Lincoln City

Kit History

1885-1886 a

1889-1896 b l

1896-1897 l o

1897-1900 l

1900-1901 l

1901-1904 a l

1907-1908 i

1928-1929 a

1931-1936 a

1947-1958 a

1958-1960 c

1960-1964 d o

1964-1965 o

1965-1966 o

1966-1967

1967-1969 o

1969-1971 e k

1971-1972 f k

1972-1973 g

Umbro

1973-1975 b p

Umbro

1975-1976 a p

Umbro

1976-1978 p

Adidas

1978-1983 a p

Adidas

1982-1983 late o

1983-1984 a j k

1984-1985 j

Osca

1985-1987 a h

Spall

1987-1989 a

Spall

1989-1990 n

Matchwinner

1990-1991 a

Matchwinner

1991-1992 a

Matchwinner

1992-1993 n

Matchwinner

1993-1994 n

Admiral

1994-1995 g

Admiral

1995-1996 n

Admiral

1996-1997 g n

Super League

1997-1998 a

Super League

1998-1999 g

Avec

1999-2000 g

Avec

2000-2001 g

Imps Sport

2001-2002 g

Imps Sport

2002-2003 g

Club Own Brand

2003-2004 a

Club Own Brand

2004-2006 a

Club Own Brand/Uhlsport

2006-2007 m

Umbro

2007-2008 a

Background

Football was being played in Lincolnshire as far back as the 1860s when Lincoln FC (later Lindum FC) regularly hosted games with Sheffield FC, the oldest club in the world. There were no playing strips in those days although the Lincoln players wore red caps and belts to distinguish themselves from the opposition. By the early 1880s the game had become a popular spectator sport for working men who now had more leisure time following employment reforms. The city's leading sides, Lincoln Rovers and Lindum FC fielded a joint team for a while in order to attract a better class of opposition but resisted attempts to merge permanently. Lincoln City emerged in the summer of 1884 at a public meeting following the demise of Lincoln Rovers. A number of players from the Rovers side joined the new club who adopted their predecessor's red and white shirts. In 1885 there was an attempt by Lindum FC to take over the new club and although this came to nothing, there followed a period of intense competition between the two clubs. City eventually prevailed and Lindum returned to amateur status and were finally wound up in 1939.

City have continued to play in red and white apart from a brief period at the end of the nineteenth century when they wore, appropriately enough, "Lincoln green" jerseys.

The club's nickname is "The Imps" so named after a celebrated carving on Lincoln Cathedral. An entertaining account of the legend of the Lincoln Imp is available at www.theimp.lincolfans.co.uk/lincoln.shtml

In 1888, City helped form the Combination, effectively the reserves division for the new Football League. This folded after one season and Lincoln then joined the Midland League and then the Football Alliance in 1891. In 1892, the Alliance was incorporated into the Football League as Division Two. City were out of their depth and between 1893 and 1908, they had to apply for re-election no fewer than six times. On the last occasion, they were narrowly voted out in favour of Bradford City. A second ballot was arranged after Stoke FC resigned: after this was tied the League management decided in favour of Tottenham Hotspur and City were out of the League. After one season in the Midlands League, in which City were runaway champions, Lincoln were elected back into Division Two. Remarkably, history repeated itself in 1911, when Lincoln lost their League place to Grimsby Town by a single vote and then were voted back in after another season in the Midland League.

After surviving yet another re-election in 1914, City were again at the foot of the table in the first season after the Great War and lost their League status for the third time. Back into the Midland League, Lincoln won the championship and were duly invited to join the new Third Division (Northern Section) in 1921. The club spent most of the next thirty years in this division but did enjoy two brief periods in the Second Division (1932-34 and 1948-49). Promotion in 1952 brought a period of more sustained success with nine years spent in the Second Division but successive relegations took the club down to the Fourth in 1962. Between 1963 and 1971, "The Imps" had to apply for re-election five times. In 1975 a young Graham Taylor arrived and he transformed the club (incidentally restoring the traditional striped kit). A year later City broke League and club records by scoring 111 goals and amassing 74 points (two points for a win) to take the Fourth Division championship. There was, however, no money to consolidate and Taylor was tempted away to manage Watford while Lincoln were relegated back to the basement in 1979.

In 1981 City were promoted to Division Three and almost got into Division Two the following year. In the mid 1980s the club lost its way. There was instability in the boardroom, a succession of managers and financial problems that at one stage led to a threatened strike by players over unpaid wages. City were relegated to Division Four in 1986 and, a year later, they became the first club to be automatically relegated to the Conference. After winning the Conference title, City returned to the League in 1988. It is a remarkable fact that Lincoln City has lost its League status four times and on each occasion has regained it after one season.

Nine seasons of relative stability followed culminating in promotion to Nationwide Division Two in 1998 but they lasted only one season at the higher level. Further boardroom and financial crises have followed and since February 2001, the club has been owned by a consortium representing supporters, making City one of the first community-owned clubs in the country.

Historical Football Kits

Kit History

Background

Sources