Lincoln City F.C.

History

Main article: History of Lincoln City F.C.

Football in the city of Lincoln had been prominent since the 1860s although not strictly connected to the modern day club. After the disbanding of Lincoln Rovers (formerly Lincoln Recreation) in 1884, Lincoln City FC was formed as an amateur football association, and the first game Lincoln played was an emphatic 9–1 victory over local rivals Sleaford, on 4 October 1884. Originally they played at the John O'Gaunts ground, provided by wealthy local brewer Robert Dawber.

Lincoln turned professional in the 1891–92 season, and soon helped to form what was then the Second Division in 1892–93 season, as an increasing number of clubs wished to join the Football League. Their first game in the Football League was a 4–2 away defeat to Sheffield United on 3 September 1892. Their first home game was also against Sheffield United, this time, however, Lincoln won 1–0. Due to Dawber's death in 1895, Lincoln moved from the John O'Gaunts Ground to Sincil Bank. On 2 September 1899, Lincoln became only the third club to be represented by a Black player in an English Football League game when John Walker made his debut for them in a home game against Middlesbrough.

They failed re-election to the Football League in 1908. They won immediate re-election after winning the next year's Midland League, and would repeat this feat after failing re-election again in 1911 and 1920. Founder members of the Football League Third Division North in 1921, they won promotion as champions in 1931–32, but were relegated two seasons later. Crowned Third Division North champions again in 1947–48, they were relegated the next year, but would remain in the second tier for nine seasons after again winning the Third Division North title in 1951–52. Two successive relegations left them in the Fourth Division by 1962, where they would remain until Graham Taylor's title winning campaign of 1975–76. The next would oscillate between the Third and Fourth division for the next 10 years, missing out on promotion to the Second Division in 1982 and 1983.

Lincoln were relegated to the Fourth Division at the end of the 1985–86 season, and the year after that they became the first team to suffer automatic relegation from the Football League. They regained their Football League place automatically via promotion as champions of the Conference at the first attempt. In the 1997–98 season, Lincoln were promoted from the Third Division (previously the Fourth Division), but were immediately relegated back on the next season. On 3 May 2002 Lincoln entered into administration.{{cite web|url=http://www.redimps.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10440~215261,00.html |title=City go into administration |publisher=Lincoln City FC |date=3 May 2002 |access-date=4 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307210735/http://www.redimps.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10440~215261%2C00.html |archive-date= 7 March 2012

In the 2016–17 season, Lincoln City under Danny Cowley were promoted as champions back to the Football League. In the 2016–17 FA Cup, Lincoln beat Championship side Ipswich Town, and Championship leaders Brighton and Hove Albion before defeating top flight side Burnley 1–0 to reach the quarter-final, the first time a non-League club had progressed to the last eight since 1913–14. In the quarter-finals, they were defeated 5–0 at eventual Cup champions Arsenal.

In the 2017–18 season, Lincoln won the EFL Trophy by beating Shrewsbury Town 1–0 in the final in their first visit to Wembley Stadium. After an unsuccessful play-off campaign in their first season back in the EFL, Lincoln were promoted as champions at the end of the 2018–19 season.

On 5 April 2019, Lincoln announced that Nettleham Ladies FC would be rebranded as Lincoln City Women from 1 June.

On 9 September 2019, manager Danny Cowley announced his departure to join Championship side Huddersfield Town, having guided Lincoln to two promotions in his previous three seasons alongside brother and assistant manager Nicky. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Football League matches were suspended on 13 March 2020 with Lincoln in 15th place. Clubs voted to end the season in June 2020 with final league positions decided on a points per game basis with Lincoln subsequently being placed in 16th.

In the 2020–21 season, Lincoln finished the season in 5th place, qualifying for the play-offs. After defeating Sunderland in the semi-finals, the first match fans could attend since the start of the pandemic, Lincoln lost the play-off final to Blackpool.

Stadium

Main article: Sincil Bank

The club have played at Sincil Bank since 1895. Previously, Lincoln City had played at the nearby John O'Gaunts ground since the club's 1884 inception. Sincil Bank has an overall capacity of 10,669 and is colloquially known to fans as "The Bank". Former Lincoln City chairman John Reames re-purchased the ground from the local council in 2000 at a cost of £175,000; the club had sold it in 1982 for £225,000 to fend off the threat of eviction, arranging a 125-year lease.

