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Who would of though at the end of the 2001/2002 season a failing club who are in administration and 22nd in Division 3 could be turned round so quickly. Alexander took over at Sincil Bank in the summer of 2002 following a 14 month reign of terror by former Town boss Alan Buckley. This period brought two disappointing finishes in 2 seasons no improvments made to the squad and the signing of some of the "past it" players he has worked in the past and his son Adam Buckley, probably the worst professional footballer I have ever seen.
Keith joined as the Buckleys assistant manager when when he took over in February 2001 and was over the moon when he stepped up to replace his gaffer. Working and being friends with quite a few of the Imps faithful it was easy to tell at first if Keith was right when culling the majority of the squad as his first thing to do in his new job. A few Lincoln legends were released as was a few who were regarded as the stronger and more talented individuals under the Buckley and Phil Stant seasons.
Club legend Grant Brown was released after playing around 500 matches for the club since 1989 and signed for Telford United in the conference, fellow centre back Steve Holmes exited Sincil Bank after a long spell at the club and played a couple of friendlies for Gainsborough Trinity before after all that deciding to retire. Former Mariners legend Kingsley Black also retired after he was given the boot from Sincil Bank and also talented midfielder Justin Walker signed for Exeter City.Jason Barnett a loyal right back joined Lincoln United as did fellow Imp Paul Miller in a previous season. Plenty more were released and they were replaced by an army of non-league unknowns.
Simon Yeo a highly rated Unibond League striker joined from Hyde United,Kettering Town midfielder Richard Butcher,Ashton United midfielder Chris Cornelly also arrived. Others to come in was Niall McNamara(Belper Town FC)Chris Ward(Leigh RMI)Dene Cropper(Worksop Town)Mark Bailey(Northwich Victoria)Simon Weaver(Nuneaton Borough) and also the odd-professional who had not really made it that well, Paul Morgan from Prestom North End,Ben Futcher from Doncaster Rovers and ex-Mariner reserve Matt Bloomer from Hull City.
This was the foundation for Lincolns rise to a play-off final apperance which they lost 5-2 to AFC Bournemouth. Keith Alexander the following season with many of his non-league boys still in the frame managed to get to the Play-Off Semi Final. The team lost 2-1 at home amogst the scorers for there opponents Huddersfield Town was former Mariner Iffy Onuora who was only released 2 months prior to that game. Lincoln drew the second leg at the McAlpine Stadium and people thought they have tried twice they are out of steam.
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However this season Keith Alexander and Lincoln City have proved the form which results in why he is the best boss in the league and why the club is one of the strongert League Two outfits. A few weeks back Grimsby lost 4-2 at home to Lincoln, something that 2 or 3 years ago would of seemed very unlikely and embarassing for Grimsby but now it proves how strong a team of unknows are against a teams of recognised names.
Over the years Town have had many recognisable ex Premiership or round abouts players who have not really pulled there weight, Here is a look at the names Town and Lincoln have had in the past few seasons
LINCOLN CITY
ADIE MIKE(Played Premiership football for Manchester City briefly)
CIARAN TONER(Made the subs bench once for Tottenham Hotspur)
ADRIAN LITTLEJOHN(Experienced attacker who played Premiership football with Sheffield United)
DEAN WEST(Was a good servant with Burnley in Division 1)
MATT CARBON(Played Premiership football briefly for Derby County)
KEVIN ELLISON(Was an unused squad member for Leicester City when they was in the Premiership)
CRAIG ROCASTLE(Ws a youth Premiership player with Chelsea)
KINGSLEY BLACK(Premiership experience with Nottingham Forest and Division 1 apperances for Grimsby Town)
LUKE CORNWALL(Premiership squad member with Fulham and played Division 1 football with Grimsby Town)
IAN HAMILTON(Experienced player Division 1 starts with Sheffield United,Grimsby Town and Notts County)
GRIMSBY TOWN
JAMIE LAWRENCE(Jamaican International played Premiership football for Leicester City and Bradford City)
MICHAEL REDDY(Irish striker with first team apperances with Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday)
ANDY PARKINSON(Propelled Tranmere to a League Cup Final and nearly and FA Cup final was a legend at Tranmere before his move to Sheffield Utd)
