Coconuts has learned with regret of the death in January of Graham Lawrence, who made 79 first-team appearances between 1963 and 1965, scoring 23 goals, writes Pat Morgan...
A tall, imposing and powerful figure playing at wing half and in the forward line, he made a significant impact in the 1963-64 season, when he played 50 games and scored 11 times.
Born in Dagenham, Graham started his career as a schoolboy right half, and he represented Dagenham Boys in the English Schools Trophy before joining Glendown in the Hornchurch Minor League. There he was scouted by Tottenham Hotspur, who took him on to their ground staff.
Graham played regularly for Spurs’ youth team in 1959-60 but, given a free transfer, joined Brighton & Hove Albion. He turned out regularly for the Seagulls’ reserve side but, following the abolition of the £20 wage cap in 1961, he was placed on the free-transfer list.
He joined Wisbech Town of the Southern League and, playing mostly at inside forward and scoring 16 times, he played a major part in the Fenmen’s promotion as Division One champions in 1961-62. His transfer to Cambridge United in February 1963 – for a £1,000 fee plus U’s starlet Graham Ward – was not popular among Wisbech supporters. He made his debut in black and amber, in his preferred position of right half, on February 23, in a 3-1 home Southern League Premier Division win over Poole Town.
Throughout that 1962/63 season, United vied with Cambridge City for the Southern League title. What looked like the effective decider, at Milton Road on April 4, was watched by a record crowd for a Cambridge derby of 11,574. Lawrence played at right half but City won 2-1 and went on to clinch the championship, with the U’s finishing as runners-up.
Never having held down a permanent place in the first team, Graham made his last league appearance for the U’s at Nuneaton on 2 January 1965, and he was transferred to King’s Lynn in mid-February.
Graham turned out for his old teammate Rodney Slack’s benefit match in November 1966 and, having been released by Wisbech Town, signed on a pay-as-you-play deal for Cambridge City the following month. His last game and last goal for the Lilywhites came in a 3-2 defeat by Peterborough in a Hunts Premier Cup semi-final at London Road on 15 May 1967.
After spells with Haverhill Rovers and Ely City, Graham spent a few seasons in the Cambridgeshire League.
