Lincoln Vulcans head coach Fred Furniss believes the Sports Club of the Year prize is just reward for the hard work that goes on behind the scenes at the county's leading swimming club.

The Vulcans held off competition from Scothern Cricket Club and Greenbank FC to win the Lincolnshire Echo-backed gong at the Lincolnshire Sports Awards.

The award capped an excellent year for the Vulcans. The club have claimed a host of medals at county and regional level, while also providing medalists and finalists at national level.

"We have a committee and a support team that does a lot of work," explained Furniss.

"So in terms of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, this is a just reward for the club.

"The people on the committee are unpaid and give up a lot of their time.

"As a club we've had a good year and this award is the icing on the cake. It's excellent recognition."

Furniss, who joined the club earlier this year replacing Marc Spackman, also praised the club's swimmers for their hard work and dedication.

"Swimming nowadays is a lot more intense than it used to be," he added.

"For 13, 14 and 15-year-old swimmers there are more distractions and other sports to try.

"You have to really dedicate yourself to swimming, otherwise you won't get to the level you want to get to.

"That involves around 20 hours in the pool and three hours of land work a week.

"It's a big commitment and if you don't do the work, you'll fall by the wayside."