Santander will shut 40 high street branches by end of May 2026 with 291 jobs at risk as customers shift to digital banking

Santander is set to shut dozens of its high street branches across the UK before the end of May. The Spanish banking giant announced at the beginning of the year that 44 of its locations nationwide would close, with four already shutting in January.

The bank confirmed that an additional 40 branches would cease operations by May’s end, attributing the decision to customers increasingly turning to online services. The company revealed that 96% of customer transactions are now conducted through digital channels.

The lender also disclosed that 291 positions were under threat as a consequence of these closures. This latest round follows less than 12 months after Santander revealed in March 2025 that it would shut 95 branches, impacting 750 staff members.

Last July, Mike Regnier, who was then Santander’s UK chief executive, revealed that approximately 2,000 jobs had been cut in the previous year as part of the bank’s reorganisation. At that time, he indicated that additional redundancies were “might well be” probable.

Santander has committed that branches facing closure will be replaced by “community bankers” operating through Santander Local outlets or shared banking hubs. The bank maintains this arrangement will ensure continued access to services for customers in communities affected by the shutdowns, reports the Mirror.

The wave of closures will commence by April 2026’s end, with additional sites following in May. The complete list of affected branches in this latest round, along with their closure dates, is detailed below.

Branches closing in April 2026:

• Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland – April 28
• Boston, Lincolnshire – April 28
• Evesham, Worcestershire – April 28
• Mold, Clwyd – April 28
• Ramsgate, Kent – April 28
• Woking, Surrey – April 28
• Bangor, County Down – April 29
• Bridgwater, Somerset – April 29
• Kirkintilloch, Lanarkshire – April 29
• Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire – April 29
• Newbury, Berkshire – April 29
• Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire – April 29
• Tonbridge, Kent – April 29

Branches closing in May 2026

• Bishop Auckland, County Durham – May 5
• Gosport, Hampshire – May 5
• Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire – May 5
• Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire – May 5
• Pontefract, West Yorkshire – May 5
• Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire – May 5
• Glengormley, County Antrim – May 6
• Leyland, Lancashire – May 6
• Mansfield, Nottinghamshire – May 6
• Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan – May 6
• Northallerton, North Yorkshire – May 6
• Ringwood, Hampshire – May 6
• Andover, Hampshire – May 12
• Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan – May 12
• Enniskillen, County Fermanagh – May 12
• Macclesfield, Cheshire – May 12
• Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire – May 12
• Cwmbran, Gwent – May 13
• Golders Green, London – May 13
• Heswall, Merseyside – May 13
• Redditch, Worcestershire – May 13
• Stranraer, Wigtownshire – May 13
• Newton Abbot, Devon – May 19
• Stafford, Staffordshire – May 19
• Banbridge, County Down – May 19
• Liskeard, Cornwall – May 20
• Shirley, West Midlands – May 20

Now, not wanting to get anyone’s hopes up, but could the end be in sight for Emmerdale’s Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb)?

She’s been in prison for a few weeks now on modern slavery and murder charges. The murder charges have now been wiped, but as of yet, the modern slavery charges – brought about because Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) framed her with evidence – have stuck.

She’s innocent, but things have got so bad that Moira decides to plead guilty just to get it over and done with, serve her time and get back to her sons sooner. This is bad news for everyone as it would guarantee her an extended prison stay on a lie.

Robert is feeling guilty as he’s the reason Moira is in prison in the first place. He decides he needs to do something, without incriminating himself if possible, and visits Bear (Joshua Richards) in prison to lean on him to provide some evidence that would free her.

‘He goes to Bear because he’s his absolute last chance, race against the clock,’ Robert star Ryan Hawley said. ‘Robert’s going to have to turn himself in and confess to all the things that he’s done by planting the evidence to prevent Moira from getting a really long sentence and being away from her family and her kids and all her family suffering.’

Aaron (Danny Miller) is also searching for evidence as he can see the toll all of this is taking on his best mate Mack (Lawrence Robb).

