48 years ago this week, Lincoln City were on the crest of a wave. Division Four had been won by a record points margin, a record technically that can never be beaten.
Whilst we have been critical of the likes of Spurs flying out for a post-season friendly, the Imps did just that 48 years ago. The destination was Gibraltar, and it was both a break for the players and wives but also a chance to test ourselves against some top-flight opposition.
Wolves and Sheffield United were also invited, having spent the season in Division One, albeit finishing third from bottom and bottom, respectively. Blackburn Rovers, 15th in Division Two, were the other side heading out, with the Imps the lowest of the four teams. Originally, Southampton were due to take part; they had just won the FA Cup, which likely changed their priorities, so they dropped out with Blackburn taking their place.
The prize fund for the tournament was £800, around £5,000 accoutning for inflation. The playing surface was artificial, and the tournament certainly didn’t milk the fixtures; it was a straight knockout, with two semi-finals, a final and a third-place play-off, meaning each side would play twice. Matches had to take place at 8 pm to avoid the heat and were played on the same ‘turf’ as Lincoln Red Imps (and everyone else in Gibraltar) currently appears.
City took a strong team, but several players were doubtful. Sam Ellis got late clearance to travel after a family member had mumps, while John Fleming had been ill, dropping 10 lbs in the week before and struggling with mouth ulcers. Ian Branfoot has fluid on the knee, meaning Brendan Guest, Dave Wiggett, and Jimmy Gordon travelled. Despite them being relatively inexperienced, Graham Taylor suggested they may get game time.
Backed by a reported 30 supporters, the Imps were set to face Sheffield United in the first game, finishing bottom of Division One just as they finished bottom of the Premier League this season. Their side included Scotland internationals Jimmy Johnstone and keeper Jim Brown, as well as Tony Currie, making his final appearances for the Blades before a move to Leeds United. The Imps fielded Ellis, Branfoot and Fleming, with the young players nowhere to be seen.
Within 30 minutes of kick-off, the Imps trailed. Alan Woodward smashed a low drive past Grotier from 25 yards, and as expected, the Imps were behind. Not long after, Currie and Johnstone combined to find Chris Guthrie, who added a second, putting City two goals behind. Jimmy Sirrel, Blades manager, had stated it was about time his side won something, and he didn’t expect little Lincoln City to stand in the way. How mistaken he (almost) was.
City utterly dominated the second half, with Big Percy Freeman heading a Booth cross home early in the second period. Four minutes later, Alan Harding weaved through a crowd to score, only for a late flag to rule the goal out. Guthrie cleared a John Ward effort off the line before Booth and Freeman combined again, and another goal came courtesy of the big man’s head. 2-2, and on to penalties.
The first eight were scored before Terry Cooper missed for City; with the game on the line, young Simon Stainrod missed for the Blades. Grotier scored for us, having already stopped one, but Sheff United levelled. With the scores delicately poised, it was Fleming who missed, with Johnstone bagging the winner. City would face the loser of the other tie in the third-placed game.
Before that, Graham Taylor went on local radio where his interview was described as being ‘one of the best’ the station had ever broadcast, impressive,e given Sir Alf Ramsey had previously featured. Wolves beat Blackburn in the other semi-final, meaning an all-First Division final, whilst the two teams from outside the top flight contested the final game. For this tie, Guest, Gordon, Wiggett and Kryzwicki all came into the side, whilst Blackburn featured Gordon Taylor, who was later chair of the PFA for 40 years.
The game was frantic; Percy Freeman gave City the lead, only for future Imp Bobby Mitchell to level. Alan Harding smashed a half-volley in moments after to give the Imps a 2-1 lead, before Dave Wiggett raised a laugh by changing his shorts in the middle of the pitch. Another youngster, Guest, almost gave City a third with a volley, and we deservedly led at half time.
After the break, City took a two-goal lead. Freeman was pulled down in the box and Sam Elis made no mistake from the spot. That’s the way it stayed until 85 minutes, when the Imps were hit by a double whammy. Firstly, Ellis fouled Tim Parkin in the box, with John Waddingham scoring the penalty, and two minutes later, Mitchell scored what Maurice Burton describes as a ‘fine goal’ to level things. Mitchell’s brace means he scored as many goals against the Imps in a post-season friendly as he managed in 44 Football League appearances a decade later.
City went on to penalties, and young Jimmy Gordon saved the first from Mitchell, but it was Gordon who blazed over with the 11th kick to hand Blackburn the tie. Smith, Harding and Ward all also missed for City, who came home undefeated and finished last. In the other game, Wolves thrashed Sheffield United 4-1, with Burton asserting that Lincoln would have ‘run them much closer’ had they reached the final. Graham Taylor was happy with the outcome, suggesting that the Imps had done what was expected of them.
How does this feed into Lincoln Red Imps? Well, one of the City’s party was Reg Brealey, and he was friends with Charles Polson, who had recently become involved in a new team in Gibraltar called the Blue Batons. Brealey agreed to sponsor the team whilst out on the tour, but only on the proviso they were named after the Imps, but not Lincoln City. They settled on Lincoln Red Imps, and whilst they didn’t realise it in 1976, as City left with their heads held high, they also left an indelible mark on the country’s football scene that still resonates today.
They also brought something else home: a fear of penalty shootouts. Just a few months later, it was spot kicks again causing us issues, this time as we went out of the League Cup at the hands of Doncaster Rovers. Still, good news about the Red Imps thing, right?
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