2016/17 Lincoln City title winner Terry Hawkridge has joined Sherwood Colliery, continuing a long non-league career more than a decade after first arriving at Sincil Bank.
The winger, remembered fondly by Imps supporters for his double strike against Macclesfield that clinched the National League title, has signed for the Nottinghamshire club after recent spells in the Northern non-league system.
Sherwood Colliery confirmed the move on social media, announcing that the experienced wide player would be joining their ranks after his time with Eastwood.
“We are pleased to announce the signing of former Lincoln City and Notts County player Terry Hawkridge.”
“More recently with Worksop Town and Eastwood CFC, who we thank for their assistance in getting this over the line. Welcome to The Wood!”
For Lincoln supporters, Hawkridge will always be remembered for one afternoon in April 2017, when the club finally secured a return to the Football League after six years away.
A title-clinching hero
Hawkridge initially arrived at Sincil Bank in September 2015, joining on loan from Scunthorpe United during Chris Moyses’ tenure as manager. The move was made permanent midway through the 2015-16 campaign, and although he was not always the headline act, he quickly established himself as a dependable wide option.
Quick, tricky, and capable of beating a defender, Hawkridge offered something different in wide areas. While others often grabbed the attention, the winger quietly went about his business, contributing energy and work rate in a team that would eventually write one of the most famous chapters in the club’s modern history.
During the National League title-winning campaign, Hawkridge made 35 starts in all competitions. He scored six goals that season, but two of them would become part of Lincoln folklore.
On the final home game of the campaign, the Imps trailed Macclesfield Town 1-0, and the tension around Sincil Bank was palpable. Promotion was within touching distance, but the moment demanded someone to step forward.
It was Hawkridge who answered the call.
First, he levelled the match to bring City back into contention, before producing the decisive moment with around fifteen minutes remaining. Picking the ball up on the edge of the area, he drove forward and fired a composed finish across the goalkeeper and into the net, sealing a 2-1 victory that effectively confirmed The Imps as National League champions.
For a player whose game was built on graft and persistence rather than headlines, it was a fitting moment.
A career across the non-league pyramid
Hawkridge’s route to that success had been a long one through the non-league game. After youth spells with Barnsley and Tranmere Rovers, he began his senior career at Carlton Town in 2008 before later turning out for Hucknall Town.
A move to Gainsborough Trinity in 2012 proved to be a key step, with his performances earning a switch into the Football League when he joined Scunthorpe United in 2013. There he made his professional debut in a 2-0 victory over Mansfield Town, setting up both goals.
Following his Lincoln spell, Hawkridge signed for Notts County in 2017 before later representing Solihull Moors in the National League.
More recently, his career has taken him across the Northern Premier League and beyond. He joined Boston United in 2020 before moving to Basford United a year later. Further spells followed with Matlock Town and Worksop Town, while he signed for Eastwood in November 2024.
Interestingly, Hawkridge actually faced his new club earlier this season and scored against Sherwood while playing for Eastwood, making the move a notable twist in his non-league journey.
Now 35, the winger continues to ply his trade in the regional game, bringing a wealth of experience built across almost two decades of senior football. He made his debut yesterday as the table-topping side put five past Skegness Town to maintain their five-point gap ahead of Lincolnshire non-league sides Boston Town and Grantham Town.
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