Percy Freeman played as a striker for Sturbridge, West Bromwich Albion, Lincoln City, Reading, and Boston United during a career which spanned from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s.
PART ONE
Born in Newark in 1945, Percy Freeman began at Stourbridge in 1966, a club where the crowds were modest but the football was robust, and where a strong centre-forward who could hold his ground was highly valued.
The step up came at the back end of the 1967-68 campaign when Division One outfit West Bromwich Albion, with Three Lions international Jeff Astle leading the line—decided that Freeman was worth a closer look, so they brought him to The Hawthorns as cover for the popular goal poacher.
However, understudy roles rarely offer a fairytale, and while Freeman trained hard, listened well and pushed himself through sessions with the zeal of a man determined to succeed, Astle remained immovable, correspondingly pushing him into the shadows, a place no player with ambition wants to linger for too long.
In addition, opportunities proved scarce, with just three First Division appearances coming his way, and although he gave everything in those brief cameos, the simple truth was that Albion were built around Astle, therefore leaving Freeman to either bide his time indefinitely or move on in search of the football he craved.
Consequently, when Lincoln City manager Bert Loxley came calling with the offer of a free-transfer move to Sincil Bank at the start of the 1970-71 campaign, he grabbed the chance with both hands, boots, elbows and anything else he could legally use, because he sensed that this was his moment to start afresh.
By the end of that debut season Percy Freeman had plundered 14 goals in League and cup, a tally that made Loxley look like a genius and Sincil Bank sparkle with new optimism. However, football is rarely a smooth story, and although he remained a regular through the David Herd era, the path took a sharp turn when Graham Taylor arrived as manager at the club.
In contrast to the stability Freeman might have expected, Taylor accepted an offer of £11,500 from Reading for his services, a decision that stunned supporters who had grown to see him as part of the club’s very fabric. Still, professional footballers live with the reality that decisions are made above their heads, and accordingly Percy moved to Reading in 1972, where he at last found a run of consistent first-team football.
He played a season and a half with the Royals, working tirelessly and scoring important goals, but the experience never quite settled with him; correspondingly, less than two years later, disillusionment crept in, leading him to walk away from the game altogether and take up work as a scaffolder—an occupation that suited his size, strength and no-nonsense approach, yet was unmistakably a world away from professional soccer.
Nevertheless, football has a way of pulling its people back, and after a brief return at Reading, Graham Taylor—perhaps reconsidering the wisdom of selling him in the first place—decided that Lincoln City once again needed Freeman’s muscle and magic, consequently re-signing him for £10,000 less than he had sold him for.
Therefore, he was back at Sincil Bank in 1974, greeted with open arms by supporters who never truly let go of their affection for him, and as the 1974–75 season unfolded he became a key part of a side that surged through Division Four with ambition, power and a belief that promotion was no longer a distant dream.
Lincoln came agonisingly close to sealing promotion to the Third Division that year, missing out on goal average, a statistic that haunted the club over the summer and became a driving force for what happened next. Moreover, Freeman—now older, wiser and settled—felt the disappointment deeply, yet he used it as fuel, coming back into the 1975–76 season with renewed determination.
PART TWO
The 1975–76 campaign stands like a monument in Lincoln City’s history, a towering achievement built on tireless running, fierce tackling, organised defending and, crucially, Percy Freeman’s unstoppable presence up front.
The season kicked off on 16 August 1975 at Newport County, a trip that started with a bump rather than a bounce, as the Imps fell to a 3-1 defeat. It was not the sort of welcome anyone dreams of, and yet, as is often the case in football, early adversity laid the foundations for resilience. Indeed, Lincoln returned to Sincil Bank the following week brimming with purpose, dismantling Torquay United 4-2 on 23 August.
The test of character arrived swiftly on 30 August with a 2-2 draw at Hartlepool United. Lincoln’s defensive mettle was under scrutiny, and yet the team demonstrated composure, balancing defensive responsibility with attacking verve. The pattern was reinforced on 6 September, when they beat Reading 3-1 on home soil.
