Double Trouble: How Many Times Have Lincoln City Seen Two Sent Off In a Game?

I’ve been spending far too much time looking back over the club’s red cards. Last week’s game against West Ham piqued my interest, and as my chest infection has left me with time to play with, I’ve compiled some lists.

Double red cards are not actually all that common. We’ve seen more than one player dismissed on just seven occasions, eight if you include a sub being sent off. In 2009, Aaron Brown was dismissed against Cheltenham, before a mass brawl on the side of the pitch saw Ian Pearce, a sub, also sent off.

In those seven fixtures, three have seen a red card in the first half, and just one has seen both before 25 minutes have been completed. I think you’ll know which one that is.

Here are all the times the Imps have been reduced to nine men, or maybe even eight.

1991: Northampton Town 1-1: Graham Bressington (53), John Schofield (71)

I wish I’d known this before we did our Graham Bressington and John Schofield special!

City’s final away game of the 1990/91 season produced a battling 1-1 draw at Northampton Town on 30 April, frustrating the hosts’ promotion ambitions and extending our unbeaten away run to eight matches. Steve Berry put the Cobblers ahead after six minutes, finishing a well-worked move with a shot that went in off the underside of the bar. City equalised five minutes before half-time when Tony Lormor’s flick found Jason Lee, who chipped goalkeeper Peter Gleasure from 20 yards. David Puttnam almost put us ahead after the break, with Gleasure pushing his header onto the bar, but two dismissals subsequently left the Imps fighting to preserve their point, with Matt Carmichael outstanding in defence.

Captain Graham Bressington was first to go in the 53rd minute, dismissed for kicking the ball away after an earlier booking for an elbow on Bobby Barnes. John Schofield followed in the 71st minute, receiving a straight red for a challenge despite having no previous caution, leaving City to negotiate the remaining 19 minutes with nine men. The following day’s Lincolnshire Echo strongly disputed both decisions, criticising referee Edward Parker’s handling of the game and suggesting there had been little malice in Bressington’s action.

Managing director Geoff Davey shared that frustration, describing Parker as overzealous in repeatedly stopping play and adding: “I also felt that Bressington and Schofield were unfortunate to be sent off.”