| Born: 20th
October 1973. Lincoln City career: 95+(58)
appearances and 51 goals between May 2002 - May
2005 and January 2006 - May 2006.
Previous Clubs:
Coleraine, Hyde United, NZ Knights and Lincoln
City.
Position: striker.
Simon Yeo was a
late entrant to the Football League at the age of
28 when Lincoln signed him from non-league Hyde
United in May 2002, where he had been a prolific
goalscorer.
Lincoln previously
considered Yeo in 1999, after he was recommended
to them. Three years later, they had to beat off
competition from Burton Albion, the UniBond First
Division Champions, who in April 2002 had been
favourites to secure a deal for Yeo.
Yeo scored 13
League goals during his last season at Hyde but
these goals failed to prevent Hyde from being
relegated from the UniBond First Division; only
Bishop Auckland's substandard ground did that!
A former Army
teammate of ex-Imp Dave Cameron; Yeo has also
played for Northern Ireland club Coleraine.
Yeo had a mixed
first season in league football but finished as a
local hero. At the beginning of the 2002/03
season, he had quickly become a fans' favourite
with his willingness to shoot and score from
distance. Unfortunately, a barren six month
goal-less spell followed, but in May 2003, his
goalscoring ability returned to secure Lincoln a
play-off position. Three more vital goals were
scored over two legs against Scunthorpe United to
help Lincoln book their place in their first ever
national final. Alas, there was no dream ending,
as Lincoln lost 5-2 to Bournemouth in the
play-off final.
The 2003/04 season
saw Lincoln overcome a poor start to reach the
play-offs for a second successive season. This
time, a two-leg defeat on aggregate to
Huddersfield Town meant that it was another
season in League Two.
Yeo achieved a
personal milestone during the 2004/05 season when
he became one of the few Lincoln City players to
score over 20 goals in a season. His eventual
total was 23 goals, which helped Lincoln to reach
the League Two Play-off Final. Off-the-field
events contributed to a 2-0 defeat against
Southend in the final, to condemn Lincoln to yet
another season in League Two.
Many of Lincoln's
players, including Yeo, decided that they would
leave the club rather than face another
depressing season in League Two. Yeo's chosen
destination was New Zealand, where he signed for
NZ Knights on a three-year contract in June 2005.
Despite 4 goals in
11 appearances for NZ Knights, he failed to
settle in New Zealand and opted for a return to
England. Lincoln managed to secure his signature
despite strong competition, and he rejoined The
Imps on January 1st 2006 on a six month contract.
He quickly
readjusted to the pace of the English game and
scored regularly for Lincoln City. Unfortunately,
he suffered a knee ligament injury in March 2006
and missed almost the rest of the season, only
returning for Lincoln City's ill-fated play-off
matches against Grimsby Town.
Yeo's six month
contract expired in June 2006 but he was offered
new terms. However, these new terms included a
pay reduction that proved unacceptable to Yeo,
who then departed Lincoln City much to Imps' fans
disappointment. Further disappointment ensued as
Yeo opted to join rivals Peterborough United.
However, he suffered a major injury at
Peterborough and when ft again, he struggled to
make an impact at London Road.
Peterborough, in
2007, allowed Yeo to join Chester City in a
permanent transfer but again, he struggled to
make an impact at his new club. He would later
join Bury on loan before returning to Chester
City. In May 2008, he was allowed to leave
Chester and almost immediately was reunited with
his former Imps' boss Keith Alexander at
Macclesfield Town.
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