Laurie Hughes
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Hughes (2 March 1924 – 9 September 2011) was an England
former international football
player who played for Liverpool
.
, Lancashire
, England
, Hughes was a strong, uncompromising Centre Half, who could also play wing half; he had the knack of being able to read the game-stopping moves before they caused too many problems.
Hughes signed for Liverpool in 1943 from Tranmere where he was a trainee; however, it wasn't until 5 January 1946 that he made his debut in a 2–0 FA Cup
3rd round 1st leg victory at Sealand Road, Chester
, his one and only goal didn't come until 8 December 1951 in a league game at Anfield
against Preston
, Hughes' 88th-minute strike saving a point in the 2–2 draw.
During the first post-war season of 1946–47 Hughes made 30 appearances from 42 games helping the Reds win the First Division
Championship
, Liverpool's first title in 24 years.
1950 proved to be a rollercoaster of a season for Hughes, on a high due to reaching the FA Cup
final at Wembley
only to lose to Arsenal
2–0. He then was selected to represent England at the World Cup
in Brazil
getting all of his 3 caps in the process and becoming Liverpool's first representative at the worlds premier football tournament, unfortunately, one of the appearances was the embarrassing 1–0 defeat to the USA
. His debut came on 25 June 1950 in Rio De Janeiro
, Chile
were the opponents who were beaten 2-0 with the goals coming from Stan Mortensen
and Wilf Mannion
.
Hughes and Liverpool's fortunes changed during the fifties when the Reds fell from the top tier, they managed to fend off relegation during the 1952–53 season but couldn't prevent the drop a season later.
Hughes stayed on at Liverpool and had a decent season in the 1956/57 missing just one match. Hughes played his last game against Charlton
on 28 September 1957 aged 33, however, Hughes remained loyal to the club he loved and didn't retire for another 3 years, finally doing so in May 1960.
Hughes passed away at home on the 9th September 2011 aged 87.
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
former international football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player who played for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
.
Life and playing career
Born in Waterloo, LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Hughes was a strong, uncompromising Centre Half, who could also play wing half; he had the knack of being able to read the game-stopping moves before they caused too many problems.
Hughes signed for Liverpool in 1943 from Tranmere where he was a trainee; however, it wasn't until 5 January 1946 that he made his debut in a 2–0 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
3rd round 1st leg victory at Sealand Road, Chester
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
, his one and only goal didn't come until 8 December 1951 in a league game at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
against Preston
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
, Hughes' 88th-minute strike saving a point in the 2–2 draw.
During the first post-war season of 1946–47 Hughes made 30 appearances from 42 games helping the Reds win the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
Championship
Championship
Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...
, Liverpool's first title in 24 years.
1950 proved to be a rollercoaster of a season for Hughes, on a high due to reaching the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final at Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
only to lose to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
2–0. He then was selected to represent England at the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
getting all of his 3 caps in the process and becoming Liverpool's first representative at the worlds premier football tournament, unfortunately, one of the appearances was the embarrassing 1–0 defeat to the USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. His debut came on 25 June 1950 in Rio De Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
were the opponents who were beaten 2-0 with the goals coming from Stan Mortensen
Stan Mortensen
Stanley Harding "Stan" Mortensen was an English professional footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final , in which he became the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a Wembley FA Cup Final...
and Wilf Mannion
Wilf Mannion
Wilfred James Mannion was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward, making over 350 senior appearances for Middlesbrough. He also played international football for England...
.
Hughes and Liverpool's fortunes changed during the fifties when the Reds fell from the top tier, they managed to fend off relegation during the 1952–53 season but couldn't prevent the drop a season later.
Hughes stayed on at Liverpool and had a decent season in the 1956/57 missing just one match. Hughes played his last game against Charlton
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
on 28 September 1957 aged 33, however, Hughes remained loyal to the club he loved and didn't retire for another 3 years, finally doing so in May 1960.
Hughes passed away at home on the 9th September 2011 aged 87.
Career details
- Liverpool F.C. (1943–1960) - 326 appearances, 1 goal; Football league championship (level 1) winners medal (1947); FA Cup runners up medal (1950)
- England (1950) - 3 caps - All at the World Cup of 1950