‘Sleeping Giant Can Be Awakened’ – Lincoln Women Make Ambitious Double Announcement

March 27, 2026 Gary Lincoln City, Lincoln City Women 0

Lincoln Women have not had a great season. Their relegation was confirmed this week, but with one point from 18 games and a -77 goal difference, it has been inevitable for ages.

As the men’s team thrives, women’s football in the city has really taken a blow. An amalgamation with Lincoln United has not brought improvement; instead, the side has struggled. A recent social media post was open about the failures, stating:

“2025/26 has not been the season any of us wanted, and no one involved with Lincoln Women will shy away from looking themselves in the mirror to learn the lessons from a difficult and challenging year.”

However, Lincoln Women are now looking forward, with two key appointments announced. Katie Rowson has joined the team as technical director, while a familiar name will be in the dugout, Tom Padden, who has previously worked for the Foundation.

Katie Rowson

Katie Rowson is a UEFA A Licence coach and strategic football leader with extensive experience across elite women’s football, technical development, and organisational leadership. She was most recently Women’s First Team Strategic and Technical Lead and Assistant Head Coach at Aberdeen, and prior to this, she spent two years as Women’s Academy Technical Director at Everton. Alongside these roles, she has worked with The Football Association as a coach mentor and tutor, supporting coach education and development programmes.

Earlier in her career, Rowson held senior coaching and technical leadership roles across the women’s game, including Assistant Manager at Coventry United, Head of Coaching at Chesterfield, and multiple roles with Doncaster Rovers Belles where she helped deliver FA WSL 2 success. She also held national leadership positions with the British Virgin Islands FA as Technical Director and National Team Head Coach across multiple age groups, overseeing player pathways and coach education at a national level.

“I’m here to lead the team and the club into the next phase of progression and development, very much from a strategic approach,” she said.

“The potential that the city and Lincoln Women FC have got is absolutely enormous and the partnerships that have happened over the last few years to be able to get to this platform now, I think the potential to try and build a performance environment for the senior women of this club is huge.

“I am also originally from Lincoln. So I had to leave Lincoln 25 years ago to go and carve out this career and have this amazing, adventurous journey in coaching. And there’s no better way to almost come full circle and use all of those experiences to now service the city, service Lincoln Women FC, to try and build that performance environment.”

Tom Padden

Tom Padden has built his career primarily within grassroots, academy, and women’s football across Lincolnshire and the East Midlands, combining coaching, player development, and pathway work. He has held coaching and management roles with Gainsborough Trinity, including JPL Head Coach, Assistant Manager of the Women’s First Team, and later Women’s First Team Manager, overseeing player development, match preparation, and the progression pathway from junior football into senior women’s football.

Earlier in his career, he worked with Lincoln City Foundation and the club as a community coach and development officer, delivering football programmes and supporting youth development structures, before moving into wider football development roles with Lincolnshire FA.

Alongside his coaching work, Tom has also been involved in talent identification and academy football, working as an academy coach with Worksop Town and as a scout for Sheffield United, identifying and assessing young players within the region.

“I think this is gold standard in women’s football in Lincolnshire,” he said on being announced. “I had a great time coaching women’s football for the last couple of years but I’m ambitious and I want to be the best club in the area.”

“Lincoln, as it was with the men’s team at Lincoln City, were a bit of a sleeping giant. I feel like this club’s the same. Going back historically, the Centre of Excellence here was brilliant.

“When it was Lincoln Ladies, they were really successful. We’re a city that’s got some really hardworking, passionate people. Having a team that kind of echoes and mirrors that will get the city behind them.

“Then I think that sleeping giant can be reawakened.”