The FPA guests for Saturday's home game against Mansfield Town are host Gavin Gordon, John Kennedy, Chris Moyses, Dean West and Trevor Swinburne.
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 then sold to Cardiff City for a six-figure fee. He later played for Notts County. Gavin is chairman of the Former Players Association.
Lincoln City record:
Debut: vs Swansea City, away 8 November 1997
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
John Kennedy
John Kennedy made over 250 appearances in goal for City after signing for the Imps in July 1967. John’s career began in his native Northern Ireland with the Distillery club. During his time there he played for the Northern Ireland and Great Britain amateur international teams and for the Irish League representative team.
In 1965 he signed for Celtic where he played most of his football in the reserves before moving to Sincil Bank in the summer of 1967. He was first choice goalkeeper throughout his seven seasons with City and along with his fellow guests George and Roger he was a member of the team which reached the fourth round of the League Cup in 1967-68 - a feat never since bettered. He was the first player to win the Player of the Season award when it started in 1969-70.
John was one of the last part-time players to feature regularly for the Imps, combining his football career with teaching and training during his lunch break. John left Sincil Bank in the summer of 1974 and had a couple of seasons with Lincoln United who then played in the Yorkshire League.
In his first season with United, the club reached the quarter finals of the FA Vase with John in goal and a young Phil Neale playing at centre forward. He is involved with our Former Players Association as a committee member.
Lincoln City record
Debut: vs Aldershot, home 19 August 1967
Football League: 251 appearances
FA Cup: 10 appearances
Football League Cup: 16 appearances
Other: 1 appearance
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.
Lincoln City record
Debut: vs Scunthorpe United (Football League Trophy), away 14 August 1982
Football League: 2 appearances plus 2 as substitute
Football League Trophy: 3 appearances
Dean West
Dean West made his debut for City in the final game of the 1990-91 season while still a trainee and scored in a 6-2 home win over Carlisle.
Soon afterwards, he signed a professional contract and quickly established himself in the first team appearing at right back and in midfield making over 100 appearances for the Imps.
Dean moved to Bury in September 1995 and later played for Burnley completing over 100 first team appearances for both Lancashire clubs.
He briefly returned to City as the start of 2004-05 season and later played clubs including Boston United and King’s Lynn.
Lincoln City record
Debut: vs Carlisle United, home 11 May 1991
Football League: 97 appearances plus 26 as substitute, 20 goals
FA Cup: 6 appearances, 1 goal
Football League Cup: 11 appearances, 1 goal
Football League Trophy: 5 appearances plus 2 as substitute, 1 goal
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 during his six years with the club and was an ever-present in their team which won promotion to the old Second Division in 1981-82.
He then played for Brentford and Leeds United before signing for City in February 1986 as a replacement for Stuart Naylor. Trevor made regular appearances for the Imps until retiring in the summer of 1987.
He was the first chairman of the Lincoln City Former Players Association when it was formed in 2017 and was a key figure in developing the organisation.
Lincoln City record
Debut: vs Blackpool, away 25 February 1986
Football League: 34 appearances
FA Cup: 3 appearances
Football League Cup: 3 appearances
