Matt Bloomer

Matt Bloomer was a versatile defender who operated primarily as a right-back. Alan Buckley first brought him in on loan from Hull City towards the end of the 2001/02 season, knowing him from his Grimsby Town days. Matt’s Dad Brian, had also had a spell with the Imps. He played in the penultimate game of the campaign in the 1-1 draw with Rochdale that was preceded by a fans march around Lincoln.

In January 2003, Keith Alexander brought him back to the club on a permanent deal from a non-league exile with Telford. He came to act as cover for his back five and with his versatility he was able to do that comfortably. He was in and out of the team as suspensions and injuries affected the other players, but he struggled to force himself into the first team on a consistent basis.

He did manage to feature more regularly the season after, even bagging a goal in the 3-1 FA Cup win over Brighton. His versatility was often his undoing as he flitted between midfield and defence without managing to make a single position his. He often had to battle Richard Liburd and Mark Bailey for a starting spot, and although he played regularly towards the end of the season it was usually in an un-favoured central role.

The next season saw him play much more regularly at right back. He never shook the tag of utility man though, often covering anywhere across the defence. He had an absolute stinker in March 2005 against Nathan Tyson and Wycombe, coming off after 48 minutes having been directly at fault for two of Tyson’s three goals. He’d started that game at centre half covering for the injured captain Paul Morgan. He dropped to the bench for the remainder of the season, appearing as a 94th-minute substitute in the play-off final against Southend. As a striker. We didn’t score and went on to lose 2-0.

He featured as a 33rd-minute sub for an injured Lee Beevers in our 3-0 defeat at Grimsby Town on December 28th, and just five days later he was starting for Grimsby after completing a loan deal. He only played once more for Lincoln in a 1-1 draw with Bury.

Richard Butcher

Butch is another who fits the criteria loosely. He did play on loan for us from Oldham, and he did return permanently, but obviously, before that, he had a bit of history with the Imps.

Let’s skip that, as we’re focused on his loan and return. Stepping up to Oldham was a good career move but when it didn’t work out there he came back home to further cement his legacy. It might only have been on loan but he came back to aid a cause, even earning us a point with a goal at Orient. If money had been no object I wonder if we could have bought him back, there and then. Keith Alexander speculated to that end in his programme notes for the MK Dons FA Cup clash; “Richard Butcher went back to Oldham purely and simply because of the money involved. He was a player we didn’t want to let go in the summer but he went higher up for a lot more money than we could afford to pay. That was understandable but he came back and did a good job for us during his month loan and hopefully, at some stage in the future we might be able to get him back permanently. I know the lad is desperate to come back and he could go on and help us to achieve what we’re trying to achieve.”

He didn’t come back whilst Keith was in charge. He wound up playing for Notts County, with a huge amount of success. However, in 2009, he did return to the club, signing a permanent deal under Peter Jackson. Sadly, his return wasn’t a fairy tale and after just three months Chris Sutton came in as manager, and within three more moved Butch on. He went to join Macclesfield Town and the old management duo of Keith and Gary Simpson.

His return wasn’t a success, but not due to him; he never let the club down, unlike the manager who moved him on.