'Not really a step up. Pompey are much bigger' - The Lincoln reaction to Regan Poole's surprise transfer to Fratton Park

Not very well, it seems – especially as many believed the centre-back’s two-and-a-half-year stay at Sincil Bank came to an end so that he could test himself at a higher level.

In fairness, there’s some Imps supporters out there who are of the opinion that the 25-year-old is stepping up, with Pompey perceived to be a club capable of matching Poole’s ambition – despite their recent struggles to get out of League One.

For others, though, they feel let down by the move, believing it to be a ‘sideways’ step.

Here’s a sample of the Twitter debate that’s taking place among Lincoln supporters as they come to terms with Poole’s free transfer move to Fratton Park on a two-year deal.

@JosephO76009523: Should be playing Championship football @ReganPoole not really a step up.

@church197: Makes no sense to me (even taking the pay rise into account); moving to perennial failures. Another team who think they’re too big for our League despite being in L1 & L2 for 9 seasons! We may even finish above them this season!

@hammyimp: Poor agent IMO.

@bradynewstead: Don’t get the Regan Poole stuff being talked about on here. The guy did a great job at Lincoln, he never caused any problems.

Gone to a bigger League 1 club that you assume will be promotion chasers, whilst probably doubling his salary. That’s football.

@ImpDale: Disappointing it is… but to those people slagging him off, he developed, saw out his contract and hoped for a Championship team. It didn’t work out like that. He got offered a contract, probably on better money, and he took it.

@TamyraBeeston: So Regan Poole has gone to Portsmouth. Well fair play to him. I still think he should of gone to a Championship club as his season with us was amazing. Good luck to him at Portsmouth.

@manlik3padzz: Regan Poole to @Pompey shocked and genuinely bewildered.

@Chappy151174: Realise how people must feel but he’s a right to go where he likes, not his fault the club didn’t put him on a longer contract and let it run out! We should of got decent money for him and I blame the board and nobody else, our stamp is supposedly buy and sell big.

@SammyImp: Sad to see him go but think Portsmouth is sideways move if I’m honest.

@Redimp73: Good luck to him, Pompey putting a title challenging side together, he could still be the Championship player he should be this time next year.

@brumantcornell: Disappointed and gutted, but money talks at the end and if a club offers you a money offer that you can't refuse then you as a player can't turn it down.

@VfB_Fox: Pompey are a bigger club than us so sideways hardly applies, good luck to him, he has been bloody awesome… the bigger picture and fact is that WE have gone toe to toe with bigger clubs than Pompey and will hopefully continue to do so.

@ValentinoMossy: So much for Regan Poole wanting to better himself at a higher level. Thought that meant at a big club in the Championship, unless by higher level he meant a team that finished three places higher than us despite a budget some 5 times higher. Disappointing to see lack of ambition.

@AKA_DanThompson: Am I surprised to see him signing for a League One team? A little bit, yes. Is it a sideways move? Only in terms of league, Pompey are much bigger than us, will no doubt be paying him more than we were and they'll be looking at playoffs as a minimum without question. Would I have preferred him to stay at Lincoln? Course I would but I can't fault him for the move. It would've hurt more if it was a smaller team in our league.

@GavinAndrews83: Not a shock at all. He's left a mid-table club to go to one with promotion ambitions. I don't understand what's difficult to realise.