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The non-league side that used relegation to spur them to within four games of a first-ever appearance at Wembley

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The non-league side that have used relegation to battle back and are now aiming for Wembley.




Lincoln United’s FA Vase match against Hallam is more than just a game it signifies the incredible turnaround the club has had since last year’s relegation.

The 2022/23 campaign was tough for all involved in United and after a few near misses in previous years, the Whites finally saw their five-year stay in the Northern Premier League come to an end.

Normally it is two teams that are relegated to the United Counties League Premier North division but after losing their Inter-Step Play-Off against Avro the Whites have succumbed to step five.

Sam Wilkinson joined the club halfway through last season as director of football, but after witnessing the disastrous impact the board was having on the club, he quickly became part of the senior staff.

Wilkinson said: “It was disappointing, and the facts are we did get relegated so it
was a failure but it was very tight margins and it was tough to take.

“We spoke about it quite a lot, and sort of took it as a positive and tried to reset and sort the board whilst also getting more recruitment for the board which is what we have done.

“There was probably around 70% of the board is new. So from last year there have been quite a lot of changes, and it wasn’t nice to go down because I am always used to Lincoln United being in the
Northern Premier League.”

“I do feel like it was a blessing in disguise because we can reset and continue our run in the FA Vase and look to get promoted which was our aim at the start of the season.”

One of his first impactful decisions when moving up to the board was to create a Supporter’s Trust, and initially, it started out with six people and now it is currently standing at 28 members.

It is full of people who understood the club from ex-players to fans of the club, and with a new chairman appointed it also signalled that the club was keen to use the dread of last season to grow.

Allen Crombie was appointed as the new chairman and with the connection he has to Lincoln United, being the first manager to get them to the FA Cup first round, it was a chance to grow the club off the pitch.

Crombie said: “We want to get us back to where we belong and put the football club on an even keel.”

“I have always been a supporter, and I thought coming into this role was a really good chance to hit the reset button.”

Wilkinson added: “Allen Crombie is arguably Lincoln United’s biggest legend, he has done everything. He won’t agree with it but he has a knack for bringing people together.

“As soon as Allen got back involved loads of the old sponsors got back involved to sponsor the stadium, and agreed a five-year deal.

“That wouldn’t have happened if the chairman was someone else, that is what he brings people around Allen.

“He is such a nice guy and he knows everything about Lincoln United, he could tell you about the stats but he fits in perfectly.

“It has taken a lot of persuading and I do think at times it has been tough and he gets a bit frustrated but days like the South Liverpool day makes it worth his while.

“I do know he puts a lot of effort in and he is not the type of guy who can do it half-hearted, he is going all in.”

The Whites have recorded a good spell and spanning across 2023 and 2024 the club went on a run of 21 consecutive victories.

The ruthless streak saw them tussling with Sherwood Colliery for the top spot in the league, but along with the title push they have to share their concentration with the FA Vase.

They face Hallam in the fifth round next weekend, due to the postponement of the match the previous weekend, and after the fans of United were treated to a memorable day out at South Liverpool in the previous round, the board members are hoping to bring that momentum into this Saturday.

The vice-chairman said: “Lincoln United aren’t used to these sort of days, they are few and far between. We have had some big days but this could be one of the biggest if we could win.

 “We have three coaches going to Hallam. It is a huge game and a game we can just look forward to we don’t want to put pressure on it.

“If we can get through about Hallam you start to believe a bit more and you have a chance you can go all the way.

“There is a lot of football to be played and with the cups one bad performance, or dodgy referee decision or piece of bad luck you can knocked out.

“It is nice to think about Wembley but we aren’t thinking about that, but it will be a special day to watch Hallam because there will be a lot of people travelling who wouldn’t have done it in the past.

“So it must show that we are doing something on right with that support.”

On the pitch, it is clear to see the club have navigated relegation well, but they have also managed to attract new sponsors and redevelop the stadium, which will give them the platform to regrow as a club.

Wilkinson said: “We won’t throw money at it willy-nilly we want more structure. We want to do more things with the community and try to become more sustainable.

“Because if we become sustainable it will allow us to push on upwards, and that is something we want to do.

“Are kids, junior and women’s team we want to do more with community, we are constantly looking to improve.

“As much as everything at the time looks superb, we know because we have been involved in football before, and with Lincoln United especially we know how things can change.

“No one is getting carried away, but there is a real buzz we also know that things can change and you have to keep your feet on the ground.”

There is a chance for Lincoln to match their record in the FA Vase this weekend, but even if they don’t the Whites have got a board that are looking to put the club back where they feel they belong and the rebuild is very much back up and running. 



The cover image for this post was sourced from Wikimedia Commons under the

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International licence

(https://commons.wikimedia. 11th February 2024.


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