Sincil Bank: Lincoln City
From Lincoln City FC
Lincoln City was formed as an amateur side in 1884 on the back of the disbanded Lincoln Rovers. To begin with they played their games at John O’Gaunts Ground, but moved to Sincil Bank when it opened in 1895. As with most things in the city, Lincoln Cathedral dominates the stadium, which was sold by the club in 1982. It was bought back by the former chairman John Reames in 2000, after the club had escaped its first bout of financial problems.
The stadium – currently known as the LNER for sponsorship reasons – has undergone numerous changes and developments over the years. When it first opened there wasn’t much to speak of, but in 1896 an uncovered stand was built on the Southern side. At the same time a piece of rope that had run around the edge of the pitch was replaced by wire. The local Working Men’s Conservative Club helped them to develop it even further in the early part of the 1900s. Gradually the improvements meant that a record attendance of over 23,000 was set in 1967, though today’s capacity is closer to 10,000.
Stats
| Sincil Bank Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1895 |
| Capacity | 10669 |
| Average Attendance | 8424 |
| Record Attendance | 23196 (Lincoln City v Derby County (1967)) |
| Pitch Size | 100 x 67 (6700) |
| Nickname | The Bank |
| Owner | Lincoln City Football Club |
| Sponsor | LNER |
| Clubs Hosted | Lincoln City |
| First Fixture | Lincoln City v Woolwich Arsenal (14/09/1895) |
| Lincoln City Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1884 |
| Nickname | The Imps |
| Club Mascot | Poacher the Imp |
| Rivals | Scunthorpe United, Grimsby Town, Gainsborough Trinity, Boston United, Peterborough United, Mansfield Town, York City, Alfreton Town |
| Previous Stadiums | John O'Gaunts |
| Kit | Red & White Stripes (Home) / White & Green (Away) |
| Training Ground | Sobraon Barracks |
| Shirt Sponsor | Branston |
| Team Owner | Lincoln City Holdings Ltd |
| Record Goalscorer | Andy Graver (150) |
| Record Appearances | Grant Brown (491) |
Sincil Bank Photos
Flippo [CC BY-SA 3.0]
By Softwareeurope (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0]
Sincil Bank Seating Plan and Where to Sit
There are five distinct stands around Sincil Bank, with the East Stand the largest of them. The St Andrews Stand opened in 1987 and only runs along half the length of the pitch on the West side, but it includes the press box and Director’s section, with the other part taken up by the Family Stand. The Stacey-West Stand – named after lifelong supporters Bill Stacey and Jim West who were killed in the Bradford City stadium fire – was the main stand in the stadium before the St Andrews Stand opened and, is now where the away supporters sit. Finally, the South Stand is opposite the Stacey-West Stand behind the other goal.
Lincoln City Ticket Prices
If there is a simpler ticketing system in the EFL than at Sincil Bank then we are yet to find it. Your age will affect the price as it does everywhere else, and it is slightly cheaper if you are a Bronze member, but other than that ticket prices are only £1 apart depending on the stand you sit in:
- Adults: £24.00-£25.00
- Concession: £19.00-£20.00
How To Get Lincoln City Tickets
You will be able to get tickets from the stadium’s ticket office, but their official website is always the best place to start. If you’d like to speak to someone then calling the club directly is always an option.
Where to Buy
Getting To Sincil Bank
Train – Lincoln Central Train Station is about a ten to fifteen minute walk from the ground.
Bus – If you get off the bus at South Park Roundabout then you’ll be a short walk from the stadium. Buses 1, 1D, 7, 7A, 13, 14, 24A, 27, 27A, 601, SB4 all stop there, so they’re the best ones to get.
Car – Sincil Bank is just off the A15, so that’s the main road you’ll want to watch out for.
By Air – Humberside International Airport is probably the closest to Lincoln if you’re coming in from abroad, located around thirty miles away. East Midlands Airport is another alternative, though that’s further away at around the fifty mile mark.
Taxi – A taxi from the centre of Lincoln to the football ground will take about ten minutes to complete its journey and shouldn’t cost much more than about £8.
