RED IMPS TRAVEL SECTION – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What do I need to think about before matchdays?
- As soon as match tickets for an away game go on sale, Travel Section coach tickets for that game can also be bought from Lincoln City FC, either online or by email or by telephone or in person at the ticket office.
- Make sure that you can get a match ticket before you buy a coach ticket: away fans cannot always buy tickets on matchdays from the home club.
- If you use a wheelchair, book coach tickets at least seven days before the relevant matchday and inform Lincoln City FC of the situation, so that sufficient space can be reserved for your wheelchair on a coach that has been specially adapted to include a lift for wheelchairs.
- There are several steps down to the toilets on board most coaches. If you have mobility issues preventing you from using such toilets, book coach tickets at least seven days before the relevant matchday and inform Lincoln City FC of the situation, so that arrangements can then be made for step-free toilet access to be provided, either at suitable service stations or on a specially adapted coach.
- A decision is made seven days before each game on the maximum number of coach tickets that can be sold, so that the requirements can be confirmed to the coach company. When all available seats have been sold, coach tickets are taken off sale.
- In exceptional circumstances, if you turn up hoping to be able to pay for a coach seat on a matchday, it must be understood that the availability of a seat cannot be guaranteed. If a seat is available, be prepared to pay in cash, as Travel Section personnel do not have facilities to accept card payments on matchdays.
- When you buy a coach ticket, certain personal data will be required, including any mobile telephone number on which you can be contacted on the relevant matchday.
- Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied on coaches by an adult.
- What happens before we leave?
- The arrangements outlined below might change, e.g. due to the ongoing re-configuration of the one-way systems in the wider Sincil Bank area or due to any building work at the LNER Stadium itself.
- Provided that sufficient space is available, cars can be left at their owners’ risk at the Cross Street end of the Community Hub car park, behind the Stacey West Stand. Cars must always access that car park from the Cross Street end, because the entrance from Sincil Bank will be blocked by coaches before their departure and following their return. It is essential that the Sincil Bank end of that car park should remain empty, so that coaches can enter it, turn round, pick up passengers and depart.
- Passengers requiring use of a lift/wheelchair platform to access a coach should arrive at least 15 minutes before the departure time, so that delays are not caused by the necessary action being taken.
- Passengers awaiting the coaches’ arrival must congregate on the footpath, between the low wooden fence and the Community Hub building. For safety reasons, it is essential that passengers do not congregate in the car park itself or on the Sincil Bank roadway before the coaches complete their manoeuvres into position. Once the coaches have manoeuvred into position, boarding will be authorised by the coach stewards.
- Expect departure to be on time or even early, if everyone who has booked a ticket has arrived. Many passengers (especially those who want to sit together) board the coach more than 15 minutes before the departure time.
- There are no pick-up points after leaving the stadium: routes taken out of Lincoln can be changed at the last minute, to avoid traffic congestion.
- What happens on the outbound journey?
- Passengers must comply with any reasonable directives given by the coach steward or driver. Unacceptable behaviour may result in passengers being required to leave the coach.
- Passengers can take their own cold food and drink on board, although it is illegal to carry any alcohol.
- No smoking or vaping is allowed on coaches.
- There is a toilet on all coaches. On long trips, there will also be a comfort break at a service station. In the event of traffic delays, that break might be cancelled. There will be no break on shorter journeys.
- On most coaches, there is a “Guess the Gate” competition. Everyone who wants to enter pays £1. The person whose prediction is closest to the official matchday attendance wins 50% of money collected, with the other 50% going to the funds of the Travel Section.
- The aim is to arrive at the designated dropping-off point of the away club about one hour before kick-off, but journey times cannot be predicted accurately.
- Personal possessions can be left on the coach at the owners’ risk during the match: the coach will be locked when unattended.
- What happens on the return journey?
- Passengers must return to the coach straight after the final whistle: reasonable time will be allowed for them to do so, but police/stewards invariably instruct coach drivers to depart promptly.
- Passengers must travel home in the same seats on the same coach as used for the outbound journey. Anyone planning not to travel on the return journey must notify the coach steward or driver of their plans as soon as possible, to enable the coach to depart promptly.
- The prize is presented to the winner of any outbound trip’s “Guess the Gate” competition.
- Passengers’ votes are recorded for the man-of-the-match. At the last home game of the season, the player with the most votes during the season receives an award from the Travel Section.
- Coaches return non-stop, except on some very long journeys, where a comfort break at a service station might be made.
- Drop-offs can be arranged at various points on the return to Lincoln, depending on the route taken, which is normally along either Newark Road or Carholme Road.
- Passengers requiring the use of a lift/wheelchair platform will always disembark in the Community Hub car park. All other coaches will normally also return to that car park. However, there may be some occasions (particularly when reaching Lincoln in hours of darkness and/or when there are numerous coaches) when safety requires the other coaches only to go as far as Gowts Bridge in the High Street, from where there is easy access to the Stadium via the footbridge at the end of Sewell’s Walk.
- Vehicles waiting to collect passengers from the LNER Stadium should do so at the Cross Street end of the Community Hub car park. That enables the coaches safely to access the car park from the Sincil Bank end, manoeuvre prior to offloading and then return back along Sincil Bank to their depot.
- Is there anything else?
- Passengers are responsible for looking after their own welfare throughout the day and for making their own arrangements for travelling to and from the coach. Anyone requiring the support of a carer or ‘personal assistant’ must purchase an additional coach ticket for such a person and be accompanied by them at all times.
- Full Terms and Conditions are published on the Lincoln City FC website.