1980: Mick Harford, £160,000 (£796,000)
Destination: Newcastle United
Mick Harford’s departure for Newcastle United in December 1980 pushed City’s record sale up again, this time to £180,000. The Sunderland-born striker had joined the Imps in 1977 and quickly developed into one of the most imposing forwards outside the top flight, scoring 55 league goals in 115 appearances before Newcastle came calling. His departure represented another substantial increase on Glenn Cockerill’s move to Swindon and underlined just how quickly City’s transfer values had begun to accelerate after decades of relatively modest growth.
Harford’s career after leaving Sincil Bank showed the calibre of player City had developed. After spells with Newcastle and Bristol City, he established himself in the First Division with Birmingham City before becoming a major figure at Luton Town, where he won the League Cup in 1988 and earned two England caps.
He later played for Derby County, Chelsea, Sunderland, Coventry City and Wimbledon, eventually finishing with 582 league appearances and 186 goals. Harford subsequently moved into coaching, recruitment and management, most notably with Luton, where he later guided the club to the League One title in 2018/19. His £180,000 City sale record would remain untouched for the rest of the 1980s.
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