6. Mick Waitt
Mick Waitt had eight goals in 15 GMVC appearances for the Imps before a sickening leg break against Cheltenham Town. You could hear his leg snap around the ground, and momentarily, it looked like our chances of bouncing back went on the stretcher with him. Phil Brown and John McGinley stepped up, and Waitt’s contribution became a side issue.
He did come back more than a year later with a goal in seven outings, but he was never the same. What might have been? He was a big striker, one Colin Murphy could happily have aimed big balls at, which is what we reverted to at the end of the season. If he had stayed fit, we’d still have won the GMVC, but what next? Could he have been the man to guide us to the Third Division?
We’ll never know.
5. Alan Roberts
At the time, Alan Roberts was our record transfer fee paid. We paid £60,000 for the then-25-year-old, a winger with real flair and skill.
Roberts looked to be a huge capture, full of running and skill. He’d turned down a £75,000 to West Brom to sign for us, and with Murphy playing more football, the winger was perfectly suited. Sadly, after just seven league games, he picked up a knee injury. He missed five, returned for a handful, and then had to end his career.
What could have been? He left the Second Division for us, and as he signed, Geoff Davey promised more. We were ambitious, promotion was the aim, but his injury (along with others) really scuppered our chances. A few weeks after we signed David Puttnam, but what could have been if they’d been on opposite wings?