Lincoln City: Meet the innovative EFL club using AI on set-pieces and binary code in kit

EXCLUSIVE FEATURE: Lincoln City are an EFL club who push boundaries to try and punch above their weight in League One with their Innovation Lab and lots of fresh ideas

Lincoln City’s LNER Stadium (Image: Andrew Vaughan/CameraSport )

Lincoln City are one of the few clubs in the English Football League who are not afraid to march to the beat of a different drum.

Innovation is championed above the status quo in the corridors of power at the LNER Stadium as they attempt to brainstorm new ways in which the Imps can thrive in League One. And in era where clubs try in vain to replicate models which have born fruit elsewhere, it turns out Lincoln do differently rather well.

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As with most things in football, that isn’t by chance. They are the only club in England to employ a Director of Innovation; only four clubs across the whole of Europe are believed to do so, including Barcelona and Eintracht Frankfurt.

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And perhaps there is no better example of the club’s willingness to embrace the extraordinary than the utilisation of AI in their set-piece planning.

AI software which analyses thousands of set-pieces from around the world – coupled with the execution of said ideas from Scott Fry, the club’s goalkeeper and set-piece coach – has seen the Imps establish themselves as the set-piece kingpins of English football.

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No team in competitive English football got near the 30 goals Lincoln scored via set-pieces from both first and second phases during the 2024-25 campaign.

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Arsenal are among those who have made set-pieces sexy again. But even they and the esteemed Nicolas Jover were nowhere near the total that Fry and Co cooked up for the Imps this season.

It should come as no surprise that Lincoln and Michael Skubala, their forward-thinking head coach who started his career as a PE teacher before leading England’s futsal team and then moving into senior football, are open to the unorthodox.

Liam Scully and the club are always looking for ways to innovate (Image: Chris Vaughan )

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After all, the landscape in the third-tier has changed drastically since Lincoln returned to the division in 2019. Birmingham City, last year’s runaway champions, splashed in excess of £10million on a single player in Jay Stansfield. In a league littered with fallen Premier League giants, clubs like Lincoln have to work smarter and harder.

Their approach goes beyond the 90 minutes on a Saturday and success on the pitch. The jewel in the crown is their Innovation Lab which has all of the club’s stakeholders and the local community at the forefront of its mind as they seek new opportunities for growth.

“What we’re trying to do with the Innovation Lab is help start-ups get to market as quickly as possible in a way that helps the club, our community and creates value over time,” explains Jason Futers, the club’s chief growth and innovation officer.

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“That can be on or off the pitch. You can imagine as a club the activities that we get involved with across technology on a retail, commercial, fan engagement level. Plus things like nutrition and science in sport.

Young striker Jovon Makama enjoyed a fine season for the Imps as they finished in midtable (Image: Andrew Vaughan/CameraSport )

“So areas that we’re working in anyway, but the Innovation Lab is really designed to enhance those and you know help start-ups, as I say, get to market as quickly as possible, which obviously helps them from a funding perspective and creates value for us.”

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That ethos is already having a positive effect in terms of business. Futers explains that partners and sponsors are looking at the club in a different light due to their efforts to innovate. Quambio Sports, a joint venture with the Swiss sustainability firm, is the heartbeat of Lincoln’s plan to reduce their carbon footprint and a perfect example of the type of initiatives that can add the future value that Futers speaks of.

The collaboration also encourages and supports the club’s stakeholders – be it employees or fans – lower their own carbon footprint. With Lincoln owning 50 per cent of the venture, there is also scope for the club to profit financially in the future.

“What [Quambio] do is incentivise the reduction of carbon footprint, so that helps us in terms of our environmental sustainability,” Futers adds.

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Forward-thinking head coach Michael Skubala has been steering the ship at Lincoln (Image: Chris Vaughan )

“We’re not trying to save the planet in terms of environment, but we do want to move things forward and then we could get a financial benefit and of course ultimately it really helps out our fans and our stakeholders generally.”

In terms of what Futers and the club want to do, Quambio is just the tip of the iceberg. As Liam Scully, the club’s long-serving chief executive, so aptly puts it, Lincoln are effectively “taking on nuclear submarines in a canoe”. Though they are no minnows, they are, in the current landscape of League One, a relatively small fish in a large pond.

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Initiatives like Quambio Sports, should the club’s ultimate vision come to fruition, has the potential to help them level the playing field over time against clubs with far vaster resources and deeper pockets. Others have followed, including Purendure, a real fruit energy gel collaboration which Lincoln announced at the end of last month.

