Lincoln City's long-awaited return to English football's second tier ended in disappointment on the scoreboard but not in spirit, as Portsmouth claimed a 3-1 victory at Sincil Bank in a match that carried significance far beyond its result.
It had been more than 65 years since Lincoln last hosted second-tier football at Sincil Bank, with the club's previous such fixture coming in 1961 when they beat Leyton Orient 2-0. That drought ended on a sunny Saturday afternoon in the cathedral city, with a crowd of 10,545 packing into the stadium — the biggest attendance there in more than four decades.
The occasion marked the culmination of a remarkable rise for a club that spent much of its recent history outside the professional ranks. Lincoln secured their place in the Championship after winning League One last season, finishing an extraordinary 12 points clear at the top with more than 100 points to their name.
Despite the magnitude of the occasion, Portsmouth proved too strong on the pitch. Ben House had an early opportunity to give the hosts a dream start but failed to convert when clean through on goal. Portsmouth made them pay soon after, taking a 2-0 lead through fine finishes from Ryan Kavuma-McQueen and Adrian Segecic.
Reeco Hackett offered Lincoln fans hope before halftime, converting from the penalty spot to become the first Lincoln player to score a second-tier goal at Sincil Bank since Joe Buick achieved the feat back in April 1961. However, Ebou Adams restored Portsmouth's two-goal cushion in the 69th minute, sealing a first win of the season for the visitors and Lincoln's second consecutive defeat to open their Championship campaign.
Yet few supporters left before the final whistle, and many stayed afterward in the club's new fan village to reflect on the day. The mood, by most accounts, remained largely positive despite the result.
Joint head coach Tom Shaw, who along with Chris Cohen has taken charge following Michael Skubala's departure, reflected on the significance of the occasion. "It's been an amazing day for the club," Shaw said. "The atmosphere was fantastic at the start of the game and it all aligned lovely until the goal. People have waited a long time to have a Championship football match here and I desperately hope we can have some good results here. But the ball moves around a bit quicker at this level, the quality increases so we've got to be a bit more alive to certain situations."
The club has invested roughly £10 million over the summer to modernize Sincil Bank, adding a new fan village, a big screen, and upgraded stands that were nearly sold out for the historic fixture. Some traditions remain untouched, however — the air raid siren, a tribute to the city's military heritage, still sounds whenever Lincoln win a corner, and the team continues to employ the traditional 4-4-2 formation that has carried them through their rise up the divisions.
The revamped Stacey West Stand, named in memory of two Lincoln supporters who lost their lives in the 1985 Bradford fire disaster, stood as a reminder of the club's history and community ties, while family zones were filled with young fans experiencing Championship football at Sincil Bank for the first time.
Lincoln's journey from non-league football to the Championship in roughly a decade, achieved without lavish spending, offers an alternative model of success within English football's lower leagues. Having previously defied expectations to win League Two in 2019 and League One last season, the club may face a tougher task at this level, but their story of unity and progress suggests they will not go down without a fight.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.