Kevin Sandwith
I always rated Sandwith, but I felt let down by him as well. He was a bit of an unexpected arrival, joining in March 2004 for £10,000 after catching the eye with Halifax, even scoring against us as they knocked City out of the LDV Vans Trophy. Early signs suggested he might solve a long-standing issue at left-back, looking composed and comfortable as he stepped up into the Football League. At first, opportunities were limited, with Kevin Ellison preferred in that role, but once the loanee moved on, Sandwith stepped in and made the position his own. Over the course of the following season, he became a regular, featuring 42 times and playing his part in the run to the play-off final.
He was not the flashiest option down that side, lacking a little of Ellison’s attacking edge and not quite bringing the same bite as Stuart Bimson, but what he did offer was consistency, and he grew into the role as the campaign went on. He chipped in with a couple of goals, one in a 3-2 defeat against Wycombe at Sincil Bank and another in a 3-0 win over Kidderminster, and looked like a player who could settle for the longer term.
That is why his departure came as a surprise. At the end of the season, he chose to join Macclesfield Town instead of staying, a decision that did not go down well and ensured a hostile reception on his return. He later turned out for Chester City and Oxford United, but he never kicked on. If his move was intended to drive his career forward, it did not. He was young when he left us, and while the likes of Peter Gain, Richard Butcher, Jamie McCombe, Gareth McAuley, Gary Taylor-Fletcher and even Ben Futcher either stepped up or went on to be stalwarts for future clubs, Sandwith never really kicked on.
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