“We as a club are always going to have to be overachievers – and we don’t like the term underdogs, we’d rather see ourselves as overachievers – and it’s about finding those ways that we can do things differently that will give us a chance of further success on the sporting side,” he says of the challenge.

“It’s [about] accepting that we have a unique place in the geography of this country, we have a catchment area around us that’s relatively ours so there’s various things at play that make this [approach] unique and right for Lincoln City.”

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The club’s Elite Development Pathway is the key to unlocking the potential of that catchment area Scully speaks of. There is an appetite to ensure that the best local talent can grow in sync with the club; something that has not always been the case. Ryan Yates of Nottingham Forest is an example: the midfielder was born in Lincoln but at Forest’s academy from a young age.

Lincoln’s mission statement underlines the desire to give “all boys and girls across Lincolnshire” a platform to grow and develop as people, not just footballers. 11 talent centres – all of which are targeted to be open by September – will be crucial to said mission.

Crucially, the Imps have a burgeoning reputation for player development: their total of 18 per cent of league minutes played by academy graduates is the best among all category three academies. At senior level, Morgan Rogers and Brennan Johnson are just two examples of young players who have developed and gone on to play for top Premier League teams after loan spells.

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On the pitch, innovating the way they approach their set-piece tactics is just one area of the club’s ‘game model’ that has been refined. Other ideas are already in the pipeline to try and get ahead of the curve as football itself continues to evolve.

“I think the game is massively changing,” Scully adds. “In three, five however many years time, one of the things I personally believe is that we’re not going to see head coaches on the touchline that much anymore; I think people are going to be higher with elevated access to more in-game data, because I just think that’s the that’s the way the game’s changing.

Lincoln’s new home kit pays homage to the city’s own mathematician, George Boole, with the inclusion of binary code (Image: Chris Vaughan/Lincoln City FC )

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“It’s part of the evolution of football and as the industry matures, teams will continue to try and find different ways to compete with each other and and get those three points for a win on a Saturday.”

On the pitch, the goal remains the Championship after finishing last season in the havens of midtable. Off it, the aim is for innovating to be “in the DNA of the club”.

Lincoln unveiled their new home kit on Friday with a tribute to the city’s own mathematician, George Boole, with the inclusion of binary code. Said code spells out We Are Imps and underlines the sense of community Scully and Co continue to foster from the top.

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In an era where clubs in the lower echelons of the pyramid have made a habit of imitating those at the top table, Lincoln are happy to continue thinking outside the box.

“Technology innovation we’re not quite there but for many many years the club has been innovating,” Futers concludes. “We push the boundary with great courage, we try new things. We would like to have innovation as a key thread throughout our thinking and decision-making on a day-to-day basis. I think on that front, we’re pretty close.”

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Reece James sends damning Chelsea message to put Enzo Maresca under more pressure

Chelsea were beaten by Legia Warsaw at Stamford Bridge to spark discontent from their supporters and captain Reece James questioned his team’s application in the European fixture

Reece James was unimpressed with Chelsea’s efforts

Reece James has claimed that Chelsea ‘disrespected the competition’ after their Europa Conference League defeat to Legia Warsaw. The Blues captain appeared to question his team’s preparation for the tie as the west London side lost 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, but still qualified for the semi-final.

Chelsea have come under pressure in recent months as their form has tailed off after a promising start to the season initially saw them nearer title contention. Enzo Maresca’s side now face a battle to secure Champions League football next term after winning one of their last four Premier League matches.

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The Blues were booed on Thursday evening and have faced an edgy atmosphere as discontent among the fanbase grows around the team’s performances. Chelsea’s Italian coach even appeared to take aim at the environment fans created following the draw with Ipswich.

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A home defeat to a side who were comfortably put to the sword seven days before will have done little to quell any frustration. And while James believes the team have progressed, the 25-year-old could only criticise their efforts against Legia.

“For sure we are making progress,” he said following the game. “Today that was for sure not progress; if anything, it was a step back. Maybe we disrespected the competition today, but this is football; if you don’t prepare right, you will pay.

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“Of course it’s going to have an affect on the mindset going forwards, it’s going to bee in the back of people’s heads that we lost when we shouldn’t have lost. We need to put it behind us. We have another game on Sunday which is a must-win game, we can’t dwell on this too long, regroup, stay strong and keep pushing for our goals.

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“I understand the frustration to be honest,” he added. “I understand fans come to games to see excitement, to see goals. Today we were frustrating to watch. ”

James’ comments were put to Maresca following the game. The former Leicester boss could only push back to a small degree on his charge’s disrespect claim.

