Just in case it wasn’t made clear by the rampant success of Wrexham’s TV show and FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s efforts with the US president, the US is a very lucrative market. That is, it’s a very lucrative market if a football team can crack it. After all, it’s famously not the most pro-football nation in the world.
As it happens, Lincoln City are now owned by Americans with a certain legendary player from the US in the role of investor and strategic advisor. Given the uniqueness of the Imps’ story and with this expertise on board, perhaps there’s a way for the upstart club to make waves across the pond.
A Different Story to Promotion
The most common path out from the lower rungs of the football pyramid in recent years has been to splash the cash. Wrexham and Birmingham are the prime examples of this, with the clubs getting big-spending owners from North America, leveraging that cash and some extra revenue paths, such as with Netflix shows, and going up.
Lincoln City is a story of the opposite. On one of the smallest budgets in League One, the Imps brought in futsal head coach and coaching author Michael Skubala, who chose to think outside of the box and maximise club resources.
He’d take the team to learn from the Red Arrows and encourage them to outwork and outthink every opponent. It led to promotion and the League One trophy, which was put on display for the whole community to enjoy at the Lincolnshire Show. Innovation in training, approach, and play is what it’s all been about.
While Skubala has since moved on, joining Bristol City at the end of May, Lincoln City will continue to innovate. The club has promoted Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw to replace Skubala. It’s a very rare choice, but one that The Imps hierarchy fully believes will bear fruit – just as the gamble on Skubala’s methods did.
Innovating to Reach the US Audience
The US is an absurdly commercialised market, and has seen its existing sports teams explore just about every angle possible to increase their presence. In each state that permits the activity, teams even have their own suite of immersive online games. Lincoln City could follow suit to get a foot in the door, and then amp up their efforts.
Making a way for casino bonus offers to direct interested players towards official Imps games could prove fruitful. Most of these offer a deposit match and free spins on specific games, while other promotions have mini games like penalty shootouts, or jackpot drops on football slots. This angle would give a persistent presence in entertainment.
Of course, while Lincoln City are doing almost the exact opposite of Wrexham, perhaps taking a leaf out of the Welsh club’s book wouldn’t be so bad. Hooking up with a Netflix or Prime Video could offer a very different experience for viewers, especially given the financial restraints and the setting of the club.
The owners will be keen to sell the story of the Imps to fans around the world, and with a few shrewd collaborations, Lincoln City could become a sleeper hit in the mighty American market.