Ahead of West Ham’s visit this week, we’re looking back at City’s 4-3 win at Sincil Bank in December 1948, when Doug Wright made his Lincoln debut and Jock Dodds scored a hat-trick.
There are plenty of ways to announce yourself to a new set of supporters, but Doug Wright’s first appearance for Lincoln City takes some beating. The Imps defeated West Ham United 4-3 on 18 December 1948, with Jock Dodds scoring three, yet the Lincolnshire Echo’s headline two days later left little doubt about who had made the biggest impression: “Wright Gave West Ham A Soccer Lesson”.
It was City’s first victory for 12 weeks, and it came during a spell when watching football at Sincil Bank certainly offered value for money, if not much peace of mind. Our last four home matches, including this one, had produced 27 goals, with 15 going into the Lincoln net. There was no shortage of entertainment, but you can imagine the novelty of watching the opposition score wearing a little thin.
Billy Bean wasted no time in getting this particular afternoon moving, converting a penalty in the first minute. His low effort into the corner was described as “a goalkeeper’s nightmare”, with even West Ham‘s alert Gregory unable to reach it. The award itself had apparently caused a few held breaths around the ground, with the Echo suggesting recent refereeing decisions had given supporters reason to be wary.
West Ham remained dangerous, particularly down the wings, and City’s full-backs endured a difficult afternoon. However, the visitors suffered a significant blow in the 35th minute when Gregory cracked a bone in his shoulder and could take no further part. They would have to complete the game with ten men, an unfortunate repeat of the season’s first meeting, when their centre-forward Bill Stephens had broken a leg.
City actually played less attractive football against the reduced opposition than they had against a full team. Even with the extra man, this was anything but a comfortable afternoon, and Woodgate’s 85th-minute penalty beat Arthur Jepson despite the Lincoln goalkeeper getting his right hand to the ball. The pace of the shot carried it past him.
Dodds supplied City’s other three goals, once again demonstrating his ability to win a game without receiving quite the service he needed. There was admiration for his performance, but also a clear suggestion that Lincoln were not getting everything they could from their centre-forward, as N.H.B. wrote:
“Jock Dodds’ three goals proved him once again a match-winner, and I thought he had a very good game without a lot of support. What a menace he could be with two class inside forwards!”
There was controversy around City’s final goal, too, with the referee consulting his linesman before allowing it. Between that decision, the penalties and the injuries, there was plenty for supporters to discuss afterwards. However, Wright’s debut offered something rather more encouraging to take away from the afternoon.
Playing at left half, Wright impressed with his tackling, movement, control and ability to find space. His passing exposed weaknesses in the West Ham defence, prompting N.H.B. to offer praise which went well beyond the usual polite welcome for a new signing:
“He gave an exhibition of football artistry, the like of which I have never before seen at Sincil Bank. Perfect timing in the tackle, a body swerve, ball manipulation, and the use of the open space with a defence-splitting pass which exploited the weaknesses in the Hammers’ defence, made Wright the outstanding player on the field.”
That is quite an assessment after one appearance, especially on an afternoon when somebody else had scored a hat-trick. The writer also admired Wright’s unhurried approach and encouragement of his teammates, identifying him immediately as somebody capable of taking on the captaincy. Wright had evidently made himself at home rather quickly.
The other new faces received a more qualified welcome. Jack Bickerstaffe, the 27-year-old former Bury centre-half, suffered concussion early in his first game and was troubled by double vision. Some observers apparently judged him against Johnson, but the correspondent felt that was unfair given his condition, noting that he had nevertheless kept West Ham’s Ken Wright subdued.
Jepson, arriving from Stoke, was considered a substantial improvement in goal, although he was criticised for failing to come for the cross which produced West Ham’s first goal. Beyond that incident, the assessment was positive. City had fresh players offering hope, even if one had spent his debut seeing two footballs.
Elsewhere, the verdict was less generous. Hutchinson showed flashes of brilliance but lacked bite, Docherty was considered short of the standard required for Second Division football, and both wingers were described as disappointing and erratic. Harry Parr’s performance also came under scrutiny, with the responsibilities of captaincy seemingly weighing heavily and Grummett mentioned as a challenger for his place.
For all the encouragement, City still needed to remain active in the transfer market, and a single victory had not resolved every problem. Nevertheless, there was hope that the new arrivals would settle, get down to training at Sincil Bank and help begin an upward climb. After 12 weeks without a win, supporters finally had something more encouraging to discuss.
Comments Welcome!