List_of_Lincoln_City_F.C._seasons

List of Lincoln City F.C. seasons

List of Lincoln City F.C. seasons

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Lincoln City Football Club, an English association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, was founded in 1884. The club's first team won the major regional trophy, the Lincolnshire Senior Cup, in the 1886–87 season, and reached the last 16 of the FA Cup in the same year.[1] In 1888, the club joined the Combination, a league set up to provide organised football for those clubs not invited to join the Football League which was to start the same year. However, the Combination was not well organised and folded in April 1889 with many fixtures still outstanding.[2] Lincoln then became founder members of the Midland League, and won the inaugural league title.[3] After two seasons the club turned professional[1] and joined the Football Alliance; the following year they were elected to the newly formed Second Division of the Football League.[3] Their highest finishing position – fifth in the Second Division – was achieved in 1901–02, and in the same season they reached the last 16 of the FA Cup for the third time.[1] Lincoln failed to gain re-election to the League three times between 1909 and 1920; on each occasion, they won the championship of the league to which they had been demoted, either the Midland League or, in 1912, the Central League, and made an immediate return to the Football League.[1][3]

For details of the current season, see 2023–24 Lincoln City F.C. season.

The Lincoln City F.C. team of 1889–90, founder members of the Midland League

In 1921, Lincoln were founder members of the Football League Third Division North, and ten seasons later won the division title, thus gaining promotion to the Second Division, though for one season only.[4] In 1947–48, Lincoln again won the Third Division North title, and again suffered immediate relegation from the Second. On regaining Second Division status three years later they remained in the division until the 1960–61 season, but then suffered consecutive relegations.[3] The club website rates 1975–76 as "by far the most successful season in the club's history".[5] They won the Fourth Division title with a record points total for any division before the introduction of three points for a win, set new Fourth Division records for most wins and fewest defeats, and were undefeated at home, with 21 wins and 2 draws.[5][6][7]

For many years, teams finishing at the bottom of the Football League had to apply for re-election to the League for the following season – Lincoln made eleven successful applications[8] – but in the 1986–87 season, automatic promotion and relegation was introduced between the Football Conference, the fifth tier of English football, and the Football League Fourth Division.[9] Lincoln finished bottom of the 1986–87 Fourth Division and thus became the first club automatically relegated from the League.[5] They made an immediate return as Conference champions, and until 2011 spent all but one season in the bottom League division.[3] Lincoln reached the promotion play-offs in five consecutive seasons, between 2003 and 2007, but were unsuccessful on each occasion.[3] The 2006–07 season marked Lincoln's 100th season in the Football League; they were the first club to reach that milestone without ever playing in the top division of the League.[8] After a return of only two points from Lincoln's last 11 games of the 2010–11 season allowed Barnet to overturn an 11-point deficit, they returned to non-League football.[10] Five successive bottom-half finishes in the Conference (renamed the National League for 2015–16) preceded Lincoln's return to the Football League as champions.[11] They combined it with an FA Cup run in which they eliminated three Football League teams, including Championship runners-up Brighton & Hove Albion, before a 1–0 win away to Premier League club Burnley made them the first non-league club since 1913–14 to reach the quarter-finals;[12] in the quarter-final, they lost 5–0 away to Arsenal.[13] In their first season back, they made their first competitive trip to Wembley Stadium, where they beat Shrewsbury Town 1–0 to win the EFL Trophy,[14] and reached the play-offs, in which they lost to Exeter City.[15] They achieved promotion the following season as champions, and two years later reached but lost in the play-off final.[16]

Since their election to the Football League in 1892, Lincoln have spent 36 seasons in the second tier, 34 in the third, 40 in the fourth, and 10 seasons in non-League football.[3] The table details Lincoln City's achievements in senior first-team competition from their first appearance in the FA Cup in 1884–85 to the end of the most recently completed season.

Key

Details of abandoned competitions – The Combination in 1888–89 and the 1939–40 Football League – are shown in italics and appropriately footnoted.

Seasons

More information Season, League ...

