After years of battling through the lower divisions of English football, Lincoln City are finally back where many generations of supporters could only dream of seeing them.
The Imps begin their first EFL Championship campaign in 65 years on Saturday, travelling to the Riverside Stadium to face Middlesbrough.
It marks the latest chapter in a remarkable rise for the club, who just a decade ago were competing in the National League.
Now, following an impressive EFL League One campaign last season, that saw Lincoln City lift the trophy on 103 points, Chris Cohen & Tom Shaw’s Imps find themselves preparing for Championship football.
Their first test at this level could hardly be more demanding.
Opponents- Middlesborough
Middlesbrough finished fifth in the Championship last season, securing a place in the play-offs as they looked to return to the Premier League.
However, their fans’ hopes ultimately got squashed in dramatic fashion against Hull City, with Oli McBurnie scoring a late winner to deny Boro promotion back to the top flight.
The side will be looking to go one step further this time around, in what is their 150th anniversary season and they’ve spent a reported £30 million to do so.
Max Arfsten and Sebastian Berhalter have both arrived after representing the United States at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Tottenham Hotspur striker Will Lankshear has joined for a reported £10 million.
Jeremy Sarmiento has also made the move from Brighton, with Kyle Joseph arriving from Hull City and Myles Peart-Harris joining from Oxford United. Manchester United goalkeeper Radek Vítek completed Boro’s major summer additions.
There has, however, been a rather significant departure from the Riverside, with Hayden Hackney leaving for Everton in a reported £17 million deal.
Their season got underway last week in the Carabao Cup, where they welcomed Wrexham to the Riverside.
Lankshear opened his Middlesbrough account shortly after the hour mark, with his volley proving enough to secure a 1-0 victory.
Team news
Lincoln City head into their first Championship fixture of the season with minimal injury concerns after securing a 2-1 victory over Derby County in the Carabao Cup last weekend.
Tom Hamer and Deji Elerewe both impressed at Pride Park with the pair expected to retain their places at centre-back, with Sonny Bradley still recovering from a slight injury.
Speaking earlier this week, Tom Shaw provided a positive update on Bradley while praising the performances of Elerewe and Hamer against the Rams, he said: “He’s (Sonny Bradley) desperate to get out there.
“Every time I see him coming out of the gym, he’s dripping with sweat, so he’s doing his hard work to be prepared for when he’s back on the grass.
“He won’t be too long, Sonny, and I thought the back line were brilliant. Everybody got introduced to Deji properly on Saturday and what he’s capable of.”
Head-to-head
Boro have often had the better of this fixture, winning it on ten occasions compared to just Lincoln City’s six.
However, the last time these two sides faced each other was back in 1961, in what was then English Division Two where the Imps ran out 5-2 victors at Sincil Bank
Since that day, these two haven’t seen each other.
Played for both
The most expensive footballer in British history, Morgan Rogers has worn both shirts, after he was loaned to Lincoln in January 2021 from Manchester City.
Rogers would make 28 appearances for the Imps, scoring six times for the club and picking up an EFL Young Player of the Month.
Current Lincoln City footballer Adam Reach started his career at Boro where he would feature 78 times for them before being sold to Sheffield Wednesday in 2016 for £5,000,000.
Boro’s Morgan Whittaker also previously had a six-month loan stint with Lincoln City, joining the Imps in 2022.