Mark Lawrenson Wins First League Title With
Liverpool
Mark Lawrenson won the first of five First
Division League titles with Liverpool in the 1981/82 season - his first
season with the club. In this first season Lawrenson demonstrated his
versatility by playing at fullback and in midfield, but it was his central
defensive partnership with Scotland's Alan Hansen that stood out. Lawrenson
was an intelligent and talented defender with great skill, pace, and he
was a an excellent tackler.
At the end of the 1981/82 season Mark Lawrenson
collected a First Division winners medal as Liverpool topped the league
with 87 points, four clear of Ipswich Town. This was added to a League
Cup winners medal that he collected in March 1982 when Liverpool beat
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 in the final at Wembley. The victory was courtesy
of two goals from fellow Irish international Ronnie
Whelan and one goal from Welsh striker Ian Rush.
With two winners medals in his pocket Mark
Lawrenson had began his Liverpool career as it would continue over a further
six glorious seasons at Anfield.
Mark Lawrenson Collects More Winners Medals
With Liverpool
During the rest of Mark Lawrenson's career
with Liverpool he amassed winners medals for five First Division titles,
three League Cup medals, one FA Cup in 1986, and one European Cup in 1984.
That is ten major honours in just seven seasons. and remarkably they were
won under three different Liverpool managers, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan,
and Kenny Dalglish.
Unquestionably the standout season for
Mark Lawrenson and Liverpool was 1983/84 when they claimed an amazing
treble. In March 1984 Liverpool collected the first element of the treble
by beating Everton 1-0 in the League Cup final courtesy of a Graeme Souness
goal. Next up was the First Division title as the Anfield outfit beat
Southampton into second place. Finally, was a memorable victory in the
European Cup final over AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. Following a 1-1
stalemate after extra time, the match went to penalties and Liverpool
scored four against Roma's two. Lawrenson played in an incredible 66 matches
during that momentous season.
Mark Lawrenson, Liverpool, and the Heysel
Stadium Tragedy
If the 1983/84 season was memorable for
Lawrenson then the next season was also noteworthy - but for all the wrong
reasons. Liverpool's Merseyside rivals Everton had run away with the First
Division title by a margin of 13 points over the Reds who finished as
runners-up. Lawrenson and Liverpool could console themselves because they
had reached the European Cup final for the second year running and were
ready to defend their title against Italian giants Juventus.
The final was being staged in Heysel Stadium
in Brussels and European football fams were relishing the meeting of two
of the football power houses of the continent. In the Heysel stadium rioting
Liverpool fans caused panic and a stampede amongst Juventus fans ensued.
In a truly appalling scene 39 fans, mostly Italian, were crushed as barriers
and then a wall collapsed under the pressure. Despite the loss of life
UEFA officials decided that the match should go ahead. In a bizarre atmosphere
the teams played out a lack lustre match which Juventus won 1-0 courtesy
of a Michel Platini goal. As it turned out Mark Lawrenson only lasted
just two minutes as he had to be substituted due to a shoulder injury.
Fellow Irishmen Jim Beglin and Ronnie Whelan
also played on that fateful evening.
Mark Lawrenson's Goals for Liverpool
Mark Lawrenson scored 18 goals for Liverpool
over the seven seasons he was at Anfield. Lawrenson scored his first goal
for Liverpool on 30 September 1981 against Oulu Palloseura from Finland
in the European Cup. It couldn't be described as a crucial goal as Liverpool
were leading 5-0 at the time and eventually won the match 7-0, at Anfield.
His first League goal was far more important as he scored the opening
goal in a 0-2 victory over Nottingham Forest in December 1981 at the City
Ground. Lawrenson scored his first goal in the FA Cup for Liverpool less
than one month later as the Reds dispatched Swansea City 0-4 in a third
round tie at Vetch Field. In total, Mark Lawrenson scored four goals in
his first season with Liverpool.
In his second season he scored seven goals
for Liverpool including two against Southampton, one against his former
club Bright & Hove Albion and his first goal for Liverpool in the
League Cup as the Reds beat Ipswich Town in the second round. With seven
goals, 1982/83 was Lawrenson's best season with Liverpool in terms of
goals scored. Mark Lawrenson scored his last goal for Liverpool on 22
March 1986 in a 6-0 drubbing of Oxford United in a League match at Anfield.
