March 2, 2022 8.45 pm This story is over 24 months old

Iconic Lincoln City FA Cup photo in Royal Mail’s special stamps set

The 2016/17 FA Cup run was special for the Imps
An iconic FA Cup image showing Sean Raggett scoring the winning goal as Lincoln City beat Burnley to become the first non-league side to reach the quarter-final in over 100 years. | Photo: Chris Vaughan/Royal Mail

Lincoln City became the first non-league side in more than a century to reach the FA quarter-final in the 2016/17 season, and an iconic image from their memorable run has been used in a set of stamps to mark the 150th anniversary of the competition.

The Imps club photographer Chris Vaughan captured a photo of Sean Raggett celebrating his goal which helped Lincoln beat Burnley in round five in 2017 under former manager Danny Cowley.

Lincoln also beat Brighton, Ipswich Oldham, Altrincham and Guiseley in their historic cup run before losing to Premier League side Arsenal in the quarter-final.

Royal Mail collaborated closely with the FA, choosing images that celebrate the heritage and tradition of the longest-running, and arguably most famous, domestic football competition in the world. The images made up a set of 10 stamps which was launched by Royal Mail on March 1.

The main set of six stamps celebrate some of the themes which make the competition so prestigious. There is a mixture of colour, and black and white photographs, reliving some of the most famous moments in the FA Cup’s 150-year history.

  • Lifting the Cup – Arsenal players Charlie George and Frank McLintock parading the trophy in 1971
  • Wembley Stadium – Crowds on the pitch at the 1923 Final, which was the first to be held at the original stadium in Wembley
  • A Big Day Out – West Bromwich Albion supporters cheering their team in the 1968 Final
  • Classic Finals – Keith Houchen equalising for Coventry against Tottenham Hotspur in the 1987 Final
  • FA Cup Upsets – Lincoln City beat Burnley 1-0 in 2017 to become the first non-league side in 103 years to reach the quarter-final
  • Royal Patronage – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth presenting the trophy to Sunderland captain Raich Carter in 1937

The main set of six stamps, includes Lincoln pulling off an FA Cup upset to beat Burnley 1-0 in 2017. | Photo: Royal Mail

A further four stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, feature a selection of the competition’s artefacts from the National Football Museum. They were photographed especially for the stamp issue.

The stamps go on general sale from March 8 but they, and a range of collectible products, are available to pre-order online here.

Lincoln City’s club photographer Chris Vaughan said: “It was a bit surreal to discover my image is to be used on the set of stamps, I’ve had photos used in many different places but this is a first for me. It was a complete shock and a lovely surprise!

“It was an honour to be there alongside my dad, Andrew, as part of such a memorable occasion, and it’ll be a proud moment the first time I send or receive something through the post with my image on it.

“There have been some superb images taken by my peers at many FA cup games over the lifespan of the tournament so to have a picture I have taken selected as one of a small handful is a proud moment for me.

“While it’s nice the Imps are receiving this attention, I’m pleased I was able to deliver them an image which is described as iconic.”

Natasha Ayivor, from Royal Mail, said: “The Emirates FA Cup has given the world some of the greatest displays of competition football and these stamps celebrate the magic of those moments. We feel there is no more fitting tribute to its 150th anniversary than this collection of Special Stamps.”