Lincoln United completed a league and cup double in a historic season that saw them achieve promotion back to step four of the non-league pyramid.
In a rollercoaster season, it was Lincoln who secured promotion alongside the retainment of the Lincolnshire County Trophy.
A strong start under new management:
The 2024/25 campaign began all the way back in July for The Whites, when they beat Wisbech Town 1-0 away from home to begin a long season.
Following FA Vase and league play-off heartbreak last season, new boss Scott Hellewell was set the clear target of promotion when he was appointed alongside fellow coaches Jon Taylor and Paul Grimes in the summer of 2024.
Early season prowess from exciting striker Owen Vincent along with defensive stability, saw Lincoln rise quickly to the top the the table. Just one loss in their opening 14 league matches catapulted the team to a significant points advantage at Christmas.
A Boxing Day draw with local rivals Skegness Town was a sign of things to come, but there was a lot of football to play before the season concluded.
Unbeaten heroics for Hellewell and co:
Although, almost nobody could have predicted what was to come in the months afterwards.
Following a 2-1 loss to Hucknall Town on November 16, Lincoln United went on a remarkable run of 21 league games unbeaten. An undefeated run of games that will carry on until they begin the 2025/26 campaign.
With title rivals Eastwood CFC and Bourne Town pushing Lincoln United throughout the entirety of the 38 games in the UCL premier Division North, it went down to the wire.
A crucial Jaime Ture header secured a 2-1 win over Bourne in February, putting the race for promotion back in the hands of those at Ashby Avenue.
Then, after the continuation of the good run, with just three matches remaining, and The Whites top of the table, a win over secondary title rivals Eastwood CFC would have all but sealed promotion with games to spare.
Double delight for Lincoln United:
At this stage though, Lincoln had the small matter of a Lincolnshire County Trophy final to contend with. A match up with Bourne was a great occasion at Boston United’s Jakemans Community Stadium, but three early goals all but ensured the trophy would be retained by Lincoln United within the first half an hour.
Their focus quickly shifted back to the coming weekend and potential promotion clinching match against Eastwood.
A 2-0 lead late in the second-half seemed destined to all but secure promotion for The Whites, but a resurgence from the Nottinghamshire outfit saw them recover a 2-2 draw and keep the race alive going into the final Easter weekend.
Following a 3-1 win over Heanor Town on Saturday April 19, which included late winning goals from Tristan Drummond and captain Elliot Dye, United needed to better the result of Eastwood when they travelled to Skegness on Easter Monday.
A rainy afternoon set the scene for Lincoln United’s glory day on the East coast. A win was expected to be necessary, but following results elsewhere it became clear a point would be enough.
And, a draw was what Scott Hellewell and his players were able to secure in the seaside Lincolnshire town, and as expected, chaos ensued at the final whistle.
A late penalty miss from captain Elliot Dye was long forgotten by the time he lifted the UCL Premier Division North trophy, in front of the many supporters who had made the long trip from Lincoln for the promotion occasion.
A historic moment that saw the Lincoln skipper lift a league title. He became the first Whites captain to do so since his father Darren 30 years before him and celebrations went long into the bank holiday night.
United’s season did not stop there though, and two potential treble chances followed.
Champions Cup action was first up against St. Neots Town, but a 2-0 loss away to the winners of the Southern Premier Division saw hopes of that trophy diminished.
Then, a league cup final against Eynesbury Rovers concluded the campaign for the Whites. It was defeat in the end, leaving Lincoln with two trophies, and the all-important promotion, at the end of the season.
Work has undoubtedly already begun in the attempt to solidly Lincoln United’s status in step four next term. With pre-season just a few short weeks away, there will be many eager to get the 2025/26 campaign underway as soon as possible at Ashby Avenue.