When Paddy (Dominic Brunt) finds out Robert had a go at Bear he loses it, but they’re interrupted by Sam Dingle (James Hooton), who reveals Kyle has done a runner.

The entire village goes on the search, but it’s Robert who finds him, and his guilt is piqued when the young lad confesses that he overheard that his mum is pleading guilty and he can’t cope with the idea of losing her. 

Robert makes a massive decision – he needs to come clean.

Ryan added: ‘[Robert’s] made the decision that he’s going to have to go to prison, or at least, it’s very, very probable that he will go to prison, to prevent Moira from going to prison.’

Problem is, Moira has already decided to plead guilty, so there is a race against the clock to stop her. Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) tries to convince her but he has no luck. But then Bear comes up trumps and gives Robert something that might save both him and Moira – Bear reveals he hid a number plate for Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) and it’s in a storage container. 

Aaron and Robert race to the storage facility and are overwhelmed with the number of containers they find, but then Marlon remembers he found a key at Celia’s. Have they finally cracked the case, and can they get the information back to Moira before she appears in court?

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MORE: Emmerdale’s Ryan Hawley ‘honoured’ as huge Sugden v Tate year ahead is revealed

MORE: Emmerdale spoilers: Robert’s ‘final night’ as he and Aaron prepare to say goodbye forever

MORE: Cain’s unexpected secret sex in Emmerdale with jailed Moira

Emmerdale star Ryan Hawley couldn’t be more excited to be back at the helm of the legendary Sugden clan, the show’s original family, as it is thrust into a brand new chapter.

It’s been quite a year for the star, who reprised his role as fan-favourite character Robert Sugden on the ITV soap last May.

In a relatively short space of time, Robert has been at the centre of numerous storylines – and pretty big ones at that – including proving instrumental in the downfall of murderous brother John (Oliver Farnworth), winning back one true love Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) and featuring in the long-awaited crossover with Coronation Street.

Now, he’s become the village pariah after moving into Butler’s Farm when Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) succeeded in his mission to evict the Dingles from the land.

But despite the cold reception from the locals, Robert still had the support of Aaron, who resolved to be by his side as they take the reins of Butlers, renaming the land to Emmerdale Farm to honour the Sugden legacy.

It’s a huge changing-of-the-guard moment for the ITV soap as the Sugdens come home, and star Ryan said he felt ‘honoured’ to be at the centre of it.

‘It feels like the show is building a foundation for the Sugden family for hopefully when Victoria returns,’ he said.

‘It does feel like there are these tribes that are emerging, which is nice, because there’ll be a lot of conflict and siding with people. It’s an exciting time to be back at the show. We’re very blessed that my personal involvement is as a legacy family.

‘The Sugdens getting to have Emmerdale farm is really cool. A few people have mentioned to me, “That’s great, isn’t it?”. I do feel very, very honoured and blessed to have that.

‘I actually watched an episode from the 80s, it was before Robert was born, and it was when Jack and Sarah were there and it was really quite cool. I don’t know how to describe it. To look at the show then and look at it now, and see that continuity and be a part of that. It’s great.’

Robert’s dream of continuing his family’s legacy, however, has come with a number of drawbacks, largely due to Joe and his manipulative ways as the Home Farm schemer has proven time and again that – even when you share a common goal – you simply cannot trust him.

Not only did he use Robert’s desire to get back into the farming game to cause trouble with the Dingles, thus driving a wedge between the clan, but he also blackmailed Robert after he took the reins of the land.

‘It’s just compounding misery for him,’ said Ryan of Joe’s involvement. ‘This dream of the farm but Joe is just constantly dangling the carrot and moving it away and toying with him and making his life more difficult and enjoying seeing Robert struggle. It’s not all that it’s cracked up to be, the farming life.’

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Robert also feels guilty for planting the ID cards up at Butlers at Joe’s request – an action which ultimately led to Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) being arrested on human trafficking charges.

