The sight of Keith Alexander, complete with toothy grin and trademark yellow socks, proudly watching his Lincoln City team at the Millennium Stadium on May 24th 2003 remains etched on the memory of the thousands of Imps' fans who descended on Cardiff on that Saturday afternoon.

Using his extensive knowledge of the non-League circuit, Keith had assembled a squad of players from the lower reaches of the semi-professional game and duly confounded the critics who had City favourites for relegation by leading the Imps to the Division Three Play-Off Final. In many ways the result, a 5-2 defeat to AFC Bournemouth, played second fiddle. It was all about being there and it was thanks to Keith that the team were there.

Keith was named manager of the Imps for the second time in May 2002, almost nine years after first being appointed in the post, and re-took the helm at a time when the very future of Lincoln City Football Club was uncertain.

With the Club in administration, Keith succeeded Alan Buckley as the Imps' chief, having worked as his number two since July 2001 when he returned to Sincil Bank as Director of Coaching, and inherited a side that had just finished 22nd in the Third Division. Little did we know that 12 months later, and with a virtually new squad, he would be leading the fans on the rollercoaster of emotion that was the end-of-season play-offs.

Born in Nottingham in 1958, Keith spent the majority of his playing days in non-League football with East Midlands clubs such as Worksop, Ilkeston, Spalding, Kings Lynn and Boston United. He won the FA Vase in 1980 with Stamford, scoring the first goal of their 2-0 win over Guisborough Town at Wembley Stadium and locked horns with the Imps in 1987 whilst in the Conference at Barnet.

Keith eventually made it into the Football League with Grimsby Town under the leadership of Alan Buckley and he averaged a goal every three games during his time with the Mariners before joining Stockport County and then Lincoln in December 1990, shortly after he picked up international honours for St. Lucia.

Keith went on to make 52 League and cup appearances for the Imps, scoring four times, and after a spell as youth team coach, during which time he developed the likes of Darren Huckerby and Matt Carbon, he succeeded Steve Thompson as first team manager.

His first stint as City boss lasted just one season, however, and following his departure linked up with Mansfield Town as youth team coach, although he couldn't resist one last taste of Football League action, appearing three times as a substitute for the Stags in 1996.

Having also played over in Northern Ireland with Cliftonville, Keith returned to management with Midlands side Ilkeston Town before taking over at Northwich Victoria in 2000, leading the Cheshire to Conference safety a year later.

For City supporters, however, it was his second spell at Sincil Bank that brought about his legendary status.

On the field, the aforementioned play-off final against Bournemouth was followed by three more forays into the end-of-season showdown but that elusive promotion unfortunately evaded Keith on each occasion with a second trip to the Millennium Stadium in 2005 seeing the Imps go down 2-0 to Southend United in extra-time.

It was events off the field, however, that took centre stage in mid-November 2003 when Keith underwent live-saving complex surgery at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital to repair a ruptured cerebral aneurysm which had been the cause of a collapse at his home. Three months after surgery, he was back in the managerial hotseat and his first game back in the dug-out was a local derby against Boston United.

Later apppointed as manager of Peterborough United in the summer of 2006, Keith had a spell as Director of Football at Bury before returning to the dugout in February 2008 to dish out words of wisdom to players and officials alike with Macclesfield Town.

A true gentleman and one of football's 'nice guys', Keith will be sadly missed, not only by everyone connected with Lincoln City, but by everyone in the world of football.

Rest in peace Big Keith, you will never be forgotten.