FRASER Franks does not have happy memories of his last visit to Lincoln City with Newport County AFC and, six-and-a-half years later, he’s hoping for a better outcome at Sincil Bank on Saturday.

Franks has been a big hit since arriving at Rodney Parade from Stevenage on a two-year deal in the summer.

But it was a different story back in April 2012 when his loan move from AFC Wimbledon to County was cut short after just one game.

Franks was just 21 when he lined up alongside a 19-year-old Andrew Hughes in a makeshift centre-back pairing at Lincoln during the first season of Justin Edinburgh’s reign.

The match did not go to plan as the Imps ran out easy 2-0 winners and Franks was soon on his way back to Wimbledon after picking up an injury.

To make matters worse, the Exiles were then fined for naming six loan players in their squad for the match at Lincoln.

Franks was joined by fellow Wimbledon loanees Max Porter and Lee Minshull, and Ryan Charles in the starting XI, while Nat Jarvis and Karl Darlow were on the bench.

“I don’t remember too much about it,” said Franks ahead of his return to Lincoln with the Exiles on Saturday.

“I think it was me and Andrew Hughes played centre-back together and we lost 2-0. I don’t think it was a great performance.

“It was a weird stage because I think we actually got fined after that game for having six loan players in the squad.

“Two or three loan players weren’t allowed to be in the squad for the game after that so it was a strange one.

“I ended up getting injured in my second week as well, so it was a little blot on my career.”

But Franks didn’t let his 2012 experience put him off returning to the club this summer.

“I’ve come back to the club now and hopefully the fans will remember me more fondly this time around,” he said.

“It’s a very different club now. I feel like there’s more structure to it now.

“I didn’t really get to see too much back then – I didn’t even have a home game. It was a very brief spell.

“But a lot of my friends went on to sign for the club so I kept in the loop around Newport.

“I looked out for their results and when the opportunity came about to join this summer it’s one that I took.”

Franks is still in touch with a County legend who was also a teammate of his at Wimbledon.

“Christian Jolley is one of my best mates so I went to the play-off final [in 2013] as a fan,” added the 28-year-old.

“He will be coming to stay with me in January so he’ll probably pop along to a game.”