Lennie Lawrence dinner
I had this photo sent to me of Lennie Lawrence’s dinner at The Valley on Sunday. Had me feeling all sentimental.
Lennie is an Addicks legend, a miracle worker who bought, and coached some of my favourite ever (and best) Charlton players of the last half a century. And at 78 years old is still working in the game.
I often think Lawrence’s achievements get overlooked, so it was fantastic to see him lauded the other night, just wish I could’ve been there.
Credit to Steve Brown and the ex-players association as well as people like Steve Sutherland for arranging the night. The club announced they are to rename the vice presidents lounge to become The Lennie Lawrence Suite.
I knew Lennie a little bit back in the day. He was a regular late night drinker at the Catford Cricket Club, as was I, and he was always very modest and matter of fact. He never carried the passion that someone like a Chris Powell or Nathan Jones did, and I know many Addicks felt he should have spoken out about the owners at the time of the move from The Valley but in reality Lawrence shunned any limelight or discord and had a great work ethic and was a very clever operator, which his longevity in the game has proven.
Lawrence despite his modest football background had a real eye for a player. Charlton legends such as Peter Shirtliff, John Humphrey, Mark Reid, Jim Melrose, Paul Mortimer, Bob Bolder, Colin Walsh and of course Curbs were all signed by him. Plus he introduced and coached youngsters like Robert Lee and Micky Bennett into the first team.
Lawrence kept us up on the last day of the 1982/83 season, when relegation to the then Division 3 would have been the death knell.
During the summer of 1985, which we began at The Valley, Lawrence signed 7 players of whom nearly all were fantastic for us, and that campaign that led to promotion to the top tier for the first time in 30 years was miraculous, only bettered by then keeping us in the top tier for four seasons.
I realize I am appealing here to Addicks of a certain age – but 1986 at Carlisle, that Leeds play-off win? The Battle of the Bridge, winning at Old Trafford in our first season, Simonsen at home to Chelsea? They all send a shiver down my spine.
That first season after relegation though was hard. Reality had set in at Selhurst, players were sold and Lawrence knew that it was time to move on. I stood on the Holmesdale terrace and admit I joined in the chorus of “Lennie Lawrence has f—-d it up again.” The time had come and his move to Middlesbrough and the introduction of Alan Curbishley and Steve Gritt gave us a whole new exciting chapter.
I think after he tried to prise away Robert Lee to Middlesbrough his Charlton stock dropped, but history and my memories tell me that Lennie did unbelievable things for out football club at a time of real adversity.
Lennie is a proper Charlton legend.
Finally, how many of those players in the photo can you recognize?
Nice to appreciate Lennie. Emily
Dear CA.
Thanks for the comments on Lennie Lawrence. I have always felt that his stunning achievements whilst at Charlton were not properly recognized and to name a suite after him is the very least he deserves.
I hope you will allow me a little indulgence now that we can all relax after the win against Hull…..I started supporting CAFC in 1957 and can claim to be one of the few people alive who attended not only the most fantastic English league match of all time in December 1957 : the 7 – 6 v Huddersfield but also the World Cup Final in 1966 and the best (so far) play off final in 1998.
May I present you with my best Charlton squad of 23 players drawn from those I have seen over the past 69 years :
Kiely, Ilic, Bolder.
Bonds, Humphrey, Rufus, Costa, Ufton, Shirtliff, Reid, Chris Powell.
Mike Bailey, Parker, Jensen, Kinsella, Euell, Holland, Simonsen.
Eddie Firmani, Leary, Mendonca, Darren Bent, Di Canio.
If pushed my starting 11 would be :
Kiely
Humphrey, Rufus, Costa, C. Powell
Jensen, Bailey, Parker, Simonsen
Firmani Di Canio
Now at the age of 78 I tend to spend more time looking backwards rather than forwards but I am looking forward to this summer’s transfer window and I thank you again for providing this platform for Addicks to air their opinions.
Have a great summer and roll on next season.
That is an interesting “indulgence” Wayne. I first went to the Valley in 1962 and wouldn’t disagree with any of your selections.
To take things one step further, I would have to nominate Claus Jensen as my favourite individual player. Silky skills and with an eye for goal. His sublime chip for the 3rd goal at Highbury and his free kick at the Valley, which the West Ham goalie never even saw, spring to mind.
Claus was brilliant wasn’t he.
Loving that Wayne. Indulge away. This is the place for it.
