Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher has poured praise on Lincoln City after we secured promotion to the Championship.
City became the first team to be promoted in 2026, securing a place in the second tier for the first time in 65 years. Few saw us coming: some pundits predicted a drop off after Christmas, but even the likes of us projected 10th, at best, earlier in the season.
Schumacher, who saw his Bolton side draw 2-2 with Stockport County in the big play-off clash yesterday, was eager to praise the Imps for their achievements in his post-match interview.
“Congratulations must go to them because, for me, I think they were underestimated,” he told the Bolton News.
“They were spoken about without enough respect for a long period, people saying there were no great teams in the league.
“But for them to be 24 games unbeaten in a league season – that’s over half a season – is fantastic. So, I congratulate Michael and everybody involved with Lincoln; they deserve the promotion.”
Schumacher also earned a surprise promotion once, taking Plymouth Argyle to the Championship while the likes of Charlton, Portsmouth, Derby and Bolton were left in the division.
Knowing what it takes to be a success, Schumacher believes the Imps have been the division’s best team.
“They have been fantastic, so they deserve to be promoted, and I think it would be fitting if they go and win the league, because for me I think they’ve been the best team.”
The Imps now have 90 points, with five games remaining, so they could break the 100-point mark. Only five teams have done that since the third tier became League One: Wolves, Birmingham, Charlton, Sheffield United, and Schumacher’s Plymouth side.
Indeed, our current total of 90 would have already secured the title in four of the last 20 seasons, underlining how impressive we have been in what some labelled as a poor division.
It’s nice to see Schumacher giving us credit, which both he and Dave Challinor have been sure to do in recent weeks.
You must be logged in to post a comment.