Moving swiftly forward, Lincoln’s early September fixtures continued to hint at something formidable. A tough-fought 1-0 victory at Huddersfield Town on 13 September showcased a side capable of grinding out results on the road, a crucial trait for a promotion-chasing squad. It was not just about the goals—they were scoring plenty—but about resilience, discipline, and a sense of collective purpose.
Two weeks later, on 20 September, Lincoln demolished Exeter City 4-1 at home, and in a follow-up away fixture at Southport on 24 September, edged a 2-1 win. These matches were a testament to a side capable of both flair and pragmatism. Even the goalless draw at Darlington on 27 September reflected the Imps’ ability to frustrate opponents while securing the points that mattered.
October brought further vindication of Taylor’s vision. On 4 October, Harry Griffith´s Swansea City were swept aside 4-0, and a week later, Brentford suffered a 3-1 defeat, a match remembered not just for the goals but also for a minor chaos at the railway end when the goalposts collapsed mid-play.
Nevertheless, a narrow 1-0 defeat to Northampton Town at County Ground on 18 October served as a reminder that the journey would have bumps, yet it did little to derail momentum. Victories over Cambridge United (4-2 on 21 October) and Bournemouth (1-0 on 25 October) quickly restored confidence and maintained the rhythm that would prove vital as the season gathered pace.
November was a month of consistency, of a squad translating potential into tangible results. Lincoln’s 3-2 victory at Crewe Alexandra on 1 November, followed by a 2-2 draw at home to Tranmere Rovers on 4 November, underlined a team capable of both scoring freely and absorbing pressure.
Wins against Rochdale, Workington, Scunthorpe United, and Watford highlighted a Lincoln City squad hitting peak efficiency, with Freeman and his fellow forwards operating like a finely tuned machine, while the defence remained impenetrable more often than not.
As December rolled in, the festive period brought some of the most memorable attacking displays of the season. A 4-2 home triumph over Bradford City on 20 December was swiftly followed by a 4-2 win at Doncaster Rovers on Boxing Day and a 2-1 home win against Barnsley the very next day.
The New Year of 1976 did nothing to slow the Imps’ momentum. Wins over Hartlepool United (3-0 on 10 January) and Cambridge United (3-0 on 31 January) reinforced a balance between offensive firepower and defensive solidity, while a goalless draw at Exeter City on 17 January demonstrated that the team could adapt to the challenge, prioritising pragmatism when needed.
February, however, brought a minor hiccup: a 2-0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers on 6 February reminded the squad and fans alike that football, even in moments of brilliance, could be unpredictably cruel. Yet Lincoln’s response was emphatic. Victories against Workington (4-1 on 21 February) and Southport (6-0 on 25 February) reasserted dominance and reminded the division why Taylor’s side was beginning to feel unstoppable.
March featured a mix of challenges and emphatic statements of intent. Lincoln’s 2-0 win over Crewe Alexandra at Sincil Bank on 6 March was followed by a 2-2 draw with Swansea City at Vetch Field on 9 March, before a narrow 1-0 defeat to Brentford at Griffin Park on 13 March tempered expectations.
Nonetheless, victories over Northampton Town (3-1 on 17 March), Scunthorpe United (2-0 on 20 March), and Watford (5-1 on 26 March) demonstrated a team capable of quickly regrouping and refocusing, while a crushing 5-1 thrashing of Bradford City at Valley Parade on 31 March illustrated the Imps’ ability to unleash attacking might when it mattered most.
April represented the denouement, the crescendo, and the ultimate proof of a campaign executed with meticulous care. Wins over Newport County, Darlington, and Stockport County were not merely victories; they were declarations of intent. Then came a 5-0 home triumph against Doncaster Rovers on 17 April followed by a 1-0 win at Barnsley on 19 April that effectively sealed the Fourth Division title for Lincoln City.
