In recent history, City’s fortunes seemed to turn around in the 2016/17 season.
That’s when the FA Cup run happened, and we sustained a challenge on the top of the table. It’s the time when a generation of Imps fans connected with the club, when even more reconnected. It’s the season that will always be mentioned in a similar breath to 1975/76, the start of an era that was as successful as any that went before.
But, like any era, the foundations were laid before. Graham Taylor’s Imps were excellent, but there’s an argument that an embryonic version of his side started to form under Ron Gray. Gordon Hobson, Mick Harford and Glenn Cockerill all made their debut before Colin Murphy rocked up, while Keith’s side featured players who had been with us for a few seasons, such as Paul Morgan, Peter Gain, Alan Marriott and Mark Bailey.
The same can certainly be said for Danny Cowley’s reign. One only has to look at Chris Moyses’ final Imps XI to understand some of the good work done before the Messiah and his brother turned up on our doorstep, ready to change the world.
Don’t believe me? Here’s the final Chris Moyses XI, pitched against Champions-elect Cheltenham, Town. Many featured in the 2016/17 season, and as a bonus, I’ve included the two subs that got on the field as well.
Paul Farman
Of course, the list starts with a player I firmly believe can be called a Lincoln legend. Paul Farman was always a likable chap, and he’d already been with the club for a while when Chris stepped aside. In fact, he’d been number one, ousted, sent to Boston on loan, returned, and won his place back. Even if he’d left at that point, I’d have respected him,
Instead, he was a lynchpin of our National league winning side, performed heroics against Arsenal in the FA Cup and then represented us in the league. His dream was always to play in the Football League, and he kept that dream alive after leaving City in 2018. He played in the EFL 68 times for Stevenage, 42 times for Carlisle, and most recently, 133 times for Barrow.
Bradley Wood
I still shake my head when recounting the story of Bradley Wood. Few players are as popular in Grimsby as they are in Lincoln, and yet he was one. He came down the A46 and instantly became a fan favourite. It wasn’t just his performances but his personality – he was likable and felt like one of us. It harked back to the days of Cockerill and Hobson, when the players could be seen drinking with fans, mingling.
Then came the betting saga and a six-year ban from football. That expired in March, and on the day it did, he joined Grimsby Borough. That’s step seven of the pyramid, and he’s been appearing for them this pre-season.
Luke Waterfall
Yep, Luke played in Chris Moyses final game as well – so far that’s three National League heroes from three. Luke was iconic during his time at City, as captain he hoisted aloft the trophies and caught the photographer’s attention. He was always solid, a threat in the attacking box, and never left fans disappointed by his commitment. He even scored the final goal of the Chris Moyses era, levelling against champions Cheltenham.
He stayed with us until August 2018, when Shrewsbury took him from us for an undisclosed fee to play in League One. He played 53 times in total for Salop, scoring six goals, but joined Grimsby in 2019. After 177 outings and 16 goals, he left Blundell Park, moving to Hartlepool in January, where he will make his 600th career appearance on the opening day of the season.
Lee Beevers
Lee Beevers, another who might be put into the legend bracket. He was a stalwart of the 2015/16 season, playing 44 of the 46 league matches, having returned from a career that took in Colchester (League One), Walsall (League One) and Mansfield (National League title winner). His return was one of those seminal moments, when you felt fans and club beginning to gel once again.
His time in the 2016/17 season was brief – he suffered a serious injury in a 2-0 win against Boreham Wood, and that effectively ended his professional career. He is still pretty handy with a bat and ball….
Jamie McCombe
Another former Imp who came back to help Chris try to get out of the National League, and another who played much higher. McCombe played in the Championship for Bristol City and dropped back into the Imps side in January 2016. He had been playing for Stevenage in League Two, starting for them against Plymouth, but a week later, he returned to the Imps, helping us beat Guiseley 1-0.
He played a few times in 2016/17 and a couple in 2017/18, even scoring as we lost to Accrington on penalties in the EFL Trophy. He officially joined the coaching staff in May 2017, and was caretaker manager when Danny and Nicky left. He departed the club not long after Michael Appleton arrived, and in 2022 was named as a member of the coaching team at the Richmond International Academic & Soccer Academy in London.
