Sam Smith
Harsh? Possibly, because Sam Smith scored seven goals in a dreadful season and was our leading scorer. His arrival in the summer of 2011 reminded me of Gavin Gordon: a young striker with a reputation, joining City with the promise of better things ahead. Gordon eventually earned a big move to Cardiff City, while Smith left us without fulfilling the hopes I had pinned on him.
Seven goals from 18 starts was a respectable return in isolation, but it never felt as though Smith was going to take games by the scruff of the neck. Two goals came in the first six days of the season, with another two arriving in a two-minute spell at Alfreton. The bright start suggested we might have found someone to lead us through a difficult first season outside the Football League, but that early promise faded.
He scored only once after Bonfire Night in 2011 and eventually left for free, later playing for clubs including Brackley Town and Woking. There were far bigger problems at Lincoln than Smith, and plenty of others contributed less. Even so, he was the young striker I had invested my hopes in, which is why the gap between expectation and what followed still earns him a place here.
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