Tom Shaw believes Lincoln City can take on West Ham United with confidence as the clubs prepare to meet in the Championship at Sincil Bank tomorrow night. When West Ham visited Sincil Bank in the League Cup three years ago, it was a chance for City to test themselves against higher-level opposition. A 1-0 defeat was seen as brave, and still rates as the…

Lincoln City have received a welcome injury boost ahead of West Ham United's visit, with Andrei Coubiș back in training and available for selection. City host the Hammers at Sincil Bank tomorrow night as we look to respond to Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Sheffield United. Tom Shaw has provided an update on the squad ahead of the game, with Coubiș's return offering some positive news after a disappointing afternoon at Bramall Lane.

Eleven years ago today, Lincoln City suffered another frustrating evening at Park View Road, losing 2-1 to Welling United despite creating enough chances to come away with a better result. As we prepare to wake on West Ham United as equals tomorrow night, I thought it might be sobering to look back at a very different football club from 11 years ago. 

Ben House has been named the Stacey West readers' Man of the Match following our 3-0 defeat against Sheffield United. Ben finished with an average rating of 6.11, narrowly edging out Ryley Towler on 6.07 to take the award. We had competed well in the opening half-hour, but conceding just before the break and twice early in the second half left us with a familiar feeling of opportunities missed.

Lincoln City return to Sincil Bank on Wednesday evening for an eagerly anticipated Championship encounter with high-flying West Ham United.  City will hope to respond to Saturday's defeat at Sheffield United as the Imps chase their first home win of the campaign against a side relegated from the Premier League last term. West Ham United Form West Ham arrive in Lincolnshire also seeking a response after Friday evening's frustrating draw with Queens Park Rangers.

West Ham United come to Sincil Bank on Wednesday, and I think this could be the moment for Chris and Tom to make a few changes. Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Sheffield United did not convince me that everything we have done this season is wrong. We have won three successive away games playing broadly the same way, but the individual quality in this division is higher than I expected, and some of those decisive moments at Bramall Lane showed it.

West Ham United are the next visitors for Lincoln City, with a possible starting XI that underlines the quality we are facing in the Championship. I am no expert on our opposition, but I will have a go at guessing their starting XI. I expect the Hammers to begin in a 4-2-3-1, but there is scope for that to change, particularly with defenders who can occupy more than one position and Joel Piroe capable of joining the striker.

The Imps go into the game with West Ham as distinct underdogs, but that hasn't always been the case. Our games against the Hammers are few and far between, with the 1982 League Cup clash one of the most recent meetings between the two sides. On that occasion, the Hammers were unable to beat us at the Bank. In fact, before their cup win in 2023, they hadn't won at our place for 66 years.

Lincoln City's meeting with West Ham United on Wednesday brings together two sides whose biggest difference so far has been their ability to turn chances into goals. I'm going to use stats, and I don't care. I like stats because a scoreline has a habit of deciding how we remember everything that happened before it. We win at Preston and Bristol City, and we're clinical, then a couple of defeats later we're apparently desperate for someone who can finish, even when we're creating better chances.

Ahead of West Ham's visit this week, we're looking back at City's 4-3 win at Sincil Bank in December 1948, when Doug Wright made his Lincoln debut and Jock Dodds scored a hat-trick. There are plenty of ways to announce yourself to a new set of supporters, but Doug Wright's first appearance for Lincoln City takes some beating. The Imps defeated West Ham United 4-3 on 18 December 1948, with Jock Dodds scoring three, yet the Lincolnshire Echo's headline two days later left little doubt about who had made the biggest impression: "Wright Gave West Ham A Soccer Lesson".

Freddie Draper and Conor McGrandles are both one booking away from suspension as Lincoln City prepare to welcome West Ham United to Sincil Bank on Wednesday. The pair have accumulated four Championship cautions apiece, leaving them at risk of a one-match league ban. A fifth booking during City's opening 19 league fixtures, including the 19th game itself, would trigger the suspension.

The Stacey West Patreon community has added another familiar name to our sponsorships, with former Lincoln City favourite Gary Taylor-Fletcher now receiving our backing at Widnes Town.  Site Patreons already sponsor Dom Jefferies, Josh Kennealey, Donald Inyama and Leo Fifield at City, supporting both the first team and the academy. We can now add someone from our past to that list, as Gary tries to lift Widnes away from the bottom end of the North West Counties League First Division South.

