Wednesday, April 18, 2007

100 Person Who Shock The Kop - NO 51: Chris Lawler



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Voted in at number 51 in our '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' countdown is prolific goalscoring full-back of the Shankly era, Chris Lawler.
Four years after our ground-breaking '100 Days That Shook The Kop', we are delighted to invite you to enjoy our new '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series – the definitive countdown of the 100 players who have made the biggest impact at Liverpool.

Over 110,000 supporters have all nominated their own personal Top 10 players in order of impact made and now the definitive top 100 countdown is underway.

Every player who has made the top 100 – and there are some surprises in there - will be honoured on this website via the e-Season ticket console with a specially produced video clip, including archive footage and exclusive interviews.

Since 1892 hundreds of players have represented this club but everyone has their own particular favourites so don't expect this list to be based solely on talent. The greatness of a player can be measured in many ways – obviously, his ability on the pitch is the most important, but 100 PWSTK is much more than that. It's about the impact the individuals chosen have had on this club, be it for a variety of reasons. Maybe it was because of their unique rapport with the crowd, a specific incident that has never been forgotten or anything else that has left a lasting impression.

Name: Chris Lawler

Years at Liverpool: 1963 to 1976
Position: Right-back

Date-of-birth: 20/10/1943
Birthplace: Liverpool

Signed from: Schoolboy (May 1959)

Games: 549
Goals: 61

Honours: First Division Championship (1965/66, 1972/73), FA Cup (1965), UEFA Cup (1973), Charity Shield (1965, 1966)

One of the most prolific goalscoring full-back's in football history, Chris Lawler played a prominent role in both of Bill Shankly's great Anfield teams. Quiet and self-effacing off the field - qualities which earned him the nickname 'Silent Knight' - Lawler oozed class and composure on it. In total, he amassed a remarkable 61 goals for the Reds – a stat that is even more amazing when you consider he achieved this without the aid of penalties. He was also a highly capable performer at centre half, a position in which he made his senior debut in March 1963. Liverpool-born, Lawler originally joined the club as an apprentice and progressed through the youth and reserve ranks. A master at the art of making blind side runs, his stealth at gliding forward from a defensive position into a scoring situation was a potent weapon for the Liverpool side of the 1960's and helped the Reds to Championship and FA Cup glory. Between October 1965 and April 1971 he made 241 consecutive League appearances and was always one of the first names on Shankly's team-sheet. In 1969/70 he was Liverpool's second top goalscorer, while the following season he won the first of just four England caps after previously representing his country at schoolboy, youth and under-23 level. His most famous goal was perhaps the late winner against Everton that completed a heroic three-goal comeback in November 1970. He also had a particular knack of finding the net in Europe, netting eleven in total and infamously having a scorching effort disallowed against Internazionale in 1965. Lawler was one of a select few who survived the Shankly's mass cull at the start of the seventies and went on to win experience more success in the Championship and UEFA Cup. By the time Shanks was replaced by Bob Paisley, Lawler reaching the end of his career and soon moved on to Portsmouth for two seasons before seeing out his playing days at Stockport. Debate about whether he was Liverpool's best ever right-back will forever rage but one thing is for certain, none of his competitors scored more goals and that's a record that is likely to stand the test of time.

Sold to: Portsmouth (October 1975)

Claim to fame: Netting the much-celebrated winner against Everton at Anfield in November 1970

Did you know? He coached Liverpool reserves for spell in the mid-eighties

Where is he now? Retired and still living locally

Ian Callaghan on Chris Lawler: "What a goalscoring full-back. They used to call him the ghost. He could turn up anywhere, unexpected and score vital goals. I think his ratio of games and goals is fantastic for a full-back and will never be beaten."

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