Lincoln City to revamp Sincil Bank after promotion

Lincoln City are spending almost £10m on the redevelopment of their stadium after securing promotion.

The Imps clinched the League One title in April, meaning the club have returned to the second tier of English football after a 65-year wait.

The refurbishment, which started soon after promotion was secured, includes new hospitality facilities, big screens and improvements to the players' training area.

Jason Futers, City's chief growth and innovation officer, said: "It's an exciting time at the stadium and certainly it's been a busy summer."

The project includes a complete redevelopment of the fan zone, and the ground's capacity will grow to more than 11,000.

Futers said the executive boxes had been replaced with 412 new seats that have an "amazing view" across the pitch.

The upgrade also features a 500-seat conference centre, a banquet suite, a new clubhouse, a community coffee shop, three big screens and pitchside LED lights.

Futers said: "We are on track and absolutely will be ready for the coming season."

After going up, there were questions about whether the Imps would search for a new home.

"Right now, absolutely, we're staying at Sincil Bank," Futers said.

"I think the size of the development and the investment that we're putting into it now is a really strong signal of that."

He added: "As a part of the development, we're absolutely increasing the facilities from a community perspective.

"That's a key part of the values of the club and it's built into everything we do. That absolutely centres around the current stadium."

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, and watch the latest episode of Look North.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices