Tommy Lawton Interview

[nw6pie]

I heard stories of Tommy regularly holding court in the Magna Charta, with a crowd of hangers-on around him. Similarly in The Lion on Clumber Street.

When I was first taken to Meadow Lane in the late 1960s by older relatives, they would talk in hushed tones about how good he was. Especially his powerful and dominant heading and general aerial ability. He returned to the Lane for a couple of years as a coach and, I think, was finally let go by Jimmy Sirrel when he arrived, who wanted his own back-up team.

His fall from grace after his careeer was terribly sad. As has been said, fleeced by one or two people with bad business ideas, illness and the sad episode of his letters to his great admirer and friend, Richard Attenborough asking for money. Tommy said himself that his lowest point was actually facing the prospect of a custodial sentence due to financial misdemeanours.

Although a huge star of the time, it should be remembered that he reported earning around £15 a week at the time, and that he lost seven full seasons of his football career due to the war.

It was heartening to see that he finally received a little support and things turned around for him late in life after years of pain, scandal and ill-health. Another admirer and friend of Tommy, Barrie Williams, Editor of the Nottingham Evening Post helping him by awarding him a job of writing a regular column in the paper. My understanding is that Tommy spent a few more happy years living comfortably in Woodthorpe, on Littlegreen Road I think. A relatively peaceful existence after years of turbulence and great ups and downs. He should be remembered for the magnificent world-class footballer he undoubtedly was.

He lived more or less opposite my old school, the Good Shepherd, on Somersby Road. A shame things went sour for him at Notts, because really there should be a statue outside the ground for one of our finest ever players. Go up to Liverpool and you can stay at the Dixie Dean Hotel, but we’ve never been very good about marking our heritage in Nottingham.

[upthemaggies]

At the time Lawton signed, football in Nottingham on both sides of the river was sinking to an all time low. Fword finished 19th in tier 2 the season he joined Notts and then got relegated into the 3rd tier the season after that. The 49/50 championship season, with Fword as runners-up seems to have injected new life into the city football wise, which Lawton has to take most of the credit for.

It's very sad what happened to him after that. BBC1 did a feature on him in 1972 at the time he had the court case, which would be fascinating to see now if it still exists, which it probably doesn't.

Re-joining the club as manager for the season Fword were about to kick-off their first term back in the top flight in 32 years (1957/58) was never going to be easy, with Notts having only just avoided the drop at the time, though I still find it odd that he wasn't given another go when we were being turned down by other managers in the late 60s with Wheeler as caretaker for over a year - Lawton was Notts' chief scout at the time and better qualified than Wheeler. Presumably Tommy wasn't keen enough to put himself forward and Dunnett wasn't inclined to persuade him back into the role either.
Ever since the awareness of long term brain injuries post Jeff Astle, I have wondered if Tommy was affected in some way, heading being what he was known for.

[i961pie]

My dad told me stories about him, he was probably the best player Notts ever had but sadly in later life he was known in the Bulwell area for borrowing money. His old pal Joe Mercer hearing of his money woes arranged a charity match for him and raised £6,000 but I don’t know if it lasted. But what a player.

[LaxtonLad]

He lived more or less opposite my old school, the Good Shepherd, on Somersby Road. A shame things went sour for him at Notts, because really there should be a statue outside the ground for one of our finest ever players. Go up to Liverpool and you can stay at the Dixie Dean Hotel, but we’ve never been very good about marking our heritage in Nottingham.

Quite right, the world has never heard of Robin Hood.

[The Dug Out]

I used to have many chats with Tommy in his later years, shared many, many pints with him in the Oakleigh Lodge, & Scots Greys in Bulwell.

He was diddled, as he used to call it, first at the Magna Carta then the episode of the Horse & Jockey in Bulwell Market, that was the last straw for him, it skint him.
In my days of knowing him he never asked for anything, he was alway a true gentleman in every way & blamed no one else, he just used to say i've been a bit of a fool at times.
A true icon.

[BigFatPie]

He lived more or less opposite my old school, the Good Shepherd, on Somersby Road. A shame things went sour for him at Notts, because really there should be a statue outside the ground for one of our finest ever players. Go up to Liverpool and you can stay at the Dixie Dean Hotel, but we’ve never been very good about marking our heritage in Nottingham.

I’m an old Good Shepherd boy as well. Were you during or post the legend that was Sister Patricia?

Tommy Lawton is just about the most famous person I’ve ever met. He was at the Evening Post doing his column when I was there for a week’s work experience. Lovely man.

[51Magpie]

Quite right, the world has never heard of Robin Hood.

Who did he play for?

[Old_pie]

Who did he play for?

The Mary Men versus King John's (cheating) Sherriff.

[SwalePie]

When I lived in Sherwood, many moons ago, I'd sometimes see Tommy on the bus back from town, quietly watching the world go by.

[nw6pie]

I’m an old Good Shepherd boy as well. Were you during or post the legend that was Sister Patricia?

Tommy Lawton is just about the most famous person I’ve ever met. He was at the Evening Post doing his column when I was there for a week’s work experience. Lovely man.

I was there until 1978, so most definitely the Sister Patricia years.