Mark Lawrenson Finishes Career with Liverpool
Mark Lawrenson went on to play for Liverpool
for three more season, making 126 appearances and winning more silverware.
This included Liverpool's first ever League and Cup double in the 1985/86
season. Unfortunately following the Heysel disaster English teams were
banned from European competition so Lawrenson had to content himself with
just one European Cup success. Injuries were beginning to have an impact
on Lawrenson who was still only 31 and eventually a persistent achilles
injury put an end to his great football career.
Mark Lawrenson played his last game for
Liverpool on 16 January 1988 against Arsenal in a League match at Anfield.
Liverpool won the match 2-0 through goals from John
Aldridge and Peter Beardsley. Nigel Spackman came on as a 51st minute
substitute for Lawrenson. Here are his own words describing the end of
his Liverpool career:
| "None of the other Liverpool players in
the Liverpool side had any idea how badly I was struggling. They were
playing so well and winning that their performances masked my weaknesses.
When I got back into the team, I found I couldn't turn and run like
I used to be able to do. I was just getting by on my positional play
and my experience. I found I was a yard slower than everyone else
and I couldn't get away with it against top class teams. When Arsenal's
Martin Hayes beat me to the ball over 20 yards twice in a minute,
I looked at the bench and knew it was time to pack it in."
"It came as a complete bombshell to Kenny Dalglish. When
the surgeon and I told him, he was speechless. I just couldn't run
at all. My Achilles is 2 1/2 times bigger in my right leg now. I
suppose, from a certain point of view, I did well to hide my injury
from everyone. But even though I was playing on with the injury,
it was demoralising and frustrating and, for someone who takes pride
in his performance, I was terribly disappointed inwardly."
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Mark Lawrenson - Ireland Career
Mark Lawrenson made his debut for Ireland
on 24 April 1977 against Poland in a friendly match at Dalymount
Park. Johnny
Giles was the Irish player / manager at the time and the match ended
in a 0-0 draw. Alan
Kelly Snr was on the coaching staff at the time with Preston N E and
he tipped John
Giles off about Lawrenson's eligibility to play for Ireland. The 19
year old had an Irish mother and had been impressing Kelly with his performances
at Preston.
Ireland employed Lawrenson's versatility
and burgeoning talent by playing him at fullback, in midfield, and occasionally
in his favoured position at centre half. Mark Lawrenson played his first
competitive match on 12 October 1977 against Bulgaria in a 1978
World Cup qualifier. This match also ended 0-0, at Lansdowne
Road (now Aviva
Stadium). Lawrenson scored his first of his five goals for Ireland
against Cyprus in Nicosia on 26 March 1980 in a 1982
World Cup Qualifier. He scored his second goal for Ireland in the
next competitive match as Ireland beat Holland 2-1 at Lansdowne Road in
the same qualification campaign. This was also notable as it was Eoin
Hand's first match as manager of Ireland. In between these two matches
Mark Lawrenson renewed his Preston N E acquaintance with Alan Kelly Snr
as Kelly managed Ireland in a caretaker capacity for a friendly against
Switzerland.
Lawrenson scored two goals in Ireland's
record victory - an 8-0 thrashing of Malta in a 1984
European Championship qualifier - but the Irish goal that he is best
remembered for is one against Scotland. It was Jack
Charlton's first qualification campaign as Irish
manager and Ireland were playing Scotland in Hampden Park in a 1988
Euro qualifier. A sixth minute goal earned Ireland a precious away
victory that went a very long way to helping Ireland to qualify for it's
first ever major football championship finals. Unfortunately for Lawrenson
injury prevented him from making the Irish
Euro 1988 squad for the finals.
Mark Lawrenson played his last match for
the Republic of Ireland against Israel on 10 November 1987. It was a friendly
match at Dalymount Park and was also notable because David Kelly scored
a hat trick on his international debut.
Mark Lawrenson - Liverpool & Republic
of Ireland Statistics
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