The 1884 Collective

A new approach to club heritage.
1884 Collective: Lincoln City Football Club, Red Imps Community Trust, Former Players’ Association, Fan Advisory Board, Lincoln City Foundation, The Stacey West.

Fan groups, former players and the club are joining forces to lead a new strategy to protect, preserve, and promote the history and heritage of Lincoln City now and into the future.

In launching the 1884 Collective, we aim to create a new collaborative approach to conserving and curating the history of the club with a focus on events, moments and stories that highlight the club’s identity, and what it means to fans both young and old.

The Lincoln City Foundation will also be an integral part through their community engagement work around the city and further afield. Events such as this week’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the promotion-winning team of 1975/76 is a great example of bringing the club’s history alive.

Lincoln City board director responsible for fan engagement David Lowes said: “We are taking a structured approach and have set up a Heritage Committee to oversee the work of the Collective, which the Red Imps Community Trust will chair. The Trust has championed this area for some time and holds the Fans' Share, so it’s appropriate they continue leading the work relating to heritage assets.”

Trust Board member Julian Buttery, who will chair the new committee, is keen to get started. He said: “There is a lot we want to achieve, and we are delighted to be working in partnership with those who have a passion for heritage.

"We want fans to be at the heart of this whether that is sharing their stories, showcasing memorabilia, or volunteering to support events and projects. There are some great examples of how clubs celebrate their heritage and as the 1884 Collective our aim is to learn from them while showcasing what makes our club identity what it is”. 

David added: “Alignment between the club and the fans is a big part of our progress and success over recent years. Working collectively, we aim to show that we’re as serious about preserving and celebrating our history as we are about making it. It is important this initiative has a clear identity, and we think the 1884 Collective captures the spirit of the initiative perfectly.”

There will be further communication about the heritage work and how you can get involved through the usual social media channels in due course. In the meantime, the 1884 Collective can be contacted by email: heritagechair@theredimps.com.