One of the early heroes of our unforgettable 2016/17 campaign has secured a new club, with Macauley Bonne continuing his non-league journey.
The 30-year-old forward, who enjoyed a brief but memorable loan spell with City during our National League title season, has signed for Isthmian League Premier Division side Billericay Town until the end of the campaign.
For Lincoln supporters, Bonne’s name will always be synonymous with one pivotal afternoon on the Wirral.
Signed on loan from Colchester United in September 2016 following Jonny Margetts’ surprise move to Scunthorpe United, Bonne arrived at Sincil Bank with a decent League One grounding and a point to prove. He wasted little time doing just that.
On 10 September 2016, City travelled to Prenton Park to face Tranmere Rovers in a meeting of two promotion hopefuls. In a tight contest, it was Bonne who made the difference. Handed his first start for the Imps, he struck the only goal of the game to secure a 1-0 victory that sent us to the top of the National League table.
At that stage of the season, momentum was everything. Danny Cowley’s side were building belief, and winning away at a direct rival underlined our credentials. Bonne’s cool finish, delivered on a high-pressure afternoon, ensured City returned to Lincolnshire with three priceless points and pole position in the title race.
It proved to be the highlight of his short stint. A clash of heads against Barrow left him concussed, and he struggled to rediscover the same sharpness afterwards. His loan was cut short in October 2016 after eight appearances, and he later had a spell with Woking before leaving Colchester at the end of the season.
Bonne’s career since has taken in an eye-catching run with Leyton Orient, where he netted 49 goals in 102 games, earning a move to Charlton Athletic. He went on to feature in the Championship for both Charlton and Queens Park Rangers, later returning on loan to his hometown club Ipswich Town, where he struck 12 times in a single season.
More recently, he has represented Gillingham, Cambridge United, Southend United and Maldon and Tiptree, while also earning international recognition with Zimbabwe and appearing at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Now, his journey continues at Billericay.