Mark Lawrenson facts for kids
Lawrenson in 1981, tackling AZ's Hugo Hovenkamp
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Thomas Lawrenson | ||
| Date of birth | 2 June 1957 | ||
| Place of birth | Preston, Lancashire, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1974–1977 | Preston North End | 73 | (2) |
| 1977–1981 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 152 | (5) |
| 1981–1988 | Liverpool | 241 | (11) |
| 1988–1989 | Barnet | 2 | (0) |
| 1989 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 20 | (3) |
| 1990–1991 | Corby Town | ||
| 1992 | Chesham United | ||
| Total | 488 | (21) | |
| International career | |||
| 1977–1987 | Republic of Ireland | 39 | (5) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1988 | Oxford United | ||
| 1989–1990 | Peterborough United | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Mark Thomas Lawrenson (born 2 June 1957) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a defender for famous clubs like Liverpool in the 1970s and 1980s. After playing, he had a short time as a manager. Later, he became a well-known expert, or "pundit," on radio and TV for the BBC and other channels. He stopped working as a pundit at the end of the 2021–22 football season. Mark was born in England, but he played for the Republic of Ireland because his grandfather was from Waterford.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting at Preston and Brighton
Mark Lawrenson was born in Preston, England. He always dreamed of becoming a footballer, even though his mother hoped he would become a priest. He started his football journey at 17 with his hometown club, Preston North End, in 1974. The team was managed by World Cup winner Bobby Charlton. Mark was even voted Preston's Player of the Year for the 1976–77 season.
After playing 73 league games for Preston, he moved to Brighton & Hove Albion in 1977. Brighton paid £100,000 for him. It's interesting that Brighton, a Second Division team, offered more money than Liverpool, a top-tier team, who also wanted to sign the young 19-year-old Mark. He quickly settled in at Brighton, playing 40 league games in his first season. By the end of the 1980–81 season, he had played 152 league games for them. However, Brighton faced money problems in 1981, and Mark had to leave so the club could get some funds. Many clubs wanted him, but Liverpool manager Bob Paisley was the one who signed him.
Becoming a Star at Liverpool
Liverpool paid a club record of £900,000 for Mark Lawrenson in the summer of 1981. He quickly became a key player, forming a strong central defence with Alan Hansen. He also sometimes played as a left-back. His first game for Liverpool was on 29 August 1981. He scored his first goal a month later in a big 7–0 win against a Finnish team called Oulun Palloseura in the European Cup.
In Mark's first full season, 1981–82, Liverpool won the League championship and the League Cup. They beat Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup final. The team kept winning both titles for the next two seasons. This made them only the third club ever to win three league titles in a row! They also won their fourth European Cup in 1984. This was Liverpool's last European Cup win until 2005.
Mark was a very skilled player. In the 1985–86 season, he helped Liverpool win both the league championship and the FA Cup. They won the league by beating their rivals Everton by two points. Then, they came from behind to defeat Everton 3–1 in the 1986 FA Cup final at Wembley.
After 1986, younger players like Gary Gillespie started to challenge Mark for his spot in the team. Mark's strong partnership with captain Alan Hansen continued for one more season. Sadly, he suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury in 1988, which ended his playing career early. He still earned a fifth and final league title medal that season. His time at Liverpool ended with 332 games played and 18 goals scored. One of his goals was in a huge 5–0 win against Everton on 6 November 1982.
In 1989, Mark played for one season with the Florida team Tampa Bay Rowdies in the American Soccer League.
Later Career and Retirement
After leaving Liverpool, Mark became the manager of Oxford United in 1988. He left after the club sold a star player without his agreement. He also managed Peterborough United from September 1989 to November 1990.
Mark returned to playing for a short time with non-league clubs Corby Town and Chesham United. His last season as a player was in 1992, when his Chesham team won the 1992-93 Isthmian League. The club couldn't afford to upgrade their stadium to move up to a higher league, so Mark decided it was the right time to stop playing completely.
Playing for His Country
Mark Lawrenson's strong performances caught the eye of the Republic of Ireland manager, Johnny Giles. Mark's Irish family connections meant he could play for Ireland. He earned his first of 39 international games at age 19, in a friendly match against Poland on 24 April 1977. The game ended in a 0–0 draw. Ireland used Mark's skills in different positions, including fullback, midfield, and his favourite spot at centre-half.
Mark scored his first goal for Ireland against Cyprus on 26 March 1980. He scored his second goal in the next game, helping Ireland beat Netherlands 2–1.
He scored two goals in Ireland's biggest ever win, an 8–0 victory over Malta in 1983. But the goal he is most remembered for was against Scotland. This was during Jack Charlton's first qualification campaign as Ireland's manager. Mark scored in the sixth minute, giving Ireland a crucial 1–0 away win. This victory helped Ireland qualify for their first major football championship finals, the Euro 1988. Sadly, Mark was injured and could not play in the Euro 1988 tournament.
Mark played his last game for the Republic of Ireland against Israel on 10 November 1987.
Life in the Media
After retiring from playing football, Mark Lawrenson started a new career in the media. He wrote for the Irish Times and began working as an expert commentator, or "pundit," for the BBC. He often worked alongside his former Liverpool defensive partner, Alan Hansen. Mark became the main co-commentator for big national and international football matches on BBC television. He was a regular on popular shows like Football Focus and Match of the Day.
He also worked as a co-commentator on BBC Radio Five Live. For a time, he was a pundit for Ireland's TV3 for Champions League games. He also worked for the Irish radio station Today FM, talking about football and predicting scores. Mark also wrote columns for the BBC website, the Pluto newspaper at the University of Central Lancashire, and the Liverpool Daily Post.
Mark also lent his voice to video games. He recorded commentary for the Pro Evolution Soccer series from 2008 to 2010. He also featured as a commentator in EA Sports' FIFA series from 1999 to 2001.
In 2002, Mark made a bet on Football Focus that Bolton Wanderers would be relegated from the Premiership. He lost the bet when the team stayed up, and as a result, he shaved off his moustache!
At the end of the 2021–22 Premier League season, after 30 years with the BBC and covering six World Cups, Mark Lawrenson's contract was not renewed.
Personal Life
In 2003, Mark Lawrenson received an Honorary Fellowship from Myerscough College for his achievements in football.
In 2018, he had a cancerous growth removed from his face and was given the all-clear. A concerned viewer of Football Focus noticed the growth and contacted the show's editor, which led to Mark getting it checked. Mark later met the viewer, Dr Alan Brennan, on television.
Honours and Awards
Mark Lawrenson won many trophies during his time at Liverpool:
- Football League First Division: 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88 (5 times)
- FA Cup: 1985–86 (1 time)
- League Cup: 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84 (3 times)
- FA Charity Shield: 1982, 1986 (2 times)
- Football League Super Cup: 1986 (1 time)
- European Cup: 1983–84 (1 time)
He also received individual awards:
- PFA Team of the Year: He was chosen for the best team in the Second Division in 1978–79, and in the First Division five times: 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86.
Images for kids
-
Lawrenson in 1981, tackling AZ's Hugo Hovenkamp
