Lincoln City F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Lincoln City Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Imps | |||
| Founded | 1884 | |||
| Ground | Sincil Bank | |||
| Capacity | 10,669 | |||
| Chairman | Clive Nates | |||
| Head coach | Michael Skubala | |||
| League | League One | |||
| 2018–19 | League Two, 1st of 24 (promoted) | |||
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Lincoln City Football Club is a professional football team from Lincoln, England. They are often called the "Imps" because of the famous Lincoln Imp legend. The team plays in League One, which is the third highest league in English football.
Lincoln City has played at their home stadium, Sincil Bank, since 1895. This stadium can hold 10,669 fans. Their traditional team colours are red and white striped shirts, black shorts, and red and white socks. The club has strong rivalries with other teams from Lincolnshire, especially Scunthorpe United and Grimsby Town.
The club was started in 1884. They won their first league title, the Midland League, in 1889–90. Lincoln City was one of the first teams to join the Football League Second Division in 1892. They have had many ups and downs, winning various league titles and even reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals in 2017. This was a huge achievement for a non-league team! They also won the EFL Trophy in 2018 and the League Two title in 2018–19.
Contents
History of the Imps
Football has been played in Lincoln since the 1860s. Lincoln City FC was formed in 1884 as an amateur club. Their very first game was a big 9–1 win against Sleaford on October 4, 1884. They first played at the John O'Gaunts ground.
Lincoln City became a professional club in 1891–92. They helped create the Second Division of the Football League in 1892. Their first Football League game was a 4–2 loss to Sheffield United in September 1892. However, they won their first home game against the same team, 1–0. In 1895, the club moved to Sincil Bank. In 1899, John Walker became one of the first Black players to play in an English Football League game for Lincoln.
The club has moved between different leagues over the years. They were champions of the Third Division North three times (1931–32, 1947–48, 1951–52). In 1962, they ended up in the Fourth Division. They won that league in 1975–76 under manager Graham Taylor.
In 1987, Lincoln City became the first team to be automatically relegated from the Football League. But they bounced back right away, winning the Conference title in 1987–88 and returning to the Football League. They were promoted again in 1997–98 but went back down the next season.
From 2002 to 2007, Lincoln City reached the play-offs five times in a row. This is a record for the competition! However, they were relegated back to the Conference in 2011.
After six seasons outside the Football League, brothers Nicky and Danny Cowley led the club to an amazing comeback. They won the National League title in 2016–17. That same season, they made history in the FA Cup. They beat big teams like Ipswich Town, Brighton, and even Premier League side Burnley to reach the quarter-finals. This was the first time a non-league club had gone that far in 103 years! They eventually lost to Arsenal.
In 2018, Lincoln City won the EFL Trophy by beating Shrewsbury Town 1–0 at Wembley Stadium. They then won the League Two title in 2018–19, earning another promotion. Since then, Lincoln City has been playing in EFL League One.
In 2019, manager Danny Cowley left the club. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019-20 season was stopped early. In the 2020–21 season, Lincoln City reached the play-off final but lost to Blackpool.
The Home of the Imps: Sincil Bank
Lincoln City has played at Sincil Bank since 1895. Before that, they played at the John O'Gaunts ground. Fans often call Sincil Bank "The Bank." The stadium can hold 10,669 people.
The club actually sold the ground in 1982 to help with money problems. But in 2000, former chairman John Reames bought it back for the club. Sincil Bank has also hosted other important matches, like an England U16 game in 2008. The FIFA World Cup Trophy was even paraded there in 2010!
Team Rivals
Lincoln City is one of four professional football clubs in Lincolnshire. The club has a few rivals, but no single main one. Fans usually see Grimsby Town and Scunthorpe United as their biggest rivals. These rivalries are also important to the fans of Grimsby and Scunthorpe.
Other teams from Lincolnshire that Lincoln City has played against in the past include Gainsborough Trinity and Boston United. However, they don't play each other as often now because they are in different leagues.
Teams from other areas like Mansfield Town, Notts County, Peterborough United, Hull City, and York City have also been rivals at different times. Lincoln United, the other football club in Lincoln, plays in a lower league and is not considered a rival.
