Lincoln City has achieved a historic success by securing promotion to the Championship with a 2-1 win over Reading, marking the first time in 65 years the club will play in the second tier of English football. The win continued Lincoln's unbeaten run, which now stands at 23 matches, with 18 wins. The club's success has been achieved despite starting their 2025-26 campaign with the seventh-lowest budget among the 24 clubs in League One. Lincoln's 12 points ahead of closest challengers Cardiff City, having played a game more, and attention now turns to securing the title. The club's rise has been a shrewd and humble story, with the highest number of points, the most goals scored, and the fewest conceded in League One this season, all on a budget of around £5million ($6.6m). Jez George, the sporting director, says getting into the play-off positions should require spending £9m to £10m, but Lincoln's wage structure requires discipline, with the gap between their highest and lowest paid players being 'very small'. The squad's highest-paid player is on £3,500 a week, and there is no individual star in the team, with no Lincoln player into double figures for league goals this season. The club's success has been phenomenal to watch, with Landon Donovan, the USMNT's joint record goalscorer, describing Lincoln as a 'really sweet, charming town' and a 'beautiful cathedral in the town'.