Imps legend Gareth Ainsworth will be away from the touchline for the coming weeks as he undergoes planned heart surgery.
The 52-year-old Gillingham boss, who played more than 90 times for City between 1995 and 1997, has stepped aside after an issue was detected during routine League Managers’ Association health checks.
Assistant Richard Dobson, his long-time number two from Wycombe, QPR and Shrewsbury, will oversee first-team affairs until Ainsworth returns. Speaking about the operation, the former City favourite insisted that supporters should stay behind the Gills.
“I went for the LMA health check in May and they found something with my heart. I’ve got to have heart surgery this week. It sounds dramatic, but it’s a routine thing they do,” he said. “This has all been planned. Get behind Dobbo and the team, they will be stepping up. I’ll be off for a few weeks, and then I’ll be back.”
Gillingham chairman Brad Galinson stressed that Ainsworth’s health had always been the top priority.
“We’ve known for many weeks about Gareth’s upcoming surgery. In typical Gareth style, he was deliberating about the best time to have it, but Shannon and I were concerned about only one thing – Gareth getting the surgery as early as possible.
“His health alone is the priority here. When we appointed the best manager in League Two back in March, we also felt we were getting the best assistant manager in the league, so we have no doubt the team is in safe hands in Gareth’s absence.”
Since taking over in March, Ainsworth has transformed the Gills’ fortunes, leading them on a 21-match unbeaten run, a club record that was only ended by defeat to Harrogate Town, also managed by a former Imp, at the weekend. His side face MK Dons next, with Dobson in temporary charge.
Ainsworth arrived at Lincoln City in October 1995, reuniting with John Beck for the third time in his career after a £25,000 move from Preston North End. The winger immediately became a cult hero at Sincil Bank, combining relentless energy with a fearless style of play that perfectly matched the direct football of the era.
In his first season, he was named Player of the Year, a feat he repeated the following campaign. It was during that 1996–97 season that he produced his best football, scoring 22 goals from the wing to finish as the Third Division’s second-highest scorer, behind only Wigan’s Graeme Jones. His performances earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year and saw him linked with clubs higher up the pyramid.
Ainsworth’s wholehearted approach made him a terrace favourite, and his goalscoring ability from wide areas set him apart in a team that often relied on physicality and long-ball football. In later interviews, he reflected fondly on his time with the Imps, describing Lincoln as the club where he had played the best football of his career.
He departed in September 1997 when Port Vale paid a club record £500,000 to secure his services, but his two years at Sincil Bank left a lasting impression. In a 2007 poll of supporters, Ainsworth was voted the fourth greatest player in the club’s history, cementing his status as an Imps legend.