Lincoln United have confirmed that Dave Frecklington will remain in charge as permanent manager heading into next season, continuing alongside assistants James Morgan and Darren Dye.
Two of the three players are former Imps and are not set to manage the city’s second team after an impressive campaign. The trio initially stepped in on a temporary basis at the beginning of 2026 after the Billy Heath experiment went wrong, and have overseen a significant turnaround, guiding the Whites to a 14th-place finish in the Northern Premier League East Division. When they took over, the club had been bracing itself for a relegation battle, but results quickly began to shift in a more positive direction.
That improvement included notable performances against some of the division’s stronger sides. A late victory over Emley highlighted their resilience, while an away success at Pontefract Collieries formed part of a five-match unbeaten sequence. There was also a draw against champions Redcar Athletic and a 2-1 win against Heaton Stannington, underlining the progress made in a relatively short space of time.
Frecklington and Morgan did not make senior appearances for the Imps, but both came through the club’s academy and have had solid non-league careers after finishing at the Bank.
“I think this has been my biggest achievement in management,” Frecklington said. “Bottom in January and finishing 13th with three games to go is some going in such a tough division against some strong teams.
“The players delivered every week until we were mathematically safe, credit to every single one of them.
“We couldn’t have achieved this without Darren Dye and James Morgan by my side who have been just as influential in helping us achieve our Step 4 status for next season and hopefully beyond.”
Lincoln United are thrilled to announce the permanent appointment of management team David Frecklington, Darren Dye and James Morgan.
It comes after a successful stint that saw us secure safety and an exciting mid-table finish, averaging 1.68ppg since their arrival on January… pic.twitter.com/yW0FxeUgSY
— Lincoln United FC (@LincolnUnited) April 29, 2026
Club officials also moved quickly to endorse the management team’s impact, expressing confidence in the direction of travel under their leadership.
“We are delighted that Dave Frecklington, Darren Dye and James Morgan have committed to the job permanently, having brought so much success in the second half of last season,” the board said in a statement.
“The performances and results of the team since the new year have been outstanding and have led to so much optimism and belief around the club when looking forward to the 26/27 season.
“Huge credit goes to the management team and the players who deserve a very well-earned rest before preparations begin for the season ahead.”
With stability now in place off the pitch and clear signs of progress on it, attention will soon turn to building on that momentum when preparations begin for the new season.
Apologies to Darren, an earlier version of this article suggested he made two appearances for City, but we muddled him up with Dean Dye.
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