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NOTTS COUNTY: THE TOMMY LAWTON ERA

by Edward Giles (April 2010) Hardback 240x159mm
224 pages. Illustrated
ISBN: 978-1-905328-74-1
£14.99

Tommy Lawton was judged by many to be the greatest England centre-forward of all time. He was just 28, and in his footballing prime, when he landed at Notts County. He had scored against Northern Ireland days before signing for Notts and scored against Sweden days after signing. In between, Lawton scored on his Notts debut at Northampton. Has a greater player ever graced the English Third Division?

This should be a tale of glory. It isn't. Although Notts won a rapid promotion, they were soon embroiled in a downward spiral. Lawton's football and personal fortunes suffered. Cast into the international wilderness within a year of arriving at Meadow Lane, he was destined to miss the 1950 World Cup. Lawton came and left Notts County three times, each in circumstances more anguished than the last.

Contents:
Chapter One: Following in wake of Gallacher and Dean
Chapter Two: To Everton with Grandpa Joe's approval
Chapter Three: Finest team in which Lawton played
Chapter Four: Surprising aversion to taking penalties
Chapter Five: Major Buckley, Jesse Pye, Ian McPherson
Chapter Six: Northampton the centre of League attention
Chapter Seven: Corkhill coincidence - and some light relief
Chapter Eight: Eric Houghton, the spot-kick king
Chapter Nine: Flow of Forest players to Meadow Lane
Chapter Ten: Stollery resigns; first century of goals
Chapter Eleven: Goal to remember in promotion season
Chapter Twelve: Disharmony mars rise to Second Division
Chapter Thirteen: Tragic early death of Leon Leuty
Chapter Fourteen: Lawton 'pupil' who became costliest player
Chapter Fifteen: Renewed clamour for Lawton's England recall
Chapter Sixteen: Jackson, Wylie, McCormack, Ken McPherson
Chapter Seventeen: Cup battles with Bolton amid relegation fears
Chapter Eighteen: Sewell and Wylie follow Houghton to Villa
Chapter Nineteen: Revival with George Poyser as manager
Chapter Twenty: Record gate, but an FA Cup let-down
Chapter Twenty-one: Double dismissal after a Rhyl upset
Chapter Twenty-two: Caretaker Broome sweeps clean but rejected
Chapter Twenty-three: Lawton back in First Division with Arsenal
Chapter Twenty-four: Boardroom split by recall from Kettering
Chapter Twenty-five: Relegated in Lawton's season as manager
Chapter Twenty-six: Victims of Lincoln's great escape
Chapter Twenty-seven: 'Tiny Tim' and 'Tiger' take over
Chapter Twenty-eight: Hateley and Astle, learners from Lawton
Chapter Twenty-nine: Lawton suffers crisis of confidence
Chapter Thirty: The three managerial reigns of Jimmy Sirrel
Chapter Thirty-one: Horrendous problems after third departure
Chapter Thirty-two: The final tributes
Appendices

Notts County website