FPA Guests V Doncaster Rovers Updated

with thanks to Donald Nannestad

Gavin Gordon
Gavin Gordon was a striker who made his senior debut for Hull City just two months after his 16th birthday and went on to make regular first team appearances for the Tigers before he was sold to the Imps in November 1997 when he was still just 18 years old. In his first season he helped City win promotion and was a first team regular. In 2000-01 he scored 10 goals by early December and was the sold to Cardiff City for a six-figure fee. He later played for Notts County. Gavin is chairman of the Former Players Association.
Debut vs Swansea City, away 8 November 1997
Lincoln City Record
Football League: 87 appearances plus 12 as substitute, 28 goals
FA Cup: 9 appearances, 2 goals
Football League Cup: 2 appearances, 1 goal
Other: 4 appearances plus 1 as substitute

Roger Holmes
Roger Holmes signed amateur forms for the Imps in May 1958 when he was just 15 years old having previously been playing for Limestone Rangers in the Gainsborough League. Roger made his reserve team debut four days after his 16th birthday and in September 1959 signed as a professional having already broken into the first team who were then playing in the Second Division (now the Championship). Roger was a skilful player who appeared in several different positions including winger, inside-forward and right half and made over 300 first team appearances for City. He featured in every game of the Football League Cup run in 1967-68 when the Imps reached the fourth round and finished the season as leading scorer with 14 league goals plus another three in the League Cup. The following season he suffered a serious injury in the home game against York City which put him out of action for a lengthy period. Roger played his final game for the Imps in a 3-2 home win against Peterborough in October 1971. He is involved in our Former Players Association as a committee member.

Debut vs Brighton, away 18 April 1960

Lincoln City Record 

Football League:  276 appearances plus 2 as substitute, 36 goals

FA Cup:  13 appearances, 1 goal

Football League Cup: 16 appearances, 3 goals

Tony Cunningham

Tony Cunningham was a powerful striker who was brought to Lincoln by Colin Murphy from non-league club Stourbridge in May 1979. He made an instant impact on his debut in a League Cup tie against Barnsley and marked his first City game with a goal. Tony remained a regular first team player during his three full seasons at Sincil Bank and finished as leading scorer with 15 league and cup goals in 1981-82 when the Imps narrowly missed out on promotion to second tier football. He was sold to Barnsley in September 1982 and and made 40 League appearances for the Reds scoring 11 goals before joining Sheffield Wednesday in November 1983. Tony later played for clubs including Manchester City and Newcastle United making a total of almost 500 senior appearances before ending his career with Wycombe Wanderers. One of his sons Karl later also played for the Imps. 

Debut vs Barnsley, home (Football League Cup) 11 August 1979

Lincoln City Record:

Football League: 111 appearances plus 12 as substitute, 32 goals

FA Cup: 5 appearances plus 1 as substitute

Football League Cup: 13 appearances, 8 goals

Other Games: 6 appearances, 2 goals

Phil Neale

Phil Neale was a member of the Imps hugely successful 1975-76 team and went on to make over 350 first team appearances during his 11 seasons with the Imps. Phil was first signed as an amateur while he was studying at Leeds University making his first team debut in January 1975. He signed professional forms for City later the same year and from then onwards he was a regularly in the first team defence before leaving Sincil Bank in May 1985. Phil combined his football with a career as a cricketer. He briefly played for Lincolnshire in the Minor Counties Championship before joining Worcestershire. He made over 350 first class appearances scoring over 17,000 runs for Worcestershire and twice captained the team to the County Championship. He was team manager of Northamptonshire and then Warwickshire before being the England team operations manager for 21 years until his retirement. He was awarded the OBE in 2006 for services to cricket.

Debut vs Swindon Town, away (FA Cup), 4 January 1975 as substitute

Lincoln City Record:

Football League: 327 appearances plus 8 as substitute, 22 goals

FA Cup: 16 appearances plus 2 as substitute

Football League Cup: 11 appearances plus 1 as substitute

Other Games: 4 appearances

Chris Moyses

Chris Moyses was a full-back who made his first senior appearances for City as a 16 year old when he played in three Football  League Trophy games in August 1982. Chris, who was born and bred in Lincoln,  initially joined the Imps under the Youth Opportunities Programme and progressed to becoming an apprentice and then signed as a professional. He made his Football League debut at Millwall in May 1984 and featured in the following three games only to be released at the end of that season. Chris went on to play for Halifax and was later at clubs including Grantham, Spalding, King’s Lynn and Bourne. He returned to the Imps in May 2011 when he became involved in the youth team. In November 2014 Chris became caretaker manager and the following month took over as manager. He began the rebuilding of the team before leaving his role in May 2016 having signed several of the players who earned promotion back to the Football League the following season.