Greg Tempest
We’re six players in, and have finally found a member of Chris Moyses final team that didn’t play a role the following season (spoiler, he’s one of only two). I always liked Greg Tempest – I think he was playing above his level for City, but he never left you feeling he wasn’t committed. I like to think of him as a Jake Sheridan, a player you can respect perhaps not for ability (at National League level, at least) but absolutely for application and personality.
After Lincoln, he didn’t play at the National League level again but found a home one division below with the likes of Nuneaton and Gainsborough. Most recently, he appeared for Quorn in the United Counties League Premier Division North. He is now an Academy Player Care Officer at Notts County and is also studying Forensic Psychology.
Alan Power
Legend. I don’t care what anyone says. Alan Power is a Lincoln legend, pure and simple. What is curious is he only ever played six EFL matches, all for Hartlepool, before being released.
For the Imps, he played 261 matches, scoring 36 goals, and during the really dark times, I often thought he was the only one that cared. He played a senior role in the 2016/17 side, although his Imps career did end with a red card just three minutes after coming on against Chester City, ruling him out of the Macclesfield game (he played in the two dead rubbers after).
He’s not done badly for himself since, playing in Europe for Kilmarnock and representing St Mirren before his recent move to Greenock Morton.
Terry Hawkridge
The final day of the 2015/16 season saw Terry Hawkridge withdrawn on 67 minutes. A year later, he would be the hero as Macclesfield were beaten 2-1. He got both of those goals that sent us back to the Football League. He’ll always be a hero; it’s why a huge portion of our fan base applauded him for scoring against us for Notts County a few months later. Not me, by the way.
After the Magpies, he played a couple of seasons for Solihull Moors, a few games for Boston, and most recently, he turned out for Worksop Town. He’s in esteemed Imps company – Hamza Bencherif, Jordan Burrow, and Ben Tomlinson also play for the Tigers.
George Maris
Maris was a slick loan player we signed from Barnsley, the equivalent of Michael Appleton signing a Brennan Johnson, a big loan from a (at the time) higher level. He was a teenager who he joined from the League One side, playing 13 times and scoring twice for Chris’s team.
The following year, he joined Cambridge United in League Two, appearing 150 times for them and scoring 22 goals. In 2020, he moved to Mansfield Town, where he had four seasons, finally winning a promotion last season. He’s still only 28, and will be seen at the Bank early next season as the Stags visit.
Jack Muldoon
Jack was a player I always imagined Danny and Nicky would move on, but his commitment and application ensured that wasn’t the case. He netted nine times in 47 games for Chris Moyses, but was in and out of the side the following season. My main memory is Danny praising him after the Solihull Moors win, effectively saying he preferred a player with Jack’s attitude than Theo Robinson, agitating for a move on the touchline.
After us, Jack moved to Fylde, and I suspect very few fans thought he’d go on to be a regular for a Football League side. Still, after three seasons in the National League with Harrogate, he earned a promotion and has made almost 150 EFL appearances, with 39 goals. Jack is one of those players that fan want to do well, and it’s been an utter delight to see him have the career he has.
Matt Rhead
Whatever happened to him, right?
I find it amusing that of the XI that started Chris Moyses final game, nine featured the following season. Lee Beevers injury kept his game time low, and Jamie McCombe appeared on occasion, but seven of the side were relatively regular. In addition, Callum Howe was on the bench, another player who featured in the 2016/17 season.
There were a couple of subs who came on in Chris’s final game, but did not go on to play for the Imps again.
James Caton
Caton came on loan from Shrewsbury, and for a short while, he was one of my favourite players. He bagged a screamer in one of the first games I saw after I came back from Cambridge, then another two to help us beat Southport. I desperately wanted him to sign for us, but after a trial in the summer, we opted not to take him up.
After us, he had a surprisingly nomadic career, floating around the National League and then a little lower. His passion is his company, which sources and sells luxury second-hand cars through Instagram.
Robbie McDaid
McDaid was another loanee, another who was billed as an A-star loan, this time from Leeds United. He only started three games for Chris Moyses in the league, coming off the bench 13 times. He scored in two of his three starts, and finished the season with four goals.
I thought he might be one who went on to bigger things, but after a spell with York, he left for Ireland. He’s done pretty well for himself over there – he bagged 55 goals in 154 games for Glentoran before a move to Linfield. Injury has dogged him recently; he spent ten months out with an ACL injury, and returned only to endure more misery earlier this season.
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