Tommy Lawton

[Herbert Anchovy]

Here’s a story that I was told at the weekend by a mate of mine who’s a Chelsea fan. It’s not Rovers related but (I think anyway) absolutely fascinating and definitely of its time.

In the years immediately before and after the 2nd world war, Tommy Lawton was the most potent striker in English football. He played for Burnley, Everton & Chelsea scoring an incredible 111 goals in 154 games. In 1945, whilst England’s first choice striker and playing for Chelsea in the first division, he shook the football world to the core by moving from Chelsea to Notts County who at the time were in the bottom half of the Third Division South! In modern day standards it’s like Harry Kane signing for Burton Albion!

Why he was choosing to play for Notts County was a question asked by a puzzled nation of football fans and the press who, unsurprisingly, had a field day! Due to the maximum wage, County couldn’t pay him more than he was on at Chelsea. The maximum wage at the time was £14 per week. As with all of these types of things though, it soon came out why he’d agreed to move. It transpired that a Director at County had offered to put Lawton on the payroll of a company that he owned as a ‘clerical worker’ in addition to playing for County! His weekly wage from this company was…£14 per week, so doubling what he could earn in football alone! £28 per week in 1945 was an eye watering wage. Lawton scored 90 goals in 151 games for County before leaving for Brentford. He never played again for England though.

[scawsby steve]

Here’s a story that I was told at the weekend by a mate of mine who’s a Chelsea fan. It’s not Rovers related but (I think anyway) absolutely fascinating and definitely of its time.

In the years immediately before and after the 2nd world war, Tommy Lawton was the most potent striker in English football. He played for Burnley, Everton & Chelsea scoring an incredible 111 goals in 154 games. In 1945, whilst England’s first choice striker and playing for Chelsea in the first division, he shook the football world to the core by moving from Chelsea to Notts County who at the time were in the bottom half of the Third Division South! In modern day standards it’s like Harry Kane signing for Burton Albion!

Why he was choosing to play for Notts County was a question asked by a puzzled nation of football fans and the press who, unsurprisingly, had a field day! Due to the maximum wage, County couldn’t pay him more than he was on at Chelsea. The maximum wage at the time was £14 per week. As with all of these types of things though, it soon came out why he’d agreed to move. It transpired that a Director at County had offered to put Lawton on the payroll of a company that he owned as a ‘clerical worker’ in addition to playing for County! His weekly wage from this company was…£14 per week, so doubling what he could earn in football alone! £28 per week in 1945 was an eye watering wage. Lawton scored 90 goals in 151 games for County before leaving for Brentford. He never played again for England though.

Fascinating story, Herbert. It sounds like some really dodgy dealing though. I don't know what the average wage was in 1945, but it was only around £5 per week in 1950, so it makes you wonder how the Company Director could have justified paying Tommy £14 a week as a clerical worker in 1945.

[Donnywolf]

My dad ( as I have said many times on here ) had many many Jackisms and in truth I used to laugh at them

One of them I didn't laugh at was his assertion that " if they take the maximum wage away , football will be ruined "

I think he was right and that can join most of his other "gems" which I still think are relevant today

[selby]

  The first game I saw at the Rovers my dad took me to see Tommy Lawton play for Notts County, I think 1950 /51 season I was four years old in the old stand at the Town End kicking the boards with the other youngsters, hooked as a supporter for life, and hum bugs to die for.

[Bentley Bullet]

Mrs Teale's humbugs?

[Silkscarf]

Mrs Teale's humbugs?

Mmm, isn’t? Jumpers for goalposts…etc.

Yes, the cowshed made a terrible racket didn’t it. The most uncomfortable seats ever in a football ground.

It all seems a world away for kids growing up with football now -  and having a tantrum when their team don’t win every week.

[ForsolongaRover]

  The first game I saw at the Rovers my dad took me to see Tommy Lawton play for Notts County, I think 1950 /51 season I was four years old in the old stand at the Town End kicking the boards with the other youngsters, hooked as a supporter for life, and hum bugs to die for.

