Without being complacent our Trust, like the club, seems to be enjoying a reasonably successful time at the moment. Our position in the club is solid with us now holding the important Fans’ Share, our membership amounting to around 6000, and with two of our board sitting on the club board of directors. In terms of the latter, Phil Scrafton is now fully registered as a club director and has impressed in the way he’s approaching this important role. We looked to ‘future plan’ as the Fan Led Review moved towards the more formal Football Governance Bill, and as a result we’ve got some new people on board keeping us old Trust stalwarts on our toes. Emma Crellin is a well-known Imps fan and has had a successful career in marketing. She’s now our joint Fan Engagement Lead where we look to serve our members well, at the same time as enhance the club’s award-winning work in making our supporters genuinely feel part of the club they so avidly follow. It must be an interesting time in the Crellin household. Emma’s husband is a keen Carlisle United fan and their fortunes are in stark contrast to those at the LNER stadium. Next to bottom in League Two their Trust chair recently put out a statement refuting claims made against him and his colleagues. He says they’ve been accused of being a closed shop, they don’t communicate, they’re too close to the club, they make bad decisions, and are in it for the perks. Phew. From what I can see Carlisle United Supporters Trust do stuff pretty much exactly like we do – honorably, openly, and properly. It just goes to show that anger over bad footballing times can cloud the judgement of those who lash out. So future planning is important. The good times are great but we have to be ready for if and where they’re not. It’s what the club does, and it’s what your Trust does too. If you want to know a bit more on this or any other Trust matter, then seek us out in the Fan Village. This column tries to keep you up to speed but you can’t beat a face to face natter to get our messages out.
On 24th October, the Government announced the launch of the new Football Governance Bill, which has been strengthened in a number of area. Areas of interest of particular interest to fans are likely to be the role of an Independent Regulator, financial redistribution across the EFL and supporter representation. It is anticipated that the parliamentary process of formally adopting the Bill will take until Summer 2025.
Through the work of our Trust, we are in regular dialogue with the Football Supporters Association (FSA), and this work is now headed up by one of our new Trust Board Members, Julian Buttery. Going forward, he will look to provide further information on fan-related issues and campaigns that the FSA is engaged with through this website and through our social media channels.
For those interested in the detail of the Bill can find it HERE
The opportunity to make the on-pitch presentation of the next “Player of the Month” award is one of the prizes on offer to the winners of our latest anagram competition. Please hand your entry form in to our Pod in the University of Lincoln Fan Village before kick-off on one of the upcoming home match days.
Trust board member Julian Buttery and new junior member Charlie Grimshaw present Ethan Erhahon with the Trust Player of the Month for September trophy voted by our fans.
Photograph courtesy Chris Vaughan and Lincoln City Football Club
The Red Imps Community Trust is delighted to announce that Phil Scrafton is our new Fan Elected Director (FED) and starts work straight away to represent you – the fans – on the club board.
Phil joined the Trust Board at the beginning of the 2024/25 season after being elected as the Supporter Elected Director, one of two Directors representing the Club’s fan base on the Club board.
Previous FED Rob Bradley is seen “passing the baton” to Phil at the game against Stockport County
Phil is local to Lincoln having spent his very earliest years in Hartsholme, followed by ‘school’ years living just off Doddington Road. Like many, Phil became an Imps fan after an early introduction as a young boy attending matches with his dad and older brother, before being allowed to attend games with his mates in his early teens.
His career has been in town planning and development, commencing at the City Council in 1981. Over 20 years later Phil decided to seek new challenges in the private sector planning consultancy world, joining Lichfield Planning, whose main office was in London.
As Equity Partner when the recession took hold after 2008, it was clear that changes were needed and Phil jointly led the formation of Globe Consultants – a joint town planning and economic development business – based in Lincoln in 2010. He led that business as Managing Director until deciding to step away into semi-retirement in 2022.
Business interests are now mainly limited to providing part-time support to the delivery of a major mixed housing and leisure development on a riverside site east of Lincoln. This is a project he’s led with the landowner for around 15 years and is keen to see through to completion, delivering huge benefits for a very supportive local community.
Fortunately, Phil now has time to follow his longstanding desire to travel and to spend more time with family. Phil is married to Jane, has two grown up children, two young grandsons and is looking forward to the latest generation’s first match experience being at Sincil Bank.
The FPA guests for tomorrow’s game against Stockport County are Simon Yeo and Paul Smith – note this is Paul M Smith who played 1987 to 1995 . The host is Matt Carmichael. Details below:
Matt Carmichael
Today’s host is Matt Carmichael who is vice chairman of the Former Players Association.
Debut vs Scunthorpe, home 19 August 1989
Lincoln City Record
Football League: 113 appearances plus 20 as substitute, 18 goals
FA Cup: 4 appearances plus 1 as substitute
Football League Cup: 9 appearances plus 1 as substitute, 1 goal
Other: 7 appearances plus 1 as substitute, 2 goals
Paul Smith
Paul Smith was an attacking player who was signed by Colin Murphy from Port Vale in September 1987 at the start of City’s Vauxhall Conference campaign following relegation out of the Football League. Paul cost a record non-league transfer fee and made his debut in a 4-1 win at Stafford Rangers. He played regularly over the remainder of the season helping the Imps to the title and a return back to the League at the first attempt. He went on to make over 250 first team appearances for City before departing in the summer of 1995. He began his career at Sheffield United and had a spell on loan with Stockport where he scored five goals in seven League appearances. Paul moved on to Port Vale in 1986 and then arrived at Sincil Bank.
Debut vs Stafford Rangers, away 5 September 1987 Lincoln City Record Football League: 219 appearances + 13 as substitute, 27 goals FA Cup: 7 appearances plus 2 as substitute, 1 goal Football League Cup: 10+2 appearances Vauxhall Conference: 33 appearances, 8 goals Other: 20 appearances, 4 goals
Simon Yeo
Simon Yeo signed from non-league Hyde United in August 2002 scoring on his home debut against Rochdale and continued to be a prolific scorer throughout his time at Sincil Bank. The highlights of his career included scoring against Torquay on the final day of the 2002-03 season to secure City a place in the play-offs where he came off the bench in both semi-final legs against Scunthorpe United with dramatic effect – scoring twice in the last 20 minutes to earn the Imps a 5-3 win at Sincil Bank and then netting the winner in the second leg at Scunthorpe. He was the Supporters Player of the Year and leading scorer in 2004-05 but left in the summer to play in New Zealand. He returned in January of the following year only to depart again in the summer of 2006. Simon later played for Peterborough United, Chester City and Macclesfield Town.
Debut vs. Kidderminster Harriers away 10 August 2002 Lincoln City Record Football League: 85 appearances plus 50 as substitute, 42 goals FA Cup: 4 appearances, 1 goal Football League Cup: 2 appearances plus 1 as substitute 2 goals Other: 9 appearances plus 7 as substitute, 6 goals
