Tommy Lawton

Head and Shoulders Above the Rest

Jack Rollin

• Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd
• eBook ISBN:
  9781785317453
• Year: 2020

During a stellar 20-year career punctuated by the Second World War, such was Tommy Lawton's prowess in front of goal he was a magnet for spectators at a host of top-level clubs. Prior to the war, he served Burnley and Everton with distinction; enlisted to the British army for the war effort, he guested for a host of clubs. After VE Day he maintained his career average of more than one goal every other game - with Everton, Chelsea, Notts County, Brentford, as player manager, and Arsenal; before another spell as player boss at Kettering. In 46 England games either side of the war and including wartime fixtures, he plundered 46 goals. Those impressive stats would surely be even more so but for the war. Deadly in the air or with either foot, and renowned for his sportsmanship - he was never booked throughout his career - Head and Shoulders Above the Rest is an ode to a swashbuckling centre-forward and the man Stanley Matthews described as: 'Quite simply, the greatest header of the ball I ever saw.'

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Dedication
• Foreword
• 1. Born to be a Centre-Forward
• 2. Tommy – the Boy Wonder!
• 3. Championship Winner and Top Scorer at 19
• 4. War and Called Up to Become PT Instructor
• 5. Football and the Battle of Britain
• 6. Shots Benefit from the Tommy Touch
• 7. Six-Timer Tommy Tops the Hatters
• 8. Four Gems Among England’s Pieces of Eight
• 9. Super Solo Show Sinks the Scots
• 10. Transferred from Everton to Chelsea
• 11. Impressively Resumes His England Place
• 12. The World’s Most Expensive Player at £20,000
• 13. Boom Time Everywhere, Especially at Notts County
• 14. Third Division (South) Champions with Points to Spare
• 15. Tough Time in the Second Division
• 16. Back to London in Brentford Colours
• 17. To Arsenal at Last at the Age of 34!
• 18. The Start of the End Game
• 19. Judgement of Peers
• 20. After the Boots are Finally Cleaned
• Tommy Lawton – Stats It!
• Bibliography
• Photos