- Birthdate: 20 October 1943
- Birthplace: Liverpool, England
- Other clubs: Portsmouth (1975-77), Miami Toros (loan 1976), Stockport County (1977-78), Bangor City (1978-80)
- Signed from: Local
- Signed for LFC: Joined 1959 - Professional 20.10.1960
- International debut: 12.05.1971 vs. Malta
- International caps: 4/1 - 13.10.1971
- Liverpool debut: 20.03.1963
- Last appearance: 17.09.1975
- Debut goal: 05.12.1964
- Last goal: 06.11.1973
- Contract expiry: 22.10.1975
- Win ratio: 50.82% W:279 D:146 L:124
- Games/goals ratio: 9
- Honours: League Championship 1965/66, 1972/73; FA Cup 1965, 1974; UEFA Cup 1973
- League games / goals: 406 / 41
- Total games / goals: 549 / 61
Player Profile
A great goalscoring defender if there ever was one. Lawler boasts an astonishing record of 61 goals in 549 games, especially considering he was not the club's penalty kick-taker or a free-kick specialist. He ghosted into the opponent's penalty area, having the "brain of a striker" as termed by Paisley, and cooly dispatched the ball past the 'keeper. His most memorable goal of all came in a Merseyside derby in November 1970 when after being two goals down Lawler scored the winner for Liverpool six minutes from time. Local lad Lawler came through the junior ranks at Anfield and signed professional forms on his seventeenth birthday in October 1960. The cultured centre-half had his way into the team blocked by the great Ron Yeats and had to wait patiently until March 1963 before Bill Shankly gave him his debut in a home fixture with West Bromwich Albion. Lawler made six League appearances in 1962/63 and took Yeats' place in all the six matches the Scotsman missed the following year. Lawler's talent was too great to keep him out of the team and a spot had to be found for him. Ronnie Moran, who had been playing left-back with Gerry Byrne on the right, was reaching the end a successful career. Lawler was brought in as right-back and Byrne moved to the left. By the end of the 1964/65 season Lawler was a regular and a proud member of the Liverpool team that won the FA cup for the first time in the club's history. He played 316 consecutive games from 2 October 1965 to 24 April 1971, a quite remarkable 'attendance record', helping his side win the Championship in 1966, reach the Cup winners' Cup final the same year and another FA Cup final in 1971.
Lawler and Tommy Smith were roommates and despite being very different characters they worked well together on and off the field as Lawler explained. "Tommy and I had an understanding. I’d try and force them inside and then Tommy would sort them out! I’d let him do the tackling. There weren’t many that got the better of us. Best, Charlton, yes, they were good. But we usually had the beating of them." Lawler was nicknamed "The Silent Knight" because of the quiet, uncomplicated way he just got on with his job on the field described in one report as "sauntering through games with all the apparent urgency of a man out walking his dog." He was very quiet off the field and a source for one of the best anecdotes concerning Bill Shankly, as told by Bob Paisley. "Bill used to take training sessions very seriously when it got round to the 7–a-side matches and this day we were playing without proper goals. Bill hit a shot and claimed a goal which everyone else knew would have gone over the bar. Anyway, to try and get some support for his view that he had scored he turned to Chris and asked him whether it was a goal or not. Chris said that it wasn’t and would have gone over the bar and Bill had everyone in stitches when he turned round and told anyone who would listen: 'He doesn’t say a word for years and then when he does he tells a lie.'”
Approaching his thirtieth birthday Lawler still retained the fitness and stamina to play in every single one of the 66 competitive games the club played in four different competitions during the 1972/73 season, his reward being further winners' medals in the Championship and UEFA Cup. Lawler underwent a cartilage operation following an injury sustained against QPR in November 1973 and was never the same player after that. Having only played one match in the last five months Bill Shankly still picked him as the 'twelfth man' for the 1974 FA Cup final. Lawler only featured in 17 matches in a season and a half following Bob Paisley's appointment. He moved to Portsmouth in October 1975 who were managed at the time by his former teammate, Ian St John. Lawler was Liverpool's reserve team coach for 4 years until he was let go by Kenny Dalglish in 1986 and replaced by Phil Thompson.
