Who we are and what we do. Our Trust Board Structure 2024, including people and positions following our recent AGM and SGM.
Our current constitution, which was adopted in 2024, uses model clauses issued in 2022 by The Football Supporters’ Association, to ensure that Supporters’ Trusts operate in a democratic, transparent and accountable manner.
We hold Annual General Meetings, normally in June. At those meetings, the members of our Trust elect a Board of Directors, comprising at least 6 (but not more than 12) people. The directors can themselves then co-opt up to 4 additional directors, whose specialist skills and experience are considered to benefit the Trust.
All directors normally meet online at 7pm on the second Wednesday of each month, to co-ordinate our Trust’s day-to-day activities. Any member of our Trust can request permission to attend Board Meetings as an observer by emailing media@redimpstrust.co.uk. Directors also fill various roles around the stadium (including at our Trust’s pod in the Fan Village) on home matchdays, as well as at other events. Please feel free to chat with any of our directors at any time about any topic. They normally serve for a term of two years, but can seek re-election when that term expires.
Brief biographical details are given below of our current directors. They have two characteristics in common. First, a passion for Lincoln City FC. Secondly, a willingness to work actively for the Trust on a voluntary basis: there are no passengers. Their backgrounds, experience and particular interests are however very diverse. Collectively, they combine to form a very effective team. If you would like to join the team, especially if you have experience or interests that enable you to fill any gaps in the services that we provide, please seek election at the next AGM: nomination forms will be circulated beforehand.
| Chris Baldam Since being formed in 1954, Lincoln & District Football Supporters Club raised well over £1.6 million through a variety of events, including weekly bingo sessions. My father, Brian, served as its organiser from 1965 for over 50 years. Naturally, as I was a member of the next generation, he persuaded me to get involved, when my career as a bank manager allowed. The Trust came into being in 2000 and gradually collaboration grew between the two organisations. I was first elected to the Trust’s Board in 2019 and the two bodies are now united, with me being co-opted on to the Trust Board in 2024 as the representative of the Supporters’ Club. I take particular pride in seeing the fans voting for the Player of the Season Awards: that is something that the Supporters Club first arranged in 1970 – it is extremely satisfying to witness due respect being given to such long-standing traditions. | |
| Jonathan Battersby I have a very strong emotional attachment to Lincoln City, having supported the club since first being taken to a game by my dad when I was a youngster in 1973. In my spare time (when not running a bakery business in Dorset), I run the Lincoln City Banter Facebook site, which has now grown to just short of 15,000 mostly active members, of which I am one of the Admins. I’ve also been involved with the club’s Supporters Board (now known as the Fan Advisory Board) since its inception a few years ago and I was co-opted onto the Trust Board in 2023. | |
| Biff Bean Lincoln born and bred, my first game at Sincil Bank was in 1967. I work for the Youth Offending Service and am a local councillor in Hartsholme (where I am also the Community Trust’s Treasurer), having had the honour to serve as Mayor of Lincoln in 2023/24. Between 1982 and 1995, I worked in New York. In 2024, I was elected to the Trust Board as its Community Engagement Team Leader. | |
| Rob Bradley I was instrumental in setting up our Trust, as summarised elsewhere on our website, becoming the first person to chair its Board. At that time, I was the Trust’s representative on the club’s Board of Directors, of which I was also the Chair, as well as being the Vice Chair of Supporters Direct. Since those early days, I’ve been involved with the Trust, on and off. I represented it once again on the Club’s Board of Directors, together with that of the club’s holding company between 2020 and 2024, when I took on the role of the Trust’s Fan Engagement Team Co-Leader. I was also honoured to be re-appointed as the Trust’s Chair in 2022. The good governance of the organisation is my main focus, along with establishing and fulfilling appropriate strategies. I particularly enjoy interacting with Imps fans. By profession, I am an architect, now semi-retired. | |
| Julian Buttery My employment took me to the Midlands where, whilst working for a FTSE 20 company, I was involved with a range of sport governance organisations, including the FA, as well as engaging with politicians through the UK Parliamentary Football Club. In 2024, shortly after returning to Lincoln, I was elected on to the Trust Board as the director responsible for engaging with the Football Supporters’ Association. I have supported Lincoln City for over 50 years, having had the privilege of being a ball boy in the late 70’s. | |
| Emma Crellin Having been brought up in Lincoln, I have watched the Imps since 1988, mostly as an exile and then an ex pat, before moving back to the city in 2012. I spent 10 years marketing in UK telecoms companies, before spending 6 years in New Zealand as marketing manager for 3M. I then returned to the UK, setting up my own marketing company and two local magazines. I also created Lincoln Mums (now known as Lincs Kids Ltd), which has been operating for 10 years and has almost 10,000 card holders. I was elected as a Trust Board Member in 2024, becoming Fan Engagement Co-Leader. | |
