You may have noticed that when you go to the Stacey West Bond website it now transports you to the Red Imps Community Trust site. This is deliberate, as all news and information regarding the bond will be placed on here from now on and a specific page will be populated shortly.
If you have any queries on the Bond scheme, please contact us still at bonds@redimpstrust.co.uk
Rob Bradley, Mandi Slater and Phil Scrafton of our Trust board were delighted to present Imps chair Rob Fowler and son Andrew with Lifetime Membership of the Red Imps Community Trust for their commitment to Lincoln City.
Life can be steadily routine, or mundane even, but very important highs and lows crop up now and again involving you, your family, and friends. Births, weddings, and the passing of loved ones – ‘hatches, matches, and dispatches’ as my dear old mum used to call them – are clearly some hugely significant milestones as time goes by. You could never say sport gives you high and lows at the same level but when sport, and in particular football, is your passion then those competitive triumphs and troubles can come a pretty close second. I can say with some confidence that I’ve experienced the lowest low and the highest high in Lincoln City’s history. Others may disagree that the events I recount here deserve that description, but it’ll make for interesting debate over a beer if nothing else. In May 2002 as club chairman and elected Trust rep in the Imps boardroom I represented Lincoln City in the High Court in Birmingham. A number of our brilliant fans were in the public gallery. A few days earlier our insolvency practitioner had suddenly confirmed our survival plan to be put to the judge was inadequate. Last minute we bolstered it up a bit as a result, but things weren’t looking good. The judge, after all the deliberations and an astounding display by our barrister, took pity on us and granted us more time. Had he been less generous the company would have been thrown to the wolves. The relief was palpable and where there’d been no tunnel, let alone a light at the end of one, there was now hope we could escape from that dreadful low we’d found ourselves in. Days later, as people rallied round, our plan became more robust and the judge granted our administration order. The recovery was underway. When Jack Moylan sped into the Reading penalty area and lashed the ball into the net to confirm in the most dramatic fashion in front of our 3000 ecstatic fans our elevation to the second tier in English football, that to me was the high to end all Imp highs. Yes we’d been there before 65 years ago. But the pyramid was so different then. The maximum wage for all players was £20 per week. There wasn’t the disparity in cost between divisions that makes upward progress so much more difficult. Or impossible even. The Championship was just a dream but that dream had come true. Some highs – like beating a top team – only last a few days and a defeat can puncture that enjoyment. The good thing about this high is that we’ve got weeks and weeks to enjoy it – so let’s do that and savour what next season will bring.
The Trust wished to thank all Imps football staff, over and above deserving award winners, on behalf of our members and all fans for such a fantastic season by presenting them with a framed series of photographs.
These photographs feature the celebrations of promotion and will be in place at the EPC for years to come.
Well done everyone!
(thanks to Adam Thurston for taking the photographs)
Join us for More Than a Game, an evening exploring Lincoln City F.C. through the voices of the people who live it. From first matches to lifelong rituals, from family traditions to the roar of Sincil Bank, this event is all about what the club means to people beyond the pitch.
Hear from Rob Bradley (Chair of the Red Imps Community Trust) and Alan Long (long-time PA announcer at Sincil Bank and supporter liaison officer), alongside stories shared by fans across generations.
More Than a Game is all about football, community and identity in Lincoln.
📍Branston Legends Lounge 🗓️ Saturday 23rd May 🕕 6pm–8pm
Whether you’re a lifelong supporter or just curious about the role football plays in shaping communities – everyone is welcome!
Thanks to all who took part in the Red Imps Community Trust / Lincoln & District Football Supporters club Player of the Season poll with the trophies given out to the two winners (one voted by the coaching team the other by fans) after the game against Wycombe Wanderers.
Also thanks to those fans and former players who took part in the pictures with the trophies the players keep before the game – and again thanks to Lincoln City Football Club’s Luke Thornhill for facilitating this for another year!
Trust Chair Rob Bradley presents Ivan Varfolomeev with his Young Player of the Season award.
Trust Chair Rob Bradley and LDSFC representative Chris Baldam present Conor McGrandles with his Player of the Season Award for 2025-6 as voted by Imps fans.
Here are very brief details of the 1975-76 team who are present at tomorrow’s game.
