This week, I decided I wanted to do an article on former Imps who have played in Europe.
My aim was to find 20. I put it out to Patreons, and that crept up to 30. Once Twitter got involved, we pushed 40, and Malcolm got us to the half century. Since then, I have spent far too much time scouring starting XIs from history to find the odd player to add to the list.
My last count was 63. 63 former Imps who have played in Europe, and that is only the players – managers will come next!
With that in mind, I have decided to break the list down into five – European Cup and Champions League, European Cup Winner’s Cup, UEFA Cup, Europa League and Inter City Fairs, and finally the Intetoto Cup and Europa Conference League. If a player appears on a ‘bigger’ list, for instance, Champions League, he won;t be duplicated. So, Danny Mandroiu will be on this list, but won’t be forced into the other competitions as well.
I know this won’t be an exhaustive list. There will be omissions, and I will be happy to add if anyone picks up on a loan player we had briefly who later got ten minutes for Cliftonvilla against Vllaznia or something like that.
However, what turned out as a top ten list has rapidly turned into a little obsession that I really need to move on from!
Shall we crack on? The other competitions will follow over the coming days and weeks, depending on my availability.
Albert Scanlon
European Cup (1957/58)
Albert Scanlon was part of Manchester United’s fabled Busby Babes and featured in the 1957/58 European Cup campaign. That season was tragically defined by the Munich Air Disaster, in which Scanlon survived while many of his teammates did not. He played in the semi-final against AC Milan and contributed to a run that remains one of the most emotionally charged in English football history.
Later in his career, Scanlon joined Lincoln City for the 1962/63 season, making over 40 appearances and scoring 11 goals. Though his best years were behind him by that point, he brought an incredible pedigree to Sincil Bank, having been part of one of the most iconic Manchester United squads ever to grace European competition.
Bruce Grobbelaar
European Cup (1981–1985), UEFA Cup (1991–92), Cup Winners’ Cup (1992–93)
Bruce Grobbelaar knew a bit about Europe and is one of the most decorated former Lincoln City players in football history. A flamboyant and fearless goalkeeper, he began his professional career in England on loan with Crewe, making appearances in the late 1970s. A move to Liverpool in 1981 transformed his trajectory. At Anfield, Grobbelaar became a mainstay between the posts during a golden era, appearing in four consecutive European Cup campaigns from 1981 to 1985.
His crowning achievement came in 1984 when he helped Liverpool win the European Cup in Rome, famously distracting Roma’s penalty takers with his “wobbly legs” routine in the shootout. After the ban on English clubs in Europe was lifted, he returned to continental competition in the 1991–92 UEFA Cup, followed by the 1992–93 Cup Winners’ Cup — making him one of few players to feature in all three major European club tournaments.
At the end of his career his spent a short time on loan with City, appearing twice.
Carl Cort
Champions League (2002/03)
Carl Cort played in the 2002/03 Champions League with Newcastle United, featuring in their campaign, which included famous nights against Juventus, Inter Milan, and Dynamo Kyiv. A powerful forward, Cort was part of a talented Magpies squad under Sir Bobby Robson that competed deep into the competition. Cort got six minutes against Leverkusen, but it counts.
Cort scored his first professional goal on loan with City, joining from Wimbledon in 1996. It came just 36 minutes into his full debut, but he drew a blank in the next five matches. He returned to Wimbledon and even appeared alongside Mick Harford as he made a Premier League debut.
£7m took him to Newcastle, £2m took him to Wolves, while Leicester, Norwich and Brentford also benefited from his 62 league career goals.
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