BOARD MEMBERS

Grahame Lyner

Chair of the Lincolnshire Football Association

Grahame has been actively involved in the administration of Association Football for 60 years, beginning at the age of 16 when he was Club Secretary of a Saturday League Club. In 1967 Grahame was elected onto the Management Committee of The Gainsborough Saturday League, becoming its Chairman in 1980 and was a founder Member of The Gainsborough Sunday League in 1972 elected as Vice Chairman, becoming Chairman in 1976 to the present day. He was a founder member and elected Chair of The Gainsborough Youth League in 1978 serving for 40 years.
 
In 1980 Grahame was elected to The Lincolnshire Football Association (LFA) as Area Delegate for Gainsborough and in 2000 Grahame was appointed Football Development Officer for the LFA, a post he held until 2005. During this period, he founded the Lincolnshire County Women’s League and was the League’s Chairman until 2013. In 2001 Grahame was awarded The Lincolnshire Football Association Meritorious Award for his 40 years of dedication. In July 2010 Grahame was elected Chairman of The Lincolnshire County Football Association. In his time as Chair, Grahame has proactively guided the organisation, including being involved in its incorporation and the re-writing of the Association’s Articles and in June 2011 Grahame received The Football Association Long Service Award and Gold Medal for 50 years’ service to football.

Away from football administration Grahame was an Association Football Referee for 36 years beginning in 1969.  He progressed from local leagues to the Football League Panel of Referees and Linesmen. He refereed Youth International fixtures (one at Wembley), the FA County Youth Challenge Cup Final, the Women’s Cup Semi-Final and the National U16’s Cup Final, among others.  He was also a Linesman in the Women’s Cup Final, the FA Challenge Trophy Semi-Final and the FA Vase Final, again at Wembley.

Shan Jaehrig

Shan is Vice-Chair of the Lincolnshire FA and, as a Director, has responsibility for Organisational Development.

Shan is a Partner in the local law firm Sills & Betteridge, specialising in employment and data protection. Shan advises local, national and international clients on all aspects of employment law, including discrimination and compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

Shan was a child protection lawyer at Lincolnshire County Council for 12 years in which capacity she sat on the local Safeguarding Board, advised independent enquiries into serious cases involving child abuse and implemented joint training with the Lincolnshire Police Force in relation to child online exploitation.

Shan is the Lincolnshire Football Association’s representative on the FA Council where she sits on its Judicial Panel and is also a committee member of the Disability Football Committee.

Shan is a Governor at Queen Elizabeth High School in Gainsborough and she is also a Trustee of the Disability Network West Lindsey.

Leanne Mayo

Leanne is the Director responsible for safeguarding.

She is the Chief Executive and a Board Director at Scunthorpe United Football Club, and also the senior safeguarding lead for Scunthorpe United FC.

Leanne’s background is in finance, with extensive experience as a qualified accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser in accountancy and audit practice, manufacturing and banking. She has worked in elite sport since 2010.

Mark Pover

Mark is the Director with remit for development.

Mark has over 30 years in sports and leisure management with a genuine enthusiasm for sport and a belief in its ability to break down barriers and strengthen communities. Mark played football in a semi-professional capacity and also coached football at Huddersfield Town and Leeds United. Mark was the England Deaf Team Manager and still enjoys playing football being a regular participant in the Lincolnshire walking football league.  

Mark is a Director of the Northern Premier League and worked for the Football Association for 17 years as the National Facilities & Investment Manager delivering over £1B of capital projects via the Football Foundation. This investment included schools, football clubs and local authority sites that have since benefitted millions of people. Mark also procured and delivered frameworks for 3G pitches (£150M), grass pitches (£10M) and modular buildings (£20M) and was also part of the FIFA technical advisory group. 

Jennie Pilsworth

Jennie is the Director with the remit for Inclusion.

