Sincil Bank

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = Sincil Bank
nickname = The Bank


caption =
fullname = Sincil Bank Stadium
location = Lincoln, England
coordinates =
broke_ground =
built = 1895
opened = 1895
renovated = May 1999
expanded =
closed =
demolished =
owner = Lincoln City Football Club
operator =
surface =
construction_cost =
architect =
project_manager =
main_contractors =
former_names =
tenants =
Lincoln City Football Club

seating_capacity =
10,127

dimensions =
110 x 73 yards

Sincil Bank is the stadium of Lincoln City F.C.. The club has played at the ground since 1894. Previously, City played at the John O'Gaunts ground after the club's inception in 1884. It has an overall capacity of 10,127 and is more colloquially known to fans as "The Bank".

Stands

The Lincolnshire Co-operative Stand

The largest stand at Sincil Bank, which holds approximately 5700 people. The stand is located on the Sincil Bank street side of the ground and is home to the majority of the Imps' support, although the block nearest the I.M.P.S/South Park stand is given to visiting supporters. This side of the ground was occupied by uncovered terracing ever since the club moved to Sincil Bank from their first home, the John O'Gaunt's Ground, in 1895. The terracing was cordoned off in August 1994 and demolition work soon began. The stand, which was at the time the first cantilever construction at any football ground in England - was officially opened before City's match with Hartlepool United on March 4 1995. The stand cost around £1 million to build and meant that Sincil Bank stadium had been completely redeveloped from its previous state in the 1980s (at a total cost of £3 million). Over the years the stand has been known under three different guises, depending on sponsorship contracts. It was first known as the Linpave Stand and, in 1998, was sponsored by Simons Construction. It was named the Lincolnshire Co-operative stand in 2001, but is more commonly known as the Co-op stand. It is home to the LCFC band, which was originally put together by former manager John Beck in 1995 in order to increase matchday atmosphere,this is the main chanting stand.

The St Andrews/Lincolnshire Echo Stand

Constructed in 1987, the structure replaced the old St Andrews Stand, which was named after the street that runs all the way from Lincoln City Centre to Sincil Bank. The old stand was constructed in 1932 (replacing a small predecessor) and was made out of timber. It had a total capacity of 2,250, comprising of a seated enclosure and a small bank of terracing at the front. by the mid-1980s, however, the entire stadium was in a state of decline and a renovation project began when the stand was demolished in the close season of 1986. The new stand opened in November 1987 but was smaller in size than originally envisaged, partly due to City's drop into Conference League football, albeit for one short season. However, it is hoped that, if the club manages a promotion, the stand will be increased in size. It has a capaticy of 1700 people and also holds the press box and Directors' enclosure, in addition to the majority of the club's offices and corporate areas.

The Stacey-West Stand

This is the traditional 'Lincoln fans' end' of Sincil Bank. Built in 1990, the Stacey-West Stand is named after two lifelong supporters - Bill Stacey and Jim West - who died in the Bradford Fire. It replaced the old Railway End terrace in 1990, which had a freight rail line running behind the enclosure until the line was demolished in the early 1990s. The Stacey-West Stand first had areas of terracing at either end with a large area of seating in between so that supporters had the choice of sitting or standing at games. However, when City were promoted to the old Division Two at the end of the 1997/98 season, the stand was made entirely terraced. This was because a number of large clubs in Division Two, such as now-Premiership giants Manchester City, Stoke and Burnley were expected to bring large travelling support to Sincil Bank which convinced the club that the Stacey-West stand should hold visiting fans, rather than a portion of the Coop Stand. However, when the club was relegated back to the old Division Three in May 1999, a grant by the Football Trust partially enabled just under 2,000 seats to replace the Stacey-West Stand terracing which meant that Sincil Bank, for the first time in the history of Lincoln City, was an all-seater stadium. The stand continued to house visiting supporters until, in the close season of 2002, it was given back to home fans. This meant that visiting fans were moved back to their previous matchday home, in the corner of the Co-op stand nearest to the I.M.P.S. Stand. It is home to another chanting area.

The I.M.P.S Stand

The I.M.P.S. Stand got its name in 2003 when local company Industrial Marine Power Services signed a sponsorship agreement with the club. The stand was built in 1992 and houses 17 exectutive boxes, Stikers bar for supporters and companies using the executive boxes and the Centre Spot, a fans' bar that welcomes both home and away supporters on matchdays. It replaced the old South Park stand, which consisted of a small seated area and a terrace.

The Family Stand

The Family Stand was built in 1994. It is situated to the west of the St Andrews/Lincolnshire Echo Stand, nearest the I.M.P.S./South Park Stand and is directly adjacent to the players' tunnel. The land on which it was built was previously occupied by a small, open terrace. When the Family Stand was built, a new building - which incorporates the club's dressing rooms and treatment areas - was also erected. On top of the Stand there is a police control box, which is used to keep a close watch on all areas of the crowd. City supporters can pay to sit in this stand, although much of it is often given over to children from local schools who are invited to watch the Imps as part of the club's Football in the Community programme. It is also known, by some, as the pointless stand due to its connection with preteen fans.

Other sports and concerts

In 1958 the ground played host to a visit from Queen Elizabeth II. A major rock concert was staged at the ground in May 1966 which featured The Who, The Kinks and The Small Faces. Sincil Bank has played host to many sports including local cricket finals, boxing, wrestling, athletics, cycling, lawn tennis, and American football.

On the weekend of 19/20 May 2006, the international pop band Westlife and other supporting acts including Liberty X, Blue's Lee Ryan and Journey South performed in front of over 13,000 fans at Sincil Bank - the biggest concert ever to take place in the city of Lincoln. The event was organised by both Lincoln and the City Council, with funding and profits being shared between the two. The club recorded a small financial loss due to this event, however, the event put Sincil Bank on the map once more for live events. Since a Bonfire Night 2006 live event has been held, and though on a much smaller scale (over 5,000 spectators), it featured several "top" artists such as Lee Ryan once more, former Steps star Lisa Scott-Lee's brother Andy Scott Lee, Icelandic outfit Nylon and 2ToGo of X-Factor fame.