I asked the Vital Lincoln City members what three things they learned after the 2023–2024 season ended, which saw Rotherham United, Huddersfield Town, and Birmingham City move down into League One and Portsmouth, Derby County, and Oxford United promoted to the Championship.

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As stated by sedgleyimp:

1. Behind the scenes, we are in extremely capable hands. The most significant decision made during the previous season was Mark Kennedy’s removal as head coach in October. We were positioned in the top half of the league at the moment. After thirteen league games, we have only lost four times, most recently at home against Burton. On the surface, things weren’t too awful for us. However, it was evident that the board needed to make a significant decision, and they did so with clarity. Many people were surprised by it, not only Lincoln supporters but football enthusiasts in general. It happened six weeks after we eliminated Sheffield United of the Premier League from the cup. A lot of clubs would have been happy to watch what happened over the next few months. Our board, which is not known for firing coaches or management, knew what was required to take the team to the next level. There was still another choice to be made after this one. Who should I directly replace with? Advocates were demanding an appointment as soon as possible. Everyone had a favorite candidate for the position. On social media, the board was under pressure to “just get it done.” Once more, though, they demonstrated how lucky we are to have as leaders of this group individuals who are aware of their desires. It took over four weeks to appoint a new head coach. During that time, seven league and cup games came and went. Even though we failed at the Cup’s first hurdle, we did manage to earn some good outcomes during that time. However, the board refrained from scheduling an appointment out of fear. Based on the squad’s performance in the second half of the season, they were very certain that Michael Skubala was the kind of coach they needed to take this team to the next level. You may be sure that our board members’ expertise will play a significant role in our continued success as a team.

2. If a football team plays the “right way,” football fans will be extremely forgiving of them. Although the exact reason for Kennedy’s dismissal is unknown, it’s possible that one of the factors was the team’s prescribed style of play, which wasn’t receiving positive feedback from the crowd. When the games weren’t going our way, there were a lot of murmurs and sighs, though admittedly fewer during the 3-0 victories against Blackpool and Wycombe back in August. Contrast that with the season’s last game. With great expectations for a longer season, we played Portsmouth in the final play-off spot going into the match. Even if the game didn’t go as planned on the day, one of the most memorable moments from the encounter occurred during injury time, right after Portsmouth had ended the match. We gave the players a spontaneous, very sincere standing ovation instead of crying, as the Portsmouth scorer appeared to suggest to their supporters. It went on until the very last whistle and even after. We merely value the accomplishments made by the squad since the start of the year. We are grateful for the level of style and football that is displayed. That’s about as easy as this game gets, especially as a fan.

3. The idea of automatic promotion at the conclusion of the 2024–2025 season is still being discussed. When seen in context, it could seem like a bold yet suitable statement. League 1 will be extremely competitive in the upcoming season, but neither Portsmouth nor Derby, our two teams from the previous season, will be as dominant before a ball is ever kicked. The three Championship-relegated teams should be in the top three; it will be a close race. The three losing play-off teams should definitely challenge. Reading, Wigan, and Blackpool will be formidable teams. Wycombe has received a financial infusion. Both Wrexham and Stockport are financially strong and operating profitably. As we witnessed from Stevenage last term, there will always be an unforeseen difficulty. That role might be filled by Orient or Bristol Rovers. You could essentially argue that 14 or 15 clubs should be in the top 2 spots at this time next year. But we’re still very much in that conversation. You don’t glance at any of our rivals and assume that we won’t receive anything from them. The only thing left to do is carry over our post-New Year form into the 46 remaining league games. Football is, as I said, a really basic game!

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