Lincoln City have received a fine following homophobic chanting at the home fixture versus Premier League side Chelsea. This follows a fine after two proven instances of discriminatory chanting at the fixture against Wrexham at the final league game of last season.
You can discuss this news on the forum HERE!
The Football Club statement is as follows:
“We have been fined by the Football Association for failing to control our supporters during the Carabao Cup fixture against Chelsea. This is specifically relating to chanting of a homophobic nature aimed at away supporters. We know Chelsea fans at the game were affected by the chanting and as a club we apologise unreservedly to Chelsea and their fans.
We have been fined £16,000. This follows the £8,500 fine which was imposed following two proven instances of discriminatory chanting at the fixture against Wrexham at the final league game of last season. The Action Plan which was imposed following the chants against Wrexham has now been extended until the end of the 2026/27 season.
We remain firmly committed to eradicating negative behaviour through a combination of education and sanctions. We believe these approaches can work together to bring about the positive change we all desire. We recognise our responsibility to reflect upon our own processes, and continuously improve these.
The atmosphere created by the overwhelming majority of our fans this season has been incredible, as we’ve seen time and time again – not least with our largest home crowd of the season at Thursday’s game against Burton Albion.
We are dismayed that we find ourselves in a position that a very small minority have acted in a way which has severe consequences for the club and matchgoing fans. Anyone considering acting in such a way should be clear that it has never been and never will be welcome at Lincoln City.
Lincoln City Football Club”
Below is a response co-signed by a number of supporters organisations, including Vital Lincoln City:
“As Lincoln City fans we have taken great pride in the atmosphere created by fellow supporters this season. There is no doubt that the backing from our fellow Imps has had a huge positive impact on and off the pitch.
We want to be as clear as we can be that all are welcome in the Imps family and that there is never a place among our fanbase for any discriminatory actions. These FA charges relate to homophobic chanting – this is never acceptable. We believe that working with fans we can build a truly impressive atmosphere at the LNER Stadium without ever having to resort to such chants.
A second financial fine for the club this season takes money away from areas we would much rather see investment – whether on the team or facilities to improve our matchdays and drive the club forward. Another repeat of this kind of incident would also likely lead to a forced closure of part of the stadium – severely impacting not only other fans who had no part in this but also hindering the club financially at a time when there is so much to be positive about.
As we enter a key part of the season we want to give the players and staff the support the first half of the campaign deserves. Let’s play our part and make it a season to remember.
Fan Advisory Board, Red Imps Community Trust, Vital Lincoln City, Lincoln City Banter, 617 Squadron.”
Photo of Julian Burley
Julian Burley
Julian Burley, often referred to as "Jules," is a prominent figure in the Lincoln City Football Club community, specifically as the Site Editor for Vital Lincoln City, a key online fan forum for Lincoln City FC supporters. He has been running Vital Lincoln City for over a decade, transforming it…