In the second special, we visit Boston United, one of the two local clubs that most Lincoln fans have probably travelled to, with Lincoln United to follow later in the series, writes David Ward. Boston United were formed in 1933, replacing the short-lived Boston Town club. Their nickname, the Pilgrims, comes from the Pilgrim Fathers, who left England to settle in North America, near what is now Boston, Massachusetts, although they did not found the city itself.

Lincoln City suffered a 3-0 defeat at Sheffield United, with the scoreline ultimately reflecting a difficult second half rather than the competitive opening City produced at Bramall Lane. The Imps started well and created the better opportunities during the opening stages, with Rob Street and Freddie Draper both threatening before Sheffield United gradually grew into the contest. The hosts struck shortly before half-time to take control, despite City having more than held their own for much of the opening 45 minutes.

Chris Cohen believes Lincoln City are capable of beating anyone in the Championship, including West Ham United, as the Imps prepare to welcome the former Premier League side to Sincil Bank on Wednesday evening. City head into the game looking to respond to Saturday's 3-0 defeat against Sheffield United, a result which brought their recent run of impressive away performances to an abrupt halt.

With West Ham United next up for Lincoln City, our latest Good, Bad and Ugly looks at three familiar names with connections to both clubs. The premise is simple: someone we remember fondly, someone whose contribution left rather less to celebrate, and someone whose story needs a little more consideration. This time, those connections take us from a goalkeeper the supporters helped buy to a member of a disastrous management team, before finishing with a talented midfielder who left us wondering what might have been.

Late winners, comeback victories and FA Vase progress featured in an eventful afternoon for Lincolnshire's non-league clubs, writes David Ward. Lincoln United 3-2 West Auckland Alan Power rolled back the years with a last-gasp free-kick as Lincoln United scored twice in added time to turn a likely defeat into a dramatic victory. The Whites had looked the stronger side for much of the afternoon, creating several early opportunities before Liam Moran headed them in front after 24 minutes.

A 3-0 defeat is never nice for Lincoln City fans, or indeed any fans, but I do think that yesterday's might be a blessing in disguise.  We've kept such faith with some of the good, honest pros who got us promoted, the 'bigger than the sum of our parts' squad that shocked League One. I think we'd hoped the same might happen in the…

Lincoln City were without Reeco Hackett for their 3-0 defeat against Sheffield United yesterday, with Chris Cohen confirming that the winger is currently recovering from a concussion. The Imps were beaten at Bramall Lane after a promising opening half an hour, with the hosts eventually making their quality count. City had arrived in South Yorkshire hoping to build on their recent away victories over Preston North End and Bristol City, but were unable to produce another positive result on the road.

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder warned supporters not to be misled just because the opponent's name wasn't a familiar one yesterday. The Blades beat Lincoln City 3-0 with a Patrick Bamford brace either side of Tahith Chong's goal just after half-time. While the Blades were good for the win, City matched their shots and bettered their xG, which led to Wilder praising our resilience and application.

We've reached 500 episodes of The Stacey West Podcast! To celebrate, we're joined by Lincoln City head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw for a special conversation about their partnership, their journey and leading the Imps in the Championship. Chris and Tom explain how they first came together, why sharing the head coach role felt natural and what happened behind the scenes when Michael Skubala left.

Lincoln City joint-head coach Chris Cohen admitted the Imps had opportunities to unsettle Sheffield United before the hosts' quality ultimately told at Bramall Lane. City started competitively and created a couple of early openings, with Freddie Draper and Rob Street having efforts before the Blades began to grow into the contest. Sheffield United took the lead shortly before half-time, added a second through Tahith Chong early in the second period and wrapped up a 3-0 win when…

Andrei Coubiș returned from international duty with Romania carrying a knee injury, but Lincoln City are hopeful that the problem isn't anything serious. The defender was missing from the squad as the Imps fell to a 3-0 defeat against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane this afternoon. Dom Jefferies came into the starting XI in his absence, with City unable to build on a promising opening half an hour as the hosts took control of the contest.

Lincoln City slumped to the heaviest league defeat of the season against Sheffield United this afternoon after a soft second half. Patrick Bamford's strike just before half time was perhaps more than the home side deserved, but a one-sided second half saw them take all three points at a canter. The Imps made two changes to the side that lost to Swansea three weeks ago.

