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." This nickname comes from the famous legend of the Lincoln Imp. The team plays in League One, which is the third highest league in English football.
Lincoln City was started in 1884. They have played at their home ground, Sincil Bank, since 1895. This stadium can hold 10,669 fans. Their traditional kit colours are red and white striped shirts, black shorts, and red and white socks. They have strong rivalries with other teams from their area, especially Scunthorpe United and Grimsby Town.
Over the years, Lincoln City has won several league titles. They were champions of the Midland League in 1889–90. They were also founding members of the Football League Second Division in 1892. The club has moved between different leagues, winning titles like the Third Division North multiple times. In 1975–76, under manager Graham Taylor, they won the Fourth Division title.
More recently, the club faced a tough time. They were relegated to the National League in 2011. However, the Cowley brothers, Nicky and Danny, led them to an amazing comeback. In the 2016–17 season, they won the National League title. That same year, they made history by reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. They were the first non-League team to do this in 103 years! They also won the EFL Trophy in 2018 and the League Two title in 2018–19.
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History of Lincoln City
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.
In 1891–92, Lincoln City became a professional team. They helped create the Second Division of the Football League in 1892–93. Their first Football League game was a 4–2 loss to Sheffield United. However, they won their first home game against the same team, 1–0. In 1895, they moved to their current home, Sincil Bank. In 1899, John Walker became one of the first Black players to play in an English Football League game for Lincoln.
Lincoln City has had many ups and downs. They were sometimes voted out of the Football League but always managed to get back in quickly. They won the Third Division North title three times: in 1931–32, 1947–48, and 1951–52. After their 1951–52 win, they stayed in the second tier for nine seasons.
In the 1960s, they dropped to the Fourth Division. They stayed there until 1975–76, when Graham Taylor led them to win the title. After a period of moving between the Third and Fourth Divisions, they were relegated from the Football League in 1987. This was a tough moment, as they were the first team to face automatic relegation. But they bounced back right away, winning the Conference title in 1987–88 and returning to the Football League.
In 1997–98, they were promoted from the Third Division but were relegated the very next season. In 2002, the club faced financial difficulties. They were relegated from League Two in 2011 after a home defeat to Aldershot Town.
The club's fortunes changed dramatically in the 2016–17 season. Under manager Danny Cowley, Lincoln City won the National League title and returned to the Football League. They also had an incredible run in the 2016–17 FA Cup. They beat bigger teams like Ipswich Town, Brighton, and even Premier League side Burnley to reach the quarter-finals. This was a huge achievement for a non-League club. They eventually lost to Arsenal, who went on to win the Cup.
In the 2017–18 season, Lincoln City won the EFL Trophy. They beat Shrewsbury Town 1–0 in the final at Wembley Stadium. This was their first time playing at Wembley. The next season, 2018–19, they continued their success by winning the League Two title and earning promotion again.
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 finished 5th and made it to the play-offs. They beat Sunderland in the semi-finals but lost the final to Blackpool.
Home Stadium: 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." It can hold 10,669 people.
The club actually sold the ground to the local council in 1982 to help with money problems. But in 2000, former chairman John Reames bought it back for the club.
Sincil Bank has hosted other important football matches. In 2008, the England Under-16 team played Scotland there. The famous FIFA World Cup Trophy was also shown at the ground in 2010.
Team Rivals
Lincoln City is one of three professional football clubs in the area of Lincolnshire. Lincoln City's biggest rivals are Grimsby Town and Scunthorpe United. Fans often debate which of these rivalries is the most important.
In the past, other teams like Gainsborough Trinity and Boston United were also big rivals. However, they don't play each other as often now.
Teams from nearby Nottinghamshire, like Mansfield Town and Notts County, are also seen as rivals. Other clubs like Peterborough United, Hull City, and York City have had rivalries with Lincoln City in the past. Lincoln United, another football club in Lincoln, plays in a lower league and is not considered a rival.
Team Badge and Colours
Team Badge
Lincoln City currently uses a "traditional" badge. It features the Lincoln Imp, which is a famous symbol from a local legend. This badge was brought back in 2014. Before that, the club used different badges. One had the city's shield with "L.C.F.C" on it. Another had a yellow imp in the middle with "The Imps" written across it.
Team Colours
The traditional home kit for Lincoln City is a red and white striped shirt, black shorts, and red socks. This design has changed a bit 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 colours and designs change often. Currently, the away kit is all black with red details. The club also sometimes has a third kit. Right now, the third kit is green with a zigzag pattern and white details.
Kit Suppliers and Shirt Sponsors
Here is a list of the companies that have made the team's kits and sponsored their shirts over the years:
| Period | Kit Supplier | Shirt Front Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1973–1978 | Umbro | |
| 1978–1982 | Adidas | |
| 1982–1983 | J. Arthur Bowers | |
| 1983–1985 | Lowfields | F&T Tyres |
| 1985–1987 | Osca | |
| 1987–1989 | Spall | |
| 1989–1990 | Wheel Horse | |
| 1990–1991 | Matchwinner | Pickford |
| 1991–1992 | Findalls | |
| 1992–1994 | Lincolnshire Echo | |
| 1994–1997 | Admiral | |
| 1997–1998 | Super League | |
| 1998–1999 | Alstom | |
| 1999–2001 | AVEC | |
| 2001–2003 | Imps Sport | |
| 2003–2004 | Siemens | |
| 2004–2006 | Lincoln City Collection | The Community Solutions Group |
| 2006–2007 | Uhlsport | Starglaze |
| 2007–2010 | Umbro | |
| 2010–2011 | GoCar | |
| 2011–2013 | Nike | TSM |
| 2013–2015 | Bishop Grosseteste University | |
| 2015–2018 | Erreà | |
| 2018–2019 | NSUK Asbestos Surveys | |
| 2019–2020 | SR Hire | |
| 2020–2021 | Peregrine Holdings | |
| 2021–2022 | Virgin Wines (Home 1/5) Light Source (Home 2/5) Buildbase (Home 3/5) University of Lincoln (Home 4/5) Branston Ltd (Home 5/5) SRP Hire (Away) |
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| 2022–2023 | Branston Ltd | |
| 2023–present | Oxen |
Current Team Squad
First Team Players
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Players on Loan to Other Teams
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Under 18s Squad
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Club Management and Staff
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 |
| Director | Stephen Tointon |
| Director | Chris Travers |
| Director of Football | Jez George |
| Strategic Advisor | Landon Donovan |
Backroom Staff
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach |  Michael Skubala |
| Assistant Head Coach | Chris Cohen |
| Assistant Head Coach | Tom Shaw |
| 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 |
| Chief Scout & Loans Manager | Marc Tracy |
Club Achievements
Lincoln City has won many awards and titles over the years:
League Titles
- Third Division North (which was level 3)
- Champions: 1931–32, 1947–48, 1951–52
- Fourth Division / League Two (which is level 4)
- Champions: 1975–76, 2018–19
- Football Conference / National League (which is level 5)
- Champions: 1987–88, 2016–17
- Midland League / Central League
- Champions: 1889–90, 1908–09, 1911–12, 1920–21
Cup Wins
- EFL Trophy
- Winners: 2017–18
Other Trophies
- Lincolnshire Senior Cup
- Winners (38 times!): 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, 1955–56, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1965–66, 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
Club Records
Here are some of Lincoln City's most impressive records:
- 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: 11–1 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
