The Ten Worst Lincoln City Loan Signings of the EFL Era

Not every loan deal is a masterstroke—some are forgettable, some frustrating, and a select few become infamous. Here’s our definitive countdown.

When Lincoln City returned to the EFL in the summer of 2017, expectations were sky-high. Danny Cowley’s momentum, a first trophy since 1988, and a community buzzing with belief gave us lift-off. But since then—through 16 transfer windows—we’ve had our share of loan disasters.

This isn’t necessarily about bad players, but bad spells. These players are not bad, they’re professionals, but they had troubled times with us. Some were expected to have huge impacts, others had pedigree. Some ended up being downright baffling.

I haven’t included the likes of James Brown and Archie Mair, as they didn’t get a chance to disappoint and were always signed as nothing but cover. No, these are players we expected something from.

These are the top ten worst Lincoln City loan signings since our Football League return. Buckle in.

10. Sam Slocombe

An experienced keeper arriving during the 2018–19 title push should have brought calm and competition. Instead, Slocombe looked shaky, nervous and ultimately unfit for purpose. Later in the year, Matt Gilks came in and showed us what an experienced keeper is all about.

A limp performance against Wolves U21s followed, before the surreal 2–2 draw with Accrington, which marked the end of his spell. Come the end of the campaign, we won the title. The former Scunthorpe man barely won over anyone.