I was somewhat older at that game and Lawton made such an impression that I can almost see him now scoring in front of us at the Rossington end, one (header) if not more. In those days forwards, and TL in particular did not regard himself as there for any other purpose than to score goals so he just hovered up field and did just that. Syd Bycroft was obviously not doing his job as well as usual and I have only just discovered that Lawton was only 5 feet 11, which I suppose was tall in those days, but even so, an inch or so shorter than Syd.

[graingrover]

Them wert days when Wembley werrin every lad’s street really.

[scawsby steve]

Mrs Teale's humbugs?

Bloody hell, BB, I always got on well with Brian at school, so it shocks me to think he'd steal an old lady's sweets.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Lawton did play for England after he moved to Notts County. He was the last third-level player to play for England until Steve Bull did the same.

[idler]

Lawton did play for England after he moved to Notts County. He was the last third-level player to play for England until Steve Bull did the same.

You remember Johnny (Budgie) Byrne getting a cap for England when he was playing for Crystal Palace in the 4th division?
1959/60 or 60/61 if I remember right.

[Bollinger]

I read an article about him a while back and the thrust of it was that he was in financial troubles for most of his life so his bigger pay days didn’t really set him up.

I read a piece that I think was in When Saturday Comes about that he was thought to have been nicking stuff from his team mates in the player’s changing rooms when he was at Notts County although I take that with a pinch of salt bearing in mind he ended up back there as manager. And in his ‘plus’ column he worked for six months without pay when the club were in financial difficulties.

I spoke to an old pro from that era many years ago who said Lawton’s heading ability was fantastic to watch and was all the more amazing for the fact he wasn’t a giant and would out-jump much bigger defenders. He reckoned the only person he’d seen like that was Charlie Williams who jumped as if he was bouncing off a trampoline.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Lawton did play for England after he moved to Notts County. He was the last third-level player to play for England until Steve Bull did the same.

You remember Johnny (Budgie) Byrne getting a cap for England when he was playing for Crystal Palace in the 4th division?
1959/60 or 60/61 if I remember right.

Ooops! I missed that one but he was a Third Division player, not a Fourth Division player, when he played for England in November 1961.

[idler]

Lawton did play for England after he moved to Notts County. He was the last third-level player to play for England until Steve Bull did the same.

You remember Johnny (Budgie) Byrne getting a cap for England when he was playing for Crystal Palace in the 4th division?
1959/60 or 60/61 if I remember right.

Ooops! I missed that one but he was a Third Division player, not a Fourth Division player, when he played for England in November 1961.

My mistake Glyn. They were promoted at the end of the previous season. I remember them beating us 5-1 at Belle Vue in a right thunderstorm when the players went off for ten minutes. Their goalie, Vic Rouse threw his cap to my mate and said here try to keep dry. Dave Sexton was the captain of tgat team.

[ForsolongaRover]

Lawton did play for England after he moved to Notts County. He was the last third-level player to play for England until Steve Bull did the same.

You remember Johnny (Budgie) Byrne getting a cap for England when he was playing for Crystal Palace in the 4th division?
1959/60 or 60/61 if I remember right.

Ooops! I missed that one but he was a Third Division player, not a Fourth Division player, when he played for England in November 1961.

My mistake Glyn. They were promoted at the end of the previous season. I remember them beating us 5-1 at Belle Vue in a right thunderstorm when the players went off for ten minutes. Their goalie, Vic Rouse threw his cap to my mate and said here try to keep dry. Dave Sexton was the captain of tgat team.

I remember that game - illogical really that you remember the big defeats. And odd too, considering the modern fan, that you don’t remember being all that angry.

And I’m sure that back then, no youngsters ever cried - certainly I never saw any - when we lost. In fact I don’t think I ever had to even hold back tears!

[idler]

Yes you just walked back to Balby miserable then. I remember in the early 60s when the fixtures came out looking to see when we played Hartlepool thinking they were so poor we could at least beat them. Hopefully 4 points almost guaranteed.