Lincoln City FC Most Prolific Pre-War Goalscorers

There is a reason I’m dropping this now.

I want to do a top 25 goalscorers post-war, and maybe one for this century. I’m not talking about total either – I’m talking about apparently lethal strikers.

What makes a lethal striker? I’d say goals per game, but not a loan player scoring five in ten. I’m looking for players who appeared 25 times or more in total for the Imps. Which of those have been the most lethal for the Imps, in terms of games per goal? You’ll want to know about players you might remember, but what of those we must not forget?

I do not want to discount the men who appeared for us before the war, from 1884 to 1939. It’s a big period, and while it is several generations ago, it would be remiss of me to miss off some of the names that shaped the club back then.

They still wore red and white, they still scored at Sincil Bank, and probably in a day when the game was more physical, less well-paid and yet still the lifeblood of the city.

So, who were the 25 most lethal pre-war Imps strikers?

This is the best games-to-goals ratio for players who appeared more than 25 times for the Imps action.

1: Allan Hall

Allan Hall (1908–1983) was an English centre forward who also played for Doncaster Rovers, Middlesbrough, Bradford City, Tottenham Hotspur, Blackpool and Gainsborough Trinity.

Renowned for his prolific spell at Lincoln, scoring 65 goals in 72 games, he was the club’s record sale when he left for Spurs in 1933.

His record of a goal every 1.13 matches is impressive, with his 41 goals in 40 outings in 1931/32 particularly impressive.

2: Billy Dinsdale

Billy Dinsdale (1903–1984) was an English centre forward who scored 94 goals in 157 Football League games for Darlington, Aston Villa, Lincoln City and Bradford Park Avenue.

A powerful, popular striker, he was Lincoln City’s top scorer in each of his four seasons, netting 103 goals in 136 appearances overall, with 89 in 126 Football League outings.

That’s a goal every 1.42 matches across his two spells, a record which earned him a £1,500 move to Bradford City in 1928.

3: Harry Roberts

Harry Roberts (1907–1984) was an English inside-right who played for Barrow, Chesterfield, Port Vale, Millwall, Peterborough United and Spalding United.

Lincoln’s top scorer in 1929–30, he averaged only slightly lower than Dinsdale, at 1.43 games per goal. It was a good ratio, and after scoring against Division Three (North) Champions Port Vale, he moved to the Valiants.

While there, he earned one England cap in 1931, scoring in a 4–1 win over Belgium despite never appearing in the top flight.

4: Walter Ponting

Walter Ponting (1913–1960) was an English centre forward who scored 53 goals in 116 Football League appearances for Grimsby Town, Chesterfield and Lincoln City.

Lincoln’s top scorer in 1938–39 with 19 goals (15 in the league), he was known for his prolific form at Chesterfield before his career was halted by World War II.

He did only play 23 matches for the Imps in the league, but reached the 25 threshold in total, so he averaged 1.53 games per goal.

5: Frank Keetley

Frank Keetley (1901–1968) was an English inside forward who played for Derby County, Doncaster Rovers, Bradford City, Lincoln City and Hull City.

He famously scored six goals in 21 minutes for Lincoln in a 9–1 win over Halifax in 1932, an enduring club record, later managing Worcester City.

Honourable Mention

Johnny Campbell

I wanted to give Johnny Campbell (1910–1999) a mention because, in the top 25, he played the most matches, which does make his record a little more enduring.

He was a Scottish forward who scored 116 goals in 205 Football League games for Leicester City as well as us. We signed him for a club record fee of £1,250 in late 1933, using proceeds from the Allan Hall sale (around £78,000 with inflation).

He became our top scorer for four consecutive seasons before retiring through injury in 1939. He later worked as a chemist in Market Rasen.

Full Table