First of all, I hope you and your families are keeping safe during this extremely difficult period. It has been almost 11 months since football was suspended and the UK first entered lockdown, and I am eagerly anticipating the day when we can all safely return to LNER Stadium. It will be a momentous occasion.
Like you, I have been watching from home on iFollow and I am thoroughly enjoying watching our team play. The one thing missing is the unrivalled atmosphere which is generated each home game, and I cannot wait to experience it again soon.
On the pitch, Michael Appleton and the team have treated us to some magnificent performances which sees us sitting in a fantastic position in the table, as we attack the latter half of the season.
The support that the football club has received from our supporters has been nothing short of exceptional. The generosity from those of you who were in a position to help, has played a significant part in keeping the club running and the board (and I) are very grateful for this.
The board have also committed additional funds to Lincoln City FC, and I can assure you that we are doing everything we can to help safeguard the football club. We have also managed to build on our unbelievable start to the season by supporting Michael Appleton in the transfer window and to offer Jorge Grant, one of our many standout performers this campaign, an extended contract.
These positive developments have countered some of the disappointments that we’ve had this year. First and foremost, we hoped that supporters would be returning to the stadium at the beginning of 2021 as a worst-case scenario, however it is clear that this will not be the case for a while yet. Whilst we respect and understand the decision, it is compounded by the considerable cost we have already outlaid in making the stadium safe, in line with the required protocols.
In addition, the rescue package that we received whilst welcome, did fall short of expectations for all League One and League Two clubs, by around 40%. We were assured back in July that a rescue package to compensate for lost gate receipts would be forthcoming, and whilst we very much respect and appreciate the endeavours of those that delivered the rescue package, the grant element did fall way below the expectations created.
Behind the scenes, our ticket office team are in the process of uploading season ticket credit to your Ticketmaster accounts, and we aim to have this completed within the week. You will then have a number of options to choose from to redeem against your remaining season ticket balance.
There will be exclusive access to a list of events and merchandise, the opportunity for you to convert to shares once again, as well as spending some outstanding credit on future season ticket purchases. As always, however, I would ask that supporters consider their personal circumstances first.
I want to finish by thanking you all once again for sticking by the club this season. The iFollow figures have exceeded all expectations. The high number of household viewers has ensured that we are one of the most watched clubs in the division which is a fantastic achievement, given the fact that we are competing against a number of former Premier League clubs. The atmosphere when we can finally safely return will be spine tingling and I am looking forward to experiencing that with you.
Stay safe and best wishes,
Clive Nates