Appearances per season
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps |
Minutes |
Opponent |
27 |
2430 |
Tottenham |
25 |
2310 |
WBA |
25 |
2280 |
Leeds United |
23 |
2070 |
Leicester City |
23 |
2026 |
West Ham United |
22 |
1980 |
Chelsea |
21 |
1920 |
Arsenal |
20 |
1800 |
Everton |
20 |
1800 |
Manchester United |
20 |
1800 |
Stoke City |
18 |
1620 |
Southampton |
18 |
1620 |
Burnley |
17 |
1517 |
Newcastle United |
16 |
1440 |
Nottingham Forest |
16 |
1440 |
Manchester City |
15 |
1350 |
Coventry City |
15 |
1350 |
Sheffield United |
14 |
1260 |
Wolves |
13 |
1170 |
Sunderland |
12 |
1080 |
Ipswich Town |
12 |
1080 |
Sheffield Wednesday |
10 |
900 |
Derby |
9 |
810 |
Fulham |
8 |
720 |
Aston Villa |
8 |
720 |
Crystal Palace |
7 |
630 |
Blackpool |
6 |
540 |
Birmingham City |
6 |
540 |
Ferencvaros |
4 |
360 |
Watford |
4 |
360 |
Bayern Munich |
4 |
360 |
Bolton Wanderers |
4 |
360 |
Huddersfield Town |
4 |
299 |
QPR |
3 |
300 |
Cologne |
3 |
270 |
Petrolul Ploiesti |
3 |
270 |
Hibernian |
3 |
270 |
Carlisle United |
3 |
270 |
Blackburn Rovers |
2 |
210 |
Mansfield Town |
2 |
180 |
Dundalk |
2 |
180 |
Vitoria Setubal |
2 |
180 |
Athletic Bilbao |
2 |
180 |
Frankfurt |
2 |
180 |
AEK Athens |
2 |
180 |
Dynamo Berlin |
2 |
180 |
Red Star Belgrade |
2 |
180 |
Servette |
2 |
180 |
Gladbach |
2 |
180 |
Inter Milan |
2 |
180 |
Bournemouth |
2 |
180 |
Malmo |
2 |
180 |
Ajax |
2 |
180 |
TSV Munich |
2 |
180 |
Anderlecht |
2 |
180 |
Stockport County |
2 |
180 |
Northampton Town |
2 |
180 |
Standard Liege |
2 |
180 |
Honved |
2 |
180 |
Celtic |
2 |
180 |
Walsall |
2 |
180 |
Swansea City |
2 |
180 |
Norwich City |
2 |
180 |
Middlesbrough |
2 |
180 |
Bristol City |
2 |
180 |
Din. Bucharest |
2 |
180 |
Dyn. Dresden |
2 |
167 |
Jeunesse d'Esch |
1 |
120 |
Borussia Dortmund |
1 |
90 |
Aldershot |
1 |
90 |
Hull City |
1 |
90 |
Leyton Orient |
1 |
90 |
Wrexham |
1 |
90 |
Juventus |
1 |
90 |
Swindon Town |
1 |
90 |
Oxford United |
1 |
90 |
Strømsgodset |
1 |
90 |
Doncaster Rovers |
Total |
Started/substitutions |
549 |
Started |
3 |
On the bench |
0 |
Substitute |
4 |
Substituted |
Total |
Venue |
271 |
Away |
269 |
Home |
9 |
Neutral |
Goals per season
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Milestone Appearances
Milestone Goals
# |
Minute |
Date |
Against |
Stadium |
Competition |
1 |
89 |
05.12.1964 |
Burnley |
Turf Moor |
League |
50 |
74 |
04.03.1972 |
Everton |
Anfield |
League |
Related Articles
Lawler wasn’t an average footballer at Liverpool, but quite simply the greatest goalscoring defender in the club’s history. Arnie met Chris in Liverpool and the "quiet man" was quite talkative.
Chris Lawler was one of Liverpool's most consistent performers.
Related Quotes
"We [Smith and Chris Lawler] only found out later that a certain gentleman from down the East Lancashire Road has been monitoring our progress in the Central league. Matt Busby, the manager of Manchester United, was still rebuilding after the tragedy of the Munich Air Disaster in 1958. Later Bill Shankly would reveal to me that Busby had offered him £50,000 for the joint services of Messrs Smith and Lawler. The boss wouldn’t let his young prospects go. He had his own agenda and thankfully I was on it."
Tommy Smith
"What a goalscoring full-back. They used to call him the ghost. He could turn up anywhere, unexpected and score vital goals. I think his ratio of games and goals is fantastic for a full-back and will never be beaten."
Ian Callaghan on Chris Lawler
"Tommy and I had an understanding. I’d try and force them inside and then Tommy would sort them out! I’d let him do the tackling. There weren’t many that got the better of us. Best, Charlton, yes, they were good. But we usually had the beating of them."
Chris Lawler on his partnership with Tommy Smith
Scrapbook
Another Chris in the Lawler family - LFC match programme in 1975
Bill Shankly's column - 7 September 1971
Bob Paisley pays tribute to Lawler - 25 October 1975
Chris has much left to offer (by Tommy Smith) - 4 October 1975
Consistency and courage the hallmarks of Lawler - profile prior to the 1971 final
Crosstalk on the Merseyside derby game - 6 October 1972
Finals nothing new to Lawler - from May 1971
Golden Greats line up in 15 years' anniversary of 1965 FA Cup final
Heading for glory - 1 April 1972
I'm playing for the best club in the world - Football Monthly 1966
In one week Lawler has rendered his club service beyond price - 28 March 1964
Lawler burst sets off the onslaught - 3 April 1972
Lawler in Goal
Lawler is back on league goal trail - 14 October 1972
Lawler is the hero - 1 December 1965
Lawler joining Pompey - 21 October 1975
Lawler on his rival, George Armstrong in the 1971 FA Cup final
Lawler on the cover of Shoot! on 14 February 1970
Lawler on the cover of Shoot! on 17 March 1973
Lawler on the right spot at the right moment - 13 February 1971
Lawler prods Reds into ecstasy - 29 January 1972
Lawler's display would have done credit to Yeats - 20 March 1964
Lawler's Peleesque volley! - 6 April 1971
Poster from Jimmy Hill Football Weekly
Poster of Chris Lawler - Goal magazine
The family man
The greatest goal that never was
The greatest players of the 1970/71 season
The quiet idol of the Kop - Football Monthly January 1972
The Ray way to save - Match images - 24 October 1970
The World Cup group for 1966
Where are they now? - Liverpool club magazine
Other Clubs
Club |
Season |
Club rank |
League apps |
League goals |
Total apps |
Total goals |
Portsmouth |
1975-1976 |
England Second Division |
26 |
0 |
30 |
0 |
Miami Toros |
1976 |
NASL |
21 |
1 |
21 |
1 |
Portsmouth |
1976-1977 |
England Third Division |
10 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
Stockport County |
1977-1978 |
England Fourth Division |
36 |
3 |
40 |
3 |
Bangor City |
1978-1980 |
Northern Premier League |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Total |
93 |
4 |
101 |
4 |