210513 LNER

The next Lincoln legend to be voted onto the LNER Train of Fame is all time Imps record goalscorer, Andy Graver.

The forward scored 143 goals in 274 Football League appearances for the Imps, spread over three seperate spells.

Andy initially joined Lincoln from Newcastle United for £5000 in September 1950, having previously worked in the pits. 

A fast direct skilful centre forward, Graver was a natural goalscorer who built a very successful partnership at Lincoln with inside right Johnny Garvie. He scored on his Imps debut against Halifax Town in Division 3 North on 23rd September 1950. 

Andy played a major role in the Imps' third North Championship win in the 1951/52 season scoring 36 goals in 35 games.

He is only of only two men to score six goals in one game for the Imps – against Crewe Alexandra on 29th September 1951 and it remains the only perfect double hat trick in the Imps history (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. 

Andy 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 3rd 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.