Chris Lawler
Encyclopedia
Chris Lawler is a former footballer who enjoyed much of Liverpool
's success of the 1960s and 1970s.
at Anfield
on the 20 March 1963. For two seasons his progression into first team regular was gradual playing just 6 matches in each of the seasons, but by 1965 he was the first choice right back, he also scored the first of his many goals, for a right-back, during this season in the 5-1 thrashing of Burnley
at Turf Moor
on the 5 December 1964, Lawler’s timing and anticipation of turning up in the right place at the right time to score vital goals earned him the nickname
‘The Silent Knight’. The 1964/65 season culminated in him being selected in the team which beat Leeds United in the FA Cup
final at Wembley, earning the trophy for the club for the first time in its history.
His name was pretty much first on manager Bill Shankly
's team-sheet thereafter, missing just three games in the next seven seasons. During this period, he helped the Reds win the League championship
in 1966 again beating Leeds into second spot by 6 clear points, 3 wins in the old 2 points for a win system. Unfortunately this was followed by the taste of disappointment as Liverpool were beaten 2-1 by Borussia Dortmund
in the Cup Winners Cup at Hampden Park
, Glasgow
, the Reds first ever appearance in a Europe
an final
Lawler survived Shankly's massive cull of 1970 which saw a large proportion of the 1960s older stars shipped out and replaced with younger talent. Only Emlyn Hughes
, Ian Callaghan
and Tommy Smith
similarly survived this fate.
He again tasted the disappointment of defeat when he played in the 1971 FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal
, but that was all put behind him when Liverpool earned a League title and UEFA Cup
double in 1973, The Reds beat Arsenal by 3 points in the league and fought off a fightback by Borussia Mönchengladbach
after The Reds had won the first leg 3-0 at Anfield Gladbach fell just short winning the 2nd leg 2-0 thus Liverpool gaining a 3-2 aggregate victory
It was during this period he won his four England
caps, it was a goal-scoring debut too, it came in the 5-0 thumping of Malta
in a UEFA European Football Championship quailifier
at Wembley on the 12 May 1971.
He was only on the bench after a spell out injured as Liverpool reached the FA Cup final again in 1974, but gained another winner's medal after Liverpool swept aside Newcastle United
3-0 on the 4 May.
Shankly's sudden departure in the summer of 1974 also heralded pretty much the end of Lawler's distinguished Liverpool career. New manager Bob Paisley
purchased specialist right back Phil Neal
from Northampton Town
at the end of the year and Lawler featured only sporadically, making his final Liverpool appearance came against Hibernian
in a UEFA Cup tie on the 17 September 1975, he joined Portsmouth
in October ‘75, who were managed by former Liverpool team-mate Ian St John. Lawler later joined Stockport County
in 1978, he also played for Welsh League side Bangor City. In 1976, he played the summer on loan to the Miami Toros
of the North American Soccer League
. In 1980 - 1981 Chris Lawler played and coached second level club Raufoss I.L. in the Norwegian league system.
Lawler became a coach at Liverpool FC after his playing days were over until he was acrimoniously released of his duties in 1986. Rumours about something involving his release and the man who replaced him - Phil Thompson surfaced at the time.
Lawler has kept a low profile since then, though has done some work for Liverpool, scouting for players. He also works in Skelmersdale
, coaching young children.
Lawler is still held in high regard amongst the Kopites who voted him in at No.51 in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop poll on www.liverpool.tv the Official Liverpool Football Club web-site.
* England (1971) 4 caps, 1 goal
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
's success of the 1960s and 1970s.
Life and playing career
A right-sided defender, Lawler joined his local club when he turned 17 in October 1960 and made his debut at the age of 19 in a 2-2 league draw with West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
on the 20 March 1963. For two seasons his progression into first team regular was gradual playing just 6 matches in each of the seasons, but by 1965 he was the first choice right back, he also scored the first of his many goals, for a right-back, during this season in the 5-1 thrashing of Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
at Turf Moor
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
on the 5 December 1964, Lawler’s timing and anticipation of turning up in the right place at the right time to score vital goals earned him the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
‘The Silent Knight’. The 1964/65 season culminated in him being selected in the team which beat Leeds United in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final at Wembley, earning the trophy for the club for the first time in its history.