Upcoming scenes will see him consumed with regret, so much so that he contemplates turning himself in to the police so that Moira can walk free and reunite with her loved ones – particularly Kyle, who is struggling with the prospect of losing another relative.

‘Robert feels the weight of the consequences of what he’s done, and feels that the only way that he can make things right is by putting himself back in the situation where he’d get charged with tampering with evidence and then have to go to prison,’ said Ryan.

But there is soon a glimmer of hope, when Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) makes reference to a number plate belonging to Ray Walters (Joe Absolom), which leads Robert and Aaron in search of clues to help free Moira.

As for whether they’ll succeed remains to be seen but fans can expect more to come whether Joe Tate is concerned. ‘He’s very manipulative,’ said Ryan of Robert’s adversary. ‘I’m Team Robert. I want him to get the best of Joe, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Joe’s really got him in a pickle!’.

And as for whether Robert could ever take over Home Farm? Ryan’s not so sure, reflecting on how much his alter-ego has changed since his last stint in the village.

‘When I came into [Emmerdale] last time, Robert was like, “I’m going to be king of Home Farm, and I’m going to show everyone that I’ve made something of myself”. And it feels like this is a very different kind of Robert, a very different stage of his life.

‘And what he really wants is he recognises the values of family and of bonds and of love and less destructive behaviour, despite the Moira things that are happening right now.

‘It feels like he’s a much more sympathetic character. I think perhaps his intentions are less power and dominion and more of creating a family and creating the things that are important to him, attaining the things that are important to him.’

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 or stream from 7am on ITVX and YouTube.

If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.

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MORE: Emmerdale spoilers: Moira ‘saved at last’ as trial takes a very unexpected turn

MORE: Emmerdale spoilers: Robert’s ‘final night’ as he and Aaron prepare to say goodbye forever

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Stagepoint Studio in Shildon is one of five organisations to have made the ‘Rising Star’ award shortlist at the UK StartUp Awards for 2026, which recognises entrepreneurs.

Based at the Railway Institute, the school puts on acting classes for adults and youngsters alike and has managed to get onto the shortlist despite just opening in November.

The award ceremony will take place on June 16 at the Everyman Cinema in Leeds.

Reacting to the news, founder Jarone Macklin-Page said: “To be named a finalist for such a massive region so early in our journey is incredibly humbling.

“This isn’t just our achievement; it belongs to the families, local businesses, and organisations in Shildon who believed in us from day one.

“It shows what can happen when a community gets behind an idea.”

As for what comes next, the bosses are hoping to expand and have a total of ten schools across the country within the next three years, eventually creating a world-class school in Shildon.

Sir Craig Reedie, the former chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA) and president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), has died at the age of 84.

Reedie chaired the BOA between 1992 and 2005, before going on to become the third president of Wada, serving from 2014 to 2019.

As BOA chair he was part of London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and went on to serve as a director of the organising committee for the two events.

He was also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board between 2009 and 2012 and its vice president between 2012-2016.

“If you have worked in Olympic sport, then it’s highly likely that you would have known Sir Craig Reedie. How lucky we all were,” said Dame Katherine Grainger, the current chair of the BOA.

“Few knew the Olympic movement better and fewer still served it with such distinction. His dedicated service to the BOA, to the IOC and to Wada is notable.

“He always fought hard for Olympic sport, and fought harder still for clean sport. In doing so he saw the good and, inevitably, the bad of our sporting system.

“It was the measure of Craig that it never diminished his love of sport and the Olympic movement in particular.”

In his own statement, Lord Sebastian Coe, the chair of the London 2012 organising committee, said Reedie was “the epitome of a gentleman”.

“Craig was my mentor, wise counsel, passionate advisor, and great friend. He was the distinguished elder statesman with a reservoir of Olympic knowledge and experience which he shared willingly and to great effect,” Coe added.

“Without Craig and his leadership of the British Olympic Association, we may never have won the right to host London 2012.

“Craig was a sportsman at heart, but he had the mind and tenacity of a politician. He was equal parts opinionated, wise, canny and, most of all, loyal to those who legitimately wanted to serve sport.”