Sincil Bank hosted England U16's 2–0 win over the Scotland U16 team in the Victory Shield on 28 November 2008. Martin Peters paraded the FIFA World Cup Trophy at the ground in March 2010 as part of its global tour. FA WSL club Lincoln Ladies played home games at Sincil Bank in their 2011 season. The Ladies' club had previously hosted Arsenal Ladies there in an FA Women's Cup semi-final in March 2008.

Rivals

Main article: Lincolnshire derby

Lincoln City is one of four professional football clubs in Lincolnshire. Lincoln City are a football club who find themselves with no clear and direct rival. Fans of the club consider both Grimsby Town and Scunthorpe United to be their biggest rivals. which at various points fans have considered one bigger than the other. This is largely requited by fans of those two clubs who consider each other and Hull City to be their biggest rivals, viewing their rivalry with Lincoln as more minor. Other prominent Lincolnshire rivals of the past include Gainsborough Trinity and Boston United, however, meetings between the clubs are limited nowadays due to contrasting league fortunes.

Nottinghamshire clubs Mansfield Town and Notts County are also considered rivals, and Peterborough United, Hull City and York City are clubs that have had some sort of rivalry with The Imps in the past. Lincoln United, the other football club based in Lincoln, are further down the footballing pyramid and are not a considered rival.

Badge and colours

Badge

Lincoln City currently sport a "traditional" Lincoln Imp badge, synonymous with the success of the 1970s and 1980s. The badge was returned in 2014, with general manager John Vickers billing it the start of a "new era". Between the two spells the club used two badges, the first of which being the city's heraldic shield with the letters "L.C.F.C" inscribed onto it. This badge was used until 2001, when the club used a similar design; however, it featured a yellow imp in the centre, with the nickname of "The Imps" written across.

Colours

Traditionally, the colours and design of the Lincoln City strip are a red and white striped shirt along with black shorts and red socks. This varied in the late 1960s and early 70s, the club opted to field a predominantly red strip with white shorts, and also in the 2000–01 season when the shirt was quartered red and white with white shorts. Currently, the home kit is largely red with white pinstriping down the length of the shirt, as well as black and white accents around the collar and cuff of the shirt. The shorts of the kit are also largely black, sporting red accents, and the socks red with black and white accents. Their away kit has never retained any single pattern or design, and areas varied vastly throughout the seasons, but is currently black across the shirt, shorts and socks with red accents on the edges of each piece. In recent years, the club have also released a third kit. Currently, the kit is green in colour, with a chevron pattern across it. This kit features white accents on the shirt, and white shorts with green accents.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

The following tables detail the kit suppliers and sponsors of Lincoln City by year:

Current squad

First team

Out on loan

Under 18s squad

Out on loan

Club management

Board members

First team staff

Academy staff

Managerial history

Honours

Lincoln City's honours include:

League

• Third Division North (level 3)
  • Champions: 1931–32, 1947–48, 1951–52
  • Runners up: 1927–28, 1930–31, 1936–37
• Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (level 4)
  • Champions: 1975–76, 2018–19
  • Runners-up: 1980–81
  • Promoted: 1997–98
• Football Conference / National League (level 5)
  • Champions: 1987–88, 2016–17
• Midland League / Central League
  • Champions: 1889–90, 1908–09, 1911–125, 1920–21
  • Runners-up: 1932–33

Cup

• Football League Trophy / EFL Trophy
  • Winners: 2017–18
  • Runners-up: 1982–83
• Conference Championship Shield
  • Winners: 1988

Minor

• Lincolnshire Senior Cup
  • Winners (38): 1886–87, 1890–91, 1891–92, 1893–94, 1907–08, 1909–10, 1911–12, 1913–14, 1914–15, 1919–20, 1921–22, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1926–27, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1955–566, 1961–62, 1963–646, 1965–666, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1974–75, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1990–91, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2013–14
  • Runners-up (32): 1892–93, 1894–95, 1896–97, 1900–01, 1902–03, 1903–04, 1908–09, 1912–13, 1920–21, 1922–23, 1925–26, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1954–55, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1985–86, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2014–15
• Pontin's Reserve League Cup
  • Winners: 2006–07
• Fred Green Memorial Trophy3
  • Winners: 2006–07
• John Reames Memorial Trophy
  • Winners: 2013–14

