The FPA guests for Saturday's game against Bristol Rovers are Dave Gilbert, Phil Hubbard and Trevor Swinburne.
Dave Gilbert
Dave Gilbert was a left-sided midfield player who was born in Lincoln and joined the Imps as an apprentice. He made his first team debut as a 17-year-old and featured regularly in the 1981/82 team which almost won promotion to what is now the Championship. He was briefly at Scunthorpe United and then made over 100 appearances for Boston United before returning to the Football League with Northampton Town - helping the Cobblers to the Fourth Division championship in 1986/87. Gilbert was then sold to Grimsby Town and helped the Mariners to two promotions during six seasons at Blundell Park before following manager Alan Buckley to West Bromwich Albion.
Debut vs Bury, away 4 May 1981
Lincoln City record:
Football League: 15 appearances plus 15 as substitute, one goal
FA Cup: three appearances
Football League Cup: five appearances
Phil Hubbard
Phil Hubbard is a Lincoln-born player who was one of the Imps’ first apprentices following the introduction of a youth set-up in the mid-1960s. He made his initial appearances for the club as a forward but played in several different positions including right back during his time at Sincil Bank. He became a regular first-team player in 1968/69 and finished as leading scorer in 1970/71 when he was voted Player of the Season. Phil continued to score regularly in 1971/72 and by Christmas had 18 goals, including a hat-trick in a memorable 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers in the League Cup. Phil was then sold to Norwich City, then in the Second Division. He moved on to play for Grimsby Town before returning to Sincil Bank in August 1976. Phil spent three further seasons with City and had a spell playing in the USA before signing for Boston United in November 1979.
Debut vs Chester, away 19 February 1966
Lincoln City record:
Football League: 250 appearances plus 11 as substitute, 53 goals
FA Cup: 16 appearances plus two as substitute, one goal
Football League Cup: 16 appearances, six goals
Trevor Swinburne
Trevor Swinburne began his long goalkeeping career as an apprentice with Sunderland in the late 1960s and finished it with the Imps 20 years later. He was in the Sunderland team which won the FA Youth Cup in 1968/69 when they defeated West Bromwich Albion, despite losing the first leg 3-0. The Black Cats won the second leg 6-0 in a remarkable turnaround. During his time at Sunderland, he was under study to the great Jim Montgomery whose form restricted Trevor's first-team appearances. He then played for Brentford and Leeds United before signing for City in February 1986 as a replacement for Stuart Naylor. Trevor made regular appearances for the Imps until retiring in the summer of 1987. He was the first chairman of the Lincoln City Former Players Association when it was formed in 2017 and was the driving force in developing the organisation before stepping down from his role.
Debut vs Blackpool, away 25 February 1986
Lincoln City record:
Football League: 34 appearances
Football League Cup: three appearances
Football League Trophy: three appearances
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