3. Ephraim ‘Jock’ Dodds – £207,395
In 1948 we paid £6000 to Everton for 33-year old Jock Dodds. It was an ambitious bit of business by City, reflected in the fact it would be worth £207,395 in today’s money.
Dodds scored 113 goals in 178 matches pre-war for Sheffield United and was capped eight times during war time for Scotland, scoring nine goals. Just before the outbreak of hostilities he moved to Blackpool where he bagged 13 in 15 matches. Hitler put paid to that run though and in 1946 he switched to Everton where the goals kept coming, 36 in 55 games.
After his move to City, Dodds scored 38 goals in 60 outings before retiring in 1950, partly due to his involvement in player procurement for the Colombian league. He tried to recruit players to go to Bogotá, to play in a new league outside FIFA control. He was banned by the Football Association in July 1950 for bringing the game into disrepute but was later cleared.
2. George Shipley – £216,442
In the late 1970s, the moves for Tynan, Thompson, Peake, Cunningham and Bell, the biggest move of them all was for tricky winger George Shipley. We paid a then club-record fee of £45,000 to Southampton, £216,442 by today’s standards.
He went on to play 229 games for City between 1980 and 1985 and became an integral part of Colin Murphy’s wonderful side of that period. Along with Phil Turner and Glenn Cockerill, his skill and guile created endless chances, with him bagging 42 goals in the process.
He teased and taunted full backs, often described as a winger, but by others as attacking midfielder. He twice finished the season as the club’s leading scorer and missed only eight matches in five seasons with City.
When Shipley left Lincoln, he did so for just £15,000 or £43,207. He briefly returned in 1989 without making a competitive appearance.
1. Andy Graver – £349,187
Graver netted 150 goals in almost 300 appearances across three spells with the Imps. He was fast, opportunistic and above all, a natural goal scorer who showed a passion that would be unheard of today. One of his moves, in June 1955, would be worth nearly £350,000 in today’s money.
Bill Anderson brought him to the club from Newcastle United for £3000 in 1950 (just over £97,000 today). He enjoyed immediate success for the Imps scoring on his debut against Halifax and quickly established a fruitful partnership with inside-forward Johnny Garvie. He played a key role in City’s record-breaking 1951/52 campaign scoring 36 goals in 35 League games as the Imps won the Division Three North title. He even earned a call up to the England B side, but injury prevented him from getting international honours.
In December 1954 he was sold to First Division Leicester City for a record fee of £27,500 plus Eric Littler, making the deal worth around £28,000. That figure today would be the equivalent of around £728,000.
The following season Andy returned to Sincil Bank for £14,000 which is still the Imps record signing in real terms at £349,187. Rather ironically, he moved again in November, this time to Stoke City for £12,000 or £299,303. He finally returned to Sincil Bank for two more seasons in 1958, costing £2500 from Boston United, or £55,256, before retiring from football at the end of the 1960/61 season.
In total, Andy Graver brought Lincoln City almost £1.2m of fees by today’s standards and we paid around £500,000 for him. The move that holds our record wasn’t fruitful at all, he played 15 times and scored just four goals. How ironic that perhaps our greatest ever player was actually a big money buy that flopped. I think we can forgive him that.
Jock Dodds gave my late Dad, a lasting momento. Before he was famous played against my Dad in the Highland League or a friendly game in Scotland. Dad in goal for Wick Thistle I think it was. Stopped a block buster from Dadds with one hand, dislocating his pinky finger. Dad was never able to straighten that finger. He met Jock again when he was at City. According to Dad, Jock remembered the incident, and even bought Dad a pint by way of an apology.
Great story
Interesting to think what the total cost of the 1975/76 championship side would be in today’s money. Along with over £16,000 for Grotier, Ian Branfoot cost £7,500, Dennis Leigh – £4,000, Sam Ellis – £7,000, Terry Cooper – £5,000, Dennis Booth – £9,000, Peter Graham – £12,500 and Alan Harding – £7,000 (cash element).
Including Grotier I make that £68,000 – maybe around half a million in today’s money?
Fabulous reading