LNER Stadium

The LNER Stadium is one of the oldest football stadiums still being used in the English Football League, which makes it a ground well worth visiting for anyone interested in English football traditions and heritage.

The ground isn’t the biggest, but that makes it rarely hassle-free for away fans in terms of getting in and out quickly. It is also located less than a mile away from the centre of Lincoln, which means away fans get extended eating and drinking time before kick-off.

In terms of the stadium itself, away fans are housed in the Rilmac Stand, also known as the Bridge McFarland Stand at one end of the stadium. If visiting teams are bringing a large allocation, they are given the Stacey West Stand instead at the opposite end.

Both stands generally provide good views of the playing action, although the Stacey West Stand does have a couple of supporting pillars at the front of the stand that could affect your view.

The Rilmac Stand is more modern as it was built in 1992. Within the stand, away fans have access to a bar that welcomes all supporters regardless of which team they support.

On a trip to the LNER Stadium, you can expect quite a mild atmosphere from the home supporters. For big matches, you can expect to hear the following chants throughout the 90 minutes:

• Red and White Army
• I Was Born in the Clanford End
• When the Imps Go Marching in
• You’re Only Here for the Lincoln
• La La La La La La City

Check out a video compilation of Lincoln City chants below.

It’s very rare that Lincoln City supporters organise a tifo or banner display at the LNER Stadium, but that doesn’t mean to say that it hasn’t happened in the past or that it won’t happen again in the future.

Each May, due to the city’s connections with the Lancaster Bomber and the Dambusters, the club commemorate those who perished in the Dambusters Raid in Germany during World War Two. In May 2025, the club unveiled the following mosaic at the stadium

The best views at the LNER Stadium can generally be found in the largest stand at the stadium, the GMB Stand. This is located on one side of the pitch and covers the entire length of the pitch, unlike the stand on the opposite side.

Due to how close the stand is to the pitch, for the best view of the action, you are going to want to sit as close to the halfway line as possible and as high up the stand as possible. There is no hospitality in this stand, so you should be free to buy tickets in any of the blocks, provided there is availability.

The stand on the opposite side, the Greenlinc Renenwables Stand, is significantly smaller and only covers around half of the length of the pitch. This stand is also home to the Directors’ box and press box, so you will be limited to where you can buy tickets here.

For fans who want to be in and amongst the atmosphere at the LNER Stadium, the GMB Stand is your best bet once again. However, instead of targeting central blocks, look to buy tickets in the blocks closest to the Stacey West Stand.

Seating plan

As mentioned earlier, there is a bar within the Rilmac Stand that away fans are welcome to use. That kind of relaxed attitude towards fan segregation is echoed in the surrounding area too, and you won’t have trouble in any of the pubs near the stadium, provided you are sensible and don’t rub home fans up the wrong way.

Three pubs near the LNER Stadium that are worth checking out:

• William Foster – Guildhall St, Lincoln LN1 1TT
• Royal William IV – 1 Brayford Wharf N, Lincoln LN1 1YX
• Witch & Wardrobe – 21 Waterside N, Lincoln LN2 5DQ

For those wanting to get food and drink at the ground, you’ll be in good hands as Lincoln City often serves up very good food, albeit some options can be a little pricey.

An example of the type of scran and prices you can expect at the Sincil Bank Stadium is pictured below:

Double cheese smash burger at Lincoln City (@LincolnCity_FC served by @barbellburgerco)

? £9 (£6 single) pic.twitter.com/na73YE3QTm

— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) January 21, 2022

The centre of Lincoln is less than a mile down the road from the LNER Stadium, so if you want to get something more substantial to eat before or after a match, then your best bet is to head in that direction and go into one of the restaurants in the city centre. Three of our recommendations are:

• Ole Ole – The Lawn, 3 Ingleman Place, Union Rd, Lincoln LN1 3BU
• La Trattoria Da Vincenzo – 14 W Parade, Lincoln LN1 1JT
• Slow Rise – 8-12 St Martin’s Ln, Lincoln LN2 1HY

By car

Follow the A46 into Lincoln (which leads onto the High St) and the ground is indicated from there. If you follow the signs for ‘away coaches’, then this leads you onto the A158 South Park Avenue, where there is plenty of street parking to be found (although it is a ten-minute walk around to the ground). Otherwise, the signs lead you to the ground.

By public transport

Lincoln Central Railway Station is around a 15-minute walk away from the LNER Stadium. Turn left out of the train station and walk up to the traffic lights next to St. Mary’s church. Turn left at these traffic lights onto the High Street, walking over the railway level crossing.

Walk along the High Street (passing many good pubs) for approximately 10 minutes before turning left into Scorer Street. Walk along Scorer Street until you come to a bridge across the Sincil Drain river. Turn right immediately after crossing the bridge onto Sincil Bank; the ground is straight ahead.

The LNER Stadium currently holds 10,669 spectators, although this figure has varied significantly over its long history. When the ground first opened in 1895, it could squeeze in around 25,000 fans, as it was made up entirely of standing terraces. These early years saw supporters packed in tightly, giving the stadium a lively, if basic, atmosphere.

