Up there - in my CAFC supporting lifetime (I’m born 1970, so a long time after Jimmy Seed) Lennie is alongside - yes alongside - as our greatest manager, with Curbs
Those, like me, who were there for the Lennie years - how the hell we stayed in Div 1, let alone went up in the first place - AMAZING TIMES
Utter legend
If Curbs gets a stand named after him whilst he is alive, then the West Stand needs to be renamed the ‘Lennie Lawrence Stand’
What he achieved was incredible - I loved those times - yeah we were at Shithurst, but little old Charlton - we were the Flyweight battling Heavyweights - and bloody hell, we fought fucking hard
Well said. A real Charlton legend. And yes, up there with Curbs.
Lennie performed the best miracles ever and St Andrews was probably the best result in my Charlton supporting history .
He is slightly tarnished by his departure and actions at such an important time to us . No problem him going to Boro to join at the time a more ambitious footballing club but to use his knowledge of our financial desperation to get back to The Valley and lowball us with a derisory bid of £200k for Robert Lee(who joined Newcastle for £700k and changed his name to Rob) was an insult to us and it just rankles with me .
Lennie did an outstanding job for us while he was here. Some lifetime highlights in some very dark days and no doubt we may even owe our very existence to him, 1984 and what happen after. I still have an autograph of his and Bob the Cat Bevins, (Palace supporter), tucked away in a draw at work. The pair of them were after dinner speakers at a Christmas works do my dad was at. I worked in a factory on the Purley Way, late 80s & 90's. It wasn't the best place to work for quite a lot of that time when the local Surrey team were having a purple patch of their own. So for a time he brought a good number of happy Monday mornings. I also remember Lennie jumping ship and then trying to poach Rob Lee while knowing we were struggling on and off the pitch. I don't think he holds us in the same regard as some do him. We gave him his first real big gig in football but with most things in life that happen, he happened to be in the right place at the right time, the stars aligned for him at a time when we were a bit desperate. Despite having very little resources and playing every game away he got us promoted to the top tier, that was an achievement that surely will never happen again. I'm not sure they were happy times, I remember them as an eternal hell. He left us and became a jobbing manager like so many others, we have one now. Nothing special but makes a living, confirmed when when he took a job with a club I couldn't stand hearing about 30 years previously.
Whilst I agree that his attempt to poach Lee was a bit of a poor show, I think that we should not forget that he deliberately set us up with Curbs, for the good of CAFC - he told Curbs that his game time would be limited, so sold him to Brighton - BUT he told Curbs he would bring him back down the track, as Curbs was the man to follow Lennie as manager of CAFC - Lennie could see Curbs would be ideal
Managers know they have a shelf life, and it must have been such a stressful job managing us at Shithurst + they also have to earn the best living they can for the good of them and their family - it’s a job just any other at the end of the day
It doesn’t bother me that he was involved with Palace, he has to pay the bills - do we feel the same about John Humphrey who went to Palace and came back - no we don’t, we consider him a legend as well - same goes for Flash as well
Pleased for Lennie to win his first game. The man talks total sense and is a real pragmatist.
At the risk of understatement, he's a rather easier listen than our present incumbent !
Yes agree. He mentions playing the system that is best suited to the players available, something that has escaped our new manager who seems to prefer at the moment to play his preferred system and shoe horn players in to it regardless. Lennie keeps it simple our bloke talks the tech talk elaborating the latest analysis buzz and can't get handle on stopping extra time goals.
I'm desperately hoping he's still in charge for the last game of the season as I will have a chance to meet him then, and I'll get to tell him that we named our cat after him. Lennie the cat turned out to be the most stupid cat of all time - the idiot would walk into walls, fall off the sofa and so on - but I will leave that part out!
Hartlepool United are delighted to announce that Kevin Phillips has been appointed as the Club’s new Head Coach. Philips will take charge of Pools in the capacity of Head Coach. He will be accompanied by full-time assistant roles in the highly experienced ex-Middlesbrough and Charlton manager Lennie Lawrence and current coach Antony Sweeney who retains vast knowledge of both National league and EFL. https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/2024/january/kevin-phillips-appointed-head-coach/
My mate had a chat with Roy Hodgson at a do. Hodgson is a very close friend of Lennie’s and said that he’d moved up north.
