Lincoln City Average Crowds 1884-2013

The Lincoln City average crowd statistics since the second world war make some interesting reading. Given the recent growth in our beautiful city (the fastest in Western Europe over the last decade) it illustrates the potential for any investors who fancy a football project that screams ‘success’. The population now stands at 93,000 (a rise of 9.3% since between 2001 & 2011) with an immediate catchment area of over 250,000, compared to the 66,000 the club enjoyed in Bill Anderson’s fabulous fifties side when the club pulled in 13-16,000.  That such a City has a team ranked 108th in the country, draws its own conclusions.

Thanks for reading Neil Gentleman-Hobbs

Estimates from 1884 to 1893 (when we helped found the second Division) saw  crowds around 3500. Then in 1893 the 4,000  barrier was tested growing steadily to 6,000 by the late 1920′s.  A low of just over 5,000 in 1930 saw a handsome 50% rise in average gate receipts the following season, as we came second in Division 3 North. The following season we went up as Champions to the second Division. The first season back set a new high-average of 9,758.

The 1940′s and 1950′s are seen as the traditional golden era for football attendances,  with the Imps no exception.  Over 13,000 trooped to see the promotion season of 1948 as we went on to average in the teens until 1960. The following season saw free-fall as we went from the second to the third to the fourth in successive seasons.  The sixties were bleak  but the seventies saw us bounce back from the 4,000′s to the sixes and sevens.  It peaked at an average of 8,401 for GT’s record setting Imps of ’76.

The mid eighties saw the real lows as many Imps lost the faith after the Bradford fire and of course the Gilbert Blades affair, where lack of ambition cost us a return to those heady days of the second tier.  Bar a couple of sub 3,000 seasons in the early 1990′s we veered between 3 and 4,000 until Keith Alexander built us to just shy of a 5,000 average. Schofield’s brand of beautiful football saw us set a modern high of 5,176 in his first season, but alas, as we know, the trend has been consistently downward since then.

Year	League Position		Attendance
Season Ending	Level	National rank	Average	Rank V 92
2013	5	108	2182	n/a
2012	5	109	2347	n/a
2011	4	91	3.508	79
2010	4	88	3.670	78
2009	4	81	3.940	77
2008	4	83	4.078	81
2007	4	73	5.176	69
2006	4	75	4.739	75
2005	4	74	4.927	74
2004	4	75	4.910	74
2003	4	74	3.924	80
2002	4	90	3.223	86
2001	4	86	3.273	84
2000	4	83	3.405	79
1999	3	67	4.654	69
1998	4	71	3.968	72
1997	4	77	3.163	79
1996	4	86	2.870	80
1995	4	82	3.276	77
1994	4	88	3.179	80
1993	4	78	3.331	76
1992	4	80	2.822	80
1991	4	82	2.967	79
1990	4	78	4.071	66
1989	4	78	3.887	67
1988	5	93	3.572	n/a
1987	4	92	2.023	88
1986	3	65	2.617	77
1985	3	63	2.486	74
1984	3	58	3.148	74
1983	3	50	4.790	57
1982	3	48	4.222	69
1981	4	70	4.715	62
1980	4	75	3.713	78
1979	3	68	3.168	81
1978	3	60	4.878	67
1977	3	53	7.145	52
1976	4	69	8.401	43
1975	4	73	5.795	61
1974	4	80	3.930	74
1973	4	78	4.547	68
1972	4	73	7.603	58
1971	4	89	5.499	67
1970	4	76	6.070	67
1969	4	76	7.912	54
1968	4	81	6.692	65
1967	4	92	4.088	86
1966	4	90	3.845	87
1965	4	90	4.475	82
1964	4	79	5.650	77
1963	4	90	4.630	80
1962	3	66	5.868	74
1961	2	44	7.429	67
1960	2	35	10.734	54
1959	2	41	11.334	54
1958	2	42	10.147	61
1957	2	40	11.180	56
1956	2	30	13.215	48
1955	2	38	12.067	52
1954	2	38	14.712	48
1953	2	37	16.775	44
1952	3N	45	13.811	55
1951	3N	53	10.440	67
1950	3N	51	12.418	63
1949	2	44	15.890	53
1948	3N	45	13.187	61
1947	3N	67	7.614	73