Club records

• Highest league finish: 5th in Second Division (level 2), 1901–02
• Best FA Cup performance: Quarter-finals, 2016–17
• Best League Cup performance: Fourth round, 1967–68, 2022–23
• Record league attendance: 23,146 vs. Grimsby Town, 5 March 1949
• Record cup attendance: 23,196 vs. Derby County, 15 November 1967
• Record transfer fee paid: Ivan Varfolomeev– £350,000 to Slovan Liberec, 2025
• Record transfer fee received: Jovon Makama – £1,200,000 from Norwich City, 2025
• Record league victory: 11–1 v. Crewe Alexandra (Home), Football League, 29 September 1951
• Record appearances: Grant Brown – 469
• Record goal scorer: Andy Graver – 143 (1950–55, 1958–61)
• Record goals in one season: Allan Hall – 45 (1931–32)
• Youngest player: Shane Nicholson – 16 years and 112 days v. Charlton Athletic, 23 September 1986, League Cup
• Oldest player: Albert Iremonger – 42 years and 312 days v. Doncaster Rovers, 23 April 1927, Football League

;Source

Notes

References

References

1. "Fan-led projects lead to change in capacity". Lincoln City FC.
2. "EFL issue clearance for change of control". Lincoln City FC.
3. Steve Pearce. (1997). "Shoot, ''The ultimate stats and facts guide to English League Football'', p.130". Boxtree.
4. (2020). "Football's Black Pioneers". Conker Editions.
5. Grahame Lloyd. (9 May 2011). "Aldershot knock freefalling Lincoln City into a Blue Square hat". The Guardian.
6. (22 April 2017). "Lincoln City return to Football League with victory against Macclesfield". The Guardian.
7. (18 February 2017). "Burnley 0–1 Lincoln City". BBC Sport.
8. (18 January 2017). "Lincoln City topple Burnley as Sean Raggett seals historic FA Cup shock". Guardian.
9. (11 March 2017). "Arsenal 5–0 Lincoln City". BBC Sport.
10. (6 February 2018). "Checkatrade Trophy: Lincoln beat Chelsea U21s to reach final". BBC Sport.
11. (8 April 2018). "Lincoln City lift Checkatrade Trophy after narrow win over Shrewsbury". Guardian.
12. (17 May 2018). "Exeter City 3–1 Lincoln City (Agg 3-1)". BBC Sport.
13. (22 April 2019). "Lincoln City 0–0 Tranmere Rovers". BBC Sport.
14. "Lincoln City Welcome Women's Football Team".
15. Whiley, Mark. (2019-09-09). "Recap as the Cowleys leave City for Huddersfield".
16. Owen Phillips. (19 May 2021). "Lincoln City 2–0 Sunderland". BBC Sport.
17. (22 May 2021). "Sunderland 2–1 Lincoln City". BBC Sport.
18. (30 May 2021). "Blackpool 2–1 Lincoln City". BBC Sport.
19. (22 January 2016). "10 Things You Never Knew About The Imps". Wrexham Football Club.
20. (28 November 2008). "Lions win Victory Shield". The Football Association.
21. (28 February 2010). "Football World Cup trophy to be shown at Lincoln City". BBC.
22. Tony Leighton. (30 November 2009). "OOH Lincoln declare intention to join women's Super League in 2011". The Guardian.
23. "Lincoln City Ladies v Arsenal Ladies". BBC Lincolnshire.
24. (2 April 2014). "Lincoln City marks anniversary with red Imp return". BBC News.
25. (2 September 2021). "Lincoln City - Historical Football Kits". Historical Football Kits.
26. Karran, Ellis. (2021-05-17). "Lincoln City unveil first of five shirt sponsors for next season". The Lincolnite.
27. "First Team". Lincoln City F.C.
28. "Lincoln City Under 18's".
29. "Board Member and Key Investors". Lincoln City FC.
30. "First team staff". Lincoln City FC.
31. "U18 Management". Lincoln City FC.
32. "Club History - Club Honours". Lincoln City FC.
33. "Lincoln City". European Football Statistics.
34. (21 August 2025). "Lincoln sign Varfolomeyev for record transfer fee". BBC.
35. (4 August 2025). "Norwich sign Lincoln striker Makama for £1.2m". BBC.
36. [http://www.redimps.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0,,10440,00.html The Lincoln City FC Archive] {{webarchive. link. (8 October 2007 Lincoln City FC, 26 March 2009)