His name was pretty much first on manager Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
's team-sheet thereafter, missing just three games in the next seven seasons. During this period, he helped the Reds win the League championship
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in 1966 again beating Leeds into second spot by 6 clear points, 3 wins in the old 2 points for a win system. Unfortunately this was followed by the taste of disappointment as Liverpool were beaten 2-1 by Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
in the Cup Winners Cup at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, the Reds first ever appearance in a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an final
Lawler survived Shankly's massive cull of 1970 which saw a large proportion of the 1960s older stars shipped out and replaced with younger talent. Only Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Walter Hughes, OBE was an English footballer who captained both the England national team and the much-decorated Liverpool F.C. team of the 1970s.- From Blackpool to Liverpool :...
, Ian Callaghan
Ian Callaghan
Ian Robert Callaghan MBE is a former Liverpool footballer who holds the record for most appearances for the club.-Life and playing career:...
and Tommy Smith
Tommy Smith (footballer born 1945)
Thomas "Tommy" Smith MBE was a long-serving footballer with Liverpool, known for his uncompromising defensive style. Manager Bill Shankly once said of him: "Tommy Smith wasn't born, he was quarried."-Life and playing career:...
similarly survived this fate.
He again tasted the disappointment of defeat when he played in the 1971 FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, but that was all put behind him when Liverpool earned a League title and UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
double in 1973, The Reds beat Arsenal by 3 points in the league and fought off a fightback by Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
after The Reds had won the first leg 3-0 at Anfield Gladbach fell just short winning the 2nd leg 2-0 thus Liverpool gaining a 3-2 aggregate victory
It was during this period he won his four England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
caps, it was a goal-scoring debut too, it came in the 5-0 thumping of Malta
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
in a UEFA European Football Championship quailifier
1972 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
The qualifying round for the 1972 European Football Championship consisted of 32 teams divided into eight groups of four teams. Each group winner progressed to the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals were played in two legs on a home-and-away basis...
at Wembley on the 12 May 1971.
He was only on the bench after a spell out injured as Liverpool reached the FA Cup final again in 1974, but gained another winner's medal after Liverpool swept aside Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
3-0 on the 4 May.
Shankly's sudden departure in the summer of 1974 also heralded pretty much the end of Lawler's distinguished Liverpool career. New manager Bob Paisley
Bob Paisley
Robert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...
purchased specialist right back Phil Neal
Phil Neal
Philip George "Phil" Neal is a former footballer who was, at one time, the most successful player in English football history. He played for Liverpool 650 times over an eleven year period and is the only player to have appeared in the first five of their European Cup finals, winning four of them...
from Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
at the end of the year and Lawler featured only sporadically, making his final Liverpool appearance came against Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
in a UEFA Cup tie on the 17 September 1975, he joined Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in October ‘75, who were managed by former Liverpool team-mate Ian St John. Lawler later joined Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
in 1978, he also played for Welsh League side Bangor City. In 1976, he played the summer on loan to the Miami Toros
Miami Toros
The Miami Gatos were a soccer team based out of Miami that played in the North American Soccer League. The club was previously known as the Washington Darts. After the 1972 season, the team was renamed the Miami Toros...
of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
. In 1980 - 1981 Chris Lawler played and coached second level club Raufoss I.L. in the Norwegian league system.
Lawler became a coach at Liverpool FC after his playing days were over until he was acrimoniously released of his duties in 1986. Rumours about something involving his release and the man who replaced him - Phil Thompson surfaced at the time.
Lawler has kept a low profile since then, though has done some work for Liverpool, scouting for players. He also works in Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the west of Wigan, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest of Preston. As of 2006, Skelmersdale had a population of 38,813, down from 41,000 in 2004. The town is known locally as Skem.The...
, coaching young children.
Lawler is still held in high regard amongst the Kopites who voted him in at No.51 in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop poll on www.liverpool.tv the Official Liverpool Football Club web-site.
Career details
* Liverpool F.C (1960–1975) – 549 appearances, 61 goals- 3 Football League (level 1) championship medals (1964, 1966 and 1973)
- 2 FA Cup winners medals (1965 and 1974)
- 3 Charity Shield (1964 (shared), 1965 (shared),1966 and 1974)
- UEFA Cup winners medal 1973
- F.A Cup runners-up medal (1971)
- European Cup Winners' Cup runners-up medal (1966)
- Charity shield runners-up medal (1971)
- 1st division Runners up 1968-69
* England (1971) 4 caps, 1 goal