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.
United were founder members of the Northern Premier League and dominated the competition during the 1970s. Their final championship of that period came in 1977/78, but York Street was deemed below Football League standards, allowing runners-up Wigan Athletic to gain election instead. Boston eventually earned their Football League place by winning the Conference in 2001/02 and spent five years there before administration, financial problems and poor management brought a disastrous end to that spell. They ultimately dropped three divisions and had to fight their way back to the fifth tier. en.wikipedia.org
Boston played at York Street, in the middle of town, from their formation until 2020, when they moved to the Boston Community Stadium, now known as the Jakemans Community Stadium. They also used Gainsborough Trinity’s Northolme for a small number of matches during the transition. The final part of the new stadium has now been completed and opened to the public earlier this season.
The ground is around two miles outside Boston, beside the A16 towards Spalding. With the walk from town taking roughly 42 minutes, a matchday shuttle bus is provided at a cost of £1.50 per journey. It is a useful option for those arriving in Boston without their own transport.
I attended as part of a £70 hospitality package, which included a two-course meal, programme, teamsheet and padded seating in the main stand. The Southend game also marked the launch of a new hospitality option, the Pilgrim Club, costing £25 for adults and £20 for children. This included a hot plated meal with table service, a visit from the mascot and the opportunity to meet a United player, subject to availability, although the match ticket must be purchased separately.
Standard terrace admission costs £19 for adults, £15 for concessions and £7 for under-16s. The programme, regarded as one of the better publications in non-league football, costs £3.50 for a 56-page issue. Food outlets are available around the ground and beneath the main stand, inside the stadium, with quick service and a generally good selection of the usual football-ground food. 2026-2027
There have been plenty of links between Lincoln and Boston over the years, with many players having represented both clubs. One of the most recent is Oisin Gallagher, who spent last season on loan with United and made his Republic of Ireland under-21 debut during his time there. Former Imps striker Lenell John-Lewis is now a regular member of Boston’s squad, continuing the close connection between the two sides.
Onto the game, and United were looking for a response to the previous week’s 6-0 defeat. Manager Paul Hurst had Jake Rooney back from suspension and three players returning from international duty, making six changes for the visit of high-flying Southend United. His players had been in training for six successive days in preparation for the match.
Boston made a fantastic start, gaining possession from kick-off and working the ball out to the right wing. Ollie Bostock collected it, drove towards the edge of the area and cracked a shot into the corner to give United an early lead. It seemed to give the Pilgrims the initiative, and two or three promising attacks followed as they looked to build on their advantage.
However, a mistake from Rooney on his return allowed Southend to get the ball into the area, and an equaliser followed in the 16th minute. The visitors outplayed Boston for the remainder of the first half, using the wings effectively and repeatedly getting behind the Pilgrims’ defence. Although United had a couple of half-chances, they were fortunate to reach the interval on level terms, with the home crowd quietened by Southend’s performance.
The second half brought an improvement from Boston, whose defence did a better job of restricting the visitors’ threat out wide. It was a scrappy period, but the Pilgrims were on top for much of it, to the frustration of Southend head coach Kieron Dyer. The noise from the home supporters increased as United pushed forward, creating two or three good chances to regain the lead without finding the finish they needed.
Just as it looked as though Boston would earn a home point, a wonderful piece of skill from the visitors, followed by an excellent finish in the 94th minute, gave Southend all three points. It was a cruel ending for the Pilgrims after a much better second-half display. Having held their own after the break, I felt they deserved something from the game.
If Boston can maintain that standard, there should be more encouraging afternoons ahead. However, the finish also showed why Southend are towards the top of the table. They withstood the home side’s pressure and produced one moment of real quality to turn a draw into a victory.
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