The first major development of the Ron Fowler Lincoln City era was unveiled to supporters last night, and as expected, it didn’t focus on the playing staff.
Sincil Bank has undergone lots of little changes over the years, but there hasn’t been a major structural change to the footprint since 1995, when the GBM Stand opened. All that is about to change as the club looks to embrace progress off the field, as well as on it.
Imps Territory
Labelled Imps Territory, it is a significant investment designed to reshape the matchday experience, modernise hospitality and create meaningful community facilities at Sincil Bank in time for the 2026/27 season.
The plan is that supporters will notice the difference from the moment they arrive. Central to the plans is a covered and expanded Fan Village, creating a far more immersive pre-match environment. A brand new event and hospitality space will be constructed behind the existing Rilmac Stand, forming a large covered area on matchdays, complete with an extended bar to improve service speed and capacity.
Above this, a first-floor corporate level will offer conference, dining and banqueting facilities, delivering premium hospitality before, during and after matches, with elevated views across the pitch. The existing executive boxes will be removed and replaced with new outdoor seating, increasing overall capacity and adding further depth behind the goal, but also crucially adding the outdoor experience to the corporate offering – no more watching the games behind thick glass.
The Fan Village concessions will relocate to the southeast corner, where they will sit alongside a new interactive activity area designed to broaden the appeal on matchdays. Two large permanent big screens will anchor the new Fan Village, complemented by an additional big screen inside the stadium itself. To maximise the impact, the public address system will be completely replaced as well.
Away from matchdays, the development also focuses on community use. A dedicated community space will be created alongside the club shop and ticket office in the Greenlinc Renewables Stand, remaining open throughout the week as well as on home fixtures. The new event space will have capacity for up to 350 people and is intended to host conferences, functions and a wide range of gatherings, opening fresh opportunities for partners and the wider city.
Elsewhere, seating in both the Greenlinc Renewables Stand and the Stacey West Stand will be replaced, with safety barrier adjustments improving access and removing obstacles that affect sightlines. The area to the rear of the St Andrews Stand will also be covered and seated for community use.
The South Park End will see the most visible structural change, the first serious change in 30 years. Executive boxes will make way for a new tier, and with additional seats in the Stacey West, the uplift will be around 600 seats. At the Rilmac end, there will be a fully covered fan zone beneath and a corporate floor above, complete with dining space and views framed by the Cathedral. A viewing gallery will allow guests to overlook the Fan Village, reinforcing the connection between hospitality and supporter experience. A further large screen is planned between the GBM and Stacey West stands.
This is massive. The capacity will rise to 11,000 for the first time since the eighties – in fact, the last time we topped 11,00 for a home game was Huddersfield over Christmas in the 1982/83 season, and for fans of a certain vintage, they’ll pinpoint that game as the start of a decline that led us to non-league, twice. How fitting that our first game with 11,000 supporters in almost half a century could (I said could) be in the second tier.
Also, those views of the cathedral reserved for the boxes for so long will be for the fans again. It’s a small thing, but since the old South Park Stand (Hunters Stand) got knocked down, only those behind glass have experienced those views. The iconic cathedral sitting high on the hill, watching over the club, will once again be visible from open air seats.
Coordinated slate grey and red detailing will complete sections of the ground not yet updated, ensuring a consistent, modern finish throughout. The colour scheme is so good, and it’ll make the whole stadium feel fresh and new. That’s something Ron fowler oversaw at Petco Park year upon year, and we’re getting the first taste of it right here in Ln5.
Planning permission is set to be submitted imminently, with preparatory work expected to begin swiftly so that everything is in place ahead of the new campaign.
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