I love a good former Lincoln City player story, and today I’m going back to the eighties to cover an attacker with an unusual story.
John McGinley, also known as Jack during his time at Lincoln, had a crazy career trajectory, going from non-league into the top flight and back, before scoring in three different divisions for the Imps. He even had time to move to Europe and play for a Belgian side. Perhaps he is best remembered for headbutting a teammate, but that certainly isn’t the start and finish of the John ‘Jack’ McGinley story.
It starts in January 1982, when as a young winger, John McGinley moved from Gateshead to Sunderland for an initial fee of £3,000. The deal included clauses which could earn Gateshead a further £15,000, while the club retained the option to buy him back for £1,000 if he failed to establish himself. He made three first-team appearances for Sunderland, scoring once, before returning to Gateshead.
His return to the Northern Premier League club was brief. By 1 August 1982, McGinley had signed for Sporting Charleroi alongside Gateshead defender Peter Harrison. The Belgian club moved for the pair after losing 3-0 to Gateshead during a two-match tour of Belgium. Gateshead manager Ray Wilkie declined to disclose the financial details before speaking to his chairman, but said both players had negotiated “superb deals”.
After two years, he was coming back to Blighty. McGinley first arrived at Lincoln during the summer of 1984, playing in pre-season matches after joining on trial from Charleroi. He made his competitive debut as a substitute against Bristol Rovers and worked his way into the side.
His first City goal came in the 4-0 victory over Preston North End at Sincil Bank on 6 October 1984, our first league win of the season. McGinley had already helped create the second goal, delivering a low cross towards the near post which goalkeeper Peter Litchfield could only kick into Ross Jack’s path. Three minutes later, in the 31st minute, he scored a fine solo goal. Collecting a pass from Neil Redfearn near halfway, he carried the ball 40 yards, shook off two attempted tackles and finished with a left-footed shot.
Back then, a player could seemingly be on trial and play in the Football League, and it took a couple of months for City to make their move. On 26 October 1984, Colin Murphy confirmed that McGinley had become a permanent Lincoln player, with City paying £2,000 to Charleroi, then in Belgium’s Second Division. His trial had ended that week, by which point he had made six first-team appearances and scored once.
Times were tough at City, and McGinley joined an Imps side on the slide in 84/85. After a moderate season, he was on the field on the tragic day at Valley Parade, and he remained at the club as players such as Gordon Hobson finally left. Murphy left also, and John Pickering came in.
By August 1985, McGinley was being tipped to become one of City’s successes of the coming season. Writing in the Lincolnshire Echo on 13 August, David Whaley described how the winger had overcome a poor start to pre-season, which had concerned manager Pickering, to look sharp and determined. Whaley believed McGinley had the potential to become City’s secret weapon from the wing if he maintained his confidence.
Ten days later, he was handed a change of role ahead of the trip to Rotherham United. Pickering chose him to fill Bob Latchford’s position up front, moving him in from the left wing to partner Queens Park Rangers loanee Steve Burke. Gordon Mair was brought into the side on the left. Pickering and his assistant Phil Boersma had considered several combinations, including using Warren Ward or Devan White, before settling on McGinley. The manager acknowledged that the switch carried some uncertainty, but believed his pace, control and previous experience as a striker in Belgium equipped him for the task.
“Obviously the move is a bit of a gamble but we would not have done it had we not thought McGinley could do the job,” said Pickering.
“John has played the striker’s role before on the continent though he is naturally rather pensive about it.
“He has the pace and the control. It is just the different runs that are going to be strange to him at first.”
McGinley did well: he bagged a brace as we beat Walsall 3-2 in his first game at the Bank as a striker. He scored a handful more before Latchford’s return as well, in a 3-2 win against Bournemouth, and a 1-1 draw against Newport County. He had seven to his name by late February, but trouble was on the horizon. In January 1986, McGinley was placed on the transfer list as another new boss, George Kerr, sought to reduce City’s squad and wage bill following new arrivals. The announcement, reported on 10 January, named him among six players made available, although City wanted a fee for his services.
