Inside the Imps with Rob’s Bradley’s book Imposter
Having been elected on to the board of Lincoln City FC twice Rob Bradley is in the unique position to give readers a behind-the-scenes look at how a football club is run.
As he explains his two experiences were very different but both chart the evolution of the Imps and the involvement of fans in the running of the game - ulitmately leading to the Football Governance Bill currently going through Parliament.
Imposter is available from Lindum Books on Bailgate, Waterstones and online through Amazon.
Review By Rob White
Long-standing Imps Season Ticket Holder
“Projected expenditure exceeds forecast income each season”.
The above is a quote from Rob Bradley’s book, Imposter, and it underlines the serious pressure facing many football clubs.
It particularly applies to those in the lower echelons of the English Football League, and the author’s (with management colleagues) somewhat arduous and occasionally highly challenging journey toward establishing club success and stability.
Imposter is a comprehensive account of Rob’s experiences over a lifetime as a Lincoln City (The Imps) fan, and particularly the past 25 years as a Fan Elected Director, Board Member, and Chairman of the club.
These experiences have ranged from the depth-plumbing despair of almost going out of business, to the incredible highs of championships, FA Cup runs, and Wembley appearances.
The book’s cleverly chosen title alludes to the conundrum which faced Rob as a true Imps fan set against his honest self assessment of his ability to deliver a position which might be viewed as “beyond his comfort zone”.
Rob is consistently self-effacing throughout the book in respect of his own perceived status in relation to the lofty Imps management roles he has delivered over a long period, although it soon becomes clear to the reader that he has a wealth of business experience to draw upon to assist.
There are many heart-warming and humorous examples of the “ordinary bloke” in the club chairman role (among others), none more so than the book’s opening passage which sets out Rob’s ‘regular fan reaction’ to a questionable refereeing decision, an aberration which provided a steep learning curve.
Imposter is very neatly structured, based on a full Imps’ season (2023-24), which is presented on a month-by-month basis, highlighting memorable moments which are sure to resonate with Imps fans.
In-between each month’s account the reader is provided with a short profile of a character which Rob considers has positively impacted the club’s fortunes in one way or another over the years – several interesting surprises appear in these sections.
And throughout the whole book the reader is occasionally taken on excursions back in time across 25 years of turbulent difficulties while also recounting many examples of what most Imps fans will remember as extremely special moments.
This book will carry significant appeal to Imps fans everywhere. Potentially its resonance might be greatest among a certain age group (i.e. those such as myself that have been watching the team for a very long time) but younger readers will also enjoy the book, as will football fans in general and even Lincoln residents without a particular passion for football, but with a general local interest in the city.
And, who knows, it might even inspire an interest from potential future community- based club ‘influencers’.