Merthyr Imp
Vital Football Hero
Saturday 13th December 1986
Lincoln City 4 Swansea City 0 (Football League Division Four)
Following the sacking of manager John Pickering a year earlier his replacement George Kerr, in his second spell in charge of Lincoln City had been unable to prevent relegation from the Third Division (now League One). Back in the Fourth Division the Imps had made a poor start to the 1986/87 season, falling to 20th place after a home draw with Rochdale in mid-October. Kerr had then re-shaped the side, effectively playing with four full backs with local-born Simeon Hodson ahead of skipper Peter Daniel on the right, and ex-Grimsby Town man Bobby Mitchell in front of the experienced Steve Buckley on the left in a very defensive 4-4-2. This had paid off immediately with a run of five wins in seven games putting the Imps in 8th place following a 3-0 win over fellow relegated side Wolves a fortnight before. In between, progress had come in the Freight Rover Trophy with a 0-0 draw at Hartlepool, the game having been re-arranged for a Saturday due to City’s exit from the FA Cup at Third Division Wigan.
Off the field, the old St Andrews stand had been demolished during the summer and it was reported that work on its £650,000 replacement was expected to start by the end of the month. Plaques incorporating timber from the old stand were advertised in the match programme as being on sale for £25.
Visitors Swansea City were another club relegated along with City from the Third Division at the end of the previous season. With the financial troubles which had seen them almost go out of business behind them the Swans had appointed former Welsh international Terry Yorath in his first managerial position and a run of eight league games unbeaten had put them in second place in the table although 12 points behind runaway leaders Northampton.
The teams were:
City:
1. Trevor Swinburne
2. Simeon Hodson
3. Steve Buckley
4. Peter Daniel
5. Gary West
6. Gary Strodder
7. Richard Cooper
8. Tony Simmons
9. Gary Lund
10. Bobby Mitchell
11. Ian McInnes
12. Willie Gamble (for McInnes)
Swansea:
1. Mike Hughes
2. David Hough
3. Terry Phelan
4. Dudley Lewis
5. Andrew Melville
6. Gary Emmanuel
7. Keri Andrews
8. Chris Harrison
9. Ian Love
10. Colin Pascoe
11. Tommy Hutchison
12. Nigel Stevenson (for Andrews)
In goal for City was the experienced Trevor Swinburne with around 250 appearances for Carlisle behind him who had been signed by George Kerr the previous February following the sale of Stuart Naylor to West Bromwich Albion. He had missed several games through injury with young Lee Butler taking his place but had returned to the side against Wolverhampton. Simeon Hodson had been signed from Lincoln United the previous January after league experience with Notts County and Charlton. The 20-year-old had recently been playing wide on the right of midfield, but with a re-shuffle due to the injury of Kevin Kilmore had recently reverted to full back. Alongside him was the 33-year-old Steve Buckley, younger brother of later Imps manager Alan Buckley who had joined City on a free transfer in the summer after around 350 games for Derby County. In central defence was Gary West, signed by John Pickering from Sheffield United for £35,000 prior to the Third Division relegation season, and 21-year-old former apprentice Gary Strodder into his third season as a regular first-teamer. The re-shuffle had also seen the return on the right wing of teenager Ian McInnes who had scored twice on his debut for City in January after being signed by George Kerr from his previous club Rotherham United. On the left was Bobby Mitchell, another signing from Rotherham. Now aged 31, his best days had been earlier in his career as a midfielder, also under Kerr, at Grimsby but he had been generally found wanting in that position for City and was now being employed in a very defensive role on the left. In midfield was former England Under-21 international Peter Daniel, a player with over 300 games behind him in the top two divisions. He had been signed by Pickering for £20,000 as a midfield player but after City’s poor start to the current season had reverted to right back, a position he had successfully filled earlier in his career. Now, in Kilmore’s absence he was back in midfield, partnered by the hard-tackling Richard Cooper. Aged 21, he had joined from Sheffield United at the same time as West but had failed to hold down a regular place in the team until the present season. Up front was Tony Simmons, father of later Imps youngster Alex. At the age of 18 he had been the subject of a big money transfer from Sheffield Wednesday to Queens Park Rangers. However, after suffering an early injury with the London club he had joined George Kerr’s Rotherham and become the latest player to move from the Millers to City, joining in exchange for John McGinley early in the season and was currently on a respectable total of 5 goals in 12 games. Partnering him was former Grimsby Town apprentice Gary Lund who had joined during the summer in part exchange for midfielder Phil Turner with a record of 24 goals in 60 league games for the Mariners. Aged 22, he was City’s current leading scorer with 9 goals. Substitute was 18-year-old striker Willie Gamble, a former apprentice who had made a promising start to his Imps career the previous season with five goals in 16 Third Division games.