Notes

  1. An attempt was made to set up a league called The Combination involving clubs not invited to join the Football League. Lack of proper organisation meant it was wound up in April 1889 with many fixtures still outstanding. Lincoln City played 14 of their full 16 fixtures.[2]
  2. Beginning with the 1925–26 season, the FA Cup was structured so that the third round proper contained 64 teams. Prior to that date, the structure had varied, so rounds are not directly comparable to the round of the same name after 1925. For example, in 1892–93, Lincoln's first season in the Football League, there were only three rounds proper before the semifinal, as compared with the current six.[17]
  3. The League Cup competition started in the 1960–61 season.[9]
  4. Goals scored in the following first-team competitions are counted: the Combination, Midland League, Football Alliance, the Football League, including play-offs, the Central League, National League and predecessors, FA Cup, League Cup, EFL Trophy and predecessors, Third Division North Cup, Watney Cup, FA Trophy and Conference League Cup. For seasons up to and including 2012–13, sourced to the Lincoln City FC Archive;[20] from 2013–14 to 2016–17, to Soccerway;[21] from 2017–18 onwards, to Soccerbase.[22] Select season required via dropdown menu.
  5. Divisions are sorted according to their level within the English football league system at the time.
  6. Lincoln finished bottom of the League and failed to be re-elected. After Stoke later resigned from the League, a further election was held in which Lincoln and Tottenham Hotspur twice polled an equal number of votes. "The matter was then left in the hands of the Management Committee, who decided in favour of Tottenham Hotspur."[23]
  7. After finishing bottom of the League, Lincoln failed to be re-elected, so joined the newly formed Central League, while their reserve team retained membership of the Midland League.[1][24]
  8. After finishing next to bottom of the League, Lincoln finished fourth in the ballot for election to the two places available. Although the League expanded by forming a Third Division for the following season, the new division was made up of Southern clubs only, mostly from the First Division of the Southern League.[25] In 1921–22, a Third Division North was formed to run in parallel with the Southern section.[9]
  9. Scored 42 goals in the Third Division North.[26]
  10. Lincoln were one of eight clubs who chose not to enter the Third Division North Cup.[19]
  11. The 1939–40 season was abandoned with three matches played when the Second World War began.[3] Lincoln City do not include appearances and goals from those three matches in players' career records.[27]
  12. Although the Football League did not resume until the 1946–47 season, the FA Cup was contested in 1945–46. From the first round proper to the sixth round (quarter-final), results were determined on aggregate score over two legs.[3][17]
  13. Scored 32 goals in the Third Division North.[26]
  14. Set a record league attendance of 23,146 against Grimsby Town.[29]
  15. Beat Crewe Alexandra 11–1 at home to set a record league victory.[30]
  16. Scored 36 goals in the Third Division North.[26]
  17. Set a record FA Cup attendance of 23,027 against Preston North End.[29]
  18. Set an all-time record attendance of 23,196 against Derby County in the League Cup.[29]
  19. The 1981–82 season saw the introduction of three points for a win instead of two.[9]
  20. Competed in the Football League Group Cup, a successor to the Anglo-Scottish Cup, failing to progress past the group stage in the first season,[19] but reaching the final in the second, losing 3–2 at home to Millwall. The competition was renamed the Football League Trophy for that second season, but is often referred to as the Football League Group Trophy to distinguish from the more recent Football League Trophy, of which it was a forerunner.[31]
  21. Lincoln became the first team to suffer automatic relegation to the Conference.[5]
  22. When the newly formed FA Premier League split from the Football League, the remaining divisions of the Football League were renumbered upwards.[9]
  23. Beat Scunthorpe United 6–3 on aggregate in the semi-final before losing 5–2 to AFC Bournemouth in the 2003 Football League Third Division play-off final.[3][34]
  24. Lost 4–3 to Huddersfield Town on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals.[35]
  25. Division 3 was renamed League 2 as part of a rebranding exercise by the Football League.[9]
  26. Beat Macclesfield Town 2–1 on aggregate in the semi-final before losing 2–0 to Southend United after extra time in the 2005 Football League Two play-off final.[3][36]
  27. Lost 3–1 to Grimsby Town on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals.[37]
  28. Reached the play-offs for the fifth successive season: lost 7–4 on aggregate to Bristol Rovers in the semi-finals.[38]
  29. The Football Conference was renamed the National League.[39]
  30. Lost to Exeter City 3–1 on aggregate in the play-off semi-final.[15]
  31. Beat Shrewsbury Town 1–0 in the 2018 EFL Trophy Final at Wembley.[14]
  32. The 2019–20 football season was disrupted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The EFL was suspended in March 2020 and in June, the League One clubs voted to end the regular season programme early. Teams had not all played the same number of matches, so it was agreed to construct final league tables on a points-per-game basis. Lincoln City's 52.80 points per game placed them 16th.[40][41]
  33. After beating Sunderland 3–2 on aggregate in the play-off semi-final,[42] lost 2–1 to Blackpool in the final.[16]