A pair of concluding draws, 2-2 at Torquay United on 24 April and 1-1 at Bournemouth on 26 April, offered a reminder that the game of football retains its unpredictability even in moments of triumph, yet the story of the season had already been written.
Across the campaign, the stats spoke volumes: 74 points amassed, 111 goals scored, and a side that combined tactical astuteness with attacking ambition. For Freeman, it was the pinnacle, the moment where all the sweat, setbacks, departures and returns finally aligned into something unforgettable.
PART THREE
After clinching the Division Four championship in style, Lincoln City entered the 1976-77 campaign with the rare combination of expectation and cautious optimism. Manager Graham Taylor saw little need to tamper with a squad that had been so finely tuned. Consequently, the squad remained largely intact, bringing with it a sense of continuity and confidence as the club embarked upon its first season in Division Three for fifteen years.
The campaign kicked off on 21 August 1976 with Lincoln hosting Shrewsbury Town. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, a modest start that nevertheless suggested that the Imps would be competitive at this higher level. However, just a week later, they suffered a 1-0 away defeat at the hands of Northampton Town, and it became clear that the adjustment to the higher level of competition would not be without its bumps.
Yet Lincoln soon found their rhythm. A convincing 2-0 home victory over Port Vale on 4 September was followed by a closely contested 1-1 draw at Portsmouth a week later. Moreover, the trip to Walsall on 14 September saw City emerge 3-1 winners, an emphatic performance that showcased City´s resilience and adaptability.
Chesterfield were hammered 4-1 at Saltergate on 25 September, and a 3-1 victory over Reading at Sincil Bank on 23 October further confirmed that Lincoln’s attacking instincts had not dulled, but a 3-0 defeat to Wrexham at Racecourse Ground on 9 October served as a humbling reminder of the challenges of the Third Division.
One of the season’s defining traits was Lincoln´s penchant for thrilling, high-scoring encounters that kept the City supporters on the edge of their seats. For instance, the thrilling 5-4 triumph over Northampton Town at Sincil Bank on 5 February epitomised their attacking philosophy and their willingness to take risks.
Similarly, workmanlike wins against Mansfield Town (3-2 on 15 February) and Crystal Palace (3-2 on 2 March) reflected a side that could snatch victories even when under pressure, while draws like the 2-2 stalemates with York City (on 22 February) and Swindon Town (on 26 February) showcased the team’s determination to grind out important points when matches threatened to slip away.
In addition, the winter months brought some of Lincoln’s most memorable performances. The 4-1 home win over Walsall on 18 January was not only a statement of intent but also a testament to the squad’s belief in Taylor’s methods. Moreover, victories over Reading, Grimsby Town, and York City highlighted the team’s ability to string together results, an essential factor in achieving a top-half finish in their first season back in Division Three.
However, the campaign was not without setbacks. Losses to Shrewsbury Town, Brighton, Rotherham United, and Crystal Palace served as reminders that Lincoln were still acclimatising to the rigours of the higher division. Correspondingly, draws against Rotherham United, Tranmere Rovers, and Peterborough United revealed a team that was hard to beat but occasionally lacked the cutting edge to convert tight contests into wins.
Nonetheless, the culmination of Lincoln City’s efforts was a solid and respectable ninth-place finish in the standings, with 52 points collected from 46 matches played, a performance that would have been considered more than satisfactory for a newly promoted team. Freeman, for his part, ended the season on a creditable eight league goals in 24 appearances.
Following 64 goals in 152 league appearances for Lincoln, the club honoured Percy Freeman with a well-deserved testimonial match against Second Division side Sheffield United at their Sincil Bank ground on 16 May 1977, a night filled with warmth, applause and memories.
Now on the wrong side of 30, he joined Boston United at the start of the 1977-78 campaign and later moved into management with county non-League sides including Nettleham, Boston Town, and Stamford.