Lincoln Moorlands Railway

Lincoln Moorlands Railway FC is a non-league football club located in the Boultham Park district of the city of Lincoln. The club is a result of a merger in 2007 between Lincoln Moorlands FC and Lincoln Railway FC.

Moorlands began life in 1989, based at the current site at the Moorlands Sports and Social Club on Newark Road on the outskirts of the city. They initially became members of the Central Midlands League where they were placed in its Premier Division.

The competition was restructured for the 1991-92 campaign with Moorlands playing in Premier Division North. They left after that campaign to join the Lincolnshire League before returning to their previous surroundings.

The team won promotion to the Supreme Division in 1998-99 in their first season back in the Central Midlands League. A runners-up spot in 2000-01 saw the club move up to Division One of the Northern Counties East League, from where they were promoted to the Premier Division in 2006-07. 

The merger with Railway saw an attempt to increase their potential and strengthen the club. The side consolidated in the higher level of football, and retained their status until they were relegated to Division One in 2013-14.

The 2015-16 season was one of turbulence, under manager Tom Richardson who took over the reins from Mick Fairweather, which Moorlands Railway failed to complete. Their record was expunged, and the club returned to the Lincolnshire League. 

After finishing fourth, the team managed by Paul Martin and Stu Ward rejoined the central Midlands League, ending again in fourth in the North Division prior to returning once again to the Lincolnshire League, where they were crowned as champions in 2018-19.

The following two seasons were aborted owing to the Covid-19 pandemic before the team returned to action and finished third in 2021-22, which was backed up in 2022-23 with a seventh-place finish.

Lincoln Moorlands Railway FC will play in the Lincolnshire League in the 2023-24 season. 

My visits

Lincoln Moorlands Railway 3 Scarborough Athletic 1 (Saturday 22nd August 2009) NCEL Premier Division (att: 180)

I took the train north on a very pleasant day, knowing that I would be at The Oval twenty-four hours later hoping England would beat Australia in the Ashes. I walked to the game after visiting the venues of Lincoln City FC and Lincoln United FC and taking a very long route in the process.

I had stopped off for a couple of cracking pints of Batemans in the Wagon and Horses pub and a fish lunch from the chippy opposite while listening to Test Match Special on the radio. I arrived in good time in the excellent clubhouse where I was sold my programme. 

The clubhouse had three decently sized rooms each showing the Test Match while the bar had a choice of real ales. The ground also looked good. I entered the venue in a corner behind the goal. This end was made up of flat open grass apart from the path which led all the way around the pitch.

It also contained the changing rooms, boardroom and catering facilities. Down the near touchline was a combination of grass and concrete open standing with a neat wooden stand containing seating. The far end was also open where the far side of the pitch had a modern construction with tip up seats, the dug outs and a small cover with a couple steps of terracing.

The match itself was thoroughly entertaining, at least if neutral. LMR went ahead when the Boro keeper Bramley committed a professional foul outside the area. The resulting free kick was saved by stand in keeper Dave Kemp but followed in.

Kemp did alright throughout to say he was a defender by choice. Boro dominated the game but couldn't score while LMR went up to the other end, got through the depleted defence and scored to go in two nil up at the interval. Boro carried on putting on pressure in the second half in an open game and pulled a goal back through Mark Griffin.

They carried on pushing forward in search of an equaliser while LMR threatened on the break. They eventually did seal the game in the last minute while many of the players had stopped as Boro's captain, Graham Botham was lying prostrate with a head injury.

I walked around the corner and caught a bus into the city centre before eventually finding a Walkabout pub which was showing the Test before taking the train home. Apart from the disappointing result it had been an excellent day out. I'd certainly visit the city and the club again.

Lincoln Moorlands Railway 0 Scarborough Athletic 4 (Saturday 10th September 2011) NCEL Premier Division (att: 172)

The madness of a loyal supporter. My team Scarborough Athletic had endured a poor start to the season and the board who I listed among my friends were taking a lot of online stick. I decided to request an unpaid day off work and take the train to get behind them.