Peter Grotier – goalkeeper who played in all 46 Division Four games keeping 19 clean sheets
Ian Branfoot – right back who appeared in every one of the 55 League and Cup games scoring four times including the opening goal in the 5-0 win over Doncaster which clinched the title
Dennis Leigh – regular left back who played until mid March before illness kept him out of the final games
Dennis Booth – right half who missed the opening two games but then a near ever present. Scored the winning goal with a diving header in the 2-1 League Cup win over first division Stoke City
Sam Ellis – Centre half, captain of the team and player of the season. Played in 44 of the 46 Division Four games scoring 12 goals plus another three in Cup games
Terry Cooper – Played alongside Sam Ellis at the centre of the defence appearing in 54 of the 55 League and Cup games. His only goal came early in the season in a 4-1 home win over Exeter
Dick Krzywicki – Experienced Welsh international who mainly played on the right wing but also wore the number 9 shirt on occasions when Percy Freeman was unavailable. Featured in 28 of the League games scoring three goals
Phil Neale – Appeared in four different positions during the season finishing the campaign at left back in place of Dennis Leigh. Scored four goals including two in the 6-0 home win over Southport.
Jimmy Gordon – Reserve goalkeeper who made his first team debut in the FA Cup win at Mansfield Town in December making two match-winning saves in injury time to ensure the Imps progressed to the Third Round of the competition
Bert Bowery – Tall centre forward who joined the Imps on loan from Nottingham Forest in February along with Tony Woodcock. Scored on his debut in the 6-0 win over Southport and featured in three more games before returning to Forest. He was Brian Clough’s first signing for Forest and had made his Forest first team debut a few weeks earlier scoring twice in a 4-1 win at Blackburn
Tony Woodcock is sadly unable to attend but here are some details of him:
Tony Woodcock – A young striker who broke into the Nottingham Forest first team in April 1974 but had not appeared for the Forest senior team in 1975-76 when he signed for City on a month’s loan in February. Scored in his first game and made three further appearances before returning to the City Ground. Went on to have a glittering career playing in both the First Division and the Bundesliga and appeared 42 times for England scoring 16 goals
Not forgetting the three players from that season who have passed away – Percy Freeman, Dave Smith and David Wiggett. In addition John Ward, John Fleming (who lives in Australia) and Peter Sellars (who made a single appearance as a substitute) are unable to come to this game while the Former Players Association has been unable to contact Peter Graham or Alan Harding.
Gavin Gordon was a striker who made his senior debut for Hull City just two months after his 16th birthday and went on to make regular first team appearances for the Tigers before he was sold to the Imps in November 1997 when he was still just 18 years old. In his first season he helped City win promotion and was a first team regular. In 2000-01 he scored 10 goals by early December and was the sold to Cardiff City for a six-figure fee. He later played for Notts County. Gavin is chairman of the Former Players Association and covers Imps games as a match summariser for BBC Radio Lincolnshire. Debut vs Swansea City, away 8 November 1997 Lincoln City Record Football League: 87 appearances plus 12 as substitute, 28 goals FA Cup: 9 appearances, 2 goals Football League Cup: 2 appearances, 1 goal Other: 4 appearances plus 1 as substitute
Tony Cunningham
Tony Cunningham was a powerful striker who was brought to Lincoln by Colin Murphy from non-league club Stourbridge in May 1979. He made an instant impact on his debut in a League Cup tie against Barnsley and marked his first City game with a goal. Tony remained a regular first team player during his three full seasons at Sincil Bank and finished as leading scorer with 15 league and cup goals in 1981-82 when the Imps narrowly missed out on promotion to second tier football. He was sold to Barnsley in September 1982 and and made 40 League appearances for the Reds scoring 11 goals before joining Sheffield Wednesday in November 1983. Tony later played for clubs including Manchester City and Newcastle United making a total of almost 500 senior appearances before ending his career with Wycombe Wanderers. One of his sons Karl later also played for the Imps.
Debut vs Barnsley, home (Football League Cup) 11 August 1979
Lincoln City Record:
Football League: 111 appearances plus 12 as substitute, 32 goals
FA Cup: 5 appearances plus 1 as substitute
Football League Cup: 13 appearances, 8 goalsOther Games: 6 appearances, 2 goals
Graham Bressington
Graham Bressington was a powerful midfielder who joined City in November 1987 just a couple of weeks after playing against the Imps for today’s visitors Wycombe Wanderers and he was a key figure in City gaining promotion back to the Football League in that season. He established himself as a very effective and popular player going on to make over 100 first team appearances for City and was player of the season in 1990-91. Graham left Sincil Bank in the summer of 1993 and signed for Southend United then managed by Colin Murphy the man who originally signed him for City.
