You’ll never settle the debate as to who is City’s best ever striker. However, Paul Aimson’s name is high up on the last.

He had 2 spells with City. Unlike many returning heroes, he did not disappointon his return.

A product of Manchester City’s youth academy, Aimson was a team mate of Phil Burrows. Originally a centre half, he was converted to centre forward and scored 6 first team goals for the Maine Road club. Aimson first joined York for £1,000 from Manchester City in 1964 before leaving two years later.

In his first season at the club, Aimson scored 26 goals as York gained promotion from the bottom flight. He left the following season to join Bury for £10,000 in March 1966.

He had short spells with Bradford City and Huddersfield before returning to City in August 1969 for £8,000.

Aimson, once again scored 26 goals for York City, in the 1970/1 season as we again gained promotion from the bottom flight. He was the first City player to win promotion twice with City. He also famously scored a last-minute header against Southampton in a FA Cup Round 3 match, which gave City a 3–3 draw and so earning a replay.

Aimson left City for Bournemouth for £12,000 in March 1973. He was signed to replace the Ted MacDougall / Pil Boyer partnership, both who had also left City for Bournemouth and went on to play top flight and international football.

He moved to Colchester for £8,000 in August 1973. He retired from football a year later due to an injury. He suffered a thrombsois in his leg, at the time, there was even a brief period when the doctors thought they’d have to amputate a part of his leg. After football, he became a probation officer.

Aimson, was the fifth highest scorer in City history, in all he bagged 113 goals for City, including five hat-tricks in a total of 249 City appearances. He was top scorer in four of the six seasons he spent at Bootham Crescent.

For a prolific striker, Aimson would often stress the importance of team play, "Winning is always more important than scoring goals. I was always happier winning and not scoring than scoring in a losing team. If I can lay one off and York win 1-0, it's better than scoring and City losing".

City's fifth all time leading scorer was full of praise for his colleagues. He noted that any striker is only as good as the service he receives from his team-mates, "I couldn't have wished for better service than that given me by the likes of Billy Rudd, Tommy Heron and Barry Jackson at York. Billy put balls on a plate for me. He is the best player who ever played behind me and made my job easier".

Ex-City stalwarts Chris Topping, Graeme Crawford, Brian Pollard, Pat Lally and David Dunmore all gave moving testimonials after learning of his death.

Recalling his memories, Topping said: "He's got to be up there as one of the best players I played with and was a very good servant to York. Tom Lockie and Tom Johnston both liked him as managers and he came back to help the club at the right time. He was mobile with a good touch and could finish. He was typical of a Manchester City youngster really. He came with skill and was cocky. He was the perfect man to have up front. You could give him the ball and he would fight for it. He worked hard and he could give a ticking-off but could take one as well. Paul was also a very likeable man. He was a good team-mate who socialised as we all did with our wives in that group of players. I'll remember some good nights out with Paul when we stayed over after games at places like Torquay. He always joined in and liked a pint of beer. I'm just glad Graham Bradbury and Steve Beck from the club organised a reunion with Paul in the summer. He came to York and I was there with the likes of Barry Jackson and Phil Burrows. He looked poorly then and it was very emotional, chatting about good, old times for hours and I'm grateful we had that time together".

Crawford, widely regarded as one of City's finest goalkeepers, was between the sticks during Aimson's last two seasons, and was equally impressed by his ability. He said: "Paul was one of the best centre-forwards York City ever had. As well as scoring, he could bring everybody else into play. He was an unselfish centre-forward but still got his goals as well. He gave 100 per cent in every game and was a real crowd-pleaser. He was also a really nice, genuine lad who always helped the younger players. It is a sad loss for his family and he will be one of the legends that will be remembered at York City for a long time".

Pollard echoed Crawford's sentiments about Aimson's attitude towards the club's next generation of players having made his debut at the age of 17 alongside the then 28-year-old striker in a home game against Rotherham in March 1972. "To this day, I remember Aimy coming up to me before my debut and telling me all I had to do when the ball was cleared up to him was keep running and he would flick it on. He said he would look after me and he did. He made that game so easy for me because I had only played for the reserves before then and he was such a nice man". Pollard retained his place in the side for the game against Cheterfeld a day later, his supply helping Aimson to net a hat trick.

Likewise, Lally found a friendly face in Aimson when he made the long move to Bootham Crescent from Millwall in 1971. He said, "He was a totally genuine and honest man and one of the first to take me under his wing when I moved to York. He was there to give me his time if I needed any help and he is a sad loss. His ability to get the best out of players around him and to find space for himself in and around the penalty box made things easier for other players. His work ethic and attitude to the game was also fantastic and he was a great role model. He was a tremendously successful centre-forward and it surprises me he never played at a higher level because he would have done himself justice".

Dunmore played a season with Aimson during the latter's first spell at the club and also has fond memories, saying, "He would do anything for anybody and was a terrific footballer. He was great in the air and I can't speak too highly of him. He was a good all-round, centre-forward".

Aimson last returned to our ground 18 months before his death and was given a standing ovation. In later life, Aimson was astonished to learn that his club captain at York, Barry Swallow, had received £172,661 after the club bought back their home from Bootham Crescent Holdings directors Douglas Craig, Colin Webb and Swallow. His comments are not suitable for a publication like this.

Paul Aimson died of a heart attack in hospital near his home in Christchurch, Dorset after a long illness on January 9, 2008. He was aged 64.