# Lincoln City F.C.
**Lincoln City Football Club** is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, that plays in the [EFL Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/efl-championship), the second tier of English football, which it reached for the 2026/27 season for the first time in 65 years. Known as the Imps, the club was formed in 1884, has played at Sincil Bank since 1895, and won the [EFL League One](https://www.edgepedia.org/efl-league-one) title in 2025/26 with 103 points.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) • [2](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11719/13526813/lincoln-city-on-cusp-of-championship-return-after-65-years-away) • [3](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lincolncityfc_following-on-from-clinching-our-place-as-activity-7452625157522841601-JNRY)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1884, as an amateur association, with a team having played in the city since the 1860s[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) |
| Ground | Sincil Bank since 1895; named LNER Stadium from December 2019 and ProAmpac Stadium under a 10-year naming-rights deal announced in July 2026[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) |
| League position | Promoted to the Championship for 2026/27, the club's first season at that level since 1960-61[3](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lincolncityfc_following-on-from-clinching-our-place-as-activity-7452625157522841601-JNRY) |
| 2025/26 title | League One champions with 103 points; promotion sealed with a 2-1 win at Reading with five games to spare[2](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11719/13526813/lincoln-city-on-cusp-of-championship-return-after-65-years-away) |
| Unbeaten run | A six-month unbeaten run extended to 29 games, an EFL record for a third-tier season[4](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/coaches-managers/we-had-this-five-year-plan-to-get-lincoln-to-the-championship-and-weve-done-it-in-three-i-dont-think-theres-any-reason-why-we-shouldnt-be-aiming-for-a-top-half-finish-next-henry-winter-speaks-to-michael-skubala-as-the-imps-close-in-on-efl-history) |
| FA Cup record | First non-league club since Queens Park Rangers in 1914 to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals, in 2016/17[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cp86mde460no) • [15](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39018105) |
| Record attendance | 23,196 for a League Cup fourth-round tie against Derby County on 15 November 1967[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) |
| Transfer record | The club has never paid more than £350,000 for a player[6](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/sport/football/articles/cjwgdevyv2no) |
## Early history
Lincoln City were officially formed in 1884 as an amateur association, although a team had been playing in the city since the 1860s. The club turned professional in 1891-92, and in 1892-93 became one of the 12 founder members of the [Football League Second Division](https://www.edgepedia.org/football-league-second-division), alongside clubs including [Small Heath](https://www.edgepedia.org/small-heath), Sheffield United, Grimsby Town, and Burton Swifts.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) In 1895 the club moved to Sincil Bank from the John O'Gaunts ground; the cost of the move strained its finances and was the main reason for the change to a limited company.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history)
The club's best league finish came in 1901-02, fifth in the Second Division, a position it has not bettered since.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) Relegated out of the League in 1907-08 and again in 1910-11, Lincoln twice won the Midland Counties League to regain its place.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history)
## The mid-20th century
Lincoln won the Football League Division Three (North) championship three times: in 1931-32, when it finished level on 57 points with [Gateshead](https://www.edgepedia.org/gateshead) and took the title on goal average with 106 goals for and 47 against; in 1947-48, under manager Bill Anderson with a squad built for little more than £2,000; and in 1951-52, when the team scored a club-record 121 goals and Andy Graver scored 36, including six in a record 11-1 win over Crewe Alexandra.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) Alan Hall's 42 league goals in the 1931-32 season remain a club record for a single league season.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history)
The club remained in the Second Division until 1961, when relegation as the bottom club ended a spell at that level that lasted until 1960-61, the club's previous season in the second tier before 2026/27.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) • [7](https://www.spark-intel.co.uk/football/championship/lincoln-city/) In 1957-58 the side produced a dramatic escape from relegation, winning its last six games in April 1958 from the bottom of the Second Division to survive by a point.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history)
