The Imps have unveiled a strategy to give every child in Lincolnshire the best chance of fulfilling their footballing potential.
The Elite Development Pathway – operated jointly by the club’s Academy and Foundation – creates a pathway under one umbrella with opportunities for any child aged six or above to receive coaching at the appropriate level for them.
There will be opportunities to remain in the programme right up to 19, with younger age groups able to feed into further education courses for school leavers who can gain sport qualifications while receiving coaching.
With a mission to provide all boys and girls equal opportunities across Lincolnshire, the new programme will see 11 talent hubs based across the county – including in rural areas of the county where the Imps have traditionally had little visibility.
These will open in September and provide greater opportunity for talented players in rural areas to be identified and receive appropriate coaching for their skill level.
The club’s Academy will also lead on a programme to develop grassroots coaches, as well as young coaches within the Foundation, to ensure the best possible provision for young players across the county to get the best start in their footballing journey.
City’s chief executive Liam Scully said: “Our Academy and Foundation have grown significantly in recent years, and this is a joined-up approach which aims to provide opportunities in a way not seen before across Lincolnshire.
“As the highest placed Lincolnshire club in the football pyramid and with a central location, we have an ability and responsibility to ensure gender or postcode are not a material factors in the next generations ability to access the best possible coaching from a young age in order to help them to fulfil their potential”
Director of football Jez George said: “While football is saturated in terms of scouting players, there are large swathes of Lincolnshire, which is the second largest county in the UK, where high potential young players can be missed, especially in rural areas. We want to address that, identify the most gifted and talented girls and boys at an early age across the whole county and provide them with a pathway to our Academy and ultimately first team, while ensuring there is a continued provision for all, at all ages.
“From a sporting perspective, the success will be determined by the long-term increase in quality of players in our academy enabling us to produce more first team players. We are aware that those players to recently graduate into our first team have joined our Academy as scholars and not started their journey at Under 9s. This is a 10+ year commitment to young players throughout Lincolnshire with the ultimate aim of players from our county emulating the likes of Sean Roughan, Freddie Draper and Jovon Makama.”
The Foundation’s chief executive Martin Hickerton said: “From a community perspective, we want to improve standards within coaching, create education and coach development opportunities and ensure that there is a benefit for every participant and a place under the umbrella of Lincoln City from 3-19 years old.
“We’re all excited about what the Elite Development Pathway is trying to achieve, and how it uses football as a vehicle as part of everyone’s development.”
Wait, why the random Reading player? Well, that’s John Oster who played in the Premier League. Never heard of him? you should have, because he was born in Lincolnshire (Boston) and he slipped through the net. See, I made it relevant. That’s what the club want to avoid – we want to sweep up as much talent as we can, while providing opportunity as the county’s leading football club.
By aligning the Academy and Foundation, two growing organisations under the Imps banner, we’re not only streamlining resources but also raising standards for grassroots football across the entire county. In a region as vast and rural as ours, we mustn’t miss out on potential simply due to geography. That’s why the introduction of 11 talent hubs spread across the county is such a crucial step.
This isn’t just about elite development either; it’s about providing opportunities for everyone. The club want boys and girls, from age three right through to 18, to have clear and accessible pathways into football, whether that be as players or coaches. It’s also about strengthening the academy’s long-term output and supporting the growth of the women’s game, across the county.
I know the club are excited about it. I know that deep down, few fans will share that, purely because it’s not a sexy announcement,
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