Lawrie Leslie facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lawrence Grant Leslie | ||
| Date of birth | 17 March 1935 | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 4 June 2019 (aged 84) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Newtongrange Star | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1956–1959 | Hibernian | 75 | (0) |
| 1959–1961 | Airdrieonians | 42 | (0) |
| 1961–1963 | West Ham United | 57 | (0) |
| 1963–1966 | Stoke City | 78 | (0) |
| 1966–1968 | Millwall | 67 | (0) |
| 1968–1969 | Southend United | 13 | (0) |
| Total | 332 | (0) | |
| National team | |||
| 1960–1961 | Scottish League XI | 3 | (0) |
| 1960–1961 | Scotland | 5 | (0) |
| 1961 | SFA trial v SFL | 1 | (0) |
|
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Lawrence Grant Leslie (born March 17, 1935 – died June 4, 2019), known as Lawrie Leslie, was a Scottish professional footballer. He was a talented goalkeeper who played for several well-known clubs. These included Hibernian, Airdrie, West Ham United, Stoke City, Millwall, and Southend United. Lawrie also proudly represented his home country, Scotland, in five international matches.
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Early Life and Challenges
Lawrie Leslie was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. When he was a young boy, he had a very serious accident. He was run over by a truck. Doctors were worried and told his family he might not be able to walk again. But Lawrie was incredibly determined! He worked hard to recover and proved everyone wrong by regaining his ability to walk and play sports.
Lawrie's Football Journey
Playing in Scotland
Lawrie started his football career with a team called Hawkhill Amateurs. In the early 1950s, he became a semi-professional player and joined Newtongrange Star. He also played for his army team while serving in the Royal Artillery.
In 1956, Lawrie signed his first professional contract with Hibernian. He quickly became the team's main goalkeeper. In 1958, he helped Hibernian reach the Scottish Cup Final. Although they lost 1–0 to Clyde, it was a big achievement. After playing 98 games for Hibernian, he moved to Airdrie in November 1959. He even became the team's captain at Airdrie and is now in their Hall of Fame!
Moving to England
In 1961, Lawrie moved to England to play for West Ham United. He quickly became a fan favourite. At the end of his first season, he was voted 'Hammer of the Year'. This was a special award, and he was the first goalkeeper to ever win it!
However, the next season brought a challenge. Lawrie broke his leg during a game in November 1962. He worked hard to recover and managed to play in the last four games of that season. After a new goalkeeper, Jim Standen, became West Ham's first choice, Lawrie asked to move to another club.
In October 1963, Lawrie joined Stoke City. In his first season there, he helped the team reach the League Cup Final. He played in the first game of the final, which ended in a 1–1 draw. Sadly, he got injured and couldn't play in the second, deciding game. Stoke City ended up losing the final.
Lawrie was Stoke City's main goalkeeper in the 1964–65 season, playing almost every game. He later moved to Millwall in 1966, playing for two seasons. He finished his professional career with Southend United.
Playing for Scotland
While playing for Airdrie, Lawrie Leslie also had the honour of playing for the Scottish national team. He earned five international caps (appearances) in 1960 and 1961. His first game for Scotland was against Wales on October 22, 1960. Even though Scotland lost, Lawrie played very well and received a lot of praise.
He was supposed to play for Scotland in a famous match against England at Wembley. However, he got injured just one week before the game and couldn't play.
Later Life and Legacy
After he stopped playing football, Lawrie Leslie continued to be involved in the sport. He worked as a coach at Southend United and later as a trainer-coach at Millwall. He also spent time coaching football in schools, helping young players develop their skills.
Lawrie Leslie passed away in June 2019 at the age of 84. He is remembered as a brave and talented goalkeeper who overcame challenges and had a successful career in Scottish and English football.