Reedie was an international badminton player, representing Great Britain in the 1960s, and subsequently led the Scottish Badminton Union.

In 1981, he was elected International Badminton Federation president, where he led the successful campaign to include badminton at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

He presided over Wada during the revelation of state-sponsored doping by Russia, leading to the country’s athletes being banned from competing under their national flag.

“Sir Craig dedicated his whole life to the service of sport and the Olympic Movement,” said IOC president Kirsty Coventry.

“He was a steadfast guardian of integrity, guiding the global sporting community through some of its most challenging moments with dignity and resolve.

“His contribution to the Olympic Games, to clean sport and to the development of athletes worldwide will endure for generations to come.”

Reedie was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999, knighted as a Knight Bachelor in 2006, and was later elevated to Knight Grand Cross (GBE) in 2018.

The Tuesday letters page recommends Screamer despite the relatively high price, as one reader laments the rising cost of amiibo.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Full Spectrum warrior
Really enjoyed the Reader’s Feature at the weekend about Ant Attack and I agree it was a classic that needs more recognition today. It’s definitely one of the best games on the Spectrum but it had me thinking about what my actual favourite is.

I’d say Elite, Chuckie Egg, Knight Lore, and School Daze are all up there, but I think my favourite might be The Great Escape. Another great isometric game but so complicated for Sir Clive’s tiny little 48K monster.

There’s not really anything like it nowadays, which is probably true for most of the games I’ve listed. I’m still upset there isn’t a modern Elite game on consoles and stuff like Knight Lore… I guess modern action adventures are in the same area but nothing has ever been quite the same since all these old UK developers gave up the ghost.
Franky

Back to front
We wall knew something funny was going on with Resident Evil Requiem’s story and ending and I think it’s just as simple as they were running out of time to make it out for the 30th anniversary. It’s such a shame because for the first six or eight hours of the game are pretty much perfect, then it slowly bleeds out.

It’s not enough to ruin the game or anything but when you get that close to nailing it, it feels really frustrating. I think it’s too much to hope for a director’s cut that retcons things but maybe next time Capcom should consider making the games backwards – starting with the final scenes and boss battles and working back from there.

Also, I cannot believe it’s not relatively easy to find someone in Japan that’s good at making boss battles. There must be ex-Treasure people and the like everywhere. It’s weird that’s been a problem with the series basically from the beginning.
Focus

The Legend of Elden Ring
Video game movies are not something I’d normally get excited about but it looks like Elden Ring could be the one to break the curse. I know they’ve been getting better lately but they’re still not actually good, but I hope that this could be the one, especially if Alex Garland is a fan.

The set footage isn’t much to go on but it does look exactly like the game so that’s got to be worth something, even if it is a fairly easy thing to recreate at that scale. It sounds like it and the Zelda movie might come out at more or less the same time, which is going to be interesting.

I imagine to ordinary movie reviewers they might seem very similar concepts, but I can guess which one is going to come out better – and it’s not the one by Nintendo.
Bluek

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Rising prices
I have just bought the Mario & Luma amiibo, which is my first amiibo I have bought with the new higher prices. I have attached a couple of photos so readers can compare their size with the cheaper amiibo. The Mario & Luma amiibo cost me £24.99 including delivery, the Super Mario amiibo on its own cost £12.99 and the Tom Nook one cost me £10.99.

As you can see, the packaging for the Luma amiibo is quite a bit bigger than the lower priced amiibo. I have included a Switch game in the photo so people have an idea how big the amiibo are. I bought the new amiibo as I am a big fan of Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2.

I will be more selective of what amiibo I buy in future, because of the new higher prices. I hope the amiibo for Resident Evil Requiem are not £24.99 each, as that will be £50 to own them! Nearly as much as purchasing the game!
Andrew J.

GC: The prices are shocking but we’ve got to admit, that Mario & Luma one is nice.