DEAN GORDON(Played Premiership football for Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough before a move to Coventry City in Division 1)
JASON CROWE(Played 2 or 3 games for Arsenal and was a regular in the Portsmouth team that earned promotion to the Premiership)
TERRELL FORBES(Was in the squad when West Ham were a Premiership club and played regularly for QPR in Division 1 and 2)
TONY CRANE(Was a regular for Sheffield Wednesday in Division 1 and emerged into there squad in the clubs final Premiership season)
CLINT MARCELLE(Played 1 season of Premiership football with Barnsley as a regulart striker next to John Hendrie)
DES HAMILTON(Was a £1.1 Million transfer from Bradford to Premiership Newcaslte only 6 years ago had)
IAIN ANDERSON(Experience with Dundee and others in the Scottish Premiership)
DAAREN BARNARD(Welsh International played Premiership football for Chelsea and Barnsley)
MICHAEL BOULDING(Had a spell at Premiership side Aston Villa in between been a Grimsby Town legend)
STUART CAMPBELL(Played Premiership football with Leicester City and Division 1 football with Birmingham)
MARCEL CAS(Signed fron Sheffield United, has experience in the Dutch Premier Division)
AIDAN DAVISON(Played Premiership football in goal for Bolton Wanderers and Bradford City on regular occasions)
ALAN FETTIS(Played in the Premiership with Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers)
PHIL JEVONS(Now a star at Yeovil, was a Premiership striker with Everton)
IFFY ONUORA(Bags of talent and experience in Division 1 with Gillingham and Sheffield United amongst others)
ISAIAH RANKIN(Played Premiership for Arsenal and Bradford City)
LAURENS TEN HEUVEL(Played in the Dutch Premier Division before a moved to Sheffield United)
PAUL WARHURST(A legend for Sheffield Wednesday for more than obvious reasons also played Premiership football with Blackburn Rovers,Crystal Palace and Bolton Wanderers)
JOHN OSTER(Welsh International with Premiership experience playing for Everton and Sunderland)
STEVE CHETTLE(Tons and tons of experience making hundreds of Premiership starts for Nottingham Forest)
TERRY COOKE(Made Premiership starts for Manchester United and played in Division 1 for Manchester City,Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland before moving to Town)
DANNY COYNE(Welsh International keeper who played in the Premiership with Leicester City)
JASON GAVIN(Irish defender with Premiership apperances for Middlesbrough before a move to Bradford City)
RICHARD HUGHES(Played Premiership football for Arsenal before playing in Italian Serie A for Atlanta and then back to play Premiership football with Portsmouth)
STEVE KABBA(Played for Crystal Palace and Sheffield United in Division 1 and was a legend at United)
MICHAEL KEANE(Was a regular with Preston North End in Division 1, now with Hull City)
STEVE LIVINGSTONE(Made first team starts for Chelsea,Blackburn Rovers and Coventry City, before Premiership started but the were all in the old Division One.)
PAUL ROBINSON(Premiership starts with Newcaslte United and Division 1 starts for Wimbledon)
GEORGES SANTOS(Division 1 regular for Sheffield United,Ipswich Town and QPR)
ROBERT TAYLOR(Played for Manchester City and Wolves amongst others)
BRADLEY ALLEN(Played Premiership football for QPR and Charlton Athletic)
MARLON BROOMES(Regular in the Premiership playing his trade at Blackburn Rovers)
DANNY BUTTERFIELD(Premiership starts for Crystal Palace)
WILLIE FALCONER(Played for Celtic,St Johnstone and others in the Scottish Premiership)
MICHAEL JEFFREY(Played for Newcaslte United and also had 2 years in the Dutch Premier Division)
ALAN NEILSON(Premiership regular with Newcaslte United,Southampton and Fulham)
MARTIN PRINGLE(Played up front and was a regular goal scorer for Charlton Athletic in the Premiership and has also played for Benfica in Portugal and also has applied his trade in the Swedish Premier Division)
MENNO WILLEMS(Played in the Dutch Premier Division)
ANDY TODD(Has played Premiership football for Bolton Wanderers,Middlesbrough,Charlton Athletic and Blackburn Rovers)
DAVID NIELSEN(Played in the Danish Premier Division for Copenhagen,Aalborg and Brondby also played Division 1 football with Norwich Cirty and Wimbledon)
KINGSLEY BLACK(Tons of Premiership experience with Nottingham Forest)
ZHANG ENHUA(Former Chinese International skipper, was in the World Cup 2002 squad but did not make an apperance)
LUKE CORNWALL(Premiership football with Fulham)
This proves that Grimsby have had far more top players than Lincoln but it is fair to say The Imps are now a lot better of than ourselves.