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FPA Guests v Exeter
The FPA can announce that the guests attending the Exeter game this Saturday are John Kennedy and Lee Beevers, with John hosting. Tony Cunningham will also be attending.
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#hergametoo
Ref Imps Community Trust help with Her Game Too initiative at the game against Bristol Rovers – especially if rain came along! The Trust were also delighted to have donated to Her Game Too costs.
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FPA Guests for Bristol Rovers
thanks to Donald Nannestad
The FPA host for Saturday’s game against Bristol Rovers is Gavin Gordon and the guests are George Shipley, Phil Neale and Tony Cunningham. Details are here:
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 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
George Shipley
George Shipley was a midfield player who made over 250 first team appearances for City after signing from Southampton in January 1980 for a club record fee reported as £38,000. He immediately became a regular in the team and in his first full season City won promotion from the Fourth Division finishing in second place to Southend United. That led on to the memorable 1981-82 campaign when City narrowly missed out on promotion to the old Division Two (now the Championship). City played at Fulham in their final game of the season with both teams in with a chance of promotion. The Imps needed to win to go up but Fulham were up if they avoided defeat – the game finished 1-1 so Fulham were promoted. George played in all but three games that season and finished as joint top scorer with 11 League goals. He stayed at Sincil Bank until the summer of 1985 and later played for Charlton Athletic and Gillingham. He made a brief reappearance for City in a pre-season game in August 1989.
Lincoln City record:
Football League: 229 appearances + 1 appearance as sub, 42 goals
FA Cup: 9 appearances, 1 goal
Football League Cup: 22 appearances, 8 goals
Other Cups: 13 appearances, 1 goal
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
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 when he was up against the former England defender Norman Hunter. Tony had too much pace and power for the ex England man 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
Rob's Column
Rob’s Column March 2025
Some of us might remember Monty Python’s Flying Circus’s eccentric Mr Gumby in short trousers and a tank top with a knotted handkerchief on his head, seeking help from his doctor. ‘My brain hurts!’ he exclaims. If you’re not old enough then Google him, because he’s pretty funny. Ever since that classic episode was aired this phrase has been in humorous use to declare that a particular experience is getting all too much.
You’d forgive Imps fans if they used the same catchphrase. Around 1400 supporters populated the away end at Field Mill last midweek and saw the team triumph 3-0 over Mansfield Town. The team battled away admirably, Sam Clucas scored direct from a corner, and it was magnificent. Then four days later and back on home soil, with expectations high again that we might get a run going, we succumbed to lowly Burton Albion. We played poorly and when a disappointing goalless draw looked likely, we conceded a sucker punch late goal and didn’t even get that.
After a good start to the season we seem to keep following good stuff with poor stuff, and fans can’t understand it. We were delighted to see rivals Peterborough United get hammered 5-1 and then soon after Blackpool come calling and go back to Lancashire with all three points. After beating Reading well we present ex-Imp Gareth Ainsworth and his struggling Shrewsbury Town team with a welcome win in a frankly toothless display.
Different starting elevens each game, mystifyingly substitutions, and players going out on loan who might have done a good job for us, have all occupied some supporters’ thoughts in the last few weeks. Whether I agree these concerns – I don’t entirely for the record – they get voiced to Trust colleagues and I in the pre-match Fan Village and in the ground.
The bottom line is that we all care. We want the staff and players to do well, and we know they have the qualities to do so. We’re not relegation fodder, and the highs and lows mean that we’re capable of those highs – we just need more of them.
Hopefully we won’t use Mr Gumby’s words too often as the season reaches its denouement, we get the blend right, and we get some luck. A run of wins and draws would do us the world of good and here’s hoping that’s what we see.
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Double POTM Awards Presentation
Before the Crawley game, new Red Imps Community Trust social media officer Tamyra Beeston gave out awards to Ethan Erhahon for his Player of the Month performances for January and team captain Paudie O’Connor for his performances in February.
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Trust Raise More Funds for Foundation
Trust Supporter Director Phil Scrafton presents Alice Carter with £125.00 raised by our recent Fan Village tombola, part of our continuing support of Lincoln City Foundation.
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Player of the Month for February – Vote Now!
This poll is no longer accepting votes
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Book Signing Success
Before the Cambridge game we were joined by Jimmy Walker, ex goalkeeping coach of the club signing his new book Size is Everything. Thanks Jimmy!
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Golf Day at Blankney
Matt Carmichael is organising the 2025 Golf Day on Friday 11th April at Blankney Golf Club.
It promises to be an excellent day on one of Lincolnshire’s best courses.
Blankney Golf Club
Blankness
Lincolnshire
LN4 3AZ
Date: Friday April 11th 2025
Time: 0900 – 1200 Tee Times
Cost: £35 non members
£20 Members
Format
3 players and a Former Lincoln City player
2 best scores plus all of the Former players score.
Or 4 players if you want a 4Ball.
Raffle
Various prizes with a couple of very unique prizes.
Special raffle just for attendees.
Afterwards:
17:00-1900
A simple Q&A with former players talking all things football.
Matt would welcome any help with obtaining sponsors for the event or for each hole.
Please get in touch with him to register your place or obtain any other information you need on
maccer5@sky.com