This, in my honest opinion, is the post of the season on 100% Imps by Joseph Lovett: “To think that less than 3 years ago we were averaging 2500 and we had just finished 13th in League, a decent placement by the previous attempts. However, the wheels were already in motion for change. The uplift in morale surrounding the club after Nates joined the board and promised significant investment in the coming seasons gave a spark of something that I hadn’t really felt in a long time relating to Lincoln City – hope.
As the season came to a close, Moyes announced he would be stepping down as a manager. I was quietly pleased by this news, not because he was a bad manager, but because I always thought you shouldn’t mix an investor position with management. That said, I’m very thankful for what he did for the club at its lowest ebb. So began the rumours with a couple of stand out names heath at Ferriby and the Cowleys at Braintree. I remember there being a big debate at the time over who we should opt for. I said to my dad “we need to do anything to get the Cowleys” – purely based on their achievements at Braintree. However, I can hand on heart say I did not expect the three years that followed.
As soon as they arrived the buzz around Lincoln was back. What followed was a summer of excellent additions, something we have got used to with the Cowleys. Woodyard, Raggett and Habergham all came to the bank and made an instant impact. First home game of the season we faced up against a poor north Ferriby and battered them to a crowd of over 3000 (very impressive for us!). My dad’s 50 quid bet on Lincoln to become champions could be cashed out for £100 after two games! Things were looking good. They turned out to be excellent.
We managed to put together not one, but two cup runs (something that most Lincoln fans had no idea was). The former a cruel semi-final defeat to York in The FA Trophy. The latter, a historical FA cup run which involved beating Ipswich, Brighton and of course premier league Burnley and ended defeat in the quarter-finals to Arsenal. The first non-league team to reach the quarter-finals in over 100 years. Whilst this was all going on we kept grinding out results in the league. Tiredness was a thing of the mind it seemed, we just kept going – another excellent trait of Cowley’s players. Comebacks against Forest Green, Torquay, Gateshead and Macclesfield will live long in the memory. Unlike the memories of the celebrations on achieving promotion back to League Two. I and my dad both agreed that the Cowleys could already move on as Lincoln legends after the feat.
The first season back in League 2 all I wanted was consolidation. Well, we got a whole lot more than that. Additions of Eardley, Botswick, Anderson (made permanent) and Green significantly improved the squad. As with everything the Cowleys do, the transfer policy is meticulous. No player is bigger than the club, must have the right ethos and they opt for a gradual evolution of the squad rather than wholesale changes. In the second year, we were treated to another cup run that resulted in a trip to Wembley, the first time in the club’s history. 27,000 strong of us witnessed history as we lifted the EFL Trophy. We performed beyond my wildest dreams and claimed a playoff place playing regularly in front of 9000 fans. Unfortunately, the playoffs were one step too far with a walking injured team. However, it was excitement for the next season rather than disappointment.
Despite the loss of Woodyard to Peterborough, the Cowleys managed to improve the squad again. Andrade, Toffolo, O’Connor, Shackell and record signing Akinde made up what I believe to be the best squad Lincoln have had since I started supporting the imps. The start of this season was different, we were expected to achieve promotion. Could the Cowleys deal with the pressure and expectation? Of course, they could, even throwing in a trip to Everton on the way. Promotion obtained with 4 games left, the championship with 2. The best management partnership Lincoln has ever had? It’s a yes from me.
Thank you for the journey Danny and Nicky, long may it continue.”
"Thank you for the journey Danny and Nicky, long may it continue.":https://t.co/XWtBHAFdKd#ImpsAsOne
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) April 24, 2019
https://www.facebook.com/VitalLincolnCity/posts/2159383717431195
