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 16^th 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 and covers Imps games as a match summariser for BBC Radio Lincolnshire.
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

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 goalsOther Games: 6 appearances, 2 goals

Graham Bressington

Graham Bressington was a powerful midfielder who joined City in November 1987 just a couple of weeks after playing against the Imps for today’s visitors Wycombe Wanderers and he was a key figure in City gaining promotion back to the Football League in that season. He established himself as a very effective and popular player going on to make over 100 first team appearances for City and was player of the season in 1990-91. Graham left Sincil Bank in the summer of 1993 and signed for Southend United then managed by Colin Murphy the man who originally signed him for City.

Debut vs Macclesfield Town, home 25 November 1987 (Conference)

Lincoln City Record:

Football League: 136 appearances plus 5 as substitute, 7 goals

Conference: 9 appearances plus 4 as substitute

FA Cup: 6 appearances

Football League Cup: 10 appearances, 2 goals

Other: 13 appearances

Simeon Hodson 

Simeon Hodson was a local lad who played for Lincolnshire Schools before signing for Notts County. He made his senior debut for County in the old First Division just a week after signing professional forms and later played for Charlton. Simeon had a short spell with Lincoln United before joining the Imps in January 1986 and over the next 18 months was a regular at right back. He left Sincil Bank in the summer of 1987 and later played for clubs including Newport County, West Bromwich Albion, Doncaster, Kidderminster and Mansfield. During his time at Kidderminster he played for the England semi-professional representative team.

Debut vs Bury, home 11 January 1986

Lincoln City Record:

Football League: 54 appearances plus 2 as substitute

FA Cup: 1 appearance

Football League Cup: 4 appearances

Football League Trophy: 5 appearances

Richard Cooper

Richard Cooper was a midfield player who began his career with Sheffield United before signing for the Imps in August 1985. He went on to become a regular in his second season with City but left at the end of 1986-87 to join Exeter City. Richard went on to play for clubs including Weymouth and Yeovil Town. He returned to Sincil Bank to run the Imps Grass Roots Football project and then become manager of the Football in the Community scheme. Later he was director of Lincoln’s Girls Centre of Excellence and went on to manage the Lincoln City Ladies team.

Debut vs Walsall, home 26 August 1985

Lincoln City Record:

Football League: 57 appearances plus 4 as substitute, 2 goals

FA Cup: 1 appearance

Football League Cup: 5 appearances

Football League Trophy: 4 appearances

Trevor Swinburne 

Trevor Swinburne began his long goalkeeping career as an apprentice with Sunderland in the late 1960s and finished it with the Imps 20 years later. During his time at Sunderland he was understudy to Jim Montgomery and made several first team appearances before moving on to Carlisle United in the summer of 1977. Trevor made over 250 first team appearances for Carlisle and then played for Brentford and Leeds United before signing for City in February 1986. Trevor made regular appearances for the Imps until retiring in the summer of 1987. He is a past member of the Former Players Association committee and was the Association’s first chairman when it was formed in 2017.Debut vs Blackpool, away 25 February 1986

Lincoln City Record:
Football League: 34 appearances
Football League Cup: 3 appearances 
Football League Trophy: 3 appearances