There are moments in football when everything just clicks and the fans start daring to believe a bit earlier than usual.

For Lincoln City this season, that moment didn’t just arrive quietly it kicked the door down and said, well, sang “WE ARE LICOLN CITY…AND WE’ER GOING UP AGAIN. Olé, Olé, Olé”

And none of this dramatic last-day heart-attack-inducing nonsense. Oh no, Lincoln decided to wrap up promotion early like an overachieving uni student handing in coursework two weeks before the deadline while everyone else is still in the bar.

Let’s be honest: nobody quite expected this. Hope? Sure. Optimism? Always. But early promotion? That’s the sort of thing fans joke about in August and then nervously whisper about in March. Yet here we are, with the Imps not just dreaming of the Championship they’ve already booked their seat.

There’s also that intangible magic, the kind that turns tight games into wins and keeps momentum rolling even when legs get tired. You could call it belief. You could call it team spirit. Or you could just call it “whatever’s in the water at Sincil Bank” (oh, I’m not suggesting anyone drink the Sincil Dyke water in hope that is the magical tonic btw!).

And the fans? We’re obviously absolutely loving it. Every match has felt like a mini celebration lately. The kind where you go in thinking, “Let’s just enjoy the ride,” and come out thinking, “We might actually need to start planning for away days a lot further afield.” Win after win after draw! What a run its been.

Of course, with success comes the inevitable question: are Lincoln ready for the Championship? To which the only sensible answer right now is, does it really matter? This season has already given supporters something special. The kind of campaign people will be talking about for years with hazy eyes, usually beginning with, “Remember when?”

Besides, if this team has taught us anything it’s that they don’t seem too bothered by expectations. They’ve quietly ignored them all season, getting on with the business of winning football matches consistently, oh ok, and with the odd bit of stress granted.

So what’s left to do? Enjoy it. Soak it in. Sing a bit louder. Smile a bit more. Maybe start brushing up on your knowledge of Championship grounds (and figuring out which away trip has the best pies).

Because seasons like this don’t come around often and when they do they deserve to be celebrated properly. Any word of the Open Top bus date yet?!