| Gavin Gordon I signed for the Imps as a player in 1997, scoring 32 goals in just over 100 appearances. In 2000, I was sold for what was then the highest transfer fee ever received by the club. During my time at Sincil Bank, we were promoted from League Two to League One, which were then known as the Third and Second Divisions. My playing career having come to an end, I now work as a postman for Royal Mail. I joined the committee of Lincoln City’s Former Players Association in 2018 and am now its Chairman. The FPA does not merely enable former players to meet socially amongst themselves: its members reach out to fans on matchdays and participate in many other events to help the wider community. I was co-opted onto the Trust Board in 2022. My aim is to ensure that the FPA and the Trust continue to work together as closely as possible in future, for the benefit of all concerned. | |
| Kirsty Hackney The primary objective of the Trust is to strengthen the bond between the Club and its supporters. I am an active member of L.I.S.A., the Lady Imps Supporters Association, which I help with its social media communications. A secondary purpose of the Trust is to strengthen the relationship with the communities served by the Club. I particularly enjoy playing a part in harnessing its power, together with that of its fans, to benefit the different charity partners chosen by the Trust each year. I work as a carer and I became a Trust Board Member in 2022. I also help out in the Club Shop. | |
| Lincoln City Foundation The Foundation is a registered charity whose mission is to work with the Club and key partners to inspire, empower and help individuals and communities to improve their physical, social and mental wellbeing. More details can be found at https://www.lincolncityfoundation.com/ about its key priority areas of work relating to:- education & employability;sport & physical activity;health & mental wellbeing;inclusion & community cohesion. Established in 2008 and previously known both as Lincoln City FC Sport & Education Trust and Lincoln City Football in the Community, the Foundation now employs about 30 members of staff. It was co-opted onto the Trust Board in 2023, where it is represented by either Chief Executive Officer Martin Hickerton or Director of Quality & Development Alex Bavin or Head of Healthier Communities Alex Carter or Community Manager Kate O’Reilly. | |
| Stewart Millar I own Tension Twisted Realities, Lincoln’s award winning escape rooms and virtual reality centre. My business is the main sponsor of the Trust, which uses our premises as the venue for its Bingo Plus Nights and other events. I joined the Trust’s Board in 2022. I now lead its events, fundraising and commercial activities. | |
| Phil Scrafton Always a yellow-belly and an Imp. After over 20 years working in the public sector and another 20 in business, I decided that it was time to take a semi-retirement option and spend more time doing things I enjoy. Family, travel, lots of things but Lincoln City F.C. is right up there. The fans are the heart of our football club and it is a privilege to be have been invited, then elected, to join the Trust Board and to represent the fans at the Club’s Board. We have an impressive and varied fan base from dedicated life-long elderly supporters to youngsters and young families. Many will have ideas, comments, recommendations and concerns from their own experiences and perspectives. It’s important they are heard and understood and I aim to make sure that is the case – with communication flowing between the Club and its supporters. I want to help; I want to be useful. Please feel free to get in touch. | |
| Mandi Slater My main work for the Trust involves running its Gold Membership scheme (now known as the John O’Gaunts Club), undertaking all the administrative tasks involved in booking boardroom visits, organising meetings, etc. I’ve represented the Trust’s Gold/John O’Gaunts Members as a director on the Club Board since being elected on to the Trust Board in 2019. From August 2021 until March 2023, I was the Club’s Board Champion for Ethics, Diversity & Inclusion, serving also on the Club’s Social, Environmental & Community Sub-Committee with Lincoln City Foundation. We rotated in 2023, when I joined the Club’s Audit & Risk Committee. I was involved in the review of the Trust’s constitution relating to the governance of the Gold Membership scheme and I helped to develop the Stacey West Investment Bond, as well as working on the #MyCityMyShirt project. I became the Interim Vice Chair of the Trust in October 2021, before being formally appointed as its Vice Chair in 2022. I’m a finance director for an IT consultancy. | |
| Steve Tointon I joined the Trust’s Board in 2015. I was the Trust’s Chair for two years and also represented its Gold Members (now known as the John O’Gaunts Club Gold Legacy Members) as a director on the Club Board. I’m a retired chartered accountant and am currently the Trust’s Treasurer, also having served on the Working Group that organised the Stacey West Investment Bond. I’m currently a director of the both the club and its holding company in my own right. |
Supporting them are Steve Freestone (Company Secretary), Ian Hodgson (Membership Secretary), Rick Lalka (Social Media Co-ordinator) and Andy Porter (Minutes Secretary)