The small football club that conquered England with the help of artificial intelligence

Lincoln City, a third-tier English club, reached the Championship for the first time in 65 years, using AI extensively to analyze set pieces. With one of the lowest budgets in the league, they scored a goal from every 16 corners, compared to a global average of one goal per 33 corners. CEO Liam Scully and sporting director Jez George explain how the models turned set pieces into 'mathematics'. The promotion was achieved with an operating loss of £2 million, significantly lower than the league average.

Lincoln City, a modest club from England's third tier (League One), reached the Championship for the first time in 65 years, a feat attributed to extensive use of artificial intelligence. With one of the lowest budgets in the league (17th largest), the club partnered about two and a half years ago with Chris Howarth, founder of the AI platform Insight Sport, which analyzed a database of over 10 million corners and 10 million free kicks. The result: a goal from every 16 corners, compared to a global average of one goal per 33 corners. CEO Liam Scully told The Telegraph: 'The AI is the golden thread that runs through everything we do.' Sporting director Jez George explained that the models turn set pieces from 'a random gamble into mathematics'. The system also analyzes throw-ins and kick-offs, and dictates recruitment policy, including bringing in players like Ukrainian midfielder Ivan Varfolomieiev. The promotion was achieved with an operating loss of just £2 million, lower than the league average of between £15 and £35 million. The club broke its transfer record by paying about £3 million for defender Andriy Kovich. Scully concluded: 'We developed something that doesn't rely just on muscle – but on brain.'