Tommy Lawrence facts for kids
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Lawrence with Liverpool in 1966
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Johnstone Lawrence | ||
| Date of birth | 14 May 1940 | ||
| Place of birth | Dailly, Ayrshire, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 10 January 2018 (aged 77) | ||
| Place of death | Warrington, Cheshire, England | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Warrington Town | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1957–1971 | Liverpool | 306 | (0) |
| 1971–1974 | Tranmere Rovers | 80 | (0) |
| Total | 386 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1962 | Scotland U23 | 1 | (0) |
| 1963–1969 | Scotland | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Thomas Johnstone Lawrence (born May 14, 1940 – died January 10, 2018) was a Scottish professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper for famous clubs like Liverpool and Tranmere Rovers. His career lasted from the 1950s to the 1970s. Tommy Lawrence played for Liverpool for 14 years. He appeared in over 300 league games. He also played three times for the Scotland national team.
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Early Life
Tommy Lawrence was born Thomas Johnstone in Dailly, Ayrshire, Scotland. He was one of three children. His parents were Frank and Ruby Lawrence. When Tommy was a child, his family moved to North West England. His older brother was William (Billy) and his younger sister was Mary.
After finishing school, Tommy worked at the Rylands wire factory. He also played football for local teams. First, he played for Croft Village Football Team. Later, he joined Warrington Town as an amateur player.
Playing for Clubs
Time at Liverpool
In 1957, when he was 17, Liverpool Football Club signed Tommy. Phil Taylor was the manager at that time. Tommy made his first team debut under manager Bill Shankly. This happened on October 27, 1962. Liverpool lost 1–0 to West Bromwich Albion.
His first game without letting in a goal was on November 17. Liverpool beat Leyton Orient 5–0 at Anfield. Roger Hunt scored three goals in that match. Tommy kept the number one jersey for the rest of that season. He played in 35 games. Liverpool reached the FA Cup semi-final but lost 1–0 to Leicester City.
The next season, Tommy played in 40 league games. Liverpool won the 1963–64 league championship. They finished four points ahead of Manchester United.
In the 1964–65 season, Liverpool reached the 1965 FA Cup Final. They played against Leeds United at Wembley. This was Liverpool's first FA Cup final since 1950. They had never won the trophy before. Tommy kept a clean sheet during the main 90 minutes. The game went into extra-time. Roger Hunt scored for Liverpool, but Leeds quickly equalized. In the 113th minute, Ian St John scored the winning goal. This gave Liverpool their first ever FA Cup victory.
Tommy had more success the next season. Liverpool won the 1965–66 league title. They were six points clear of Leeds. Tommy was known for his great form and consistency. He rarely missed a game for eight years. Fans affectionately called him The Flying Pig. This was because he could dive around the goal area despite his size. He weighed over 14 stone (about 89 kg). He was also one of the first "sweeper-keepers." This means he would leave his goal area to help defend or clear the ball.
In 1967, a young goalkeeper named Ray Clemence joined Liverpool. Tommy managed to keep his place for a while. However, the team started to get older. In 1970, Tommy was removed from the team. This happened after a 1–0 FA Cup loss to Watford. Other older players like Ron Yeats and Ian St John also left the team. Tommy played for Liverpool only one more time. This was a 2–2 draw against Manchester City in April 1971.
Moving to Tranmere Rovers
After playing 390 games for Liverpool, Tommy joined Tranmere Rovers. This was on November 10, 1971. He played for Tranmere for three years. He made 80 league appearances for them. His former Liverpool teammate, Ron Yeats, was the player/manager there. After Tranmere, Tommy played for Chorley in non-league football. Then he retired from the sport.
Playing for Scotland
While playing for Liverpool, Tommy Lawrence also played for Scotland. He earned three international caps. His first game for Scotland was on June 3, 1963. It was a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. Ireland won 1–0.
Tommy had to wait six years for his next two games. One was a 1–1 draw with West Germany. The other was a 5–3 win over Wales. In his last international game against Wales, Tommy hit the crossbar. He had to be carried off the field.
Life After Football
After retiring from professional football, Tommy Lawrence went back to work. He returned to the Rylands wire factory. This was the same place he worked when he was younger.
In February 2015, a BBC journalist interviewed Tommy by accident. The journalist was asking older people if they remembered a 1967 football game. It was a match between Liverpool and Everton. Tommy smiled and said, "Yeah, I do. I played in it. I was the goalkeeper for Liverpool."
Tommy Lawrence passed away on January 10, 2018. He was 77 years old. He died in Warrington.
Awards and Trophies
Liverpool
- Football League First Division (2): 1963–64, 1965–66
- FA Cup (1): 1965
- FA Charity Shield (3): 1964, 1965 (shared), 1966
See also
In Spanish: Tommy Lawrence para niños