Bridgend-born Mike Hughes in the Swansea goal was to be ever-present for them in the current season and went on to make 180 appearances for the club. Full backs were 20-year-old former apprentice David Hough and Terry Phelan, a 19-year-old former Leeds United youth who later spent five years with Wimbledon where he was part of their FA Cup-winning side before joining Manchester City for a record fee of £2.5 million and also winning 42 Republic of Ireland caps, playing for them in the 1994 World Cup finals. In central defence were local-born Dudley Lewis, capped once by Wales, who had helped Swansea to promotion to the First Division in 1981 and stayed with them during their decline back to the bottom tier again. Alongside him was another local-born player, 18-year-old Andy Melville, like Phelan he was later to have a notable career in the top two divisions for the likes of Oxford United and Sunderland and win 65 international caps. In midfield was experienced former Bristol Rovers and Swindon Town player Gary Emmanuel alongside more experience in the shape of Chris Harrison with almost 350 games for Plymouth behind him. Wide players were teenager Keri Andrews in his first season as a professional and the hugely experienced Scottish international Tommy Hutchison. Now aged 39 his career had included over 300 First Division games for Coventry City and scoring for both sides in an FA Cup Final for Manchester City. He was to feature in another four seasons for Swansea, entering the record books as their oldest ever player at the age of 43. In attack, former Welsh Semi-Professional international player Ian Love was partnered by full international Colin Pascoe who was another player to have been with the Swans during their decline from the First Division as was substitute Nigel Stevenson. Another Welsh international, the defender had also been with the club during their previous rise from Division Four, playing almost 300 games for them.
The attendance at the three-sided Sincil Bank was almost 300 down on that for the previous game which had doubtless been swelled by visiting Wolverhampton supporters. The 1,988 of us who did turn up saw Gary Lund open the scoring with ten minutes of the match gone, picking up a pass from Richard Cooper to turn away from his marker and crash a shot into the net with his left foot. Minutes later City were two goals in front with Steve Buckley scoring his second penalty of the season after Simeon Hodson had been brought down in the corner of the area. Swansea’s defensive outlook failed to produce an attempt at goal until the 28th minute when a shot into the side netting by Harrison seemed to lift them. But despite exerting some pressure and a few goalmouth scrapes they were unable to get past Trevor Swinburne in the City goal. After the break Lund took over, linking well with Tony Simmons and winger Ian McInnes and completing a hat-trick with his 12th goal of the season.
The win moved City up one place in the league table to seventh, only four points off an automatic promotion place and only goal difference keeping them out of the play-offs in the first season these were in operation. Although only one point from their next three games put them back to tenth a home win over Burnley on the 3rd of January saw City return to seventh. But from thoughts of promotion it was then all downhill as the team got into a rut of losing games which Kerr seemed powerless to end, and a nine-game run of one win and eight defeats, six of them without scoring a goal, resulted in him being sacked as manager by Lincoln City for the second time in his career. Promoted from the dressing-room as player-manager, his replacement Peter Daniel did at least manage a couple of wins, including one over champions Northampton, but abject defeats at home to Scunthorpe and away to Swansea in the last two games of the season saw City relegated to the Conference for the first time.
Swansea, although still second at the beginning of February then embarked on a losing run almost as bad as City’s and finished in 12th place.
As usual, I can remember nothing of the match, but my recorded player ratings show I thought Richard Cooper was man of the match with Gary Lund, unsurprisingly not far behind.
The programme cover photo shows Gary Lund putting a diving header past the post in a recent Freight Rover Trophy game against Scunthorpe.
