Mark Lawrenson facts for kids
Lawrenson in 1981, tackling AZ's Hugo Hovenkamp
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 June 1957 | ||
| Place of birth | Preston, Lancashire, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in | ||
| Playing position | 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 1977–1987 | Republic of Ireland | 39 | (5) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1988 | Oxford United | ||
| 1989–1990 | Peterborough United | ||
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Mark Thomas Lawrenson (born June 2, 1957) is a famous former footballer. He played as a defender for big clubs like Liverpool in the 1970s and 1980s. After his playing days, he also had a short career as a manager. Later, he became a well-known expert, called a pundit, for TV, radio, and the internet. He worked for the BBC, TV3, BT Sport, and Today FM. 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
Mark Lawrenson's Club Career
Early Days at Preston and Brighton
Mark Lawrenson was born in Preston, England. His father, Tom, was also a footballer for Preston North End. Mark always dreamed of becoming a footballer too. He started his career at his hometown club, Preston North End, when he was just 17 in 1974. The team was managed by World Cup winner Bobby Charlton. Mark played so well that he was voted Preston's Player of the Year in 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. This was surprising because even Liverpool, a bigger club, wanted to sign him. Mark quickly settled in at Brighton. He played his first game for them on August 20, 1977. By the end of his first season, he had played 40 league games. He went on to play 152 league games for Brighton by 1981. However, the club faced money problems in 1981. Mark had to leave so the club could get some money. Many clubs wanted to sign him because of his strong performances. In the end, Bob Paisley, the manager of Liverpool, signed him.
Playing for 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. This happened after Phil Thompson got injured. Mark also sometimes played as a left-back. His first game for Liverpool was on August 29, 1981. He scored his first goal a month later in a big 7–0 win against a Finnish team called Oulun Palloseura.
In Mark's first full season, 1981–82, Liverpool won two major trophies: the League championship and the League Cup. They beat Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup final. The team continued their success, winning both titles for the next two seasons. They beat Manchester United in the 1983 League Cup final and Everton in the 1984 final. This made them one of only three clubs to win three league titles in a row.
Liverpool also won their fourth European Cup in 1984. This was a huge achievement for the club. In 1985, Mark dislocated his shoulder before the European Cup final. He still started the game against Juventus, but he got injured early on and had to leave the field. Liverpool lost that game 1–0.
Mark Lawrenson became known as a very skilled player. In the 1985–1986 season, he was a vital part of the Liverpool team. They won both the league championship and the FA Cup. They won the league by beating their rivals Everton. Then, they came from behind to beat Everton 3–1 in the 1986 FA Cup final at Wembley.
After 1986, younger players like Gary Gillespie started to challenge Mark for his place in the team. His strong partnership with captain Hansen continued for one more season. Sadly, Mark suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury in 1988. This injury ended his career earlier than expected. He still earned a fifth league title medal that season. His time at Liverpool ended after playing 332 games and scoring 18 goals. One of his goals was in a big 5–0 win against Everton in 1982.
In 1989, Mark played for one season with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in Florida, USA.
Later Playing and Managerial Roles
After leaving Liverpool, Mark Lawrenson became the manager of Oxford United in 1988. His time there was difficult. He resigned after the club sold their star player, Dean Saunders, without his agreement. That winter, he briefly played two games for Barnet. Mark also managed Peterborough United from September 1989 to November 1990.
He later returned to playing for non-league clubs Corby Town and Chesham United. His last season as a player was in 1992–93, when Chesham won the 1992-93 Isthmian League. The club could not be promoted to a higher league because of ground rules. So, Mark decided it was the right time to stop playing football completely.
Mark Lawrenson's International Career
Mark Lawrenson's strong performances for Preston and Brighton caught the eye of the Republic of Ireland manager. He qualified to play for Ireland because of his Irish family background. He earned his first international cap (a game played for his country) when he was 19. This was in a friendly match against Poland on April 24, 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 played his first competitive match for Ireland on October 12, 1977, against Bulgaria. This was a World Cup qualifier and also ended 0–0. He scored his first goal for Ireland against Cyprus on March 26, 1980, in a World Cup Qualifier. He scored his second goal in the next competitive match, helping Ireland beat Netherlands 2–1.
Mark scored two goals in Ireland's biggest ever win, an 8–0 victory over Malta in a 1984 European Championship qualifier. However, the goal he is most remembered for was against Scotland. This was in Jack Charlton's first qualification campaign as Ireland's manager. Mark scored in the sixth minute, giving Ireland a crucial 1–0 away victory. This win greatly helped Ireland qualify for their first major football championship finals. Sadly, Mark's injury stopped him from being part of the Irish squad for the Euro 1988 finals.