I had been to the Hampstead CC awards the evening before this fixture, and I then had to do a night shift on my return, so all in all the circumstances were not ideal. However, I was determined to return to such a pleasant venue, so I headed to Lincoln by train and arrived at around 1.15.

I had considered finding somewhere to eat in the city centre and then catching a bus to the ground. Instead, I decided to take the hours walk with it being such a nice day. I passed some Lincoln City fans heading to their home game and grabbed a pie and chips to eat on my way.

I had time for a pint at the clubhouse before catching up with fellow Boro fans who sat out in the beer garden. Boro needed a win and steady performance after an indifferent start to the season, particularly the defence.

The nerves were settled after six minutes when Joe Naylor scored with a superb long range half volley after six minutes. Railway had opportunities of their own as we gasped a collective sigh of relief. The game followed a similar pattern in the second half, with poor finishing from the home side and frustrations for Boro going forward.

Substitute Curtis Bernard doubled the lead when he followed up a spilt shot. Ant Lynam put away a majestic header from a Frank Belt cross and then Bernard immediately made it four after capitalising on a defensive error to neatly slot home.

At full time I was kindly given a lift to Lincoln station by Trevor, so that I could make the train to Newark. I had quite a wait in the market town, but I used the time sensibly by having a meal and a look around what turned out to be quite a nice place.

I was pleased when my night shift finished the following morning!

Lincoln Moorlands Railway 0 Scarborough Athletic 10 (Saturday 15th September 2012) NCEL Premier Division (att: 140)

My dad had been down to London to visit me for the week, and we had enjoyed some football, cricket, exercise and many drinks along the way. Because of the necessity of having to book train tickets early to get proper value, I had booked to travel back to York with Dad prior to the confirmed fixture list being announced.

This was fine as the schedule initially had Boro down to play at home against Long Eaton. However, the league had decided to change that to a visit to Lincoln. It was too late to change my ticket, but fortunately Boro director and friend Nick Finch offered me a lift to the game from York, where he resided.

Also on board was Stu Fairbridge, a tremendous Boro fan who travelled to every game from Middlesbrough. I was in good company. The ride saw us needing to pay a toll charge of 38p to get over a bridge that led into Lincolnshire. You wouldn't have thought it was worth the trouble! We had lunch at the takeaway near to the ground and then relaxed with a shandy in the ground’s beer garden.

I was looking forward to the game as Boro had been playing some lovely stuff, and the word was that sooner or later a team would really suffer. Railway had problems of their own. They were denied relegation owing to Handsworth's ground grading issues at the end of the previous season.

The club officials were sorry about that as they wanted to drop down and rebuild. There were even rumours that they may struggle to complete the season, despite the influx of four new signings for this match. Boro started well as a combination of a defender and Ryan Blott finished off a fine run by Robbie Hawkes.

Blott added a second soon after and would have completed a first half hat trick if not for a poor finish. Craig Turner in the Lincoln goal had been applauded off earlier in the season at Queensgate, and the youngster was having another fine game. In fairness he was getting plenty of opportunities to shine!

Hawkes made it three before the interval when he volleyed home a Blott shot that had cannoned off the crossbar. Railway held firm for the first fifteen minutes of the second period before the flood gates opened.

Blott picked up a poor back pass to round the keeper to score. Substitute Tom Claisse fired home after Tony Hackworth had a shot blocked to make it five. Peter Davidson scored a fine solo goal as the home youngsters tired under the non-stop pressure and then Tom Adams back heeled in to make it seven.

Claisse smashed home a superb cross from Paddy Miller, Blott finished a cross and then Miller put away a fine shot to make it double figures. The team received a fine ovation at full time from over a hundred travelling fans. Our car was in a jubilant mood as we headed back to North Yorkshire. Nick kindly dropped us at York station, which gave me just under an hour before my train home.

I took full advantage by patronising the York Tap and sampling some fine ales. All in all, it had rounded off a wonderful week of sport.