Percy Freeman 1945-2016

Like many an older Lincoln City supporter I heard of the death of Percy Freeman with considerable sadness not to mention shock, Percy was just seventy.

Percy Freeman epitomised the ethos of the great Graham Taylor side which showed us fans that we did not have to settle for fourth rate mediocrity. The team that Taylor moulded into a championship winning side was not composed of multi-talented individual players and Percy was not blessed with great football ability. Ability certainly, they all had that but the word that summed Percy up was heart.

Percy Freeman was a barrel chested forward in the finest English tradition. The fans loved him and I’m quite sure he loved us back. The outfit he was a member of swept all before them. You could get really close to the action at Sincil Bank then and certainly close enough to look into the eyes of our opponents. What we saw in them was fear. Those opponents were beaten before they even got on the field of play.

When I first started following the Imps they were a championship level side and I’m convinced that team and that manager would have got us back there but of course events intervened. It did herald a better period for City but it was of course soon over and you don’t need me to tell you where we are now but at least those of us of less tender years have our good memories and of that particular time and with it memories of the wonderful Percy Freeman.