References

  1. [1]
    "The Early Years: 1884–1919". Lincoln City F.C. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  2. [2]
    Shury, Alan & Landamore, Brian (2005). The Definitive Newton Heath F.C. (2nd ed.). Nottingham: SoccerData. ISBN 1-899468-16-1.
  3. [3]
    "Lincoln City". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  4. [4]
    "Between the wars: 1919–1945". Lincoln City F.C. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  5. [5]
    "Record breakers & makers: 1967–1987". Lincoln City F.C. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  6. [6]
    "Wins". The Football League. Archived from the original on 14 December 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  7. [7]
    "Lincoln City league performance history". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 8 June 2022. Access specific content required via dropdown menus.
  8. [8]
    ""City's Centenary"". Lincoln City F.C. 28 July 2007. Archived from the original on 10 July 2010.
  9. [9]
    "History of The Football League". The Football League. 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013.
  10. [10]
    "League Two table after close of play on 12 March 2011". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
    "Lincoln City 0–3 Aldershot". BBC Sport. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  11. [11]
    Aloia, Andrew (22 April 2017). "Lincoln City 2–1 Macclesfield Town". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  12. [12]
    Lofthouse, Amy (18 February 2017). "Burnley 0–1 Lincoln City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
    Hunter, Andy (18 January 2017). "Lincoln City topple Burnley as Sean Raggett seals historic FA Cup shock". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  13. [13]
    Rose, Gary (11 March 2017). "Arsenal 5–0 Lincoln City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  14. [14]
    Scott, Ged (8 April 2018). "Lincoln City 1–0 Shrewsbury Town". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  15. [15]
    Pilnick, Brent (17 May 2018). "Exeter City 3–1 Lincoln City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  16. [16]
    Freeman, Jay (30 May 2021). "League One play-off final – Blackpool 2–1 Lincoln City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  17. [17]
    "Past Results". The Football Association. Retrieved 10 May 2023. Individual seasons accessed via dropdown menu.
  18. [18]
    "Lincoln City football club complete match record". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  19. [19]
    For Football League Group Cup: "Football League Group Cup". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
    For Watney Cup: "The Watney Cup". footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
    For Third Division North Cup: "Football League Division Three North Cup Summary – Contents". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  20. [20]
    "Appearances". The Lincoln City FC Archive. Lincoln City F.C. Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2013. Access to individual seasons via Season Stats dropdown menu at foot of right-hand sidebar. Although this site is partly subscription-based, only free-access sections are used for reference. If pop-up login dialogue boxes appear, press the "Cancel" button to proceed.
  21. [21]
    "Lincoln City FC: Squad". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 14 August 2019. Access to individual seasons/competitions via dropdown menu.
  22. [22]
    "Lincoln FC Player Appearances". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  23. [23]
    "Association Football. The Football League". The Times. 30 June 1908. p. 16.
  24. [24]
    Abbink, Dinant (31 July 2008). "England – Midland League". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  25. [25]
    "Association Football. A Third Division Of The League". The Times. 1 June 1920. p. 7.
  26. [26]
    Ross, James M. (16 March 2010). "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 25 June 2010. Covers up to 2006–07 season.
    "English League Two". and "English Conference: Statistics: Top scorers". ESPN FC. Retrieved 28 April 2015. From 2001–02: access to other seasons via dropdown menu.
  27. [27]
    "Walter Ponting". The Lincoln City FC Archive. Lincoln City F.C. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
    Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData (Tony Brown). p. 210. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  28. [28]
    "Saturday's Results". The Times. 28 August 1939. p. 5.
    "Saturday's Results". The Times. 4 September 1939. p. 2.
  29. [29]
    "Attendances". The Lincoln City FC Archive. Lincoln City F.C. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  30. [30]
    "High-scoring Games". The Lincoln City FC Archive. Lincoln City F.C. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  31. [31]
    Ross, James M. (20 December 2007). "Football League Group Cup/Trophy 1982–83". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  32. [32]
    Williams, Tony, ed. (1988). Non League Club Directory 1989. Tony Williams Publications. p. 784. ISBN 978-1-869833-09-1.
  33. [33]
    "History". Football Conference. Archived from the original on 16 September 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
  34. [34]
    "Bournemouth win seals promotion". BBC Sport. 24 May 2003. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  35. [35]
    "Huddersfield 2–2 Lincoln". BBC Sport. 19 May 2004. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  36. [36]
    "Lincoln City 0–2 Southend United". BBC Sport. 28 May 2005. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  37. [37]
    "Grimsby 2–1 Lincoln (agg 3–1)". BBC Sport. 16 May 2006. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  38. [38]
    "Lincoln City 3–5 Bristol Rovers". BBC Sport. 17 May 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  39. [39]
    "Football Conference to be renamed as National League". BBC Sport. 6 April 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  40. [40]
    "League One & League Two clubs vote to end seasons early". BBC Sport. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  41. [41]
    "Sky Bet League One". English Football League. Archived from the original on 20 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  42. [42]
    "Sunderland 3–1 Lincoln City (2–3 agg.)". BBC Sport. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
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