Mayo Leaves For Notts County

31st May 2007

Lincoln City FC have been dealt a blow ahead of the new season as Paul Mayo has decided to quit Sincil Bank for Notts County.

Mayo's current Imps' contract expires at the end of June, but he had been offered a new one year deal by Lincoln City. However, today he was confirmed as one of four new signings that Notts county have made.

Even though Paul Mayo was born in Lincoln, he is not a product of Lincoln City's youth set-up. Formerly with Nottingham Forest, he decided to leave Forest as the travelling was becoming a problem. Immediately, City made enquires and Mayo became a Lincoln City player in September 1999.

The Skellingthorpe born, left-sided defender was immediately welcomed into Sincil Bank as the then Imps' manager John Reames saw a player with tremendous potential. Mayo, after impressing in the reserve team, made his first team debut during February 2000 in Lincoln's 2-1 defeat at Swansea, and instantly became a regular by displacing Stuart Bimson at leftback. Mayo impressed Reames sufficiently to keep his place in the side until the end of that season. The next Lincoln manager, Phil Stant, also continued with him at left-back leaving the then transfer listed Bimson on the sidelines.

Mayo lost his place in the side when Stant was sacked, as new manager Alan Buckley opted for experience in the midst of Lincoln's relegation fight. Bimson was recalled for the remainder of the 2000/01 season and began the 2001/02 season as first choice.

Despite Mayo's age, he was a competent player and his omission from the side in favour of Adam Buckley caused a few raised eyebrows amongst the Imps' fans. A central defensive injury crisis, just prior to Christmas 2001, saw him drafted into the team in an unfamiliar position.

He joined Dagenham and Redbridge on loan in October 2002 and many thought that his days at Sincil Bank were numbered. In March 2003, he was destined to join Kettering on loan but an injury crisis at Lincoln caused manager Keith Alexander to block the loan move and he recalled Mayo to the Imps' first team. Mayo seized his opportunity and from then until the end of the season, he became a regular, thereby earning a new contract.

He became a first team player for the 2003/04 season and his form earned him a £65,000 move to Watford in March 2004. Overall, he made 125 appearances for Lincoln City, scoring 9 goals before his departure in March 2004.

Mayo became an instant first team player at Watford until injury curtailed his career. During the 2004/05 season, he was in and out of their first team. In July 2005, he made a shock return to Lincoln City, turning down the opportunity to join League One club Swindon Town in the process.

The 2005/06 season started well for Mayo, as he immediately regained his place in the Lincoln first team. However, he sustained a leg injury in January 2006 and was absence for two months. During this time, he lost his place to Jeff Hughes and had yet to re-establish himself in The Imps' first team when the 2005/06 season ended. It was a similar story during the 2006/07 season as late into the season, he lost his place to Paul Green despite impressing on several occasions.

Overall, Mayo made 189 appearances for Lincoln City, scoring 14 goals.

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