Ex-Imp forced to retire at 28

By Nathan Jackson
January 13 2007

Former Lincoln City midfielder Ritchie Hanlon has been forced to retire at the age of 28 due to an ongoing injury. The former Chelsea trainee joined City from Stevenage just a few days before our trip to Wycombe in 2004/5, which was also the game where he made the first of 12 appearances for City.

Hanlon will be best remembered for scoring from 30 yards against Boston United in February 2005, a game which City won 2-0. The midfielder was never a regular in the squad, making just 12 appearances before being released at the end of the 2004/5 season along with several other players.

After leaving Sincil Bank, he linked up with just relegated Cambridge United, and he has played there ever since. In a career that also saw him play for Southend, Peterborough, Rushden, Welling, and Stevenage, Hanlon was fortunate enough to play in every divison from Division 1 down the the Conference.

Hanlon leaves behind former Imps Marcus Richardson, and Matt Bloomer at Cambridge.