I think Roy & Lennie went to the same school.
Correct; I believe their school football team included, Lennie, Roy Hodgson, Steve Kember and Bobby Houghton. Incredible that a school team would have four blokes that went onto professional management.
Hartlepool United are pleased to confirm that Andy Steel, Lennie Lawrence and John Pearson will adopt newly created roles on the HUFC Board to support and deputise key functions of Commercial, Football and Supporter Engagement respectively. The trio will take up their Director positions with immediate effect. https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/2024/april/new-hufc-board-members/
Hartlepool United are pleased to confirm that Andy Steel, Lennie Lawrence and John Pearson will adopt newly created roles on the HUFC Board to support and deputise key functions of Commercial, Football and Supporter Engagement respectively. The trio will take up their Director positions with immediate effect. https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/2024/april/new-hufc-board-members/
That's not the John Pearson who played for Charlton under Lennie incidentally!
I got to talk to Lennie briefly yesterday. I went over to him, told him I was a Charlton supporter, that he was a hero in our household and we named our cat after him. Honestly, I think he was a bit bemused.
I got to talk to Lennie briefly yesterday. I went over to him, told him I was a Charlton supporter, that he was a hero in our household and we named our cat after him. Honestly, I think he was a bit bemused.
I'm not surprised. I've met him a few times and always found him rather stony faced, emotionless and cold.
Yep a bit dour and lack of personality but a god for us , tainted slightly by his snide low ball bid for Robert Lee cos he knew we needed dough to get back to The Valley
Comments
Remarkable achievement getting us back into the top flight after 29 years while having to leave the Valley.
He is slightly tarnished by his departure and actions at such an important time to us .
No problem him going to Boro to join at the time a more ambitious footballing club but to use his knowledge of our financial desperation to get back to The Valley and lowball us with a derisory bid of £200k for Robert Lee(who joined Newcastle for £700k and changed his name to Rob) was an insult to us and it just rankles with me .
The 76-year-old is the last remaining manager from the original Premier League season still in management.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/25240112/lennie-lawrence-hartlepool-premier-league-chris-kamara/
I worked in a factory on the Purley Way, late 80s & 90's. It wasn't the best place to work for quite a lot of that time when the local Surrey team were having a purple patch of their own. So for a time he brought a good number of happy Monday mornings. I also remember Lennie jumping ship and then trying to poach Rob Lee while knowing we were struggling on and off the pitch. I don't think he holds us in the same regard as some do him. We gave him his first real big gig in football but with most things in life that happen, he happened to be in the right place at the right time, the stars aligned for him at a time when we were a bit desperate. Despite having very little resources and playing every game away he got us promoted to the top tier, that was an achievement that surely will never happen again. I'm not sure they were happy times, I remember them as an eternal hell.
He left us and became a jobbing manager like so many others, we have one now. Nothing special but makes a living, confirmed when when he took a job with a club I couldn't stand hearing about 30 years previously.
Managers know they have a shelf life, and it must have been such a stressful job managing us at Shithurst + they also have to earn the best living they can for the good of them and their family - it’s a job just any other at the end of the day
It doesn’t bother me that he was involved with Palace, he has to pay the bills - do we feel the same about John Humphrey who went to Palace and came back - no we don’t, we consider him a legend as well - same goes for Flash as well
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0h2z577
I hope Palace or Hartlepool fans don't sing:
"You don't know what your doing"
The fans should wait until they are 76 and they can't remember what they did five minutes ago !
“I’m pleased for everyone connected to the club” 🙌 | Lennie Lawrence post Oxford City
At the risk of understatement, he's a rather easier listen than our present incumbent !
Philips will take charge of Pools in the capacity of Head Coach. He will be accompanied by full-time assistant roles in the highly experienced ex-Middlesbrough and Charlton manager Lennie Lawrence and current coach Antony Sweeney who retains vast knowledge of both National league and EFL.
https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/2024/january/kevin-phillips-appointed-head-coach/
https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/2024/april/new-hufc-board-members/
I've met him a few times and always found him rather stony faced, emotionless and cold.