The recent draw away to Exeter City may not have been a stunner, but it did help the Imps maintain their excellent start to the season and their place in the top six.
As the League One table starts to take shape, could this be the year that Lincoln City finally return to the second division of English football for the first time in more than a century – or is that particular dream just too much to ask for hopeful fans? Let’s take a look.
A man with a plan
Even the most fervent supporters will admit that Lincoln City were few people’s favourites to get promotion at the start of the season. Despite a creditable seventh-place finish last time around, the club’s limited budget alone means that they will always be struggling to compete with the likes of Birmingham and their wealthy American benefactors.
What the Imps do have up their sleeves, however, is a carefully constructed plan and vision – something that can go a long way in the often chaotic world of English league football. CEO Liam Scully and the rest of the leadership have focused on building a club that can enjoy both on-pitch success and profitability in the long term.
Their growing reputation for excellence has led to fans of other small-budget clubs looking on enviously and many other teams eager to learn from Lincoln’s model. In the betting world also, there has been a flurry of interest in the Imps, with punters regularly searching for favourable promotion odds and Lincoln City insights online.
Smells like team spirit
Lincoln’s run from the National League to the League One play-offs was a time of rapid, whirlwind success. The 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, on the other hand, saw the club face up to the reality of their more exalted position, with mid-table finishes and consolidation the name of the game. Now, however, there is a feeling that the club is once again building something special, with promotion to the Championship surely the next achievable goal.
Recruitment is a key part of any run, of course, with the focus as always on young and promising talent. Bailey Cadamarteri looks set to be the latest in a string of successful loan signings in attacking areas over the past few seasons, having already weighed in with some important goals. At the back, George Wickens has made a reliable start between the sticks after signing from Fulham, and Tendayi Darikwa has slotted in seamlessly at right back.
Elsewhere, Ben House is showing signs of building on his undoubted promise, while Sean Roughan has provided both defensive solidity and a noticeable attacking thrust in the early stages of the season. In the centre of the park, Conor McGrandles is becoming an increasingly mature performer, while 22-year-old Welshman Dom Jeffries is beginning to show his creative side.
Will the dream draw closer?
As the former head of futsal strategy in England, Michael Skubala can always be expected to focus on technical excellence. His work over the last 12 months, however, has demonstrated that he is also more than capable of coping with the tactical rigours of coaching a League One football team and adapting to the physical tests that the division presents. As we approach the middle third of the season, the positive momentum of last year’s play-off push seems to have carried into this campaign and the Imps are demonstrating that they are ready for another attempt at promotion.
The real challenge starts now, of course, with the Christmas period providing a challenging run of fixtures. At the same time, there is a feeling that if Skubala’s young team can emerge unscathed from the festive season and still in touch with a play-off place – or even automatic promotion – then fans can start to dream of something big.
Picture this
So, what would a spot in the Championship mean to Lincoln City supporters? For starters, it would be the club’s highest position in the football pyramid since the early 1960s – which only fans of a certain age will remember!
Fans of the Imps have definitely got a taste of trophies, promotions and successful cup runs over the last 10 years, with the 2018 EFL Trophy win at Wembley another memorable moment in the recent history of the club. There is no question, however, that rubbing shoulders with some of the country’s most storied clubs in the Championship would top the lot.
Hi, re your comment on it being more than a century since City were in the second tear, my first visit to Sincil Bank was in the early 1950s and I’m sure City were playing second division football.