The layout remained largely unchanged until the 1980s, when the tragic Bradford City stadium fire prompted major renovations across football. Lincoln responded by stripping the stadium back to its core and rebuilding it in phases. The St Andrew’s Stand opened in 1987, followed by the Stacey West Stand in 1990, and the South Park Stand in 1992, each adding improved facilities and safer, more comfortable viewing.

The final piece was the GBM Stand, the stadium’s largest, which opened in 1995 with a capacity of 5,700 and has remained at that size ever since. After these upgrades, the stadium became mostly all-seated, with the Stacey West Stand fully converted in 1999, settling the ground’s capacity at 10,669 and giving it the structure seen today.

If you are planning on spending a bit of time in Lincoln either before or after the match, then you won’t be short of things to do, as the city is full of culture and landmarks. Some of the best places to visit in Lincoln include:

Lincoln Cathedral

Just under a mile from Lincoln City stadium, this cathedral is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Europe. Completed in the 11th century and once the tallest building in the world, its towering spires and intricate carvings make it a must-see, especially before a match at LNER Stadium. Visitors can also climb to the roof for sweeping views of the city and the surrounding countryside.

Lincoln Castle

Lincoln Castle is approximately 0.8 miles away, so it is only a short walk from the stadium. Built by William the Conqueror, the castle holds one of the four surviving pieces of Magna Carta. While here, you can explore the old Victorian prison or take a walk along the castle walls for panoramic views over the city.

Arboretum Park

While this place is a little further out from the stadium, Arboretum Park offers a great escape from the bustle of matchday, thanks to its green spaces. Designed in the Victorian era, the park has landscaped gardens, ornamental features and fountains. The quiet paths in this place are ideal for a stroll.

The LNER Staidum has always been a tight and compact stadium, as can be seen by the images below from the 1970s and 1980s when the ground was mostly made up of terraces and standing-only areas.

Lincoln City’s Sincil Bank, as it looked in 1985 and 1978. Pics Bob Lilliman. pic.twitter.com/bdcgha00r6

— Vince Taylor (@Groundtastic) December 7, 2020

Although the stadium is small and old, that hasn’t stopped it from being used as a concert venue over the years. Some of the most famous artists to perform at the stadium include:

Madness

The most recent concert to take place at the LNER Stadium was in 2015 when Madness brought their GrandSlam Madness Tour to Lincoln. The legends of Ska music played in front of a sold-out crowd, proving that there is still an appetite for live music at the stadium.

Westlife

Westlife brought their Face to Face Tour to the LNER Stadium in the summer of 2006, where they were supported by Liberty X and Lee Ryan from Blue. The Irish boy band set a stadium attendance record at the time, with over 13,000 fans turning up to see them perform live.

The Who

All the way back in 1966, The Who were the headline act of a huge rock show at the LNER Stadium, which also featured the likes of the Kinks and the Yardbirds. This was the first time that a concert had been held at the stadium.

The club have been granted planning permission to expand the capacity of the Stacey West Stand to 3,400. Currently, the capacity of this stand is 1,944, and this is normally split between home and away supporters. Rather than building an entirely new stand, the existing stand will be extended upwards and backwards and will include new concourse areas for both home and away fans.

The steel frame of the extension to the existing Stacey West stand is now complete. It follows extensive groundworks, which have included a new mains water supply, increased power supply, and a state-of-the-art pitch irrigation recycling system.

Lincoln City’s biggest rivals in football are fellow Lincolnshire clubs, Grimsby Town and Scunthorpe United. Although other clubs play their football in the county, Grimsby and Scunthorpe are both typically involved in similar divisions to Lincoln, which adds to the stakes considerably.

Record attendance

• 23,196 v Derby County (League Cup 4th Round, 15 November 1967)

Modern all-seated attendance record

• 10,264 v Sunderland (League One, 5 October 2019.)

Average attendances

• 2024/25: 9,004 (League One)
• 2023/24: 8,424 (League One)
• 2022/23: 8,486 (League One)
• 2021/22: 8,773 (League One)

Lincoln City’s  LNER Stadium is a disability-friendly venue. Wheelchair locations at the stadium can be found on the right-hand side of the away end and are accessible using a radar key.

A steward Disability Liaison Officer is on standby if you need a spare key to use the accessible toilets at the stadium.

Notably, accessible toilets at LNER Stadium are unisex, and the basins for washing hands have lever-type mixer taps. Additionally, accessible toilets at the stadium have hand dryers, coat hooks and the mirrors are fitted at an appropriate height.

Contact Lincoln City F.C.’s Disability Liaison Officer to book wheelchair access areas. This is because the number of pre-bookable wheelchair bays for Blue Badge holders is available on a match-by-match basis.

Registered blind supporters of Lincoln City F.C. have access to audio-descriptive commentary at  LNER Stadium.

For additional information on Disabled facilities and accessibility at  LNER Stadium, visit the club’s official website.

With the 2025/26 season ticket sale window now closed, Lincoln City F.C. supporters should now turn their attention to matchday tickets, especially the early bird offers.

Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This includes single-match and VIP tickets.

Games whose tickets are currently on sale are listed on the club’s official website. Early bird tickets are available for every home fixture and cost £2 less than matchday prices in most cases.

The ticket prices for the 2025/26 season are as follows:

• Adults: £22-£29
• Concessions: £18-£24
• Under-18s: £10-£16
• Under-14s: £10-£12