## Records, decline, and the drop out of the League
The 1970s brought the club's most successful Football League season to that point. Under [Graham Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/graham-taylor), appointed in 1971, Lincoln won the Fourth Division championship in 1975-76 with 74 points under the two-points-for-a-win rule, the highest total scored in any division at that time, 32 wins, only 4 defeats, and more than 100 league goals.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) A record crowd of 23,196 had watched a League Cup tie against Derby County in November 1967, a figure that still stands.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history)
The 1980s ended in a first of a different kind. After relegation in 1985-86 and a collapse from seventh place to 24th during 1986-87, defeat at Swansea on the final day made Lincoln the first club to be automatically relegated out of the Football League.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) The club spent the 1987-88 season in the GM Vauxhall Conference and returned to the League at the first attempt, winning the championship by two points from Barnet and setting a Conference aggregate attendance record of 79,005.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history)
## The modern rise
Lincoln dropped back into non-league football in 2011 and spent six seasons in the Football Conference.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) The 2016/17 season transformed the club's profile: as a [National League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-league) side, Lincoln became the first non-league club since Queens Park Rangers in 1914 to reach the [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup) quarter-finals, won the National League title, and returned to the Football League.[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cp86mde460no) • [1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) • [15](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39018105) Promotion from League Two followed as champions in 2018/19, and the club reached the League One play-off final in 2020/21, losing 2-1 to [Blackpool](https://www.edgepedia.org/blackpool) at Wembley in the Covid-interrupted season.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) • [2](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11719/13526813/lincoln-city-on-cusp-of-championship-return-after-65-years-away)
**The 2025/26 title.** Under Michael Skubala, in his first head coach role in the professional game, Lincoln won promotion to the Championship with a 2-1 win at Reading on [Easter Monday](https://www.edgepedia.org/easter-monday), with five games of the season remaining, and went on to secure the League One title with 103 points.[2](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11719/13526813/lincoln-city-on-cusp-of-championship-return-after-65-years-away) The side was on a 23-game unbeaten run late in the season, which Skubala's team extended to 29 games, an EFL record for a third-tier season.[4](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/coaches-managers/we-had-this-five-year-plan-to-get-lincoln-to-the-championship-and-weve-done-it-in-three-i-dont-think-theres-any-reason-why-we-shouldnt-be-aiming-for-a-top-half-finish-next-henry-winter-speaks-to-michael-skubala-as-the-imps-close-in-on-efl-history) Moylan contributed 10 goals and four assists, including the promotion-sealing strike, and became a [Republic of Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/republic-of-ireland) international.[8](https://www.theleaguepaper.com/latest-news/football-league-division-one/lincoln-city/460977/football-league-analysis-lincoln-citys-long-awaited-championship-promotion-after-decades-of-struggle/) • [6](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/sport/football/articles/cjwgdevyv2no) Skubala described the project as a five-year plan completed in three.[4](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/coaches-managers/we-had-this-five-year-plan-to-get-lincoln-to-the-championship-and-weve-done-it-in-three-i-dont-think-theres-any-reason-why-we-shouldnt-be-aiming-for-a-top-half-finish-next-henry-winter-speaks-to-michael-skubala-as-the-imps-close-in-on-efl-history)
After the title win, Skubala left for Bristol City, and the club promoted Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw from assistant head coaches to joint head coaches; sporting director Jez George said they were very close to being in the roles already.[9](https://www.weareimps.com/news/cohen-and-shaw-take-over-head-coaches) • [10](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/bromley-vs-leicester-and-10-more-things-to-look-forward-to-in-the-efl-this-season) In the early 2026/27 Championship season, a club widely tipped to go straight back down adapted well to the level, running [Middlesbrough](https://www.edgepedia.org/middlesbrough) close on the opening day and drawing with [Southampton](https://www.edgepedia.org/southampton) at home.[11](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/why-this-could-be-one-of-the-best-championship-seasons-ever)