Lincoln City 4 Swansea City 0 (Football League Division Four)
Following the sacking of manager John Pickering a year earlier his replacement George Kerr, in his second spell in charge of Lincoln City had been unable to prevent relegation from the Third Division (now League One). Back in the Fourth Division the Imps had made a poor start to the 1986/87 season, falling to 20th place after a home draw with Rochdale in mid-October. Kerr had then re-shaped the side, effectively playing with four full backs with local-born Simeon Hodson ahead of skipper Peter Daniel on the right, and ex-Grimsby Town man Bobby Mitchell in front of the experienced Steve Buckley on the left in a very defensive 4-4-2. This had paid off immediately with a run of five wins in seven games putting the Imps in 8th place following a 3-0 win over fellow relegated side Wolves a fortnight before. In between, progress had come in the Freight Rover Trophy with a 0-0 draw at Hartlepool, the game having been re-arranged for a Saturday due to City’s exit from the FA Cup at Third Division Wigan.
Off the field, the old St Andrews stand had been demolished during the summer and it was reported that work on its £650,000 replacement was expected to start by the end of the month. Plaques incorporating timber from the old stand were advertised in the match programme as being on sale for £25.
Visitors Swansea City were another club relegated along with City from the Third Division at the end of the previous season. With the financial troubles which had seen them almost go out of business behind them the Swans had appointed former Welsh international Terry Yorath in his first managerial position and a run of eight league games unbeaten had put them in second place in the table although 12 points behind runaway leaders Northampton.
The teams were:
City:
1. Trevor Swinburne
2. Simeon Hodson
3. Steve Buckley
4. Peter Daniel
5. Gary West
6. Gary Strodder
7. Richard Cooper
8. Tony Simmons
9. Gary Lund
10. Bobby Mitchell
11. Ian McInnes
12. Willie Gamble (for McInnes)
Swansea:
1. Mike Hughes
2. David Hough
3. Terry Phelan
4. Dudley Lewis
5. Andrew Melville
6. Gary Emmanuel
7. Keri Andrews
8. Chris Harrison
9. Ian Love
10. Colin Pascoe
11. Tommy Hutchison
12. Nigel Stevenson (for Andrews)
In goal for City was the experienced Trevor Swinburne with around 250 appearances for Carlisle behind him who had been signed by George Kerr the previous February following the sale of Stuart Naylor to West Bromwich Albion. He had missed several games through injury with young Lee Butler taking his place but had returned to the side against Wolverhampton. Simeon Hodson had been signed from Lincoln United the previous January after league experience with Notts County and Charlton. The 20-year-old had recently been playing wide on the right of midfield, but with a re-shuffle due to the injury of Kevin Kilmore had recently reverted to full back. Alongside him was the 33-year-old Steve Buckley, younger brother of later Imps manager Alan Buckley who had joined City on a free transfer in the summer after around 350 games for Derby County. In central defence was Gary West, signed by John Pickering from Sheffield United for £35,000 prior to the Third Division relegation season, and 21-year-old former apprentice Gary Strodder into his third season as a regular first-teamer. The re-shuffle had also seen the return on the right wing of teenager Ian McInnes who had scored twice on his debut for City in January after being signed by George Kerr from his previous club Rotherham United. On the left was Bobby Mitchell, another signing from Rotherham. Now aged 31, his best days had been earlier in his career as a midfielder, also under Kerr, at Grimsby but he had been generally found wanting in that position for City and was now being employed in a very defensive role on the left. In midfield was former England Under-21 international Peter Daniel, a player with over 300 games behind him in the top two divisions. He had been signed by Pickering for £20,000 as a midfield player but after City’s poor start to the current season had reverted to right back, a position he had successfully filled earlier in his career. Now, in Kilmore’s absence he was back in midfield, partnered by the hard-tackling Richard Cooper. Aged 21, he had joined from Sheffield United at the same time as West but had failed to hold down a regular place in the team until the present season. Up front was Tony Simmons, father of later Imps youngster Alex. At the age of 18 he had been the subject of a big money transfer from Sheffield Wednesday to Queens Park Rangers. However, after suffering an early injury with the London club he had joined George Kerr’s Rotherham and become the latest player to move from the Millers to City, joining in exchange for John McGinley early in the season and was currently on a respectable total of 5 goals in 12 games. Partnering him was former Grimsby Town apprentice Gary Lund who had joined during the summer in part exchange for midfielder Phil Turner with a record of 24 goals in 60 league games for the Mariners. Aged 22, he was City’s current leading scorer with 9 goals. Substitute was 18-year-old striker Willie Gamble, a former apprentice who had made a promising start to his Imps career the previous season with five goals in 16 Third Division games.