Jennie is originally from Cambridge where she grew up, went to school and university studying education before moving to Lincolnshire to take up a teaching role in 1975. Her teaching career continued for over 30 years. Having a passion for developing and supporting young people, Jennie continued in this field and took up a volunteer governor role at a large secondary school in Gainsborough where she is still actively involved as Chair of standards. 

Liam Scully

Liam is the Director with the responsibility for development.

Liam has more than 20 years of experience working in football and communities, having started his career via an apprenticeship and working his way up to become chief executive of Lincoln City.

He is responsible for the day to day running of the Imps on behalf of the fans, directors and investors, including heading up a seven-man senior management team, and  more than 150 employees. He joined Lincoln City in the summer of 2017 as they returned to the EFL, helping guide the club to a further promotion to League One where they reached the 2020-21 play-off final.

Prior to joining Lincoln, Liam spent 16 years in various roles at Doncaster Rovers and the wider Club Doncaster group - starting as an apprentice funded by the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) and graduating to a spell as Foundation chief executive then chief operating officer of Club Doncaster.

Liam also holds voluntary offices including chair of the English Football League Trust (EFLT),  trustee of Lincoln City Foundation, along with ambassador roles at the Asian Sports Foundation and XP Free School Trust. 
 
Liam is married to Jenna, who also has a distinguished career within sport and education. They have two children, Arthur and Jonah. His interests include football, golf, motorsport and spending time with his family. He and Jenna share a passion for historic properties and enjoy travelling both within the UK and further afield.

Nick Vessey

Nick is the Association's Finance Director.

Nick was born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire and still resides there with his wife and three children. He has been involved in the grassroots game of football for many years through his son who has played in various leagues and tournaments across Lincolnshire and he is now looking forward to working with the Lincolnshire FA to continue their great work in developing and growing the game in our communities throughout the county. In addition to football, Nick enjoys motorsports and is an avid Superbike and MotoGP fan. 

Nick is a qualified accountant, a member of the Institute of Leadership and Management and the Institute of Directors with more than 25 years financial experience across multiple sectors. In his professional career as Chief Financial Officer and Group Finance Director, he has worked with businesses and their Boards to develop and implement financial controls, advise on strategic direction setting and the execution of strategic plans and to develop robust business plans and monitor performance against them and it is these skills which he will bring to the Lincolnshire FA to compliment the Board and to support its long term planning, sustainability and growth through the achievement of its five-year strategy.

Tony Reynolds

Tony is the Director with remit of Commercial growth

Tony has built a 30-year career in Financial Services, with the last two decades as a Senior Director in Corporate and Commercial Banking for a major UK Bank. He brings extensive Commercial knowledge and experience to the Board to support growth and prosperity of the association. Despite working across the UK and based in London for a number of years, Tony has always maintained his home and family in Lincoln, where he was born and spent his childhood. In 2021, he decided to step away from his corporate career to focus on using these skills to add value to businesses and organisations in Lincolnshire, most recently working with Lincolnshire County Council on inward investment.

An avid Lincoln City supporter and season ticket holder, his love for the game started as a youngster watching Lincoln City with his father in the 1970s. Additionally, having spent many Sundays watching his children play local football from under 6 to under to under 15, he has seen for himself the excellent work and guidance young people experience from parents and volunteers involved in playing grassroots football. 

Tony says having the opportunity to put something back into the community, which contributes to the health and wellbeing of Lincolnshire people, is compelling and looks forward to contributing to making a difference.

Michelle Sacks

Michelle is the Director with the remit for Partnerships and Engagement.

Michelle is Deputy Chief Executive (Growth) for the newly formed partnership between Boston Borough Council, East Lindsey District Council and South Holland District Council and has responsibility for growth which includes place, infrastructure, economic growth and transport. Michelle is also the lead chief officer on the Town Deal and Levelling Up Funds and wider funding streams across the three authorities. Michelle works with a wide range of strategic partners to unlock the potential of the area covered by the partnership, with particular emphasis on skills, health and inward investment. 

On a personal note, Michelle is an avid West Ham supporter and a passionate football Mum, happily spending her Sundays supporting her son in all weathers on the sideline.