## Operating model and finances
Lincoln's rise has been built on cost discipline rather than external investment. The club has never paid more than £350,000 for a player, and its recruitment and player trading are built on value for money.[6](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/sport/football/articles/cjwgdevyv2no) Its FY2024-25 accounts showed net assets of around £4m, a rare position of financial health for the level, built on careful recruitment and player trading rather than a wealthy owner; chairman Clive Nates gifted money to the club rather than lending it, leaving it without that debt.[7](https://www.spark-intel.co.uk/football/championship/lincoln-city/) • [4](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/coaches-managers/we-had-this-five-year-plan-to-get-lincoln-to-the-championship-and-weve-done-it-in-three-i-dont-think-theres-any-reason-why-we-shouldnt-be-aiming-for-a-top-half-finish-next-henry-winter-speaks-to-michael-skubala-as-the-imps-close-in-on-efl-history) In 2023 the club ranked among the top five in the Fair Game Index, a survey of financial sustainability, good governance, equality standards, and fan engagement, and finished first under the equality section.[12](https://www.weareimps.com/news/2023/july/city-among-top-five-in-ground-breaking-assessment-of-englands-best-run-clubs) The club has also used detailed video analysis and data-led preparation, including set-piece work, as a competitive tool against better-resourced opponents.[13](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/fa-league-cups/how-lincoln-city-s-revolutionary-approach-to-video-analysis-took-them-to-the-top-of-the-league-and-on-the-verge-of-fa-cup-history-a7586026.html) • [14](https://soccerlive.us/data-led-underdogs-how-lincoln-city-built-promotion-on-set-p)
## Sincil Bank
The club has played at Sincil Bank, opposite the Sincil Drain a few hundred yards from its previous John O'Gaunts ground, since 1895. The ground was rebuilt in stages through the 20th century, became an all-seater stadium at the start of the 1999/2000 season with a capacity of over 10,000, and was bought back from Lincoln City Council in March 2000 for £175,000, a sale that allowed the club to use the stadium as collateral during a financial crisis.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) The ground has hosted events beyond football, including a visit from Queen Elizabeth II in June 1958 and a May 1966 pop concert featuring [The Who](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-who), The Kinks, and The Small Faces.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history) A stadium naming-rights partnership with LNER agreed in December 2019 ran for seven years in total, and in July 2026 the club announced a 10-year naming-rights deal with ProAmpac.[1](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history)
## References
1. [Club history, Lincoln City Football Club](https://www.weareimps.com/lincoln-city-landing-page-test/club/club-history)
2. [Lincoln City on cusp of Championship return after 65 years away, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11719/13526813/lincoln-city-on-cusp-of-championship-return-after-65-years-away)
3. [Lincoln City FC post on Championship promotion, LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lincolncityfc_following-on-from-clinching-our-place-as-activity-7452625157522841601-JNRY)
4. [Henry Winter speaks to Michael Skubala, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/coaches-managers/we-had-this-five-year-plan-to-get-lincoln-to-the-championship-and-weve-done-it-in-three-i-dont-think-theres-any-reason-why-we-shouldnt-be-aiming-for-a-top-half-finish-next-henry-winter-speaks-to-michael-skubala-as-the-imps-close-in-on-efl-history)
5. [Lincoln City: The story behind the Imps' quiet and steady rise, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cp86mde460no)
6. [Imps can compete despite small budget, says Jez George, BBC](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/sport/football/articles/cjwgdevyv2no)
7. [Lincoln City FY2024-25 Finance & Season Review, Spark Intel](https://www.spark-intel.co.uk/football/championship/lincoln-city/)
8. [Lincoln City's long-awaited Championship promotion, The League Paper](https://www.theleaguepaper.com/latest-news/football-league-division-one/lincoln-city/460977/football-league-analysis-lincoln-citys-long-awaited-championship-promotion-after-decades-of-struggle/)
9. [Cohen and Shaw take over as head coaches, Lincoln City FC](https://www.weareimps.com/news/cohen-and-shaw-take-over-head-coaches)
10. [Bromley vs Leicester and 10 more things to look forward to in the EFL, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/bromley-vs-leicester-and-10-more-things-to-look-forward-to-in-the-efl-this-season)
11. [Why 2026/27 will be one of the best Championship seasons ever, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/why-this-could-be-one-of-the-best-championship-seasons-ever)
12. [City among top five in assessment of England's best-run clubs, Lincoln City FC](https://www.weareimps.com/news/2023/july/city-among-top-five-in-ground-breaking-assessment-of-englands-best-run-clubs)
13. [How video analysis helped take Lincoln City to the top of the league, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/fa-league-cups/how-lincoln-city-s-revolutionary-approach-to-video-analysis-took-them-to-the-top-of-the-league-and-on-the-verge-of-fa-cup-history-a7586026.html)
14. [Lincoln City Analysis: Set Pieces, Data & Small Budget, SoccerLive](https://soccerlive.us/data-led-underdogs-how-lincoln-city-built-promotion-on-set-p)
15. [FA Cup quarter-final draw: Lincoln City to play Arsenal](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39018105)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › Teams and sporting organizations › Football clubs of England and Wales › Football clubs of the Midlands and Wales*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license