In May 2016, as journalist Mark Whiley finalized his story announcing Danny Cowley as Lincoln City's new manager, he received a call from Cowley himself. "Nicky and I really think that if we can get the city behind us, if we can connect, then it has real potential," Cowley said. This conversation marked the beginning of a transformation, but the foundation had been laid over a decade earlier.
Keith Alexander, who managed Lincoln from 2002 to 2006, is credited with rescuing the club from administration. "Before Keith, the gates were bad, 2,500 people turning up," recalled former Lincolnshire Echo reporter Leigh Curtis. "What Keith did saved the club." Alexander's keen eye for talent—discovering future Premier League players like Gareth McAuley and Gary Taylor-Fletcher—and his emphasis on team spirit created a resilient squad. "His saying was that team spirit was worth 50 points in a season," Curtis added.
After Alexander's departure and tragic death in 2010, Lincoln faced a decline, culminating in relegation from the Football League in 2011. "After that, the one man that really kept the club alive was the chairman Bob Dorrian," Curtis noted. Dorrian stabilized the club's finances and restructured ownership, paving the way for new investment.
In 2016, South African businessman Clive Nates joined the board, eventually becoming chairman. "I have friends who spend money on paintings, on cars," Nates explained. "But I like football and that's what I want to put my money in." His first major move was appointing the Cowley brothers, who led Lincoln on an unprecedented run: promotion back to the Football League, a rise to League One, an FA Cup quarter-final appearance as a non-league team, and a Wembley trophy win—all within four years.
"The Cowleys were different as after years of bargain basement managers we actually went out and did the research and found them," Whiley said. "They brought a buzz back that we hadn't seen since Keith." Danny Cowley's vision extended beyond the pitch: "He didn't want to see kids in Lincoln wearing the shirts of Premier League clubs, he wanted to see them kicking a ball in the park wearing a Lincoln City shirt."
Even after the Cowleys left for Huddersfield in 2019, the momentum continued. BBC Radio Lincolnshire commentator Michael Hortin, covering the club since 1999, observed a strategic shift. "Lincoln's FA Cup run earned them a lot of money and they did not spend it on players, they spent it on a whole new training set-up," he said. The club adopted a modern structure, including a sporting director for recruitment and development, leading to the appointment of head coach Michael Skubala.
Skubala, initially inexperienced in the professional game, quickly adapted. "I remember the first game Skubala took was against Stevenage, and it was a bit of a shock, but he was quite cool and his reaction was more 'huh, this is what it is about', and he learned," Hortin noted. Under Skubala, Lincoln built a team "that is hard to beat," culminating in promotion to the Championship in 2024.
Hortin attributes this success to long-term planning. "This promotion is the culmination of a long-term plan," he said. "This is about a chairman and board who have been thoughtful with their investment." With new owner Ron Fowler taking over, the club's approach remains consistent. "It will be done in a quiet, steady, thoughtful way," Hortin added. "That has become the Lincoln way."