It is the makings of a pub‑quiz question: what do third‑tier Lincoln City have in common with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt? The answer is rooted in their forward-thinking approach, with the League One side one of a few clubs in the world to have a dedicated innovation arm tasked with maximising potential. There are always ideas bubbling away at the surface, one centring on using plant‑based energy gels, another on adjusting dressing-room lighting to heighten performance.
Lincoln, ambitious and upwardly mobile, are flying high in League One despite a bottom-half budget and host Chelsea in the Carabao Cup third round on the back of a run of one defeat in 12 matches. Reaching the second tier is the next major milestone in sight, a level they have not played at since 1961. Jason Futers, the club’s chief growth and innovation officer, joined last year after a career in risk and technology across a number of startups.
