When 18-year-old Danny Hone stepped out onto the Sincil Bank turf as a replacement for the injured Lee Beevers against Chester City on Friday night, he became only the fifth player in the Club's history to have followed in their father's footsteps and appeared for the Imps in the Football League.

It hardly seem five minutes since the surname 'Hone' last appeared on the Lincoln City teamsheet for a Football League game at Sincil Bank but, prior to Danny's involvement against Chester, it was way back on March 28th 1998 that his dad, Mark Hone, played his last League game for the Imps - a 1-0 home defeat to Colchester United.

Midfielder Mark's playing career started as a youngster with Crystal Palace and after a spell in the non-League with Welling United, he linked up with Southend United for a couple of seasons before signing for City. He went on to make 53 League appearances for the Imps, whilst his goalscoring exploits came mainly in cup competitions, scoring at Southampton in the Coca-Cola Cup in October 1996 and in the FA Cup replay against Emley in December 1997.

Never one to shirk a challenge, Mark was sent off three times during his City career, most notably against Gainsborough Trinity in the dramatic FA Cup tie 10 years ago, which saw him receive his marching orders from referee Mike Reed after just eight minutes following an x-rated challenge.

One of five players released following the Club's promotion to Division Two, Mark had a second spell with Welling before returning to Lincolnshire with Lincoln United and Spalding, whilst at the same time involved as a coach with the Imps' Centre of Excellence.

Whilst Mark and Danny Hone are the most recent father/son combination to appear for the Imps in League football, the first were Jim & Jim Grummett who between them made a total of 416 League appearances for City.

Jim senior made his City debut during the Second World War, scoring in a 5-2 win at Notts County on Christmas Day 1943 and the former miner, who also appeared in wartime football for Halifax Town, went on to become a regular until the Football League resumed in 1946.

A member of the Division Three North championship winning side of 1948, Jim could operate in either wing-half positions as well as inside-forward and was one of the six players to get their name on the scoresheet in the Club's record 11-1 victory over Crewe Alexandra in September 1951.

Described as a 'dour, determined type of player' Jim left Sincil Bank after making 165 League appearances for the Club he had spells with Accrington Stanley and Boston United before being employed in a local engineering works. He died in May 1996.

His son Jim junior, meanwhile, was a powerful defender who gave years of loyal service to the Imps during the 1960s and early 1970s. He captained the team for several seasons and although best as a left half he appeared in every outfield position during his time at the Club and even wore the goalkeeper's jersey when John Kennedy was injured in the December 1968 FA Cup replay against Chester.

He was brought up in Lincoln and on leaving school he began an apprenticeship at Ruston Bucyrus. He signed amateur forms for City shortly after his 17th birthday and after appearing for the county youth team he was selected for the England U18 side, winning caps against Wales, Northern Ireland (who included George Best in their line-up) and Scotland in 1963. The following summer he turned professional but remained a part-time player until completing his apprenticeship in 1966.

He initially appeared for City reserves in the North Regional League but was one of a number of youngsters promoted to first team duty on the recommendation of reserve team manager Harold Riley. Jim went on to make 279 League and cup appearances for the Imps, scoring 21 goals whilst he was ever-present in 1966/67 and 1967/68 in a run which saw him play in 105 consecutive Football League games.

On leaving Sincil Bank, he was a member of Aldershot's promotion-winning team of 1973 before joining Chester and in the summer of 1974, either side of a couple of seasons with Rochdale and prior to a spell with Boston United, Jim plied his trade in the North American Soccer League with Denver Dynamos.

One of Jim Grummett senior's colleagues from the 1940s was Jimmy Hutchinson whose son, Barry, coincidentally became a team mate of Jim Grummett junior's at Sincil Bank.

Whilst in the Royal Navy, Jimmy Hutchinson guested for City during the Second World War, scoring 15 times from 28 appearances and this form prompted the Club's management team to bring him to Sincil Bank on a permanent basis; the prolific forward arriving in November 1946.

Jimmy, who started his career with Sheffield United, joined City from Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, for whom he had scored three times in eight games at the start of the 1946/47 season. He went on to net 15 goals from 25 League appearances in his first season with the Imps but his second was even more prolific as Sheffield-born Jimmy bagged an impressive 32 from 41 as City clinched the Third Division North championship.

