Jefferson Louis
I found it hard not to like Jefferson Louis, and I still do. There was something about him, this mercenary player with more clubs than Tesco’s biscuit aisle, which appealed to me. I suppose it wasn’t half helped by the fact he bagged a few goals during his short stay with us.
It was a couple of months at the end of the 2011/12 season when we saw the legend of 39 clubs at the Bank. We weren’t scoring goals, Steve Tilson had left and the squad was low on confidence. He scored in the first minute of his Imps career as we drew 3-3 with Braintree and then again a few days later as we drew 1-1 with Kidderminster. He helped us to a 2-1 win over Hayes and Yeading with a goal and scored against Fleetwood as Jamie Vardy hit a double for them in a 2-2 draw. He came and served his purpose, scoring six in 14 games to keep up that impressive goal to game ratio. Then he was off to fight another goal drought in another part of the country.
Even now a smile spreads across my lips when I think of Louis, a player who will be remembered fondly even if he won’t make the best XI of a season or a decade. In a three-month spell, he came within one goal of finishing as our leading scorer, a remarkable feat for a supposed journeyman.
Paul Dobson was a hero of mine too and, like you, I was unaware of his ‘history’ when he signed for us. I thought he was a cracking player and he was not utilised as well as he should have been and should have had a great career with us. He was one of those striker signings who really excited me upon arrival… and there hasn’t been many of them over the years.
good article. i think you must be 15 years behind me – i’m 46
Bressington, Hobson, James. Mcginley for me.
Tony James is the only player i’ve ever seen and thought immediadley and every time he should be playing way above this league.
Just to clarify these are not my full heroes, they’re the sort of cult player I loved but who never reached the heights I felt they should.
Malcolm Dunkley (88-89 I think?) – 2 goal debut including a long-range screamer, and then never heard of again
Didn’t he score in his next game too? I’m sure he did.