Debut vs Macclesfield Town, home 25 November 1987 (Conference)
Lincoln City Record:
Football League: 136 appearances plus 5 as substitute, 7 goals
Conference: 9 appearances plus 4 as substitute
FA Cup: 6 appearances
Football League Cup: 10 appearances, 2 goals
Other: 13 appearances
Simeon Hodson
Simeon Hodson was a local lad who played for Lincolnshire Schools before signing for Notts County. He made his senior debut for County in the old First Division just a week after signing professional forms and later played for Charlton. Simeon had a short spell with Lincoln United before joining the Imps in January 1986 and over the next 18 months was a regular at right back. He left Sincil Bank in the summer of 1987 and later played for clubs including Newport County, West Bromwich Albion, Doncaster, Kidderminster and Mansfield. During his time at Kidderminster he played for the England semi-professional representative team.
Debut vs Bury, home 11 January 1986
Lincoln City Record:
Football League: 54 appearances plus 2 as substitute
FA Cup: 1 appearance
Football League Cup: 4 appearances
Football League Trophy: 5 appearances
Richard Cooper
Richard Cooper was a midfield player who began his career with Sheffield United before signing for the Imps in August 1985. He went on to become a regular in his second season with City but left at the end of 1986-87 to join Exeter City. Richard went on to play for clubs including Weymouth and Yeovil Town. He returned to Sincil Bank to run the Imps Grass Roots Football project and then become manager of the Football in the Community scheme. Later he was director of Lincoln’s Girls Centre of Excellence and went on to manage the Lincoln City Ladies team.
Debut vs Walsall, home 26 August 1985
Lincoln City Record:
Football League: 57 appearances plus 4 as substitute, 2 goals
FA Cup: 1 appearance
Football League Cup: 5 appearances
Football League Trophy: 4 appearances
Trevor Swinburne
Trevor Swinburne began his long goalkeeping career as an apprentice with Sunderland in the late 1960s and finished it with the Imps 20 years later. During his time at Sunderland he was understudy to Jim Montgomery and made several first team appearances before moving on to Carlisle United in the summer of 1977. Trevor made over 250 first team appearances for Carlisle and then played for Brentford and Leeds United before signing for City in February 1986. Trevor made regular appearances for the Imps until retiring in the summer of 1987. He is a past member of the Former Players Association committee and was the Association’s first chairman when it was formed in 2017.Debut vs Blackpool, away 25 February 1986
Lincoln City Record: Football League: 34 appearances Football League Cup: 3 appearances Football League Trophy: 3 appearances
When Jack Moylan bore down on the Reading goal the commentator paused until he scored and just said ‘Championship’ as our away fans went wild as did others watching from afar. That moment on April 6th, 2026, will now forever be part of the club’s history and fans will have their personal memories for years to come, just like those who saw us beat Doncaster to clinch the Division 4 title in record breaking style exactly 50 years ago.
So, whilst this team are making more memories for fans, it is fitting that today it has been announced that fan groups, former players and the club are joining forces to lead a new strategy to protect, preserve, and promote the heritage of Lincoln City now and into the future.
As the ‘1884 Collective’, the aim is to create a new and collaborative approach to conserving and curating the history of the club with a focus on the key moments and stories that highlight the club’s identity, and what it means to fans both young and old. The Lincoln City Foundation will also be an integral part through their community engagement work around the city and further afield. Events such as this week’s celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the promotion winning team of 1975/76 is a great example of bringing the club’s history alive.
As a Trust, heritage has always been at the core to what we are about with the fans at the centre of it. We run the online museum led by Steve Freestone, which continues to go from strength to strength, have an extensive archive of programmes, plus numerous pieces of memorabilia.
In addition, we are delighted to have been asked to chair a new Heritage Committee to lead the ‘1884 Collective’ strategy and that aligns perfectly with us holding the Golden Share on behalf of the fans. This new collaboration is welcomed and whilst we have a good foundation, collectively we can achieve so much more, and the fans will be at the centre of it. I am sure Julian Buttery as Heritage Committee Chair, and Phil Scrafton as Fan Elected Director, will work effectively with the other 1884 Collective partners to celebrate our history with fans young and old.
There will be further communication in due course on the initial aims of the ‘1884 Collective’ and how fans can get involved. In the meantime, there is an email address on the club website if you have any burning questions.
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