LINCOLN CITY
Carabao Cup third round, LNER Stadium, Wednesday 27 September 2023, 7.45pm BST
For the first time in nearly 42 years, West Ham United will visit Lincoln City’s Sincil Bank.
It was November 1982 when John Lyall’s Irons last headed up the A1 and A46 to the city famous for its historic medieval cathedral that was once the tallest building in the world!
The Hammers of Division One were held to a 1-1 League Cup third round draw by the Imps of Division Three in front of a 13,899-strong crowd, with Paul Goddard on target for the visitors. Sandy Clark and Ray Stewart then scored in the replay at the Boleyn Ground to spare the Londoners’ blushes.
Four decades on and both teams are playing at the same level – West Ham in the Premier League and Lincoln in EFL League One.
Now coached by former Millwall and Republic of Ireland winger Mark Kennedy, the Imps have started the season impressively, losing just once in six league matches and winning away at Notts County and Premier League Sheffield United – on penalties – in the Carabao Cup.
Just as it was on our last visit, the top-flight Irons can expect a stern examination from their third-tier hosts.
How to get there…
As suggested by their stadium’s sponsor, Lincoln is reachable by train on the LNER network.
Direct services leave London Kings at 12.06, 14.06 and 16.06 on matchday, arriving at Lincoln station just under two hours later. From there, it is a 15-minute walk down Sincil Bank to the stadium.
If you are driving, take the M25 to Junction 23, then the northbound A1 for 110 miles. Take the A46 exit, just north of Newark, signposted for Newark/Lincoln/Sleaford/A17.
When you get to the Hykeham Roundabout with the Travelodge on your left after nine miles, continue straight onto the A1434 Newark Road, which will carry you into Lincoln.
South Common will appear on your right and you can book parking here for £5 per vehicle here or by scanning the QR code. From here, it is a five-minute walk to the LNER Stadium.
Where to stay…
Lincoln is an ideal destination break when visiting the LNER Stadium.
There are many quaint B&Bs, holiday apartments, and cathedral-view hotels ready to welcome you in the city. Or you could search for a cottage or country house hotel in the area surrounding the city.
If you’d like to stay closer to the action at the LNER, the Brayford Waterfront is home to three hotels – The Holiday Inn, DoubleTree by Hilton, and Holiday Inn Express – and is just a 30-minute walk to the stadium.
Closeby the historic area of Lincoln, known as the Cathedral Quarter, includes a number of hotels. Within this area there are the White Hart and The Lincoln .
What to do…
Lincoln is an historic city with plenty of interesting buildings for those who want to take a step into the past.
Lincoln Cathedral was once the tallest building in the world and is home to the famous Lincoln Imp, from whom the football club takes its nickname.
Lincoln Castle was built high on a hill by William the Conqueror to deter any future invasions of England.
Talking of hills, Steep Hill is a street which connects the city centre to the cobbled Cathedral Quarter and is lined with cafes, pubs, shops and much more.
For further information, head to visitlincoln.com.
What’s happened there before…
West Ham United’s most-recent visit, as mentioned in the introduction, was for a League Cup third round tie played in November 1982, and ended in a 1-1 draw.
Prior to that, the Hammers have been to Sincil Bank on eleven other occasions, with the first being an FA Cup intermediate round tie played way back on 13 December 1902!
The Imps were then a Football League Division Two club, while the Irons were still in the Southern League, with the home side running out 2-0 winners.
We’ve had some ups and downs in between, losing a Division Two fixture 0-6 in October 1932, but winning 6-1 on our last league visit, also in Division Two, in December 1957.