Parking Near Sincil Bank
There’s a small car park at the ground, but you have to book in advance and there’s no unreserved spots on the day of a match. The immediate area around the stadium is permit holders only, so don’t park there. Public parking is located not far from the South Park Roundabout.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Sincil Bank Hotels
It’s a lovely little place is Lincoln, why not stay an extra day and have a look around; you can stay at one of these places:
Queen In The West - Inn - £60+
Holiday Inn Lincoln - £70+
The Lincoln Hotel - £80+
Pubs and Bars Near Sincil Bank
A historic town like Lincoln has plenty to offer in the way of public houses, have a gander at these:
The Ritz
Walkabout
Ivy Tavern
Facilities
The facilities are what you might expect from a club of this size. The stadium is comfortable enough and you can buy a decent range of food and drinks from the stalls there too.
Prices
- Programme: £3
- Pie: £3.1
- Cup of tea: £2
- Beer: £3.5
Hospitality
There are two hospitality options available on a match by match basis. The SRP 200 Club is the slightly higher end option, including premium drink options, the dish of the day (whatever that means), and refreshments including luxury locally sourced snacks.
The Legends Lounge is much more relaxed and celebrates the club’s players past and present. You will witness the match sponsor presentation, have a room host to look after you, as well as the option for food and drinks.
Private Hire
There are plenty of different areas within the stadium that are available to be used for events such as wedding parties, birthdays, business meetings and other functions. They can cater for up to 150 guests and, again, offer to work with you to your specific requirements.
Stadium Tours & Museum
There are no traditional stadium tours available but the Imps do offer stadium tours sometimes, such as during half term, on an occasional basis. There is also sometimes a special tour unlike any other, that includes all of the usual access all area types of things but you can also watch a first team training session at the Soper of Lincoln Elite Performance Centre. It’s not cheap though – £50!
About Lincoln City
There is a grotesque gargoyle on the wall inside Lincoln Cathedral called the Lincoln Imp. It has a fun story behind it and over the years it became a symbol for the city itself, and in many ways there are similar links to be made with the football club. Perhaps that is why the club’s nickname is ‘The Imps’. During its history the club has enjoyed numerous ups and downs. In the 1901-1902 campaign they climbed to fifth in the second-tier of English football, for example. They’ve also made the last sixteen of the FA Cup on three occasions, making it to the quarter-finals once.
That quarter-final match came in the 2016-2017 season when they beat Premier League side Burnley 1-0 in order to set up a huge match with top-tier giants Arsenal. They eventually lost 5-0 to the Gunners, but it was part of a brilliant season that culminated in their promotion back to the Football League. They had been relegated from League Two – and the Football League itself – on the final day of the 2010-2011 season, so their return six years later was a sweet experience for all concerned.
Sincil Bank History
Sincil Bank was built in 1894, exactly ten years after the club’s formation, opening the following year. In the intervening years Lincoln City played their games at John O’Gaunts, a ground that only had a players’ dressing room and offered no facilities for spectators. Even so, 2000 people watched the side beat Sheffield United in their first Football League game against Sheffield United on the 1st of October in 1892.
The move to Sincil Bank, just 300 metres to the South-East of John O’Gaunts, came about because of the club’s desire to continue its growth. Known as The Bank to Imp supporters, it hasn’t only hosted Lincoln City matches during its time. In 2008 the England U16 side played Scotland’s U16s as part of the Victory Shield. It was also the location for a rock concert featuring the likes of The Who, The Kinks and The Small Faces in 1966.
Future Developments
Lincoln City were hoping to move to a new 12,000 seater stadium with adjoining retail park and other useful facilities, but they had to re-think and are now working to increase capacity on the Stacey West stand at Sincil Bank.
This will create a new tier and increase overall capacity to 11,500 costing £2.5 million. £400k of this was raised by offering supporters the chance to invest their own money in a bond with a 3% return over periods of up to 10 years. The work is due to finish before the end of 2024.