Lincoln City Football Club

On Saturday, we launched our brand new LNER Train of Fame voting period. This gives Imps fans the chance to vote for their favourite Lincoln City hero to feature in our Fan Zone.

Over the next few weeks, we will be releasing player bios of notable Imps legends to help you decide who gets your vote. First up, it's Andy Graver, and you can read more about him and his achievements with Lincoln City FC below.

Andy Graver (1927-2014) 

• The all time Imps record goalscorer with 143 goals in his 274 Football League appearances in three spells at City.
• He initially joined Lincoln from Newcastle United for £5000 in September 1950 – having previously worked in the pits.
• A fast direct skilful centre forward, who was a natural goalscorer.
• He built a very successful partnership at Lincoln with inside right Johnny Garvie.
• Andy scored on his Imps debut against Halifax Town in Division 3 North on 23^rd September 1950.
• He played a major role in the Imps 3^rd North Championship win in the 1951/52 season scoring 36 goals in 35 games.
• One of only two men to score 6 goals in one game for the Imps – against Crewe Alexandra on 29^th September 1951 and it remains the only perfect double hat trick in the Imps history (ie two with the right foot, two with the left foot and two headers).
• Graver was one of only four men to score more than 30 goals in a Football League season for the Imps.
• He was called up to pay for England ‘B’ versus the Netherlands but a cartilage injury denied him an international honour.
• Shares with Johnny Campbell the record of most hat tricks scored for the Imps in the Football League – seven.
• City have only had two hat-trick scorers in the same match on five occasions – one of those was on 3^rd March 1951 versus Accrington Stanley when Andy Graver and Johnny Garvie scored three goals each.
• He retired from professional football at the end of 1960-61 season.
• Andy Graver sadly died in January 2014.

Does Andy Graver get your vote to feature on the LNER Train of Fame? Click HERE to vote. We will feature more Imps' Legends on our website in the coming days.