Daniel Oyegoke has opened up about the decisions that brought him to Lincoln City and how he is settling into his new surroundings. Speaking to the press ahead of the game against Sheffield United this weekend, the 23-year-old was in fine form, opening up on the unusual career progression which has taken him from London to Lincoln, via Edinburgh and Verona.

Lincoln City head coaches Tom Shaw and Chris Cohen have shared their personal highlights of the season so far as part of our 500th episode special, dropping on Sunday morning at 6:17am. The duo might seem from the outside to be unorthodox in footballing terms, but the early signs are that things are working well. With a decent points haul and some good performances, City have surprised the critics, and already, fans have some good moments to enjoy.

Sheffield United could welcome back up to four players for Saturday's Championship meeting with Lincoln City, with manager Chris Wilder confirming that three are almost certain to be available. The Blades have endured a difficult start to the campaign, with injuries contributing to their problems during the opening weeks. However, the extended international break has given Wilder an opportunity to welcome several players back into contention ahead of the Imps' visit to Bramall Lane.

Lincoln City were among the clubs considered as a potential loan destination for Nottingham Forest defender Zach Abbott this summer, according to the Premier League club's loans and pathway manager Owen Coyle. The 20-year-old eventually joined Southampton on a season-long loan on transfer deadline day, but Lincoln were also involved in discussions over his future. Speaking in an interview shared on Facebook…

Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw have missed out on September's Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month award, with West Ham United boss Nuno Espirito Santo taking the honours. Our joint head coaches were shortlisted after guiding City to eight points from five league matches, including successive away victories at Preston North End and Bristol City. They were nominated alongside Nuno, Swansea City's Vitor Matos and Stoke City's Mark Robins.

Lincoln City head coach Chris Cohen believes the Imps can compete with Sheffield United this weekend, although he is under no illusions about the challenge awaiting his side at Bramall Lane. City return to Championship action following an extended international break, with a trip to South Yorkshire beginning a demanding run of fixtures that also includes West Ham United at Sincil Bank and Millwall away.

Michael Appleton has praised Lincoln City's promotion and explained how our playing style has evolved since his time in charge. In our final article on his interview with EFL Debate's Gab Sutton, our former manager reflected on the approach that has taken City forward. He also made clear how pleased he was to see the club reach the Championship.

When Josh Honohan joined Lincoln City, I felt we were signing a player with the Championship in mind. There was something about his profile, his versatility and the reputation he had built in Ireland that suggested he could grow with us. Now we are in the Championship, but Josh is still waiting for the opportunity to establish himself. That is a situation worth discussing, because his first months here have been very different from what many of us expected.

Lincoln City are currently 12th in the Championship, and I suspect most of us would have taken that when we were celebrating promotion. We have stepped into a stronger division, come up against clubs with considerably more resources and shown that we can compete. Yet that hasn't stopped the familiar discussions about whether we are fortunate, whether we score enough and whether the squad needs something more.

Lincoln City’s Temporary Stand will become a dedicated home supporters’ area from the visit of Burnley on Saturday 24 October, following a review of arrangements at the ProAmpac Stadium. The change means away supporters will once again be housed solely within the Stacey West Stand. Home fans will still likely get a couple of blocks in there, although the exact setup will all depend on the segregation.

Lincoln City captain Tendayi Darikwa has signed a new contract until June 2028 following successful surgery on his ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.  City’s captain suffered the injury during our first home game of the season against Portsmouth, and scans in the days that followed confirmed those initial fears. Darikwa has now undergone surgery and will begin an extensive rehabilitation programme with the club’s medical and performance staff as he works towards a return to action.

Lincoln City return to Championship action at Bramall Lane on Saturday, and the international break gives us a few interesting decisions to make over our starting XI. By the time we kick off, it will have been 21 days since the Swansea game. That is a long time to sit with a defeat, particularly one in which we played so well for large parts, but our away performances before the break give us plenty of encouragement.

Lincoln City are closing in on a clean bill of health ahead of Saturday's Championship clash with Sheffield United, with Chris Cohen providing positive updates. The Imps return to league action this weekend following the international break, with Sheffield United visiting Sincil Bank. The fortnight without a competitive fixture has given several players additional time to recover, and Cohen confirmed that the squad is looking considerably healthier than it was a few weeks ago.

