Lincoln Red Imps F.C.

Lincoln Red Imps Football Club is a professional association football club from Gibraltar.[1] They play in the Gibraltar National League, and share Victoria Stadium with all other clubs in the territory.[2] They are the country's record champion with 24 league titles, including fourteen consecutive titles between 2003 and 2016, and in 2014 were the first team to represent Gibraltar in the UEFA Champions League.

For the English football club, see Lincoln City F.C.

Lincoln Red Imps FC
Full nameLincoln Red Imps Football Club
Short nameLincoln
Founded1976 (1976)
GroundVictoria Stadium,
Winston Churchill Avenue, Gibraltar
Capacity5,000
ChairmanDylan Viagas
ManagerMick McElwee
LeagueGibraltar National League
2019–20Championship Group: 3rd
Overall: 3rd[lower-alpha 1]
WebsiteClub website

Europe's longest chronological unbeaten league run is Lincoln Red Imps' 1,959-day (more than five-year) streak in the Gibraltar Premier Division from May 2009 to September 2014, a run of 88 matches.[3]

History

The football club was first formed in 1976 by Charles Polson and Charles Head, the latter managing the team. A group of players associated to the old Police youth team called the "Blue Batons" and complemented by players that had been released by Glacis United and St Jago's joined forces to form the first Lincoln team that played in the Gibraltar fourth division as a youth team. The team was named after Lincoln City FC, who are nicknamed "the Imps", after a former Lincoln director sponsored them.[4] When this Lincoln team became old enough to play Senior Football, it was decided to place the young team into the GFA second division. The team started to climb to the top in the second division in the season 1981–82 winning the league, the division cup and gaining promotion to the GFA's first division after only one season. The next year Lincoln finished in mid table in the first division. In 1983–84 Lincoln won the league and promotion to the Gibraltar Premier Division.[5]

In 1984–85 Lincoln played their first season in the Gibraltar Premier Division in which they were joint champions with Glacis United – the first of seven league titles which were won between 1984 and 1994.

Lincoln won 14 Gibraltar Premier Division titles in a row from 2003 to 2016, bettering the previous record of nine in a row held by Glacis United in the 1960s. They also won the national treble of League, Rock Cup and Senior Cup in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011.

2014

In 2014, after Gibraltar had joined UEFA as the 54th member, Lincoln became the first Gibraltarian team to play in the qualifying stages of the UEFA Champions League. After claiming a 1–1 draw in the home match, they lost 5–2 at Faroese team HB and were eliminated in the first qualifying round.[6]

  • Lincoln Red Imps squad in May 2014
  • UEFA President Michel Platini at the 2014 Rock Cup presentation
  • Lincoln Red Imps Captain lifting 2014 Rock Cup from Platini
  • Lincoln Red Imps players with 2014 silverware
  • Joseph Chipolina holding plaque commemorating club's Rock Cup victory

2015

Lincoln won both the 2015 Rock Cup with a 4–1 victory over Lynx F.C.[7] and the 2014–15 Gibraltar Premier Division championship by 16 points,[8] again playing in the qualification stages for the UEFA Champions League for with their second straight double.[9] In the First Qualifying Round Lincoln were drawn against FC Santa Coloma of Andorra.[10] After a scoreless draw in the first leg in Gibraltar,[11] the club earned a 2–1 victory at the Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella to advance to the Second Qualifying Round with goals coming from Anthony Bardon and Lee Casciaro.[12] With the victory, Lincoln became the first club from Gibraltar to reach the second round of UEFA Champions League qualification, setting up an encounter with 2015 Danish champions FC Midtjylland,[13] which Lincoln Red Imps lost on aggregate 0–3.

2016

In 2016 Lincoln pulled off a surprise victory against Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, with a 1–0 victory at home after a 48th-minute strike from Lee Casciaro in the club's second round match of the UEFA Champions League qualifying stage. The match was Brendan Rodgers first competitive fixture as manager of Celtic.[14] The Glasgow side still comfortably qualified thanks to a 3–0 victory in the return leg at Celtic Park.

Seasons (since UEFA acceptance)
Season Division League record Rock Cup Pepe Reyes
Cup		 Europe
P W D L GF GA Pts Pos Competition Result
2013–14 Premier 14113066636 1st Winners Runners-up ——
2014–15 Premier 211911801258 1st Winners Winners Champions League First qualifying round
2015–16 Premier 272511130976 1st Winners Winners Champions League Second qualifying round
2016–17 Premier 2723311001672 2nd Runners-up Runners-up Champions League Second qualifying round
2017–18 Premier 272124711965 1st Semi-finals Winners Europa League First qualifying round
2018–19 Premier 272133841966 1st Second round Runners-up Champions League
Europa League		 Preliminary round
Second qualifying round
2019–20 National League and Rock Cup abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic Runners-up Champions League
Europa League		 Preliminary round
Second qualifying round

Stadium
Victoria Stadium

Lincoln currently plays all league games at the 5,000-seat Victoria Stadium. The club share this ground with all clubs currently participating in the top two leagues in Gibraltar, the Gibraltar Premier Division and Gibraltar Second Division, as well as the Gibraltar Women's Football League, of which Lincoln also runs a team.

Due to the ground's failure to meet guidelines in the 2017–18 season, Lincoln, along with Europa and St Joseph's, were forced to play their European competition matches at the Estadio Algarve in Portugal, while improvements were carried out on Victoria Stadium.

