WONDERS OF THE PYRAMID: A magical cup run can put your club on the map… just ask Lincoln City – it is hard not to think of their journey seven years ago when you look at the success of Maidstone this year

Amid the heartwarming stories of the magnificent Maidstone United and the magic of the Cup this week, it was hard not to think of one of the best underdog stories of the 21st century: National League Lincoln City and their run to the quarter-finals in 2017 .

Lincoln is a living, breathing example of the legacy of such a cup tie for a non-league side. They are of course no longer a non-league side, with the Imps now in their seventh season in the Football League, this season their fifth in League One.

In a rare case of a county without a highway, the cup run under Danny and Nicky Cowley set this club on the path to a decade of glory that also saw them win an EFL Trophy at Wembley and have two promotions, plus a League One game. from the last defeat against Blackpool in 2021.

“You see its legacy in the stands on Saturdays and in the city every day,” says Liam Scully, the club’s 38-year-old chief executive who started his career in football with an apprenticeship at Doncaster Rovers.

‘This club went from an average of 3,000 gates then to just under 9,000 at the weekend. Our fanbase consists of 33 percent of the old faces who have been coming for a long time, regardless of the weather, and 66 percent of the people who came on board because of that cup run.

Maidstone have reached the last 16 of this year’s competition, beating Championship Ipswich in the final round

Lincoln defeated the likes of Premier League Burnley during their run, which was ultimately ended by Arsenal

‘I am proud that we have been able to maintain that involvement. We kept up the momentum with promotions and worked with the schools and community. If you define Lincoln City FC, you can see the legacy of that cup everywhere.”

Lincoln, as fans don’t mind being noticed, punches above their weight. They are a unique club where community values ​​are central. “Win-develop is our North Star, we constantly want to move forward,” Scully adds.

“We sign players before their peak and sometimes they run faster than us as a club, so we trade them up the pyramid. Harry Toffolo at Nottingham Forest is our record sale and we are very proud of his development, but we are the beneficiaries of discovering his talents early.

‘We are at the beginning of a new six-year cycle. We are not afraid to say that we want to be a sustainable champion club by the end. Lincoln, the city and county, deserves a second tier team, it is a great football club that has been around for 140 years.

‘We can’t bet the farm on red or black. It’s not about making big leaps, it’s about being successful and sustainable without having to dip into the pockets of our owners. We’ve all become numb to that in football. It should not be the case that money from the owners is needed to be successful.’

CEO Liam Scully said Lincoln’s fan base is made up of 66 per cent of fans who started supporting the club after the cup tie

Harry Toffolo (right) is the record sale of a player for Lincoln – he joined Huddersfield in 2019 after City identified his talents early

Signing unproven stars isn’t limited to players; boss Michael Skubala is also in his first full-time managerial role, having taken over at Leeds on an interim basis after Jesse Marsch was sacked in the Premier League last season.

The 41-year-old has taken a not-so-beaten path to the track, having started getting his coaching badges at the age of 17, studying sports science at university and working as a teacher before heading up England’s futsal programme, essentially five-on-five. at a professional level.

It is an indoor version of football played on a hard surface, similar to a basketball court. Skubala believes the values ​​of using the goalkeeper as an outfield player, plus a possession-based game, have influenced his coaching, which also included time with the FA and UEFA.

As a futsal coach he has worked with Wolves defender Max Kilman and Arsenal wonder Charlie Patino, and at the FA he has worked with the likes of respected Newcastle transfer chief Dan Ashworth and impressive Luton boss Rob Edwards.

Lincoln boss Michael Skubala takes up his first full-time management role after taking over at Leeds on an interim basis last season

Scully has admitted that Lincoln is committed to staying on his own path and growing together as a unit

“As an Englishman who people associate with indoor football, I am quite unique,” ​​says Skubala Mailsport, ‘But if I were in Brazil or Spain, I would be one of millions. At first you think it’s just a game of five a side, but that’s not the case. There are many transferable skills, just like with any sport.

‘I discovered indoor football when I was at university and thought, ‘Oh, what is this?’. So I started looking at bringing football and futsal together. I went to Loughborough as a coach and then returned to non-league coaching in the National League. I was 23 years old and coaching real men.

‘I haven’t had a playing career at the highest level, but now that we see so many coaches who haven’t, there is more to owning a dressing room and passing on learning points. Coaching is a calling in itself and I have honed my craft in it for twenty years.

“You will speak to a lot of players who struggled to make the transition. Players must start their journey as coaches again. But I get a kick out of coaching. The reason I started is because it gave me something that playing didn’t give me. I have always been concerned with tactics and helping people.

‘I loved the Leeds experience. I don’t think there are many jobs that can give you 10 years of experience in one year! You only realize how big a club Leeds is when you are in it yourself. Even as manager of the Under 21s we took 4-5,000 to an away game at Crewe with the U21s.

“And now Lincoln is a great experience. The pressure cooker of management is fantastic because you have to be at your best every day. There is more pressure as number 1, but that makes it more fun.

‘When you’re a manager, you’re really just holding the baton for the fans, who mean everything to the club. Lincoln is similar to Leeds, a one-club city with the same feeling – okay, not as many fans – but they want to enjoy games, be loud and we all enjoy playing for them.”

Skubala doesn’t call Lincoln a reactive club like many in the EFL – instead they are proactive, sustainable and plan well in advance – and CEO Scully agrees. Next on the club’s list is the redevelopment of Sincil Bank and work is underway on communal areas.

“We firmly believe that we must stay the course,” Scully added. “We want players to have a good career at Lincoln City as part of their journey. Our coaches are A-class practitioners, they help us all develop and grow together. Everything points to our North Star of win development.’

Next on Lincoln’s to-do list is developing their stadium, Sincil Bank, as they continue to try to move the club forward

Lincoln sit 12th in League One ahead of this weekend’s games, following a hard-fought draw against promotion chasers Peterborough last Saturday. Next off the production line could be star striker Freddie Draper, the 19-year-old who is cutting his teeth in the first team.

There are numerous references to the club’s past around Sincil Bank, such as the Stacey West Stand named after two away fans who died in the Bradford Stadium fire, Bill Stacey and Jim West, and many remnants of promotions and Wembley -trips. But this is a club that is only moving forward.