“Because of the new signings there are too many players at the club.
“We have to slash the wage bill, that’s business.”
McGinley responded with an outstanding performance in the 2-0 home victory over Bury, reported on 13 January. Restored to his preferred position on the left wing, he helped create both goals for Ian McInnes and was involved in much of City’s attacking play.
The first goal, in the 37th minute, followed a run which took McGinley half the length of the pitch. He beat three defenders before delivering a precise cross from the byline for McInnes to head home from eight yards. For the second, in the 77th minute, Phil Turner released him down the left and his deep cross found Derek Kilmore at the far post. Kilmore’s volley struck a defender, with McInnes driving the rebound into the net. McGinley almost capped his display with a late goal, but Bury goalkeeper Hughes stretched to parry his effort from six yards.
By 3 March 1986, however, an ankle injury had interrupted his season. Initially thought to have damaged ligaments in a challenge against Blackpool, McGinley was subsequently found to have broken the main ankle bone. He was expected to spend around six weeks in plaster, but was absent as we dropped out of Division Three with back-to-back defeats against Wolves and Cardiff, also relegated.
He started the first two games of the following season, as City went unbeaten, but Kerr hadn’t forgotten about the transfer listing. By 1 September 1986, McGinley had attracted interest from another League club. Kerr confirmed that an enquiry had been made, although he declined to identify the club involved.
“It proves people rate Jack and if an offer is put on the table it will have to be considered.”
The interested club was Rotherham United. On 4 September 1986, McGinley was in talks with their manager Norman Hunter over a move to Millmoor, with striker Tony Simmons heading in the opposite direction and a small cash adjustment in City’s favour. Kerr believed exchanging the 27-year-old winger for the 21-year-old Simmons represented good business.
“Jack McGinley is 27,” said Kerr. “I wouldn’t have thought he’ll get much better so it must be a good deal from our point of view.”
However, McGinley’s time at Rotherham proved brief. He played four times and had a two-game loan spell with Hartlepool before beleaguered boss Kerr went back for him. By 19 January 1987, City were preparing to bring him back to Sincil Bank for an undisclosed fee, admitting that allowing him to leave might have been a mistake. McGinley had been training with City so the management could assess his fitness, with personal terms due to be discussed that afternoon.
Kerr believed the injury suffered at Blackpool had affected McGinley’s performances before his departure and that he had needed a year to regain his fitness.
“I have to hold my hands up and say I think I made a mistake, but not in terms of John McGinley’s fitness at that time,” said Kerr.
“He wasn’t playing as well as he could after breaking his leg during our visit to Blackpool and it has taken him a year to get fit again.”
The manager hoped McGinley’s return would add goals and impetus to what was then being described as City’s promotion push. His ability to play alongside Gary Lund or on the left gave Kerr options, while his familiarity with the club also counted in his favour.
“He is a versatile, experienced player who can play up front alongside Lund or on the left, plus he has the speed to go past people and score.
“I have been looking around at one or two players, but we know a lot about McGinley and he is a popular player here. I think he can do the job for us.”
McGinley completed his return to Lincoln on 19 January 1987, four months after leaving for Rotherham. His route back came about partly by chance. Having played little League football since his departure, he had been on loan at Hartlepool, but bad weather prevented him from travelling there. Still living in Lincoln, he trained with City instead, giving Kerr the opportunity to assess him. ironically, Kerr was described as ‘shrewd’ when the player returned, just as he had been when he got rid months earlier!
“The fact was that at the beginning of the season Jack was not fit enough to play professional football. But over the past couple of months he has put that right.
“He hasn’t had much League football since he left but he has been on loan at Hartlepool until this week when, because of the weather, he couldn’t get there so he came and trained here.”
His arrival prompted Kerr to put Tony Simmons on the transfer list to help balance the books. The manager believed McGinley could provide the change City needed after a run of performances which had failed to produce results. He also felt the winger’s familiarity with Lincoln would help him settle back in.
“Jack was still living in the city so it has worked out well for us and him and he has always been a popular player at the club.