Did you see my 20 player list?
https://chicagoaddick.com/twenty-years/
I picked 20 players that meant the most to me in my time as a fan. No order, not necessarily the best, just those that I hold dear in my memory.
Picking a squad and a first XI is hard. I’ve tried it. I like yours but I never saw Firmani and Bailey play. Did see the latter manage though.
I think Paulo is the one that sticks out for me. Brilliant player and character but I’d have to have Mendonca ahead of him. Possibly Bent too.
What about Hales, Colin Powell, Flanagan and Peacock?
I love these conversations.
I can name all but three but I can’t tell you who the three are as I don’t recognise them.
😂
😅
I’ll take a stab at the photograph : Left to Right :
Peter Shirtliff, Keith Peacock, Steve Gritt, Rob Lee, George Shipley, Nicky Johns, Paul Elliott, Lenny Lawrence, Steve Brown, Carl Leaburn, Paul Mortimer, John Humphrey, Curbs and the tricky one…I’ll go for Ralph Milne.
Ralph Milne died in 2015….
Same nationality though. It’s Colin Walsh.
Don’t forget Paul Walsh the only player apart from Simonsen who looked like the ball was glued on the end of his boot when dribbled past players.
As for Managers Lennie Lawrence would be 3rd in my list behind seed and Curbishley
My first ever Charlton game was the pre-season friendly versus Liverpool at the Valley in 1985, and I believe that we lost 2-1.
I can recall that much of the chat was about all the new signings that Lawrence had made. He and his scouting team certainly had an eye for it, and many of those players he signed and blooded into the first team remain on my list of all-time favourites. John Humphrey would have been at the top of that list, as a fellow right-back (until I retired at the ripe old age of 13), at least until he went to Palace!
I think that even at a young age, I knew that much of what I loved about Charlton was that we were always fighting against the odds and somehow surviving, for which Lawrence deserved a lot of credit, and the next few years would confirm that. Then again, nothing much has really changed!
John Humphrey is very near top of my list.
I wonder if any other team has had their right-back named POTY three years running?
It does seem like a very CAFC thing to do!
Lennie was one of our greatest managers and the first I saw when I started supporting the reds in 83/84 season no money but he found great players as far as I can remember he took Andy peake to boro which saved us a lot of money from getting footballs from macros car park
A team of legends
Dear CA
What a terrible mistake I made with Ralph Milne…..sincere apologies to his family.
I’ll explain why I left out the 4 players you mentioned :
HALES : It was always going to be contentious to leave out ‘killer’ and as great as he was for us he never did it at the highest level. I think all other members of my squad played for us in the top tier except for Simonsen who did not have to prove anything as a European footballer of the year.
PADDY POWELL : terrific to watch, weak left foot apart from a stunner from 25 yards at Palace. Again, never did it for us in the top tier.
FLANAGAN : Another terrific player excellent all round ability but falls short of my top 23.
KEITH PEEWEE : A legend, great servant, fine player but for me not so good that he could make my 23.
Favorites :
My all time favorite was Matt Tees : The greatest header of a ball I have ever seen (for any club). Unfortunately that led to his Dementia and he died a few years ago but not before I had the honor of contacting him and was able to tell him how much he meant to me. Matt was pretty weak with his feet, he would rather head the ball than kick it so did not have the all round ability to make my 23.
GENIUS :
A much over used word. Some say George Best was a genius and there is no doubt he was a great player. (I was lucky enough to see him a few times). The nearest players to being a genius at Charlton were :
Simonsen : Unbelievable ball control. I could write pages about his ability. Way, way, way too good for us…..and his teammates, who just could not keep up with him.
Eddie Firmani : Has to have the greatest all round ability of all the players I have seen. Great header, great right and left foot, Uncanny awareness. The only player to have scored 100 goals in the English league AND the Italian league.
I could go on and on but I shall leave you with these thoughts :
Charlton 7 Huddersfield 6 : I could happily talk you through it. I shall always clearly remember the 7th goal.
And when at Wembley on 25th May 1998 the scoreboard showed penalties to be 7 – 6 I just knew Sunderland would miss the next spot kick and dear old Gray duly obliged.
Best Charlton goal : Paul Mortimer v Chelsea 26th August 1989. Not just the fabulous left foot drive off the underside of the bar but more importantly the 28 passes (I think it was 28 but I might be wrong) that we threaded together in the lead up to the goal.
I think I have said enough.
Thanks
Wayne R