Yesterday saw the final day of Lincoln Ladies FC. Founded in 1995, the club have had 18 successful years and have stood head and shoulders above all other midlands clubs.
The team will now be moved and renamed ‘Notts County Ladies’; a move that has caused much controversy and left Ladies Imps fans without a team to support.
The loyal supporters have had a fantastic year though. The two-cup runs in the Women’s FA Cup and the Continental Cup, which saw Lincoln lose away to Bristol Academy in the semi-final, and Arsenal in the final respectively.
The decision, although much derided by Lady Imps fans, does make some sense for owner Ray Trew.
As the current owner of Notts County, the merger of the men and women’s team has the potential to bring in extra revenue to help both teams, but that has not washed with the Lady Imps faithful.
The move is similar to Wimbledon’s transformation to MK Dons, and no less bitter.
The decision came somewhat out of the blue when the re-organisation of women’s football was announced, showing the change from Lincoln Ladies FC to Notts County Ladies FC.
For many fans, this was the beginning of their knowledge about the move.
Efforts of course have been made to maintain the support until the end of the season, but unsurprisingly some of Lincoln’s public have shunned the team, with some fans taking to Twitter to vent their frustrations, saying “Boycott the Lady Imps.”
Despite the bitter end, fans can look back on some fantastic memories. Karen Bardsley, Casey Stoney and Jess Clarke are all England internationals of great ability, which has been a top sight at Sincil Bank.
In terms of league position, The Lady Imps went out with a whimper, finishing third from bottom with only ten points from 14 games.
But two superb and entertaining cup runs have meant Lincoln Ladies, despite being no more, have gone out with a bang.