The season is almost at an end and, such has been Lincoln City’s dominance in the league, the end-of-season awards evening has already taken place in addition to the presentations at the stadium following the last home game, writes club doctor Chris Batty.
There has been recognition in EFL awards with four players being selected for the League One Team of the Season and Michael Skubala winning Manager of the Season, although he is always the first to acknowledge his coaching staff and other members of the backroom staff for the part they play in both achieving and maintaining the high standards that have enabled Lincoln City to not only gain promotion, but to continue relentlessly to become champions, and become joint record holders for the longest League One run, and all players and staff want to take this run one game further, remaining unbeaten to the end of the season claiming the record solely for Lincoln City.
The awards for Player of the Season, Young Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season, Goal of the Season, and Golden Boot rightly acknowledge the contributions of some of the standout performers of the season and there have been so many players who played a large proportion of the games and who also performed consistently well but missed out on any individual accolade but were part of the team.
Modern football isn’t just about the team, though it’s about the entire squad. Every single player has played a part in this season’s success, whether or not this has resulted in minutes on the pitch.
Lincoln City’s success at set pieces could not be achieved without preparation on the training ground, requiring the involvement and commitment of the whole squad to maintain the intensity. Likewise, the contributions of players coming off the bench not only result in Lincoln City scoring the most goals in the league by substitutes, but also for their role in assists and maintaining a solidity defensively.
I have had the privilege of being Club Doctor for 30 seasons, starting at a time when Gareth Ainsworth was the star player and John Beck was manager. My very first league game will best be remembered for John Beck being arrested 5 minutes before kick-off, rather than the 1-1 scoreline
I have always been aware of the importance of the squad and the influence that players not starting or not even selected could still have on the squad. Players like Jon Whitney, who was always positive around the team even whilst out with an ACL injury. Jokers like Ben Sedgemoor, big characters like Matt Rhead, all had a part to play, whether it was on the pitch or not.
I began to think that there should be an award for a player who made a difference off the pitch but whose contribution was appreciated by the players, coaching and medical staff.
This season seemed to be an appropriate time, given my personal milestone for this award to come to fruition.
I spoke to Michael Skubala, Jez George and Kieran Walker about my thoughts, and they were very supportive of the idea. I made it clear that the decision should be made by them, as they spent so much more time with the players on and off the pitch than I did. I also liaised with Liam Scully. We had thought about Clubman or Teammate of the Year, but settled on the idea of the Unsung Hero.
Of course, like many of the other awards, there were several candidates, such as James Collins, who has remained a big and positive influence around the group despite his injury. Until Adam Reach’s injury, Ryley Towler was a candidate as he found himself out of the team, often featuring from the bench. However, his late goal after coming on against Huddersfield and subsequent regular starts, including the games where promotion was won against Reading and the title against Doncaster, have given him his own slice of glory.
There was, however, one player whose name was unanimously agreed upon. A player who always has a smile on his face, who nearly always features in match day warm-ups (although has missed the last couple of games due to a hamstring injury), but who very rarely features on the substitutes bench and even more rarely gets a start.
For those of you who watch the pre-match warm-up (and the same is true for training sessions), this always ends with a shooting drill, and this player gets pummelled by one-on-one shots from the strikers and midfielders with no defenders there to make blocks.
Without this player being professional and maintaining his high standards, it is less of a test for the strikers. His personal pride and determination to get up after each shot and try to save the next one in this relentless drill are a testament to the type of person he is. He comes off the pitch afterwards, showing signs of a thorough workout but still with a smile on his face.
This player is part of the goalkeepers’ union, and whilst he may struggle to get playing time due to the form of George Wickens and being behind Zach Jeacock, he is fully appreciated by his teammates and can probably indirectly claim a couple of goal assists as his professionalism has no doubt helped improve the quality of the finishing of the outfielders.
This is why the winner of the Inaugural Unsung Hero award is JAMIE PARDINGTON.
🧤 The Dr Chris Batty Unsung Hero Award was introduced at the LNER Stadium and was presented to Jamie Pardington to recognise his contribution to the wider team. pic.twitter.com/zedsje7kbY
— Lincoln City FC 🇺🇦 (@LincolnCity_FC) April 26, 2026
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