Tommy Lawrence R I P

I remember travelling to a game  1968 ( possibly Sheffield United) . We were in my old Standard 8 and went via the A59 over the Pennines. We pulled into a pub car park halfway across to give the car a cool down. It was a big surprize to find the Liverpool team bus in the car park. I suppose most of the players must have been in the pub ( 3 hours before the match?) but Tommy Lawrence, Bobby Graham and Peter Wall were sat outside the pub eating fish and chips from newspaper. We got our chips from the nearby chippie and  joined them on the pub wall for a chat about the match. I couldn't imagine any of todays millionaire superstars even contemplating spending time with 4 young lads in such a casual way, never mind eating fish and chips with them out of newspaper on a pub wall. Tommy Lawrence a great goalkeeper and a good man.

I used to live opposite Stanley Park and one day called into a chemist (we didn't have Pharmacies in those days) on the corner of Anfield Road and was gobsmacked to come face to face with Bill Shankly and Tommy "The Flying Pig" Lawrence.

Shankly was handing a cold remedy to Tommy, telling when to take it and what to do etc. He then looked at me and asked why I wasn't in school "Sonny"?

I was rather tongue tied but blurted out that I was getting my mum's prescription as she had cancer and couldn't get there herself. He gave me a stern look that had me quaking but just said  "Aye, right, don't forget to take those tablets Tommy" and walked out. Tommy grinned at me, patted me on the shoulder and followed the boss out.

Nobody at school believed me! Yeah, right, like Shankly sorts out players colds, yeah! He was the boss through and through.

A lot of fans felt quite sad when Tommys days at Anfield were over.