Ben and Chris are with you on the dawn of the Championship's return. The Imps head to Brammall Lane on Saturday, and we're looking ahead to that. We're also talking about our favourite podcast moments ahead of an absolutely stacked Episode 500! Up the Imps! Spotify – Apple – Acast –

January might still feel some way off, but the next seven Championship matches could have a significant bearing on what our squad looks like when the transfer window opens. Several of our loan players are still trying to establish themselves, and their parent clubs will be watching how those opportunities develop. We have brought them here to strengthen the squad and compete for places, but there are only so many minutes available.

Michael Appleton has praised Freddie Draper's progress at Lincoln City, recalling how keen he was to bring the striker into the first-team setup. Speaking in an interview with Gab Sutton, our former manager picked out Freddie as an example of the development work that has continued to bear fruit at Sincil Bank. His comments came during a discussion about recruitment, bringing young players through and creating value for the club.

We went out of the international break sitting 12th in the Championship, which is a position I think most of us would have happily accepted before a ball was kicked. Three away wins, including victories at Bolton and Bristol City, represent a superb start. There will have been supporters who would have taken three wins on our travels by Christmas, never mind before the first international break.

Lincoln City head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw have been jointly nominated for September's Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month award. The duo are joined on the shortlist by Swansea City's Vitor Matos, Stoke City's Mark Robins and West Ham United's Nuno Espírito Santo, with the winner announced on Friday 9 October. Chris and Tom guided us to eight points from five league matches during September, with the away victories at Preston North End and…

Lincoln City return from the first international break of the campaign with a short hop across the Yorkshire border to face Sheffield United.  Saturday marks 21 days since either of these sides kicked a ball in a professional match. The narrative surrounding all the Championship fixtures this weekend will focus on what impact such a break from play will have on the teams.

Football is on the horizon, a return to watching Lincoln City after what seems like a whole summer break! It seems like ages since we went down the M5 to beat Bristol City, then went 1-0 up against Swansea at the Bank. It is; it's almost three weeks, but finally, football is back. Sheffield United are the opposition, and City will be looking to get back to winning ways and continue the strong start in the Championship.

Spalding United moved within one win of the FA Cup first round proper and Gainsborough Trinity hit six on their travels, but there was disappointment elsewhere across Tuesday night's Lincolnshire fixtures, writes David Ward. FA Cup Spalding United 4-0 Bury Town Spalding United delivered an emphatic response to Saturday's draw at Bury Town, sweeping aside their visitors to secure a home tie against Alvechurch in the fourth qualifying round.

Two Lincoln City Academy graduates had landmark evenings on Tuesday, in different ways. Denny Oliver, released by the Imps, made his full debut for Sheffield Wednesday, while Oisin Gallagher played 90 minutes for Ireland Under 21s against England Under 21s, helping them to a massive victory. Starting with Oliver, he was on the bench for the Owls' EFL Trophy game, or, to give it its new name, the Jersey Mike's Trophy.

Championship football is finally back, as Lincoln City make the short trip to South Yorkshire to take on Sheffield United at Bramall Lane this weekend.  The Imps have been out of action over the international break, and this clash represents our first Saturday away day in four weeks. As always, we are here to give you all the key information supporters need for this match.

Our last victory over Sheffield United inside 90 minutes came in September 2000, with a squad whose subsequent careers took them everywhere from local non-league football to Chelsea's coaching staff. I know we beat them on penalties in 2022, but I'm talking about a good, honest 90-minute win. The circumstances were hardly those of a famous cup upset. Phil Stant's side had been…

Coming into this season, one of the biggest questions was how our players would cope with the Championship. In part one, I looked at the Championship clubs that have surprised me this season, but there have been some pleasing surprises closer to home as well. We knew what our players could do in League One, but there was always going to be uncertainty about how much of that would translate against stronger, quicker and more technically accomplished opposition.

Marvin Johnson, who featured for City as a trialist during pre-season, has returned to Solihull Moors on a short-term contract. The experienced wing-back is back at the club where his senior career began, having subsequently played in the Scottish Premiership and Championship. Solihull confirmed his return on social media, adding another familiar name to the list of players finding clubs after spending part of the summer with us.