Talk among Lincoln City fans in the city and abroad over the past months has been about what will become of Sincil Bank – the club’s stadium.
The Imps board announced that for £50 you could re-name the hallowed footballing temple of Sincil Bank. The money raised would go straight into the manager’s transfer budget for the 2012/2013 season.
The reaction at first was a frosty one, with the ground being called Sincil Bank since it was built in 1895.
Imps fan, Ryan Chambers said: “I wasn’t too happy with the idea in the first place but I can understand why they have done it. All the money is going to our transfer budget.
He continued: “But I think if we rename it, then it should be named after big Keith.”
The Keith referred to is deceased ex-Imps player and manager, Keith Alexander, the manager who led the Imps to four consecutive play-offs, only to be knocked out of them.
A campaign on Twitter emerged on the May 24th, with the “#TheKeithAlexanderStadium” hashtag connecting everyone. BBC journalist, Leon Mann was one of the first high profile names to show his support for renaming the stadium after Alexander.
Fans of football clubs across the UK jumped on board with the “#TheKeithAlexanderStadium” hashtag. Even Alexander’s son, Matt Alexander, who works as Chief Scout at Nottingham County, showed his support for the campaign.
He said: “At first I was a bit like, what’s this? What’s going on? But it took off on Twitter quite quickly and people quickly started asking me whether I supported the stadium being renamed.
“Straight away I wanted to put on the record that I thought it was a good idea and I wanted the stadium to be named that.”
Keith Alexander already has a plaque at Sincil Bank for his fantastic services to Lincoln City Football Club, which was erected last year, along with one for the late Richard Butcher.
Matt Alexander said: “Lincoln City has a huge place in my heart as I grew up in Lincolnshire and I watched my Dad play there as a kid. I think it’s a fantastic club and I hope they do well.”
This week Alexander tweeted: “If someone wins the #nameourstadium comp and calls it #thekeithalexanderstadium I will PERSONALLY take them out to dinner!! #maccydees”
As a manager, Keith Alexander is widely known in the footballing world for his work at Lincoln City and for being the first black manager ever to manage in the Football League. He is also known for all his work in the community around football.
For more information about Lincoln City’s campaign to re-name their stadium, click here.