The latest episode of BBC Radio Lincolnshire's Red Imps Club podcast brings Lincoln City supporters to the microphone at a notably charged moment in the club's Championship campaign.

Fans on the panel tackle what the show describes as criticism directed at Lincoln's supporters from other fanbases. That kind of scrutiny tends to follow a club that has climbed quickly through the divisions, and Lincoln's rise from the National League to the second tier has been sharp enough to attract outside opinion, not all of it flattering. The panel's willingness to engage with it directly rather than dismiss it is, at least, a sign of a fanbase confident enough to argue its corner.

Away days in the second tier

Away games also feature prominently in the discussion. Championship travel is a different proposition from lower-league football: longer journeys, higher ticket prices and mid-week fixtures on a Tuesday night in towns you need a map to reach. For a city the size of Lincoln, sustaining large away followings against clubs whose grounds can be 150 miles or more up the road is a genuine logistical and financial challenge for supporters.

The conversation around away games is worth taking seriously. Attendances and travelling support matter to the atmosphere a club creates, and they matter commercially. The Championship's clubs rely on matchday income in a way that Premier League sides, with their centralised broadcast deals, simply do not. Every away end that is well-filled sends a message about a club's standing in the division.

Remembering Keith Alexander

The podcast also takes time to remember Keith Alexander, the former Lincoln manager who died in 2010. Alexander managed the Imps across two separate spells and remains one of the more significant figures in the club's recent history, having guided them to the Football League play-offs and established a culture that supporters of a certain vintage still reference.

Discussing a former manager with that kind of affection, in the middle of an active Championship season, says something about how Lincoln supporters relate to their club's story. It is not a particularly fashionable thing to dwell on history when the present is demanding attention, but it reflects the kind of continuity that matters to a town-sized club rather than a franchise-style operation.

A fanbase finding its Championship voice

The Red Imps Club podcast itself is a reasonable indicator of how Lincoln's supporter culture has developed. A club that was outside the Football League entirely less than a decade ago now has a dedicated local radio podcast pulling in fans willing to debate the finer points of their place in the second tier.

That shift in scale brings pressures as well as pleasures. The criticisms the panel addresses, whatever their specific content, are the kind that come with increased visibility. Clubs lower down the pyramid are largely ignored by rival fanbases. Championship clubs are scrutinised, discussed and occasionally wound up by supporters who follow the division closely.

Whether Lincoln's supporters feel that scrutiny is fair or not, the fact that they are engaging with it publicly suggests a fanbase that is settling into life at this level rather than being unsettled by it. The episode is available now on BBC Sounds.

Frequently asked

Where can I listen to the Lincoln City Red Imps Club podcast?
The Red Imps Club podcast is produced by BBC Radio Lincolnshire and is available on BBC Sounds. You can subscribe there to receive new episodes automatically.
Who was Keith Alexander and what did he do for Lincoln City?
Keith Alexander was a Lincoln City manager who took charge across two separate spells at Sincil Bank. He guided the Imps to the Football League play-offs and is widely remembered as one of the more influential figures in the club's modern history. He died in 2010.
How are Lincoln City performing in the Championship this season?
Lincoln City are competing in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Recent results have included a 2-1 defeat to Swansea City and a win away at Bristol City, leaving them mid-table in a competitive division.