Lincoln City head out this afternoon knowing a win against Burnley would be their first in the league since the early nineties.
City’s last league win over the Clarets came at Sincil Bank on 19 January 1991, when Matt Carmichael’s late header secured a 1-0 victory in front of 4,167 supporters. It was only our fifth league win of the season, leaving the Imps 22nd in the Fourth Division on 24 points, while the Clarets sat sixth with 38.
The league table favoured the visitors, but Steve Thompson’s side had the better of the game. Six minutes before the interval, Paul Casey’s partially cleared corner led to a scramble in which both forwards tried to force the ball home. Keith Alexander also went close with a looping header from Carmichael’s cross, although clear chances remained scarce.
City continued to press after the break and finally found their reward in the 89th minute, when Shane Nicholson’s outswinging corner picked out Carmichael for a powerful header into the roof of the net. It was his first goal of the season, but there was still work to do at the other end, with Casey making a crucial intervention when Ron Futcher (Ben’s uncle) threatened from seven yards. The victory stretched our unbeaten league run to four matches and maintained Thompson’s unbeaten home record.
Who were the players that last took three points from Burnley on that cold afternoon?
(I assume it was cold, being January; I can’t actually remember).
Ian Bowling
Bowling joined City from Gainsborough Trinity in November 1988, having previously played for Stafford Rangers. He made 51 league appearances for the Imps before joining Bradford City permanently in 1993 following a loan spell. His longest Football League stint came at Mansfield, where he played 172 league games, before returning to non-league football with clubs including Kettering and Worksop.
Paul Casey
Casey began at Sheffield United and spent six years with Boston United before joining City for £13,000 in April 1988. He played the final ten matches of our Conference championship campaign and remained at Sincil Bank until 1991. He then returned to Boston for another five seasons before moving to Lincoln United.
Shane Nicholson
Nicholson made his City debut against Burnley in November 1986, aged just 16 years and 172 days, beginning a first spell that brought 133 league appearances. Derby County paid £100,000 for him in April 1992, and his subsequent clubs included West Bromwich Albion, Stockport, Sheffield United, Tranmere and Chesterfield. He returned to Sincil Bank on loan in November 2006, almost exactly 20 years after his debut, adding another eight league appearances.
Tony Lormor
A Newcastle United youth product, Lormor joined City for £25,000 in January 1990 and scored the winner on his league debut against Wrexham. He finished as our leading scorer in both 1990/91 and 1991/92, although a serious knee injury subsequently cost him an entire season. His Lincoln spell produced 30 goals in 100 league appearances, and he later helped Chesterfield win promotion at Wembley before playing for clubs including Preston, Mansfield and Hartlepool.
Graham Bressington
Bressington arrived from Wycombe for £20,000 in November 1987 and helped City win the Conference title that season. Equally capable in midfield or central defence, he went on to make 154 league appearances for the Imps and was named Player of the Season in 1990/91. He reunited with Colin Murphy at Southend in 1993, although injuries forced him to retire from professional football two years later.
Darren Davis
A former England youth international, Davis began his professional career at Notts County, making 92 league appearances before moving to Lincoln. His two spells with the Imps brought 105 league appearances and four goals, while his other clubs included Maidstone United, Boston United and Scarborough. After his playing career, he managed Gedling Town and worked within Notts County’s youth setup.
John Schofield
Schofield turned professional at 23 when City paid Gainsborough Trinity £10,000 in November 1988, making his debut in a 4-1 win at Burnley. He made 250 league appearances across two Lincoln spells, with Doncaster, Mansfield and Hull among his other clubs. He later returned as a coach and manager, leading us into the 2006/07 play-offs, and subsequently managed Northern Ireland’s under-21 side.
Paul Smith
Smith arrived from Port Vale for a club-record £48,000 in September 1987 and helped City win the Conference title at the first attempt. He went on to score 40 goals in 305 first-team appearances for the Imps. His career also included spells with Sheffield United and Stockport before his Lincoln move, and Halifax afterwards.
Paul Dobson
Dobson had already played a painful part in City’s history, scoring the late Torquay equaliser in May 1987 that helped send us into the Conference. Lincoln paid Scarborough £40,000 for him in January 1991, and he scored five goals in 21 league appearances for the club. His other sides included Hartlepool, Doncaster and Darlington, while he later won the Conference Golden Boot in successive seasons with Gateshead.
Matt Carmichael
A physical training instructor in the Royal Artillery, Carmichael joined City on trial in 1989 and scored on his debut against Scunthorpe. He made 133 league appearances and scored 18 goals for the Imps, becoming a regular in central defence and winning Player of the Season in 1991/92. He moved to Scunthorpe in the 1993 deal that brought Dave Hill to Lincoln, later playing for Preston alongside a young David Beckham.
Keith Alexander
After a long non-league career that included scoring in Stamford’s 1980 FA Vase final victory, Alexander played for Grimsby and Stockport before joining City in 1990. He scored four goals in 45 league appearances for the Imps and became manager for the first time in 1993. His second spell in charge, from 2002 to 2006, brought four successive play-off campaigns and two finals at the Millennium Stadium.
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