Lincoln City were crowned champions of League Two after a goalless draw with visitors Tranmere Rovers on Easter Monday.
Mansfield’s defeat at Oldham meant a point was enough to secure the Imps their first football league divisional title since Graham Taylor led them to a record-breaking season in 1975/76.
The League Two title is the Imps third trophy in three seasons after previously winning a meagre total of just five in a history that dates back one hundred and thirty-five years to their formation in 1884.
The final whistle sparked more jubilant scenes in a packed Sincil Bank on the second anniversary of their promotion back to the EFL from the National League.
Manager Danny Cowley immediately paid tribute to the collective effort of everyone at the club, including the supporters telling the Lincolnshire Echo: ‘This has been a whole club, a whole county, a whole city effort. We’ve said that a lot, but it has, everybody has contributed.’
‘The fans were saying well done to us, but we should be saying well done to them because we wouldn’t be where we are now, with the League Two title, without everybody’s contribution.’
Cowley also praised his players who he said had ‘been brilliant from day one. Their attitude and their work ethic has been first class. There are no energy-sappers, no whingers, no moaners.’
‘They have to work long days – well, in football world context – but they’re willing to do that.’
‘There are no egos, and everybody puts the team first. When you’ve got that, when you’re all together, then you can achieve wonderful things. That’s how it’s proved.’
Cowley followed up his post-match comments with a Tweet which once again highlighted the importance and strength of the sense of unity at Sincil Bank in achieving unprecedented levels of success for the club.
https://twitter.com/dancowley1/status/1120577326679511045
With the championship now clinched, Lincoln City can look ahead to their first season in the third tier of English football since 1998/99 and although there will certainly be challenges ahead, the club has serious momentum and teams in league One will underestimate the Imps at their peril.
Our View
Something special is happening at Lincoln City and make no mistake.
The club has seized the opportunity of success on the pitch to engage with the broader community, and the results have been tremendous and an example to other lower league clubs.
The manager and players regularly engage with the community whether it be with visits to schools, fans forums, doing a shift in the ticket office or never refusing a request for a chat, autograph or selfie.
Opposition supporters who disparagingly label the upsurge in support at the club as ‘plastic’ are burying their head in the sand at what’s been achieved at Lincoln.
Cowley’s recognition of the collective effort only ties him further to the supporters and nourishes a bond that has been instrumental in the club’s success.
Lincoln supporters will worry that the strength of this bond will be tested over the summer when bigger clubs with more resources will no doubt be taking a look at the Cowley’s and offering them a quicker route up the managerial ladder.
All reports suggest the Cowey’s feel they have more to do at Lincoln, but if the board fail to match their ambition over the summer, their resolve may well be tested.
