Lincoln City Football Club was founded 140 years ago in 1884, and during that time, they have entertained their loyal fans royally.
Like any professional football club, over the years, the Imps have had their ups and downs. The best era for the Imps was the 1970s when players like strikers John Ward and Percy Freeman were two of the crowds’ favourites for their attacking flair and goal-scoring ability.
Like many football fans, City’s loyal followers love to have a little wager. According to Kate Richardson, MightyTips strategic betting analyst and an expert in developing and implementing data-driven, profitable sports betting strategies, over 28% of fans have placed sports bets in the last year.
Match outcomes are among the favourite betting topics, and here’s where you can check out the best resources for correct score betting. But betting on which players might score the opening or winning goal in a match is also popular and has been for decades. Let’s take a look at some of City’s players who’ve attracted bettors over the years.
Andy Graver
With a total of 143 goals, Andy Graver is Lincoln City’s all-time top scorer. He chalked up 106 in his first stint at Sincil Bank between 1950 and 1954. In the 1951/2 season, he scored 36 goals in just 35 games, including a double hat-trick. He scored a further 4 goals in 1955 when he returned from a short tour of duty with Leicester City and another 33 between 1958 and 1961.
In 1996, Graver and teammate Tony Emery became the first two ex-players to be admitted into the Lincoln City FC Players Hall of Fame, and in 2006, in the club’s 100 League Legends, Graver topped the poll.
Gareth Ainsworth
Hugely popular during his 2-season spell at Lincoln City from 1995 to 1997, in his 83 league appearances for the Imps, Ainsworth notched up 37 goals, 22 of which came in the 1996/7 season, making him the league’s second-highest scorer, earning him a place in the PFA’s Third Division Team of the Year.
He was also voted City’s Player of the Year in both the 1995/6 and 1996/7 seasons. In the club’s Top 100 Legends listing, created in 2003, Ainsworth’s contributions saw him ranked 4th.
Grant Brown
Grant Brown was one of those hard-working, reliable defenders that football clubs rely on to steady the ship. In his 13-year stint at Sincil Bank, he made 491 league appearances for the club, a record that still stands to date.
He also managed to score 15 goals. While certainly not a glory boy, Brown is revered by many fans as being a shining example of what stalwart defending is all about, and his immaculate club loyalty has seen him take over as interim manager on two occasions. It’s no wonder he is among the Lincoln City FC players who have a high standing with the fans.
Gordon Hobson
Gordon Hobson was a trainee plumber who played amateur Saturday football until his 20th birthday when he was signed up by the Imps in 1977. He made a big splash in his debut game playing on the left wing, scoring 1 goal and grabbing 2 assists.
In 1980, then manager of Lincoln City moved Hobson into the central striker role, from which he netted 21 goals and was instrumental in the Imps to win promotion. He will be remembered by many for the 4 goals he scored when the Imps demolished Northampton 8-0.
Lee Frecklington
Coming more up-to-date, Lee Frecklington is a name often put forward when discussing worthy Lincoln City FC players of all time. Between 2003 and 2009, he made 126 appearances for the Imps, scoring 21 goals. Frecklington is a local lad who was first signed to City’s Centre of Excellence.
He worked through and won a scholarship place in the summer of 2002. In the 2006/7 season, the midfielder played a pivotal role in the team that narrowly missed promotion to League One. That same season, he was named in the League 2 Team of the Year. After spells at Peterborough and Rotherham United, he returned to City in 2018, where he made 43 appearances up to 2020, scoring 7 goals.
Scott Kerr
Scott Kerr played in midfield and will be remembered particularly for his partnership with Lee Frecklington and how he influenced the team through his creative ability and captaincy to push their promotion hopes for a fifth successive season. With 221 appearances, 8 goals, and dozens of assists, when it comes to the Lincoln City FC players that the fans cherish, Kerr is right up there.
Matt Rhead
Big Matt Rhead, as he is affectionately remembered by Imps’ fans, was a towering forward who stood at 6 feet 4 inches tall. He only spent 4 seasons at Sincil Bank between 2015 and 2019, but for many fans, they were memorable years.
He was instrumental in helping City to win the EFL Trophy and the League 2 title. He was the Imps’ top goal scorer in the 2016/17 season and played a key role in the club’s record-breaking run to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. His tall presence proved a handful for defenders, and in his 161 appearances, he scored 41 goals.
Where Do the Imps Go From Here?
There can be no doubt that over the years, the Lincoln City FC players have endured a turbulent history, but their League1 status, which they’ve enjoyed since 2019, is their best spell in recent times.
Sports betting statistics expert Kate Richardson gives the IMPs only a 6.84% chance of getting automatic promotions to the Championship at the end of this season. However, securing a play-off place is likely with a 52.32% chance of getting a top-six placement. Many loyal fans will no doubt be seeking out a good online sportsbook and making a little wager with some good odds in prospect.
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