Cans & Megabus – Your indispensable guide to Lincoln City v Sunderland!

We're in action in the Papa John's Trophy - and Tom Walsh is back to give you the lowdown on Lincoln!

It’s back, baby! That sweet, pointless, stupidly-sponsored competition is back for yet another season. Fill me up on some sweet, sweet Papa John’s Trophy action! The tournament that you never thought Sunderland would ever play in, now can never imagine them not playing in is back for yet more just utterly futile games of football.

What’s even better is that it presents an opportunity to play the exact same team you play in League One but with a bunch of children instead. What a thrill, what an honour, and how so very, very League One. The best part, you ask? Well, you can see it all for yourself!

You can travel to Lincoln for an oddly-timed kick-off and hand over your money for a game you will completely forget about in three weeks’ time. You lucky, lucky, lucky souls.

How Do I Get There?

It’s a pretty straightforward journey down to Lincoln – even if it does take forever for some reason – just follow the A1 and then A57 into the city. Get on to Carholme Road and then follow the signs for Sincil Bank. There’s no away car park so find some street parking or summat, work it out.

For you sat nav shaggers: LN5 8LD

If you’re on the train, Lincoln railway station is about a 15-minute walk from the ground and conveniently situated for lots of alehouses.

What’s the Ground Like?

Well, Sincil Bank is very much in the Bristol Rovers bracket of “let’s buy our stands from a car boot sale”, in so much as that none of them match. Sunderland fans will be in the Stacey West Stand behind the goal and it is here where you’ll be able to enjoy Lincoln playing an air raid siren every time they get a corner. That’s really normal, isn’t it.

Yer thirsty?

Lincoln is an excellent place for liquid refreshment, the only catch is that you have to seriously earn it. For example, Magna Carta is an excellent pub situated at Exchequer Gate but you do have to walk up Steep Hill which, as its name suggests, is a very steep hill. However, that hit of delicious lager will be very much worth it when you get there.

If you don’t fancy giving your calves a solid workout then The Cardinal’s Hat on High Street and The Royal William IV on Brayford Wharf are also good options. Closer to the ground, you can swing in the Golden Eagle on High Street which will categorically serve you a beer.