History Of Lincoln City Football Club

World War I broke out in 1915 and the Football League was suspended until 1919. By the time competitive action recommenced Lincoln City had lost their best players and the team struggled, resulting in being voted out of the League for a third time. Being denied re-election was hard to accept as Grimsby, who finished below Lincoln, had been allowed to join the new Division 3. The decision became an even bitter talking point when later it emerged that both Coventry and Bury had conspired to fix their match thus sending Lincoln into the re-election zone. Another season in the Midland League followed before Lincoln were asked to become founder members of Division 3 North and it was there that Lincoln played nearly all their football for the next forty years.

The picture below is a team photograph from 1925/6 season.

1931/32 season saw Lincoln win the divisional Championship and with it promotion from Division 3 North. Lincoln's success was due to their attacking football, for that season Alan Hall set a new Lincoln City goal scoring record with 42 goals in 52 matches. Also Frank Keetley establish a new individual goal scoring record by scoring six goals, five during a 21 minute spell, as Lincoln beat Halifax 9-1. This match plus the goals of Alan Hall helped Lincoln to the Championship on goal average! Unfortunately the return to Division 2 was brief as Lincoln were relegated in 1934 returning to Division 3 North where they continued until after World War II.

Lincoln had to wait until the 1947/48 season to again experience promotion to Division Two, claiming the Division 3North title with a 5-0 win over Hartlepools. Promotion lead to an improvement in facilities at Sincil Bank alas the team was not improved and suffered instant relegation, finishing bottom.

Relegation proved a blessing as the Lincoln City playing staff was overhauled leading to one of the best sides the club has ever seen. The then manager Bill Anderson recruited players rejected by the top clubs such as Newcastle's Andy Graver and Doug Wright who had been shot in the leg during WWII and was considered not fit enough for the highest divisions. It was these players, who with points to prove, crushed all-comers in the 1951/52 season including wins over Darlington 7-2 and Crewe 11-1. In total a new club record of goals scored, 121, was established. Promotion achieved, Lincoln returned to Division Two for a total of nine consecutive seasons though during that period they were nearly relegated on a couple of occasions including the 1956/57 season when Lincoln had to win the last six matches to stay up, which they did.

Financial difficulties set in again and Lincoln were relegated to Division Three in the 1960/61 season. The supporters did not expect the club to stay in that division for long and they were right except that Lincoln left the wrong way with a consecutive relegation to the infant Division Four.

Lincoln remained in the bottom division for 14 years, the only thing that changed on a regular basis was the manager and players. The succession of managers included Ron Gray, Roy Chapman(Lee Chapman's father), Bert Loxley and David Herd. December 1972 things began to improve with the appointment of Graham Taylor as manager following the dismissal of Herd.

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