Too much money
That is very surprising to find that Take-Two has laid off their whole AI team. You would’ve thought they would’ve kept it going just to tick a box when attracting investors, but maybe they really don’t need the money.

If that is the case, and it’s not just that the boss has a pet hate, I wish we’d see this in other things they do. Like wasting money on weird ideas and indie games. But I can’t remember the last time Take-Two published anything that wasn’t just a sports game or something from Rockstar Games.

They might not need an AI department but you always need new and interesting games. Heck, I’d settle for a new Bioshock if nothing else.
Danson

Man attic
After making an obvious and cheap gag about the size of the PS5 Pro yesterday, I felt it only fair to show you can fit these modern consoles in quite easily under the TV and while big don’t quite deserve the reputation they seem to have.

This modest space, an attic conversion, has a PS4 Pro, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X, plug tidy box behind the Series X, Switch 2 behind the TV, PlayStation VR 2 in a case behind some classic gaming tat and all the controllers, games and charging leads in the box. The TV stand was £50 five years ago from Argos.

I will say though both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 look better stood up but I can’t imagine that’s the most convenient why for most to store them. So for me make the PlayStation 6 and Nextbox with horizontal as the design focus.
Simundo

Luck of the draw
I don’t know if it’s on sale or if it’s that dynamic pricing but I got Astro Bot off the PlayStation Store on Saturday for £32.99.

It’s as good as everyone says it is. Been a while since I’ve enjoyed a game this much. Holds up very well against Super Mario Odyssey.
Tom Thomas

GC: We think it’s dynamic pricing (which is disgusting) as it’s £42.59 for us, at a 29% discount.

A real scream
I bought Screamer over the weekend, as I love arcade racers and I’ve been loving it. My only issue with gameplay was the twin stick turning, which I just couldn’t get the hang of. But thankfully you can map both sticks just to the left stick and it was a gamechanger, it feels much more natural. So if anyone is put off by the controls you can change them.

There’s a lot of mechanics to learn, which offers strategy to the racing, but another nice touch is in private matches or split-screen you can turn off anything that others feel complicated and just have a standard racer, which is cool.

The biggest problem is the price. £60 is a lot for a racer which is trying something new and I feel it’s putting a lot off. I managed to pay for half of it with Microsoft Points, so it only cost me £30. I think it should have been £40 and it looks like the game is suffering because of it, which is a shame as it’s up there with Split/Second: Velocity and Blur for me.
Rob

GC: We agree entirely. It’s a great game but the price is a big ask for an IP most people have never heard of.

Inbox also-rans
That Jesus: The Journey game has got to be some kind of failed superhero game they found the code for or something. Like you said, I don’t see how this stuff gets on PlayStation Store in the first place. Can I just upload some pirated ROMs and Sony will leave them up for six months until they realise what they are?
Campbell

Never heard of the dude that died but Double Dragon was always a favourite of mine when growing. So kudos to Yoshihisa Kishimoto and shame he went so relatively young.
sniperboy

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John McCabe, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce believes the cap, which was lifted today (April 6), will make a “tangible difference to families”.

An estimated 450,000 children will be lifted out of poverty as a result of the scrap – with data revealing that 28 per cent of children across the North East live in deprivation (DWP).

First introduced by the Conservatives in 2017, the policy restricted child tax credit and universal credit (UC) to the first two children in most households.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the cap would be lifted on April 6 when she delivered the budget in November, after months of pressure from Labour backbenchers.

Mr McCabe added: “The abolition of the two-child benefit cap is welcome and will make a tangible difference to families across the North East.

“Our members have long argued that this is one of the most powerful levers available to tackle the unacceptable rates of child poverty across the region.

“As our Unlocking the North East Economy 2025–2027 policy plan makes clear, tackling poverty is fundamental to improving educational outcomes, widening access to opportunity and supporting people into good quality work.

“Every day, I hear from business leaders who need people with the right skills and stability to drive their organisations forward. Reducing child poverty is how we build that pipeline.

“If we want the North East to compete on the global stage, we must start by ensuring every child can thrive.

