News from the Trust

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News

Limited Copies of Imposter available Saturday

Prior to our game against Shrewsbury Town, limited copies of Trust chair Rob Bradley’s new book Imposter will be available from the Trust Pod, priced at £11.99 with a donation from the sale of each copy going to the Lincoln City Foundation.

Come and get them signed!

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FPA Guests v Exeter

The FPA can announce that the guests attending the Exeter game this Saturday are John Kennedy and Lee Beevers, with John hosting. Tony Cunningham will also be attending.

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Extra Time Hub

What is the Extra Time Hub?

It’s an initiative designed to increase social interaction for everyone who is retired, semi-retired or approaching retirement. Opportunities to meet and spend time with like-minded people from the area can make a positive difference, reducing any feelings of isolation. It can be good just to sit and talk, over tea and biscuits. Fun and movement are also on offer, through a range of activities suitable for all levels of fitness and skill: table tennis, indoor carpet bowls, new age kurling, boccia, quizzes, bingo, etc.

When and where are Extra Time Hub sessions held?

Every Monday, from 10.00am to 11.30am at Bracebridge Heath Village Hall, Red Hall Lane, Bracebridge Heath LN4 2LB.

Every Tuesday, from 10.00am to 11.30am at Skellingthorpe Scouts Hut, Stoney Yard, Skellingthorpe LN6 5TU.

Every Wednesday, from 10.00am to midday in the Co-op Community Hub (behind the Stacey West Stand) at the LNER Stadium, Sincil Bank, Lincoln LN5 8JZ.

Do places have to be booked for Extra Time Hub sessions?

No, you can just turn up on the day.

How much do Extra Time Hub sessions cost?

£2 per session at Bracebridge Heath and Skellingthorpe or £3 per session at the LNER Stadium, to be paid on the day.

How can more information be obtained?

Please contact the Foundation, either by calling/texting 07305 095690 or by using the online form at https://www.lincolncityfoundation.com/extratimehub.

How can donations be made to help the Extra Time Hub?

There are numerous ways to support the Foundation financially, including before all home games via a collection bucket that can be found in the Trust’s pod in the University of Lincoln Fan Village.

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#hergametoo

Ref Imps Community Trust help with Her Game Too initiative at the game against Bristol Rovers – especially if rain came along! The Trust were also delighted to have donated to Her Game Too costs.

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FPA Guests for Bristol Rovers

thanks to Donald Nannestad

The FPA host for Saturday’s game against Bristol Rovers is Gavin Gordon and the guests are George Shipley, Phil Neale and Tony Cunningham.  Details are here:

Gavin Gordon

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

George Shipley

George Shipley was a midfield player who made over 250 first team appearances for City after signing from Southampton in January 1980 for a club record fee reported as £38,000. He immediately became a regular in the team and in his first full season City won promotion from the Fourth Division finishing in second place to Southend United. That led on to the memorable 1981-82 campaign when City narrowly missed out on promotion to the old Division Two (now the Championship). City played at Fulham in their final game of the season with both teams in with a chance of promotion. The Imps needed to win to go up but Fulham were up if they avoided defeat – the game finished 1-1 so Fulham were promoted. George played in all but three games that season and finished as joint top scorer with 11 League goals. He stayed at Sincil Bank until the summer of 1985 and later played for Charlton Athletic and Gillingham. He made a brief reappearance for City in a pre-season game in August 1989.

Lincoln City record:

Football League: 229 appearances + 1 appearance as sub, 42 goals

FA Cup: 9 appearances, 1 goal

Football League Cup: 22 appearances, 8 goals

Other Cups: 13 appearances, 1 goal

Phil Neale

Phil Neale was a member of the Imps hugely successful 1975-76 team and went on to make over 350 first team appearances during his 11 seasons with the Imps. Phil was first signed as an amateur while he was studying at Leeds University making his first team debut in January 1975. He signed professional forms for City later the same year and from then onwards he was a regularly in the first team defence before leaving Sincil Bank in May 1985. Phil combined his football with a career as a cricketer. He briefly played for Lincolnshire in the Minor Counties Championship before joining Worcestershire. He made over 350 first class appearances scoring over 17,000 runs for Worcestershire and twice captained the team to the County Championship. He was team manager of Northamptonshire and then Warwickshire before being the England team operations manager for 21 years until his retirement. He was awarded the OBE in 2006 for services to cricket.

Debut vs Swindon Town, away (FA Cup), 4 January 1975 as substitute

Lincoln City Record:

Football League: 327 appearances plus 8 as substitute, 22 goals

FA Cup: 16 appearances plus 2 as substitute

Football League Cup: 11 appearances plus 1 as substitute

Other Games: 4 appearances

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 when he was up against the former England defender Norman Hunter. Tony had too much pace and power for the ex England man 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 goals

Other Games: 6 appearances, 2 goals

Rob's Column

Rob’s Column March 2025

Some of us might remember Monty Python’s Flying Circus’s eccentric Mr Gumby in short trousers and a tank top with a knotted handkerchief on his head, seeking help from his doctor. ‘My brain hurts!’ he exclaims.  If you’re not old enough then Google him, because he’s pretty funny. Ever since that classic episode was aired this phrase has been in humorous use to declare that a particular experience is getting all too much.
You’d forgive Imps fans if they used the same catchphrase. Around 1400 supporters populated the away end at Field Mill last midweek and saw the team triumph 3-0 over Mansfield Town. The team battled away admirably, Sam Clucas scored direct from a corner, and it was magnificent. Then four days later and back on home soil, with expectations high again that we might get a run going, we succumbed to lowly Burton Albion. We played poorly and when a disappointing goalless draw looked likely, we conceded a sucker punch late goal and didn’t even get that. 
After a good start to the season we seem to keep following good stuff with poor stuff, and fans can’t understand it. We were delighted to see rivals Peterborough United get hammered 5-1 and then soon after Blackpool come calling and go back to Lancashire with all three points. After beating Reading well we present ex-Imp Gareth Ainsworth and his struggling Shrewsbury Town team with a welcome win in a frankly toothless display.
Different starting elevens each game, mystifyingly substitutions, and players going out on loan who might have done a good job for us, have all occupied some supporters’ thoughts in the last few weeks. Whether I agree these concerns – I don’t entirely for the record – they get voiced to Trust colleagues and I in the pre-match Fan Village and in the ground.
The bottom line is that we all care. We want the staff and players to do well, and we know they have the qualities to do so. We’re not relegation fodder, and the highs and lows mean that we’re capable of those highs – we just need more of them.
Hopefully we won’t use Mr Gumby’s words too often as the season reaches its denouement, we get the blend right, and we get some luck. A run of wins and draws would do us the world of good and here’s hoping that’s what we see.

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Double POTM Awards Presentation

Before the Crawley game, new Red Imps Community Trust social media officer Tamyra Beeston gave out awards to Ethan Erhahon for his Player of the Month performances for January and team captain Paudie O’Connor for his performances in February.