Buckland and Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.
They said: “In reaching their decision, they noted that Mr McCartney had previously received a disciplinary sanction for similar behaviour and was unwilling to acknowledge the inappropriateness of his actions.”
The statement includes no further detail on the leaflet such as when it was issued or what it said specifically
The Conservative MP, who took his Lincoln seat back from Labour’s Karen Lee in December 2019, notes his role that he has been a magistrate since 1999 on his website.
Karl McCartney’s “About Karl” section on his website mentions the role.
Following a list of roles he has undertaken since the early 1990s, his website states: “He has been a Parish Councillor, a school governor and a Magistrate since 1999.”
He also referred to it in his election leaflets in June 2017 where he said: “Having sat as a Magistrate in Lincoln for many years, Karl has seen at first hand the effect crime has on our society.”
As does this leaflet from June 2017.
Karl McCartney has been contacted for comment, but did not reply by the time of publication.
A driver who crashed their car into a central reservation in Lincoln, causing it to flip onto its side, was nowhere to be found in the vehicle.
Police were called to the incident on Broadgate at around 3.15am on Monday morning, when a silver Nissan collided with the central reservation as the driver was heading uphill.
The crash caused the car to lose control and roll onto its side, but when emergency services arrived at the scene, the driver was not there.
Police looked for the driver but could not find them.
Eyewitnesses are speculating that a homeless man who saw the crash helped the driver out of the vehicle, but this has not been confirmed.
The crash caused the road to be momentarily closed in the early hours of the morning, before reopening a lane at 4.50am.
A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: “We have not located the driver, so are not aware of any injuries.”