New route and free parking set for Lincoln City bus parade

The Lincoln City FC open-top bus celebration tour has been extended by organisers, with the addition of free parking during the event.

The tour will give all fans the opportunity to celebrate the club’s fantastic success in the 2016/17 season, with players and staff taking part.

Organisers at City of Lincoln Council have now extended the route and are also offering free parking at all council car parks, as well as on the South Common, and St Marks Shopping Centre.

The bus will no longer be stopping at any points on the route, but instead completing a loop of the city.

The route

The new three-mile route starts at 6.30pm on May 2, with an open-top bus leaving Sincil Bank before going down lower High Street, onto Wigford Way, along Newland, over University Bridge, onto Tritton Road, down Dixon Street and then back onto the High Street and onwards to the football ground.

The new route for the bus parade

The South Common will be opened up to fans, with the opportunity to park there for free from 4pm on May 2.

In addition to this, the city council will make all of its weekday car parks in the city free to use from 4pm onwards on the day of the event.

Fans are encouraged to line the route and show their appreciation for a magnificent season for The Imps which saw them promoted from the National League as champions, as well as making history by becoming the first non-league club in more than a century to reach the final eight of the F.A Cup.

Angela Andrews, Chief Executive of City of Lincoln Council, said: “It’s clear from social media that there is a huge appetite from fans of the club wanting to come along and show their appreciation for the journey the club has taken them on this year.

“We obviously need the event to be as safe as possible so, with such huge support in mind, we have decided to extend the route and not restrict viewing to a relatively small area of the High Street.

“We want as many people to come along to the event as possible. We are proud of the team and proud of our city so we want people to come along and show their support for the club but also spend some time in the city, perhaps visit shops and restaurants and make a real evening of it.”

Details of the city council car parks offering free parking from 4pm on the day of the event can be found online here.

People can also get involved in the action on social media by using #ImpsParade.

The city council has also shared the following event guidelines:

• If you are attending the event, please allow as much time as possible to get into the city
• It is essential that visitors to the event keep on the correct side of any safety barriers, and follow the instructions of both the police and the stewards to ensure this is a safe event
• No roads will be closed for this event, so can all supporters please ensure they remain on the pavements
• The route is a ‘loop’ and the bus will not be stopping
• Although fans can view the event across the whole route, some great areas to view the parade include High Street between Tentercroft Street and Wigford Way; Tritton Road and Dixon Street
  Although the parade starts and finishes at South Park Avenue there will be no access to Sincil Bank football stadium
• If you are not attending the event, be aware there is likely to be severe traffic congestion in the city this evening. Please avoid the city centre if at all possible during this event
• If you work in the city but are not intending to stay for the event, please leave at you earliest convenience to avoid getting caught in traffic