Team Badge and Colours
The Imps' Badge
Lincoln City currently uses a "traditional" badge that features the Lincoln Imp. This badge is well-known and was used during successful periods in the 1970s and 1980s. The club brought this badge back in 2014.
Before 2014, the club used two other badges. One showed the city's shield with "L.C.F.C" on it. The other, used from 2001, was similar but had a yellow imp in the middle and the nickname "The Imps" written across it.
Team Colours
Lincoln City's traditional home kit is a red and white striped shirt, black shorts, and red socks. This design has changed a few times over the years. For example, in the late 1960s, they wore mostly red shirts with white shorts. In the 2000–01 season, the shirt had red and white quarters.
Today, the home kit is mostly red with thin white stripes. It also has black and white details around the collar and cuffs. The shorts are black with red details, and the socks are red with black and white details.
The away kit changes often. Currently, it is all black with red details. The club also sometimes has a third kit. Right now, it is green with a chevron pattern and white details.
Current Squad
First Team Players
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Club Leadership
Board Members
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Clive Nates |
| Vice Chairman | Jay Wright |
| Director | Roger Bates |
| Director | Sunil Hindocha |
| Director | Harvey Jabara |
| Director | Herman Kok |
| Director | Greg Levine |
| Director | David Lowes |
| Director | Sean Melnick |
| Director | Graham Rossini |
| Chief Executive and Board Safeguarding Champion | Liam Scully |
| Director - Gold Trust Members | Amanda-Jane Slater |
| Supporter elected director | Phil Scrafton |
| Director | Stephen Tointon |
| Director | Chris Travers |
| Director of Football | Jez George |
| Strategic Advisor | Landon Donovan |
First Team Staff
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach |  Michael Skubala |
| Assistant Head Coach | Chris Cohen |
| Assistant Head Coach | Tom Shaw |
| Goalkeeping Coach | David Preece |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Scott Fry |
| Head of Medical | Kieran Walker |
| First Team Physiotherapist | Elliott Howell |
| First Team Physiotherapist | Harry Rossington |
| Head of sports science | Josh Snowden |
| Lead Sports Therapist | Tom Hallas |
| Kit Manager | Terry Bourne |
| Head of talent ID | Joe Hutchinson |
Club Achievements
Lincoln City has won many awards and titles, including:
League Titles
- Third Division North (level 3)
- Champions: 1931–32, 1947–48, 1951–52
- Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (level 4)
- Champions: 1975–76, 2018–19
- Football Conference / National League (level 5)
- Champions: 1987–88, 2016–17
- Midland League / Central League
- Champions: 1889–90, 1908–09, 1911–12, 1920–21
Cup Wins
- Football League Trophy / EFL Trophy
- Winners: 2017–18
- Conference Championship Shield
- Winners: 1988
Other Trophies
- Lincolnshire Senior Cup
- Winners (38 times!): For example, 1886–87, 1919–20, 1974–75, 2013–14
- Pontin's Reserve League Cup
- Winners: 2006–07
- Fred Green Memorial Trophy
- Winners: 2006–07
- John Reames Memorial Trophy
- Winners: 2013–14
Club Records
Here are some interesting records held by Lincoln City:
- Highest league finish: 5th in the Second Division (level 2) in 1901–02.
- Best FA Cup performance: Reached the Quarter-finals in 2016–17.
- Best League Cup performance: Reached the Fourth round in 1967–68 and 2022–23.
- Record league attendance: 23,146 fans watched them play Grimsby Town on March 5, 1949.
- Record cup attendance: 23,196 fans watched them play Derby County on November 15, 1967.
- Record transfer fee paid: £75,000 for Dean Walling in 1997 and Tony Battersby in 1998.
- Record transfer fee received: Over £750,000 for Jack Hobbs from Liverpool in 2005.
- Record league victory: A huge 11–1 win against Crewe Alexandra on September 29, 1951.
- Most appearances for the club: Grant Brown played 469 games.
- Record goal scorer: Andy Graver scored 143 goals.
- Most goals in one season: Allan Hall scored 45 goals in 1931–32.
- Youngest player: Shane Nicholson played at 16 years and 112 days old in 1986.
- Oldest player: Albert Iremonger played at 42 years and 312 days old in 1927.
See also
In Spanish: Lincoln City Football Club para niños