Bridgend-born Mike Hughes in the Swansea goal was to be ever-present for them in the current season and went on to make 180 appearances for the club. Full backs were 20-year-old former apprentice David Hough and Terry Phelan, a 19-year-old former Leeds United youth who later spent five years with Wimbledon where he was part of their FA Cup-winning side before joining Manchester City for a record fee of £2.5 million and also winning 42 Republic of Ireland caps, playing for them in the 1994 World Cup finals. In central defence were local-born Dudley Lewis, capped once by Wales, who had helped Swansea to promotion to the First Division in 1981 and stayed with them during their decline back to the bottom tier again. Alongside him was another local-born player, 18-year-old Andy Melville, like Phelan he was later to have a notable career in the top two divisions for the likes of Oxford United and Sunderland and win 65 international caps. In midfield was experienced former Bristol Rovers and Swindon Town player Gary Emmanuel alongside more experience in the shape of Chris Harrison with almost 350 games for Plymouth behind him. Wide players were teenager Keri Andrews in his first season as a professional and the hugely experienced Scottish international Tommy Hutchison. Now aged 39 his career had included over 300 First Division games for Coventry City and scoring for both sides in an FA Cup Final for Manchester City. He was to feature in another four seasons for Swansea, entering the record books as their oldest ever player at the age of 43. In attack, former Welsh Semi-Professional international player Ian Love was partnered by full international Colin Pascoe who was another player to have been with the Swans during their decline from the First Division as was substitute Nigel Stevenson. Another Welsh international, the defender had also been with the club during their previous rise from Division Four, playing almost 300 games for them.
The attendance at the three-sided Sincil Bank was almost 300 down on that for the previous game which had doubtless been swelled by visiting Wolverhampton supporters. The 1,988 of us who did turn up saw Gary Lund open the scoring with ten minutes of the match gone, picking up a pass from Richard Cooper to turn away from his marker and crash a shot into the net with his left foot. Minutes later City were two goals in front with Steve Buckley scoring his second penalty of the season after Simeon Hodson had been brought down in the corner of the area. Swansea’s defensive outlook failed to produce an attempt at goal until the 28th minute when a shot into the side netting by Harrison seemed to lift them. But despite exerting some pressure and a few goalmouth scrapes they were unable to get past Trevor Swinburne in the City goal. After the break Lund took over, linking well with Tony Simmons and winger Ian McInnes and completing a hat-trick with his 12th goal of the season.
The win moved City up one place in the league table to seventh, only four points off an automatic promotion place and only goal difference keeping them out of the play-offs in the first season these were in operation. Although only one point from their next three games put them back to tenth a home win over Burnley on the 3rd of January saw City return to seventh. But from thoughts of promotion it was then all downhill as the team got into a rut of losing games which Kerr seemed powerless to end, and a nine-game run of one win and eight defeats, six of them without scoring a goal, resulted in him being sacked as manager by Lincoln City for the second time in his career. Promoted from the dressing-room as player-manager, his replacement Peter Daniel did at least manage a couple of wins, including one over champions Northampton, but abject defeats at home to Scunthorpe and away to Swansea in the last two games of the season saw City relegated to the Conference for the first time.
Swansea, although still second at the beginning of February then embarked on a losing run almost as bad as City’s and finished in 12th place.
As usual, I can remember nothing of the match, but my recorded player ratings show I thought Richard Cooper was man of the match with Gary Lund, unsurprisingly not far behind.
The programme cover photo shows Gary Lund putting a diving header past the post in a recent Freight Rover Trophy game against Scunthorpe.
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oh how times have changed! Although at this stage I was still one of those hardy souls stood in The Railway End. Didn't migrate to the Sincil Bank terrace until the following season in the Conference.
on that was "Oooh Gary Davies" 