Enzo Maresca watched his team record their first European loss of the season (Image: Eddie Keogh – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images )

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“Probably not the competition, but probably the other team tonight,” he said. “Because I think we respect the competition all season, probably tonight, as I said, because of the first result, 0-3, so you can manage in the wrong way the result, so for sure Reece is right, but more than the competition probably the opposite.”

Maresca accepted the result was a setback after he had attempted to allay fan fears heading into the match. “No, for sure in terms of setback, for sure it’s a setback tonight for us, no doubt, first of all because we lost the game,” he said in his press conference.

“But I said yesterday, I think probably the other clubs, as you said, in this moment they can feel more confidence around them, not only Aston Villa, Newcastle, all the clubs around us, but this is football and can change very quickly, so it depends a lot on us. As I said, Sunday for us is one of the finals, and winning that game can give us a final boost to reach our target.”

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Chelsea star picks Club World Cup concept that he wants Premier League to copy

The Club World Cup has been introducing players to huge fanfare before matches and Chelsea star Romeo Lavia would love to see the Premier League copy the concept

Romeo Lavia has liked some of the concepts in the Club World Cup

Romeo Lavia reckons the Premier League should bring in the Club World Cup style player introductions before every game. The FIFA tournament has made a big thing of players taking it in turns to be introduced to the crowd before walking out onto the pitch amid big fanfare pre-match.

It has been one of the most eye-catching aspects of the new tournament in the United States and has attracted a lot of mickey-taking, while some of the players have looked uncomfortable at the showbiz-style walk-on.

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But Lavia says he likes it and believes the Premier League could learn a few lessons from the tournament in the United States. Chelsea midfielder Lavia said: “It’s something special and new for us. It’s a first for us. I enjoyed it. Why not bring it to the Premier League?

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“I mean, it’s a bit of a showbiz thing, isn’t it? I quite like it. The only difference is if we did it in the Premier League, we might get a bit cold! Because once you’re out there, you have to wait for maybe the other players. But apart from that, it was good. I guess we always learn new things from international tournaments and that’s what makes it special.”

The Premier League already has a line-up before each game for the TV cameras but the Club World Cup has made even more of a feature of it as well as using graphics on the big screens after each VAR decision and offside check.

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Despite the criticism and fans staying away from some games, Lavia says Chelsea have enjoyed the tournament so far and they have watched other games from the training base.

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He said: “Even before arriving here, we understood how big this competition was. It’s great to see. We’ve watched some of the other Club World Cup games on TV as well. We’re happy to be here. They are all great games and at a good level. And I think every team has got different qualities because they’re coming from a different environment. So it’s nice to watch because you don’t get to see all these teams often.”

Players have walked out of the tunnel to huge introductions during the Club World Cup

Lavia has been plagued by injury since his arrival at Chelsea and played for 45 minutes in Atlanta in their 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC before being subbed which was pre-arranged. He is set to start against Flamengo on Friday.

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However, after a stop-start time at Chelsea, he believes he is finally ready for lift-off two years after joining the club in a £53m move from Southampton. And he believes the Club World Cup is good for building up team understanding.

Lavia added: “It’s what is needed for the club of this level, so it’s all healthy. We all have great connections together. It’s just about doing our best every day, and then the manager must decide who he wants to pick, but all the players are going to be ready. I feel very good, confident in my body and in what we can achieve as a team as well. I think that’s what we are all working towards. I am not thinking too far ahead.

“It’s just about taking each game as it comes and then doing everything possible to stay fit, and playing as many games as possible. I think the biggest ‘credit’ a footballer can have is to be available. It’s definitely something I’m aware of. So I do everything possible to stay fit. Honestly, all the injuries I have had before, I just want to put them behind me and look forward to the future feeling good.”

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The Blues beat Los Angeles FC 2-0 in their Group D opener at the 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in a fixture watched by a crowd of just 22,137 on Monday afternoon as a debate over the level of interest in FIFA’s new-look competition raged on.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, Maresca, said: “I think the environment was a bit strange, the stadium was almost empty, not full.

A crowd of only 22,137 watched Chelsea’s opener (Mike Stewart/AP)

“We are professional and we have to adapt to the situation, to the environment. You have to adapt when you play with a full stadium. You have to adapt when the stadium is not full, but it doesn’t matter.”

Asked about the poor attendance, opposite number Steve Cherundolo was diplomatic.

The LAFC boss said: “I think it is different each game you look at. In the Rose Bowl in LA, there was a huge crowd for the game between PSG and Atletico Madrid. Maybe LA likes football more than Atlanta? I don’t know, we should judge at the end.”