“We will continue to work with our members to press for meaningful regional and national action to tackle child poverty and its wide-ranging impacts on North East communities and our economy.”

The Prime Minister said lifting the cap was one of a number of steps the Government has taken amid an increased focus on cost-of-living pressures caused by the war in Iran.

Sir Keir Starmer said: “No matter the global uncertainty, my Government will always be on the side of the British people in bearing down on the cost of living.

“I will never lose sight of how restless people are for change, and I am proud that today we are lifting nearly half a million children out of poverty, boosting support for pensioners, and delivering the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.”

He added: “I know families across the country are concerned about the conflict in Iran and what it means for the cost of living.

“We are working closely with international partners to push for a de-escalation in the Middle East and the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

“This is the most effective way to ease the pressure on the cost of living.

“I am clear that our response to the current global situation will define us for a generation, which is why we are taking the right long-term decisions now to ensure we emerge from this as a stronger, more secure nation.”

Writing in the Guardian newspaper, the Prime Minister described the raft of measures as “one of the proudest moments of this Labour Government”.

Sir Keir added: “Because it will lift nearly half a million children out of poverty. It means fuller cupboards, less anxiety at the end of the month, and a fairer start in life for children who had no say in the circumstances they were born into.

“And it tells you something fundamental about this Government – when faced with a choice, we act.”

Christina Koch was first to speak after Artemis II emerged from behind the Moon, ending a 40-minute blackout as the mission broke Apollo 13’s 55-year distance record.

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Orion reappeared from behind the Moon as planned and radio contact was restored – bringing an end to a 40-minute blackout that had left Mission Control waiting in silence.

Mission specialist Christina Koch was first to speak.

“Houston, Integrity, comm check,” she said. “It is so great to hear from Earth again.”

With no signal available on the lunar far side, the capsule had been operating entirely independently. Computers aboard Orion fired the engines at exactly the right moment to swing the spacecraft onto a homeward path – a procedure carried out beyond the reach of any ground controller.

When the connection returned, relief swept through Mission Control. Engineers observed data beginning to fill their screens; moments later, Koch’s voice came through.

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Uncertainty is an ever-present factor in crewed spaceflight – regardless of how routine a mission may seem, nothing is guaranteed until the crew is heard from once more. Family members who had gathered to observe spent the communications blackout reviewing briefing documents, deliberately keeping their focus away from the clock.

A backlog of stored information is now being transmitted to Earth, reports the BBC. Everything Orion captured on the far side – sensor readings, flight data, imagery – is being downloaded via NASA’s Deep Space Network, with mission teams set to spend the coming days examining the findings.

Amongst the images already arriving are what seem to be the clearest photographs ever captured of the Moon’s far hemisphere. The crew lost no time in marking the milestone, before swiftly returning to the task at hand.

Prior to the communications blackout, Glover delivered what proved to be a poignant farewell – drawing on the teachings of Jesus, including the call to love your neighbour as yourself, before signing off with words that carried a deeper resonance.

‘We will see you on the other side,’ he said.

The blackout rounded off a mission that has already made history. At 1.57pm ET, Orion carried its crew to 252,757 miles from Earth – a distance no human had ever previously reached.

The record that was broken had belonged to Apollo 13, whose crew was pushed to 248,655 miles from home during their harrowing emergency return in 1970 – a record that had remained unbeaten for 55 years.

“The Cowleys were different as after years of bargain basement managers we actually went out and did the research and found them,” said Whiley.

“The excitement was there and I remember the event where they first met the fans they were cheered into the room.

“We can look at this season and see promotion to the Championship as the best thing the club has done, but those three seasons, two promotions, FA Cup quarter-final, winning a trophy at Wembley. That changed it all.

“They brought a buzz back that we hadn’t seen since Keith, and they were like Keith in that they would find players on the way up, scour non-league and find the future stars.

“The fact is, that even after the Cowleys left to join Huddersfield, the energy stayed.

