Lincoln City Football Club: The role the club has to play in developing ‘Brand Lincoln’ and the city’s economy [Report]

The report acknowledges where Lincoln City Football Club (LCFC) is already making a positive contribution to ‘Brand Lincoln’ and the economy, but also seeks to offer suggestions on how they might enhance and develop this for the benefit of the club and the city. The report is exploratory in nature and rather than reporting simply on numerical evidence of impact, which is scant at this point in time and an initial investigation as produced here was required to ascertain which areas to examine, it seeks to consolidate knowledge about the current contribution of LCFC on ‘Brand Lincoln’ and the wider visitor economy and to suggest ways in which this could be enhanced and developed. The report is presented in four sections. The first is a short section to contextualise the research that has taken place. The following two sections are designed to provoke discussion between LCFC’s Executive Management Team and spark ideas about new ways of capitalising on the club’s success and making a positive contribution to the city’s visitor economy. To achieve this we examine the current and potential contribution of LCFC to the city of Lincoln through engaging with cultural programming, leveraging fans, utilising fan zones, and the concept of the last mile in sporting events and venues. We then examine the current and potential economic benefits to the hospitality and leisure sectors in Lincoln, looking at food and beverage outlets and accommodation, and then retail and transportation. Finally we consider the potential for further partnership research between LCFC, The University of Lincoln, and Coventry University, as we believe there is further research potential in this area.