Mark Lawrenson played his last match for the Republic of Ireland on November 10, 1987. It was a friendly game against Israel.
Mark Lawrenson's Media Career
After retiring from playing football, Mark Lawrenson started a career in the media. He wrote for the Irish Times newspaper, giving his thoughts on football. He began working as a pundit for the BBC, giving his expert opinions on matches. He often appeared on popular BBC shows like Football Focus and Match of the Day. He also worked as a co-commentator for major national and international games.
Mark also worked for Irish TV station TV3 and Irish radio station Today FM. He had a column on the BBC website where he shared his views and predictions for Premier League games. He was one of many former Liverpool players who became BBC pundits.
He also wrote a column for the Liverpool Daily Post newspaper. Mark even recorded commentary for video games! He worked with Konami 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 Bolton stayed up. As a result, he shaved off his moustache on live television!
At the end of the 2021–22 Premier League season, Mark Lawrenson left the BBC after 30 years. During his time there, he covered six World Cups.
Mark Lawrenson's Personal Life
In 2003, Mark Lawrenson received an special award called an Honorary Fellowship from Myerscough College. This was to recognise his great achievements in football.
In 2018, Mark was given good news after having a cancerous growth removed from his face. A concerned viewer of Football Focus noticed something unusual and contacted the show's editor. This led to Mark getting it checked out. He later met the viewer, Dr Alan Brennan, on television to thank him.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Preston North End | 1974–75 | Third Division | 3 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| 1975–76 | 24 | 0 | – | – | 24 | 0 | ||||||||
| 1976–77 | 46 | 2 | – | – | 46 | 2 | ||||||||
| Total | 73 | 2 | — | — | 73 | 2 | ||||||||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 1977–78 | Second Division | 40 | 1 | – | – | 40 | 1 | ||||||
| 1978–79 | 39 | 2 | – | – | 39 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1979–80 | First Division | 33 | 1 | – | – | 33 | 1 | |||||||
| 1980–81 | 40 | 1 | – | – | 40 | 1 | ||||||||
| Total | 152 | 5 | — | — | 152 | 5 | ||||||||
| Liverpool | 1981–82 | First Division | 39 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 4 |
| 1982–83 | 40 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 7 | ||
| 1983–84 | 42 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 66 | 0 | ||
| 1984–85 | 33 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 2 | ||
| 1985–86 | 38 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 0 | – | 6 | 1 | 58 | 5 | |||
| 1986–87 | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | 49 | 0 | |||
| 1987–88 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 19 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 241 | 11 | 24 | 2 | 50 | 2 | 27 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 356 | 18 | ||
| Career total | 466 | 18 | 24 | 2 | 50 | 2 | 27 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 581 | 25 | ||
International
| Republic of Ireland | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 2 | 0 |
| 1978 | 5 | 0 |
| 1979 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | 7 | 2 |
| 1981 | 3 | 0 |
| 1982 | 3 | 0 |
| 1983 | 5 | 2 |
| 1984 | 4 | 0 |
| 1985 | 6 | 0 |
| 1986 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 39 | 5 |
International goals
| Lawrenson – goals for Ireland | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 26 March 1980 | Makario Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  Cyprus |
0–2 | 2–3 | World Cup 1982 qualifier |
| 2. | 10 September 1980 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland |  Netherlands |
2–1 | 2–1 | World Cup 1982 qualifier |
| 3. | 16 November 1983 | Dalymount Park, Dublin, Ireland |  Malta |
1–0 | 8–0 | Euro 1984 qualifier |
| 4. | 4–0 | |||||
| 5. | 18 February 1987 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland |  Scotland |
0–1 | 0–1 | Euro 1988 qualifier |
Managerial statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Oxford United |  |
24 March 1988 | 25 October 1988 | 25 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 16.00 |
| Peterborough United | |
6 September 1989 | 9 November 1990 | 64 | 25 | 23 | 16 | 39.06 |
| Total | 89 | 29 | 32 | 28 | 32.6 | |||
Honours and Achievements
Liverpool
- Football League First Division: 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88
- FA Cup: 1985–86
- League Cup: 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84
- FA Charity Shield: 1982, 1986
- Football League Super Cup: 1986
- European Cup: 1983–84
See also
- List of Republic of Ireland international footballers born outside the Republic of Ireland