Despite this form in front of goal, the arrival of Jock Dodds saw him lose his place. Jimmy was subsequently sold to Oldham Athletic in February 1949 for a then record £3,250 but appeared just 14 times in the Football League for the Latics. He died in 1997 aged 81.

His son Barry arrived at Sincil Bank after scoring 45 times for Weymouth in the Southern League in 1964/65 and was immediately amongst the goals for the Imps, scoring 18 times in 24 League games before being snapped up by Darlington for £5,000 having been transfer-listed at his own request.

Having appeared for Chesterfield (154 apps/16 goals) and Derby County (107/51) prior to his brief spell with City, Barry scored 14 times in 30 games for Darlington before finishing his career with Halifax Town and Rochdale. He died in Rotherham in July 2005 aged 69.

From strikers to defenders and centre-back Bert Loxley came to City in the summer of 1966 as a member of the training staff, having played 245 times during 12 years with Notts County. An injury crisis saw Bert play seven times for the Imps shortly after his arrival only for a dislocated elbow to bring his playing career to a close.

He remained at the Club for 20 years, mainly as trainer/coach and physiotherapist, although he had a short spell as the team manager in the early 1970s, with City winning 11 of his 31 matches in charge. Awarded a testimonial in 1979/80, Bert stayed with the Club until the relegation into the GM Vauxhall Conference in 1987.

His son Tony, also a central defender, served his apprenticeship at Sincil Bank with his sole Football League outing coming in a 6-0 defeat at Swindon Town in March 1979. After leaving City he played for a couple of sides in Australia before returning to the county non-League scene with the likes of Boston FC, Skegness Town and Lincoln United.

The only father and son to be born in Lincoln and to play for the Imps in the League, meanwhile, were Frank and Steve Sims.

Frank Sims was a part-time professional with City in the 1950s but made just three first team appearances during his seven years at Sincil Bank, due to the consistent form of Tony Emery. Before he joined the Imps, Frank turned out for Ruston Bucyrus whilst he played 38 times for Boston United in 1958/59. He died in November 2001 aged 70.

His son, Steve, meanwhile, finished his Football League career at Sincil Bank having played over 350 games for Leicester City, Watford, Notts County and Aston Villa.

Steve started out as a Lincoln Schools player before serving his apprenticeship at Leicester City. He turned professional in the summer of 1974 and went on to play 78 times for the Foxes, winning England U21 recognition in the process, before Graham Taylor took him to Watford.

With Watford rising through the ranks, Steve was a pivotal member of their squad and was named as 'Player of the Season' in 1980/81, forming a formidable central defensive partnership with ex-Imp loanee Ian Bolton.

A broken leg sadly robbed Steve of an appearance in the 1984 FA Cup Final and it wasn't long before he moved on, to Second Division Notts County. He spent a couple of years at Meadow Lane before a brief return to Watford ended after be broke his arm in an FA Cup Semi-Final defeat to Spurs. In the summer of 1987 Graham Taylor took him to Aston Villa where he helped them to promotion back into the top flight and he went on to make a dozen appearances for them in Division One.

After a spell with Burton Albion, Steve joined the Imps on a non-contract basis in the early part of the 1990/91 season but a fractured jaw sustained in his fifth outing kept his City career short.

Turning the clock back somewhat and arguably one of the greatest players of the pre-1900 days, David Calderhead, played twice for City in the 1900/01 season before becoming secretary-manager, leading City to a fifth placed finish in Division Two and a place in the last 16 of the FA Cup the following season. After following his father to Chelsea, David jnr, returned to Lincoln and although he was registered as a player, he never turned out for the club. He did, however, occupy the secretary-manager role from April 1921 until May 1924.

Prior to the Calderheads' involvement with the Imps, William "Joe" Raby played 26 times for the Club between 1893 and 1897 whilst his son Walter helped City to Midland League championship success in 1920/21 before playing twice in the Football League for Grimsby Town.

Matthew Bloomer, who played 94 times in the League during two spells with City, would have become a second generation 'Football League Imp' had his father Brian come off the substitute's bench in the home match against Workington on January 12 1974, whilst Ken Whittle, son of Ernie, a City legend of the 1950s, was also an unused substitute in the 1966/67 season.