On this day in 1979, City supporters reading the Lincolnshire Echo were introduced to Aidan McKenzie, a mystery trialist who had made quite an impression at Sincil Bank the previous evening.
There were no more than 100 spectators there to see the reserves beat Darlington 2-0, but those who braved the cold were treated to an intriguing performance. Colin Murphy had offered little beforehand beyond confirming there would be a couple of trialists involved. One of them quickly gave the small crowd something to talk about.
McKenzie started on the left before switching to the right, where his pace and close control caused Darlington all sorts of problems. The Echo’s headline, ‘City unveil a mystery player’, captured the interest surrounding a young Irishman whose registration, according to Murphy, was still “in limbo”.
Born in Athlone on 15 July 1959, McKenzie had played for Athlone Town and Galway Rovers before trying his luck across the water. He was 20, an amateur in Ireland, and hoping that his week with City might lead to a professional contract.
“He is on trial with us this week, and I shall watch him in training. He is at present an amateur in Ireland, but he is with us with a view to signing as a professional,” Murphy explained.
“We shall probably have another look at him in a match next Monday before deciding what to do.”
There were two potential opportunities for another viewing, with the reserves due at Grimsby Town in the North Midland League and the first team visiting Ledbury Town for a friendly. The initial impression was certainly encouraging, with the Echo reporting that McKenzie had maintained his performance until tiring in the closing stages.
He did enough to earn his chance, joining City in December 1979. His Football League debut followed at Tranmere Rovers on 9 February 1980, when he replaced Trevor Thompson for the final 12 minutes of a 1-0 defeat.
His first league start came against Port Vale at Sincil Bank on 15 March, and within three minutes he thought he had marked it with a goal. Phil Turner found him with a reverse pass out on the left, around 30 yards from goal, and McKenzie accelerated into the penalty area, beat goalkeeper Trevor Dance and finished into the empty net.
Unfortunately, an offside flag cut short his celebrations. The Echo reported that photographs suggested Turner had been fractionally offside, despite being some distance from the subsequent action, and Murphy clearly felt for his young winger.
“From the individual point of view, it looked a tremendous goal. I felt sorry for McKenzie, and I don’t think there is one Port Vale player who would claim that Turner interfered with his play.”
City eventually won 3-0, with two goals from Tony Cunningham and another from Derek Bell, all in the final 20 minutes. McKenzie earned praise for his contribution, with his skill and speed again catching the eye, even if the goal he would have treasured did not count.
Despite those promising reports, his Lincoln career amounted to four league starts and two substitute appearances. He was released on a free transfer that summer and returned to Ireland with Finn Harps, later appearing for Georgia Generals in the American Soccer League in 1982.
His life subsequently took a very different direction. After graduating from Bible school in 1985, McKenzie began a Christian ministry, speaking at churches, colleges, retreats and sporting events, and he has led the American-based Reconciliation Ministries since its foundation in 1989.
His own account of that change makes clear how completely football had once dominated his life. He recalls being asked whether he had read about great missionaries and replying, “who did they play for?”, before explaining how his experiences in America brought a change in his faith and priorities.
A more recent update on his website explains that illness has left him largely reliant on a wheelchair, restricting his ability to travel. It describes how his ‘Proclaiming Him’ radio ministry began across six stations, giving him another way to continue his work through recorded messages.
Six league appearances leave only a small mark in our record books, but there is a story worth remembering behind them. For McKenzie, the promising trial and the goal that never counted were early chapters in a life which eventually took him a long way from Sincil Bank.
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