Lincoln City career: 148 appearances and 1 goal between August 1996 to May 1999.

Position: central defender.

Previous Clubs: Leyton Orient, Lincoln City, Brentford, Barnsley, Cambridge United, Kettering Town, Bristol Rovers and Swansea City.

Kevin Austin signed for Lincoln City in August 1996 for £30,000. Money was scarce at the time, so Lincoln were reluctant to sign him despite the then Imps' manager John Beck describing him "as the final part of the jigsaw." A public appeal was started but the unexpected revenue generated from hosting Alan Shearer's Newcastle United debut, who was then the world's most expensive player, meant that Lincoln could sign Austin.

This should have proved shrewd business for Lincoln because Bristol City tabled a £400,000 bid for Austin in October 1998. However, he opted to stay at Lincoln but during the summer of 1999 he signed for Barnsley on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling.

Soon afterwards, he sustained a bad injury whilst playing against Lincoln in the League Cup. This damaged his Barnsley career and when he was eventually fit, he found himself out of the first team. He later joined Brentford on loan in October 2000 before a permanent transfer to Oxford United fell through.

In July 2001, he left Barnsley by mutual consent and joined Beck's Cambridge United. Injury continued to take its toll and he drifted into non-league football with Kettering Town. However, Bristol Rovers gave him another chance at the professional game but he has since left to join Swansea City, where he has become a vital member of Swansea's current successful squad.

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Lincoln City career: 140 appearances and 31 goals, between December 1995 to March 1999.

Position: centre-forward.

Clubs: Emley, Lincoln City, Hull City, York, Cambridge United and Exeter City.

Colin Alcide joined The Imps from little known Emley, who would later became very well known to Lincoln City supporters after their shock win over The Imps in the 1997/98 FA Cup.

John Beck spotted Alcide and decided that Alcide would make an ideal target man for his long-ball tactics that he so favoured. Alcide did indeed make a good target man as he often flicked on corners, throw-ins or just caused a general nuisance in the opposition's penalty area.

His finishing sometimes let him down but without his goals and assists during the 1997-98 season, Lincoln would not have achieved promotion. Despite this, his Lincoln City career finished on a sour note after he was transfer listed by John Reames for rejecting a new contract; a loan move to Hull City quickly followed. The loan was to be made permanent as soon as Hull paid the £60,000 transfer fee but Hull continually stalled thereby forcing Reames to recall Alcide to Lincoln. Hence with his Imps' career seemingly over, he found himself not only back at Sincil Bank but gaining a dramatic first-team recall at Fulham.

There was to be no happy ending as he failed to score on that day but his recall to the first team prompted Hull into action. Within the week, the cash was paid and Alcide was gone for good. Six months later, Hull sold Alcide to York City for £80,000 representing a profit of £20,000 for Hull, while being another example of Lincoln selling their players too cheaply.

Alcide was reunited with Beck in May 2001, when he left York for Cambridge United in a £30,000 deal. He later played for Exeter City.

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Position: striker.

Lincoln City career: 87+(29) appearances and 20 goals between September 2003 to May 2006.

Previous clubs: Ilkeston Town, Peterborough United and Lincoln City.

Current club: Boston United.

Francis Green became the first player to be bought by Lincoln City in over two years, when he signed in September 2003 on a 2½ year contract from Peterborough United. The £25,000 fee agreed for Green could have risen depending on whether Lincoln gained promotion, plus it is also included a sell-on clause.

The transfer ended Imps' manager Keith Alexander's 3-month chase for Green that appeared to have prematurely ended in summer 2003 when Peterborough's manager Barry Fry rejected an original £25,000 bid.

Alexander knew of Green's potential having managed him at their former club Ilkeston Town, where Green began his career in August 1997. In March 1998, Alexander sold him to Peterborough in a £25,000 deal from Ilkeston. He went on to make 126 appearances for Peterborough, although half were substitute appearances; he also scored 16 goals.

Green is both exciting and frustrating to watch for his team's supporters. He has blistering pace but he lacks the goal scoring finish that is expected of a striker. In November 2005, he made a shock loan switch to county rivals Boston United where he stayed for two months.

Upon his return to Lincoln City, he reclaimed his first team place and helped guide The Imps to a fourth consecutive League Two play-off qualification. However, within 48-hours of Lincoln being eliminated from the 2005/06 play-offs, he was leaving Lincoln City for a permanent transfer to Boston United via the Bosman ruling - although Lincoln City stated that were releasing him anyway.

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