The FPA guests for Saturday's home game against Port Vale are host Gavin Gordon, Dean West, John Kennedy, Matt Carmichael, Roger Holmes, Trevor Swinburne, Tony Cunningham, Brian Logan, Chris Moyses and Andy Ottewell.
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
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
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 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. 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: One appearance
Matt Carmichael
Matt Carmichael was signed by Colin Murphy in August 1989.
At the time he was planning to join the Met Police after having previously served in the British Army but Colin offered him a professional contract and his career changed track.
He was initially used as a striker and scored on his debut against Scunthorpe United but later converted to centre back.
He was voted the supporters player of the season in 1991-92 and made over 150 first team appearances before moving on to Scunthorpe in July 1993.
Matt later played for Preston, Mansfield, Doncaster and Darlington. Matt is vice chairman of the Former Players Association.
Lincoln City record:
Debut: vs Scunthorpe, home 19 August 1989
Football League: 113 appearances plus 20 as substitute, 18 goals
FA Cup: 4 appearances plus 1 as substitute
Football League Cup: 9 appearances plus 1 as substitute, 1 goal
Other: 7 appearances plus 1 as substitute, 2 goals
Roger Holmes
Roger Holmes signed amateur forms for the Imps in May 1958 when he was just 15-years-old, having previously been playing for Limestone Rangers in the Gainsborough League. Roger made his reserve team debut four days after his 16th birthday and in September 1959 signed as a professional having already broken into the first team who were then playing in the Second Division (now the Championship).
Roger was a skilful player who appeared in several different positions including winger, inside-forward and right half and made over 300 first team appearances for City. He featured in every game of the Football League Cup run in 1967-68 when the Imps reached the fourth round and finished the season as leading scorer with 14 league goals plus another three in the League Cup.
The following season he suffered a serious injury in the home game against York City which put him out of action for a lengthy period. Roger played his final game for the Imps in a 3-2 home win against Peterborough in October 1971. He is involved in our Former Players Association as a committee member.
Lincoln City record:
Debut: vs Brighton, away 18 April 1960
Football League: 276 appearances plus 2 as substitute, 36 goals
FA Cup: 13 appearances, 1 goal
Football League Cup: 16 appearances, 3 goals
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
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.
Lincoln City record
Debut: vs Barnsley, home (Football League Cup) 11 August 1979
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: 6 appearances, 2 goals
Brian Logan
Brian Logan is a former youth team player who joined the Imps as a 15-year-old in 1969 when the club’s then manager Ron Gray was looking to sign and develop young players. Brian left Sincil Bank without appearing in the Football League. He continued playing in local football and was later involved in coaching Lincoln Moorlands. Brian is well-known locally for his involvement with Lincoln Golf Centre which he has owned and run with his family for over 20 years.
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
Andy Ottewell
Andy Ottewell was an apprentice at Sincil Bank between 1971 and 1973 appearing as a striker for the reserves and youth team. He went on to play in the Lincolnshire League for teams including Ruston Sports as well as playing local Sunday League football.