“It sticks with me that Danny said to me he didn’t want to see kids in Lincoln wearing the shirts of Premier League clubs, he wanted to see them kicking a ball in the park wearing a Lincoln City shirt.

“The success, the work that was done means that is a reality. I see it all the time when I go round the city, people wear their colours with pride.”

While Mark, Leigh and myself have covered parts of Lincoln’s recent history, one man who has been the stalwart has been BBC Radio Lincolnshire’s Michael Hortin.

His first game was in 1999, and he was there in the commentary box as Lincoln gained promotion to the Championship.

“This promotion is the culmination of a long-term plan,” said Hortin. “This is about a chairman and board who have been thoughtful with their investment.

“Lincoln’s FA Cup run earned them a lot of money and they did not spend it on players, they spent it on a whole new training set-up.

“The Cowleys were the start of a transition from the old way of doing things, to a set-up that is very much part of the modern game.

“Under them a sporting director was brought in to support recruitment and player development and now we really do have a true ‘head coach’ in Michael Skubala.

“It is about finding those raw players, developing them, selling them, and it is paying off as it has allowed them to secure players on better deals.”

Lincoln have, as Hortin describes, recruited ‘experience’ to the squad. Their head coach, though, is a man who had limited time in the professional game, but Hortin said Skubala’s ability to learn and adapt has been impressive.

“I remember the first game Skubala took was against Stevenage, and it was a bit of a shock, but he was quite cool and his reaction was more ‘huh, this is what it is about’, and he learned,” said Hortin.

“The way the team has adapted and what Skubala has done is create a team that is hard to beat.”

A team that is hard to beat. A club that has been learning, developing, recruiting, all building up to where Lincoln are now. But what next?

Hortin is confident that the club will remain realistic. “The first goal will be survival, but the thing is they had a plan to become an established League One club, and now they will be working on another plan for what comes next.

“The one thing is that new owner Ron Fowler will likely go about it the same as Clive Nates. It will be done in a quiet, steady, thoughtful way. That has become the Lincoln way.”

Peter Reid will host ‘An Evening with Peter Reid’ at the Roker Hotel on Saturday, June 6, two weeks before his 70th birthday.

Reid managed Sunderland AFC from 1995 to 2002, and his transformation of the club in that time has made him one of Wearside’s most treasured figures, and often makes regular visits to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland legend Peter Reid. (Image: GOOFY MEDIA)

After a sell out event last year, marking 30 years since he took charge at Roker Park, Ried is hoping the night will be filled with memories of “magical moments”.

He said: “The fans have been unbelievable to me, and I love my regular visits to be with them and support the current team and team boss Regis Le Bris.

“What we built all those years ago is something really special, and it’s great to see the club continuing to move forward.

“As time evolves, we’re still sharing magical moments and memories, and it will be a joy to be with everyone during my birthday month of celebrations.

“With it falling just ahead of Father’s Day, it promises to be a special night surrounded by special people.”

He added: “We had a wonderful night last June and made loads of memories.

“People such as Bryan Robson, Tony Mowbray, Kevin Phillips and others made it memorable with their lovely tributes, video recollections and recalling great times with the fans—it really was unforgettable.”

During Reid’s time at the helm, the Black Cats were battling relegation in the first division.

Peter Reid with fans at last years event. (Image: GOOFY MEDIA)

But thanks to his leadership, the club stayed up, were crowned the winners of the championship the year after and were promoted to the Premier League.

In 1996, he was even made the subject of a song named ‘Daydream Believer (Cheer Up Peter Reid)’ to the melody of Monkees hit Daydream Believer.

It peaked at 41 in the UK singles and album chart.

Speaking of his connection to the club, Reid added: “I always look forward to getting back up to Sunderland — it means a great deal to me.

“The connection I’ve got with Sunderland AFC and the fans is something I’ll carry with me forever.

“As time passes, it’s a real joy to see Sunderland back in the Premier League — it still gives me a proper buzz watching them, and I couldn’t be prouder of what the club is achieving.”

Tickets are limited and start at £27.