Position: striker.

Lincoln City career: 8+(4) appearances between September 2004 - May 2005.

Other clubs: Aston Villa, Hull City, Stoke, Peterborough, York, Darlington, Southend, Scunthorpe, Macclesfield, Boston United, Cambridge United, King's Lynn

Current club: Grantham Town.

Martin Carruthers, despite being on the books of Macclesfield Town, was eager to join Lincoln City in summer 2004. In early July 2004, he telephoned then Lincoln City FC manager Keith Alexander to discuss a transfer but the conversation was quickly terminated as his wages did not fit into Lincoln's wage budget. A few weeks later, he signed for Boston on a free transfer.

Carruthers began his career as a trainee at Aston Villa, where he made six appearances before leaving in July 1993 to join Stoke City in a £300,000 deal. While at Aston Villa, he enjoyed a successful loan spell at Hull City, where he scored 6 goals in 16 appearances.

After three years at Stoke, during which he was in and out of the first team, he signed for Peterborough United for £75,000. He scored 20 goals for Stoke from 119 appearances, although a third of these appearances were as a substitute.

In 1999, after leaving Peterborough, Carruthers played for four clubs including a loan spell at York City and a brief permanent stint at Darlington. In September 1999, he signed for Southend United - initially on loan - before completing a £50,000 transfer. His 26 goals in 78 appearances persuaded Scunthorpe to pay £20,000 to Southend for his services in March 2001.

While at Scunthorpe, he enjoyed the best scoring spell of his career by netting 39 goals in 99 appearances. However, he left Scunthorpe for Macclesfield Town in July 2003, where he endured a mixed time by scoring 10 goals in 45 appearances in a struggling side.

Carruthers, having left Macclesfield to join Boston on a free transfer, had hoped that his fortunes would improve. Alas no goals during 7 appearances persuaded Boston manager Steve Evans that a quick parting of the ways was in order. Evans and Alexander reached an agreement whereby Lincoln City would swap Dean West for Carruthers. A move favoured by Lincoln because West was also having a poor start to the 2004/05 season.

Carruthers' fortunes did not improve at Lincoln, as he failed to score in twelve appearances. He also suffered an injury that saw him lose his first team place. Upon his return to fitness, he joined Cambridge United on loan where he made five appearances.

Lincoln decided against renewing his contract and in May 2005, he left the club just days before their League Two Play-off Final against Southend United. This later proved a mistake because Lincoln were short of strikers on the actual day of the final, which is the reason highlighted by many for Lincoln's defeat to Southend.

Position: central defence, midfield or striker.

Previous Clubs: Gainsborough Trinity, Guisborough Town, Preston North End, Lincoln City and Durham.

Steve Holmes had two spells at Lincoln City, having originally been a part of Colin Murphy's squad of the late 1980's.

Holmes, like many of Lincoln City's former players, drifted into Lincolnshire non-league football. Usually, they transferred to Boston United but Holmes tried his luck with Gainsborough Trinity before moving to Guisborough. John Beck, who would later become Lincoln's manager, spotted Holmes playing for Guisborough and offered him a transfer to Preston North End. Holmes grasped his return to the Football League and signed in March 1994, going on to make 17 appearances for Preston. He also spent time on loan at Hartlepool United in March 1995.

Beck, in October 1995, was appointed Lincoln City FC manager and immediately began rebuilding City's squad. Holmes arrived on loan and instantly became a regular at centre-back. Unfortunately, a permanent deal hit problems so he briefly returned to Preston. Those problems were sorted in March 1996 and he signed for Lincoln City at a cost of £30,000.

He became a favourite with The Imps' fans as he scored a number of vital goals for Lincoln. Holmes would often finish the season as one of the highest scorers, thereby putting the regular strikers to shame. An ever dependable player, he formed a strong partnerships in central defence with a number of different players including Kevin Austin, Grant Brown and Dean Walling. Holmes would also occasionally play as a midfielder.

Holmes scored vital goals in 1-0 wins during the 1998/99 season thereby finishing the season as the third top scorer with 8 goals. He killed off transfer speculation by agreeing a new contract in summer 1999.

Tragically, brave defending cost Holmes the majority of the 1999/2000 season after he suffered an horrific neck injury during the final matches of previous season. The neck injury was so serious that Reames revealed that without treatment "there could have been a serious risk of paralysis." In March 2000, he made a welcome return to the first team and showed no physical or mental effects of his injury.

His first team return lasted until November 2001 when he suffered a knee injury against Bury. The injury was so bad that he was forced to retire from professional football. Holmes left Lincoln in April 2002 and went to play for minor non-league club Durham.