Lincoln City

To appreciate the craft of being a professional footballer, you can, of course, admire the moments of brilliant skill and technical ability.

However, watching Lincoln City train, it's the competitive spirit, the will to win, even in training, that makes you understand the mentality needed to succeed.

Right from the off in today's session, that desire to come out on top in all the different drills and small-sided games put on, through to the match prep, stood out - there was an edge and a sharpness as the Imps continued their preparation here in Spain in the third week of pre-season.

I felt sorry for the coaches and backroom staff who gave a contentious decision against one of the teams!

That desire was also spoken about by Imps forward Ben House last night when I sat down to speak with him.

He's preparing for a second chance at the Championship, having been released by Reading early in his career.

He said the quote that "hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard" was something he has used throughout his career and it's shown in the way he's made his way back from the National League with Eastleigh all the way to the second tier once again.

As head coach Chris Cohen mentioned to me on Saturday, the injured players that missed the win against Boston United aren't long term and it was good to see the likes of Callum Elder, Ben House and Ryley Towler all involved today.

Friday sees the Imps round off their Spanish trip with a pre-season friendly against a familiar foe from last season in Leyton Orient in the late afternoon sun at the Pinetar Arena.

It might also give them an early reunion with former head coach Michael Skubala.

His new side Bristol City have a friendly against Stockport County earlier on in the day as they also continue their prep for the Championship.

It's funny who you bump into thousands of miles from home.

We've been getting used to the car temperature hitting 35C and more over the past few weeks in Lincolnshire - so it wasn't too much of a shock to step into the car outside Alicante airport and see it at 37C.

For Lincoln City, Murcia in Spain is their base for this week as they continue preparation for their first crack at the second tier of English football in 65 years.

A warm weather training camp has become part of the pre-season routine for the Imps over the past few years and this year is no different. A week of training before ending with a match against Leyton Orient on Friday afternoon.

Usually, these camps are also about integrating new faces into the group but for City, that part isn't really needed this time around.

There is just one new name in the playing squad in the form of Callum Elder and no one was released when the retained list came out in May.

Yes, there's been a change in the dugout, but even that has come in the form of Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw stepping up to the top job.

The session I watched last year, they led, so that won't be too much of a difference for the players, although they do now have an added face in the form of Paul McShane, who has recently joined as first team coach.

While some Lincoln fans might worry about the lack of movement in the transfer market so far, the club have never been one to rush into bringing players in.

Two of City's most impressive performers in last season's League One title win - Ivan Varfolomeyev and Adam Reach - did not join until the end of August and start of September respectively.

Already, the club have been public in the fact they will most likely break their transfer record a couple of times this summer and with what is expected to be one of the lowest budgets in the Championship, City cannot afford to get those signings wrong.

For the players this week, it's all about getting themselves into shape ready for 8 August - for those involved in recruitment, they can wait a little longer.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Republic of Ireland international Paul McShane has joined newly-promoted Championship side Lincoln City's backroom staff as first team coach.

McShane, who also coaches with the Republic of Ireland Under-21 squad, will work alongside head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw.

The 40-year-old has coached with the Manchester United academy and was Lee Grant's assistant at League One side Huddersfield last season.

"His skill set fits the role perfectly; he is an elite coach, and his standards, work ethic and mentality dovetail with our existing staff," sporting director Jez George told the club website., external

Goalkeeping and set play coach David Preece, head of medical Kieran Walker, head of performance Josh Snowden and head of recruitment Joe Hutchinson have also committed their futures to the newly-promoted Imps.

Image source, Chris Vaughan

Lincoln City's home ground will go by a new name after the club was promoted to the Championship after a 65-year absence from England's second tier.

The ground traditionally known as Sincil Bank has been rebranded as ProAmpac Stadium, as part of a 10-year naming rights sponsorship agreement struck with the United States-based packaging manufacturer.

In recent years the ground was known as the LNER Stadium, in a deal with the company that operates most trains on the East Coast Main Line.

Lincoln, who won the League One title with a total of 103 points last season, kick off their Championship campaign at Middlesbrough on 15 August, with the first visitors to their newly named home being Portsmouth a week later.

Image source, Getty Images

Kilmarnock have signed Swedish winger Erik Ring from League One champions Lincoln City for an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the Scottish Premiership club.

Ring had joined Lincoln from AIK in his homeland in 2024 but made only eight starts, and 11 appearances off the bench, last season, scoring twice.

Having come through AIK's youth ranks, he went on to make 66 first-team appearances and also had a loan spell at Helsingborgs.

Kilmarnock state on their website: "His development through one of Scandinavia's strongest footballing systems has established him as an exciting attacking player capable of making an immediate impact in the Scottish Premiership."

He becomes the sixth summer addition to Neil McCann's squad at Rugby Park.

Lincoln City are in negotiations with League Two club Grimsby Town to bring assistant manager Shaun Pearson, 37, to the LNER stadium. (Sky Sports), external

For more transfer news and rumours, read Tuesday's full gossip column here.

The EFL fixture list is out and we know you are bursting to know what you've got to look forward to - or dread - from your team this upcoming season.

Here are some key dates to put in your diary:

• 15 August 2026 - Middlesbrough (A)

• 22 August 2026 - Portsmouth (H)

• 8 September 2026 - Bristol City (A)

• 26 December 2026 - West Bromwich Albion (H)

• 1 January 2027 - Norwich City (A)

• 6 April 2027 - Bristol City (H)

• 1 May 2027 - Charlton Athletic (H)

See Lincoln City's full fixture list here.

The EFL will reveal its fixture list for the 2026-27 season on Thursday.

Want to know who your team will face on opening day? The fixtures will be announced at 12:00 BST - but that is not all.

The draws for the group stage of the Vertu Trophy and the first round of the Carabao Cup will also take place.

So check back on 25 June to see who your team faces first, last and everything in between.

As Lincoln City prepare for their first season in English football's second tier for 65 years, former Imps chairman and current co-vice chairman Clive Nates has reflected on their climb back from the National League.

It started with the appointment of Danny and Nicky Cowley as their management team in May 2016.

Nates told BBC Radio Lincolnshire's Red Imps Club: "You have to go back to before I was a director of the club. In December 2015 I was reading an article about how Southampton went about recruiting a manager.

"I read they started the process a long time before they needed a manager and that did make sense. At the time Chris Moyses was the manager, and we weren't necessarily looking to make a change, but I thought we should start having a look and if we needed a new manager, who would we look at bringing in.

"Danny and Nicky were the perfect management team for this club at that point, but also we were the right club for them as we didn't have direction and they took control of that and gave the club direction."

You can listen to all episodes of the Red Imps Club on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Getty Images

You may notice a different layout and feel to your Lincoln City club page.

It is one of the perks of promotion to the Championship and becoming a second-tier team for the first time in 65 years.

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