It is expected that the ground will be renovated and expanded to a football specific stadium with a capacity of 8,000 by 2021.[15]

Honours
Lincoln Red Imps fans at the Victoria stadium in 2014.
1984–85, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19
1985–86, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017

Regional
  • Gibraltar League Senior Cup: 18[19]
1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14

European record
See also: Gibraltarian football clubs in European competitions

Lincoln's first qualifying round match of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League marked the first match played by a Gibraltarian club in UEFA competition. After converting a penalty, a second half goal was conceded and the game ended in a draw.[20]

Overall
Competition Pld W D L GF GA GD
UEFA Champions League 13 4 2 7 12 20 –8
UEFA Europa League 7 1 2 4 6 13 –7
Overall 20 5 4 11 18 33 –15

Matches
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2014–15 UEFA Champions League 1Q HB Tórshavn 1–1 2–5 3–6
2015–16 UEFA Champions League 1Q FC Santa Coloma 0–0 2–1 2–1
2Q FC Midtjylland 0–2 0–1 0–3
2016–17 UEFA Champions League 1Q FC Flora Tallinn 2–0 1–2 3–2
2Q Celtic 1–0 0–3 1–3
2017–18 UEFA Europa League 1Q AEK Larnaca 1–1 0–5 1–6
2018–19 UEFA Champions League PR La Fiorita 2–0 N/A
Drita 1–4 N/A
UEFA Europa League 2Q The New Saints 1−1 1–2 2–3
2019–20 UEFA Champions League PR Feronikeli 0–1 N/A
UEFA Europa League 2Q Ararat-Armenia 1–2 0–2 1−4
2020–21 UEFA Europa League PR Prishtina 3–0
(awd.)		 N/A N/A
1Q Union Titus Pétange 2–0 N/A N/A
2Q Rangers 0–5 N/A N/A
Notes
  • PR: Preliminary round
  • 1Q: First qualifying round
  • 2Q: Second qualifying round

Current squad

First team
As of 28 July 2020[21]
No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ESP Manuel Soler
3 DF  GIB Joseph Chipolina
4 MF  GIB Kian Ronan
5 DF  GIB Scott Wiseman
6 DF  POR Bernardo Lopes (vice-captain)
7 FW  GIB Lee Casciaro
8 MF  GIB Graeme Torrilla
9 FW  GIB Kyle Casciaro (vice-captain)
10 MF  GIB Anthony Hernandez
11 FW  GIB Tjay De Barr
12 MF  GIB Ryan Azopardi
13 GK  GIB Kyle Goldwin
14 DF  GIB Roy Chipolina (captain)
16 DF  ESP Jesús Toscano
17 MF  ESP Diego Gamiz
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF  GIB Julian Valarino
21 MF  ESP Álex Moreno
24 DF  GIB Jack Sergeant
26 MF  GHA Mustapha Yahaya
29 FW  PHI Kike Gómez
30 FW  GIB Jamie Coombes
40 DF  GIB Kivan Ramos
41 MF  GIB Ellis Wilson
66 DF  GIB Ethan Britto
77 MF  GIB Kyle Clinton
88 MF  GIB Kiri McGrail
96 DF  GIB Julian Laguea
99 GK  GIB Bradley Avellano
— MF  ESP Carra

Intermediate League squad

Players registered for the Gibraltar Intermediate League without senior squad numbers. First team players may also appear for this team

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  GIB Elijah Robles
3 DF  GIB Kaylan Livingstone
7 FW  GIB Ashton Wahnon
9 MF  GIB Finlay Cawthorn
11 MF  GIB Sean Perera
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF  GIB Christian Chipolina
22 MF  GIB Jerome Duarte-Chipol
23 DF  GIB Sean Montovio (captain)
88 MF  GIB Davan Martin

Out on Loan
No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF  GIB Ethan Thorne-Llambias (on loan at Glacis United)
— MF  GIB Shay Jones (on loan at Bruno's Magpies)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW  GIB Dylan Peacock (on loan at Lions Gibraltar)

Club staff
Correct as of 5 October 2020.[22]
Position Name
Club Management
Manager Mick McElwee
Assistant Manager TBA
Goalkeeper Coach Miguel Ángel Bazán
Fitness Coach Daniel Fernandez
Strength & Conditioning Coach Liam Mesilio
Head Physio Keith Ramirez
Physio Adam Oria
Kit Man José Manuel López
Team Delegate Christian Fortuna
Board
President Dylan Viagas
Secretary Andrew Horsey

See also

References
  1. Brookfield, Saul (12 July 2016). "Lincoln Red Imps, the Gibraltar part-timers who embarrassed Celtic". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  2. "Lincoln Red Imps". Uefa.com.
  3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51692518
  4. "Imps invite namesakes after Celtic win". 13 July 2016 – via www.bbc.com.
  5. "Club history". lincolnredimps.com. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  6. "Five-goal HB hold off Lincoln comeback". UEFA. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  7. "2015 Rock Cup Final Match Report". Gibraltar FA. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  8. "201/15 Gibraltar Premier Division". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  9. Gonzalez, Ryan. "Gibraltar double for Rock Cup winners Lincoln". UEFA. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  10. "Qualifying round draws start road to Milan". UEFA. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  11. "Red Imps vs. FC Santa Coloma Match Report 1". UEFA. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  12. "Lincoln Red Imps vs. FC Santa Coloma Match Report 2". UEFA. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  13. "Lincoln Make History!". 5point4sports.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  14. "Lincoln Red Imps 1 Celtic 0". BBC Sport. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  15. Events, UKi Media & (26 June 2018). "New Gibraltar national stadium plans revealed". Stadia Magazine. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  16. "Gibraltar – List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  17. "Gibraltar – List of Cup Winners". RSSSF. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  18. "PEPE REYES CUP". footballgibraltar. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  19. "History – Senior Cup TITLES". Lincoln Red Imps FC. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  20. "Hanssen leveller denies Lincoln dream start". uefa.com. 2 July 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  21. FIRST TEAM Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  22. First Team Lincoln Red Imps FC.
  1. Season abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic
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