“Of course these things are always something of a gamble but this club has taken players back before. One of them was Percy Freeman who played his best football when he returned.”
By 21 January, McGinley was set to go straight into the side for the Freight Rover Trophy tie at Chester City, with Ian McInnes expected to make way. Lincoln and Rotherham had completed the paperwork, leaving clearance from Hartlepool as the only possible obstacle. Kerr saw him as an option on the left of midfield or up front.
“If Jack helps us win this game that alone will go a long way to paying for his return to the club.”
He did his part, scoring a penalty in the shoot-out, but Kevin Kilmore missed, and City were relegated. The winger scored five goals in the terrible run that led us from the edge of the play-offs to the bottom of the division, securing three points against Halifax with a brace, and netting as we beat Crewe 2-1. It wasn’t enough, and the Imps dropped out of the Football League.
That meant a huge clearout, but there was good news for McGinley. The manager who signed him, Murphy, returned, and he committed to spending a season in the GMVC. Only six players stayed with the club: Shane Nicholson, Willie Gamble, Steve Buckley, Neil Franklin, David Parkin and McGinley. Only one of those was not either a YTS product or a veteran: McGinley.
The GMVC was a level McGinley could dominate, and he did. It took him seven games to score his first, coming as we beat Enfield 4-0, but after that, he became a key player. He got the winner as we beat Barnet 2-1 in the battle of the Bank in October, and he rose to the challenge of scoring after Mick Waitt broke his leg. Braces against Welling (4-1), Macclesfield (3-0), and Altrincham (5-0) helped us on our way, while he also netted three in two FA Cup matches against Brigg Town (4-1) and Crewe Alexandra (2-1).
Despite the goals, he is probably best remembered by some for a moment in February, against Maidstone in the FA Trophy. The day before Valentine’s Day, he showed little love for his teammate, Paul Smith. After 37 minutes, he passed to Smith on the right flank, but the former Port Vale man couldn’t control it, and it ran out of play. With that, McGinley made his way over to Smith and, after a brief exchange, headbutted him.
That may sound dramatic, but there was perhaps a coming together, with McGinley putting his face in hard. Obviously, there was no requirement to go down to win anything, so it must have been severe enough to extract a reaction from Smith. It certainly got a reaction from referee Jim Borritt as he sent McGinley off. Amusingly, in the final minutes of the next game, the Echo reports Smith set up McGinley for a chance, but he couldn’t reach it, and it went wide. No headbutt!
By the end of the 1987/88 campaign, McGinley had scored 20 goals, but his season ended painfully against Wycombe. Having already battled through a groin strain and hamstring problems during the run-in, he pulled up while chasing a through ball on the right wing and left the field after just 21 minutes. He was replaced by Mark Sertori who scored our second goal to send us to the Football League, and McGinley was unable to play his part on the final day. He was crucial in the run-in: he scored as we drew 1-1 with Maidstone, and his flick-on was stabbed home by Clive Evans two days before as we beat Stafford Rangers 2-1 to go top of the table for the first time.
He was on crutches after the Wycombe game and could not join his teammates for the champagne celebrations in the stand. On 3 May, he underwent an operation on his left leg. The following day’s report described his condition as satisfactory, with only a short stay in hospital expected.
It did effectively end his Imps career, but he stayed for the 1988/89 season. He returned to action in December, appearing 20 times, but he didn’t appear to be the same player, scoring just twice. Phil Brown, another 20-goal GMVC hero, managed just four, perhaps underlining the difference in quality.
Boston United, managed by George Kerr, hunted McGinley upon his release, but he chose to stay in the Football League with Doncaster Rovers. A tough season followed, no goals and only a handful of appearances, before Boston got their man. Kerr was gone, which maybe helped John make his final decision. He remained at York Street before retiring in 1992.
John McGinley had a remarkable career, with two Imps relegations on his CV, two separate spells, a title win, and three different managers, but one across two spells. He’s still remembered fondly for being combative and for netting all those goals in the GMVC win. Much more than just a headbutt!
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