Strikers
I originally picked Simon Yeo here, but if I’m being honest with myself he’s got to be relegated to the bench now. I loved Yeo, his goals created so many wonderful moments for me, but is he one of the best two strikers I’ve ever seen wear a Lincoln City shirt? No, I don’t think so. I’m going to pick the one that dates right back to only my second full season as an Imp, Gordon Hobson. Hobson looked class when he returned and although he was perhaps more of a winger, I’d love to stick him through the middle in my team as he did have a cute eye for goal. I remember the hattrick away at Burnley, although I wasn’t actually there, but I do recall him bagging a brace against Exeter and Wrexham in the same season. Injuries certainly didn’t help him during his second spell, but I feel incredibly lucky to have seen him play for the Imps.
My second pick is another player who I saw in red and white at the end of his career; Jamie Forrester. He came to City at what seemed to be the tail end of his career, but for a season or so he proved that what he lacked in pace he made up for in footballing talent. Jamie was a proven goalscorer, a player who only ever needed a glimpse to get a shot away. Perhaps he wouldn’t be the ideal partner for Hobson, but in my eyes, he was one of the best technical strikers I’ve ever seen with the Imps. I know some will be crying out the name of Davide Somma here, but his impact was brief and he did it for ten games. Forrester had more longevity and, over a protracted period of time, he proved himself to be one of the best players I’ve seen in a Lincoln City shirt.
On the bench
Who would I have managing the team? I did originally pick Keith Alexander but as he also served as an assistant I can put him there, with Danny and Nicky as joint managers, which they were. Imagine the three of them getting together and having input, we’d be unstoppable. Player wise the choices are less straightforward? I’m going for one from each position so you’ve got Paul Farman, Paul Smith (the ginger one), Gareth McAuley, Ian Baraclough, David Puttnam, Alex Woodyard, Gary Taylor-Fletcher (who we’ll stick out wide for the purpose of this blog) and Simon Yeo. Oh, and Matt Rhead.
Can I have nine subs? Yeah, I can. It’s my blog.
What do you think of these picks? Anyone I’ve missed? Ben and I will be talking through our picks on the podcast we’re recording tomorrow evening, so get your comments in via the form below.
great team choice, i’d have stuck huckerby in as a 10th sub given that he spent so long in top two divisions during his career
Most of the players in my own Best Xl would date from before the late 1980s but I wouldn’t argue against Eardley or Ainsworth, and I think if Harry Toffolo had played for a bit longer at our present level he might have been challenging Phil Neale for the left back slot. Of your Xl I’d have put Bostwick at centre half, but I saw very little of Paul Morgan so can’t really judge.
Lincoln playing at their highest level for years. Toffolo being the stand out player this season… if you are genuinely picking a best side rather than a sentimental or favorite side id argue he should have been a shoe-in. Regardless an interesting read.. cheers.
Unfortunately I haven’t seen most of those great players myself so I can’t really include them in my team. From players I had the pleasure to see I would choose:
Allsop – Eardley – Raggett Bostwick – Toffolo – Rowe – Morrell Bridcutt – Bruno – Walker Tomlinson.
Bench: Vickers, Habergham, Shackell, Woodyard, Grant, Arnold, Rhead.
Agree with most. But Frecks was a class above for me and has to take Butchers place, who was a good League 2 player for us.
Morgan was superb as was Austin. But McAuley and Toff prob squeeze in too. Morgan suited tbe back 5
You’ve got the numbers wrong. Four should be your holding midfielder & five & six are your centre halves.
In my day the number four was the right half back and six was the left half back. The centre half, or number five, was also known as the pivot.
The setup which includes two holding midfielders is widely known as the double six, which is where I took my numbers. I guess with squad numbers it means little