Maresca was nevertheless pleased with Chelsea’s performance, but was already looking towards Friday’s clash with Flamengo in Philadelphia.

Pedro Neto broke the deadlock in the 34th minute to give the Premier League side a deserved lead at the interval, and they wrapped up victory in the 79th minute when summer signing Liam Delap crossed for fellow substitute Enzo Fernandez to tap in from close range.

Maresca praised debutant Delap and quickly switched his attention to the fixture against Brazilian outfit Flamengo.

He said on Channel 5: “Very good result. At this stage of the season it is also normal that you have to manage different kinds of things. Overall the performance has been good.

“We have to recover. We have a game in three days so we will see. We are going to prepare in the best way and for sure try to win.

“The good thing about Liam is he knows the way we want to play so the process is quite quick. Also we gave a chance to Dario Essugo which is another player we have, so it’s good for both of them.”

Liam Delap (left) claimed an assist for Chelsea’s second goal (Brynn Anderson/AP)

Delap signed from Ipswich for £30million 12 days ago and it took him just 15 minutes to register his first goal contribution.

The 22-year-old said: “It’s a really happy feeling for me. I’m so excited to be here and to play my first game, and be able to contribute is a good feeling.

“The team have welcomed me really well. I have only had a few sessions here but I am excited for more.

“It is good to help the team but I want to score some as well.

“It is always good to have competition, this is football. It is an incredible club and it is always going to be incredibly hard but you have to thrive off the competition.”

Lionesses legends inspiring next generation of women in sport media

The former England stars Karen Carney and Ellen White turned prime-time pundits offered words of wisdom to 12 graduates from Pixel FC Academy on breaking through in the media landscape

Developed in partnership with women’s sports experts The Powerhouse Project, the five-month Academy programme has featured workshops on every aspect of modern sports media

Lionesses legends Karen Carney and Ellen White surprised a group of young women aspiring to break into the football media industry, by delivering an inspiring speech at their graduation ceremony.

The former England stars turned prime-time pundits offered words of wisdom to 12 graduates from Pixel FC Academy – a landmark programme delivered by Google Pixel, supported by Arsenal, Liverpool and The FA to provide ambitious female creators with the opportunities, training and inspiration to break into the business.

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Developed in partnership with women’s sports experts The Powerhouse Project, the five-month Academy programme has featured workshops on every aspect of modern sports media, from TV punditry, production and written press, to creating viral social content.

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The programme, available to women aged 18+, began in January, following research by YouGov which revealed that 70% of female sports fans aged 16-24 believe sports media is a male dominated industry, with 63% stating that they would be more likely to apply if they saw a greater number of women in prominent roles.

Since beginning in January, Pixel FC Academy members have produced 120 social media posts of their experiences, with 1.6 million views in total, contributing to an average personal follower uplift of 145% on TikTok and 33% on Instagram.

Lionesses legends inspire next generation of women in sports media at Pixel FC Academy graduation

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Rosie and Mollie Kmita, The Powerhouse Project founders said: “It’s been a privilege to work with such a talented group of young women and give them a platform to showcase their skills. The programme has provided them with unique experiences across sports media and content creation opportunities with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool FC and the FA, so it’s amazing to see them utilise Pixel’s AI tools and camera capabilities to produce such high quality material.

“We’re so proud and can’t wait to see what they do in the future.”

White said: “I’ve loved seeing all the incredible work as well as hearing about the positive impact Pixel FC Academy has had on the graduates and it’s provided crucial industry experience which will set them up brilliantly for their future careers. The girls are incredibly talented, so they should believe in themselves and they’ll succeed.”

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Since beginning in January, Pixel FC Academy members have produced 120 social media posts of their experiences

Carney said: “The growth in women’s football has been amazing to see over the past few years and it’s great to see the drive to do more in the game. I love the work Pixel FC Academy is doing, empowering more women to enter the industry.”

“My message to girls watching, who want to get into the sports media industry would be to go for it. You can see the impact that programmes like this can have and the support is now there to help you achieve your dreams.”

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Hannah Baptiste, Pixel FC Academy graduate said: “Pixel FC Academy has broken down barriers and given me a unique opportunity to explore new areas of sports media, where I’ve been able to learn in a safe environment with an amazing group of girls.

“The support we’ve received from the women’s football community has been brilliant and for two legends of the game like Karen Carney and Ellen White to speak at our graduation is truly inspiring.”

For more information about Pixel FC Academy, visit: https://www.thepowerhouseproject.co.uk/pixelfcacademy

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