Cyril Lawrence - Born Ordsall June 1920.
Died Royal Bolton Hospital 14th April 2020.
Aged 99, Ordsall born Cyril Lawrence is one of the oldest people to lose their life to the Covid-19 virus. He lived a varied life playing professional football before and after WW2.
Whilst working as an apprentice at Gresham and Craven, Cyril had a successful trial for Blackpool FC, signing on for £10 and an £8 a week in-season wage. At this time, pre-WW2, Blackpool was one of the country's premier teams with Stan Mortenson in its ranks. Cyril made his first team debut at Goodison Park but his career was put on hold with the outbreak of the war.
He subsequently joined the Royal Navy, and before being posted to a ship, he played some games for Hyde United where one of his team mates was Joe Fagan who went onto manage Liverpool.
Cyril was posted to the battleship King George V, and saw service as a gunner in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic and Pacific, notably seeing action in the pursuit and destruction of the Bismark, arctic convoys to supply the Soviet Union, the battle of Okinawa and the final surrender of the Japanese home islands, for which he had a full view of the event which took place in Tokyo Bay.
Whilst on a short leave in 1944 Cyril returned to Salford to marry his sweetheart Clara, who survives him. After the war Cyril returned to his football career, but was transferred from Blackpool to Rochdale, also playing for Wrexham before retiring in 1952.
After retiring he lived quietly in Salford with Clara and their two children Elaine and Norma. With his health failing in recent years he was admitted for some respite care before the Covid-19 pandemic broke and whilst in lockdown caught the disease.
He was admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital on 11th April and was given palliative care, saying his goodbyes to his family via a video link. He died at 9am on the 14th April. Cyril will be sadly missed by all his family and friends.
Words by David Lyons
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
(3).jpeg)
.png)
(1).JPG)
