Lincoln City chairman Clive Nates has revealed a sweeping restructure of the club’s governance, designed to strengthen the League One side’s position in an increasingly competitive financial landscape.
Speaking as the Imps embark on their seventh consecutive third-tier campaign, Nates acknowledged that while the recently passed Football Governance Act offers hope for reform, rising costs across the game mean the club must remain proactive in attracting fresh investment.
“We face these challenges from a position of strength,” he said, pointing to the club’s stability and continued backing from the Jabara family and major investor Ron Fowler. “There are no short- or medium-term financial concerns, and we remain on course to deliver our strategy.”
Simplified Structure and Departures
The shake-up sees the traditional ‘full Board’ replaced by a Strategy Board, tasked with long-term planning, and a refreshed Board focused on operational delivery.
The ‘Patrons’ group will consolidate roles such as Key Investors and Club Associates, recognising their contributions while ensuring continued support. Seven directors — Roger Bates, Sunil Hindocha, Herman Kok, Greg Levine, Steve Tointon, Chris Travers, and Nick Ragland — have stepped down, though all remain investors in the club.
Nates paid tribute to their service, describing them as “highly valued members of the LCFC family” whose voices would continue to influence the club’s direction.
The new Strategy Board features Nates as Chair, with Ron Fowler, Andrew Fowler, Harvey Jabara, David Lowes, Sean Melnick, Graham Rossini, Jay Wright (Vice-Chair), Phil Scrafton, Amanda Slater, and CEO Liam Scully.
The streamlined Board will consist of Nates, Fowler, Jabara, Lowes, and Wright.
Future-Proofing the Club
The club is also reviewing its Company Articles for both Lincoln City Holdings and Lincoln City Football Club, with a view to modernising its legal framework to align with future investment opportunities. Shareholders will be consulted later this year before any changes are implemented.
Nates concluded by thanking supporters for their loyalty and underlining that the changes were “exclusively in the best interest of Lincoln City Football Club overall” as the search for sustainable investment continues.
Writer’s View
This overhaul reflects a club looking to match its off-field structure with its ambitions on the pitch. By reducing bureaucracy, clarifying roles, and modernising governance, Lincoln City are positioning themselves to compete for resources in a financially demanding division.
Retaining the experience and commitment of outgoing directors as Patrons ensures continuity, while the streamlined decision-making process should allow for quicker strategic action. The real measure of success will be whether these moves help deliver the long-term investment the Imps need to keep pushing up the League One table.
