David Lapsley
Encyclopedia
David Lapsley was a Scottish
football
player.
were first to be rewarded with Lapsley's footballing talents and the highlight of this stage of his early football days was the trial with the Scottish schoolboys side. He went on to play with Bonnyrigg Rose
at a juvenile level before, in 1940, taking the junior route to Bathgate Thistle
. World War II
prevented any further advance in Lapsley's career as he was called up for service with the Royal Navy
, stationed initially at Birkenhead
then Hayling Island
. During the war he was involved in the D-Day
landings, stationed on a converted Thames
barge to ferry ammunition across the English Channel
.
after returning home from service in the Navy
at the end of World War II
. Lapsley signed for St. Mirren
in the summer of 1946 almost by accident; he was visiting Scotland
when the St. Mirren manager at the time, Bobby Rankin, invited him for a trial, although he was due to join Everton
on a months trial on his return to England
. The trial consisted of him taking penalty kicks against a young goalkeeper, Gordon Rennie, and on the basis of this he was invited to the boardroom to sign right away. He made his first team debut on 4 September that year against Partick Thistle
. Lapsley was originally signed as a centre forward but quickly established himself as a right back
and was well known in Paisley
for his strong, committed approach to the game, and was more recently compared to modern-day footballer Jörg Albertz
for the directness of his free-kicks
and penalties
. With every penalty
, Lapsley would get one of his strikers to place the ball on the spot before he would start his 30 or 40 yard run-up to strike the ball with blistering power.
During his time with the Paisley
club he captained them to an historic 1959 Scottish Cup Final win, the team defeating Aberdeen
3–1 in front of 108,951 supporters and after the final whistle his team mates carried him shoulder high from the pitch. Along with his 1959 Scottish Cup
winning shirt and medal on permanent display in the Scottish Football Museum
at Hampden Park
, there is also footage of Lapsley after the 1959 Scottish Cup
win talking to a mass crowd, gathered in Paisleys' County Square, from the balcony of The Paisley
Council Chamber where he builds the excitement in the crowd by asking "Who was it that won the Cup?", with the crowd rapturously and loudly responding "St Mirren!" . Towards the latter end of his career with St. Mirren, Lapsley was on a part-time contract whilst working through the week as a tanker driver for BP
, and although he vowed to retire after the 1959 Scottish Cup, he did play one more match at the beginning of the following season when they beat Greenock Morton
in the Renfrewshire Cup
Final.
South councillor George Adam, who is a Saints supporter, elected to name a new street in his ward after the St. Mirren legend, and as a result Lapsley Avenue was commissioned.
Lapsley was also chosen to represent the Scottish Football League
select 11 twice, playing against the Irish Football League select team and the English Football League
select team, getting on the scoresheet in the 3–0 win against the former. He was also selected at International level for Scotland
, on more than twenty occasions, as understudy to Rangers's
George Young
although he never played for his country. Following Lapsley's death, a one minute silence was held in his memory at the Scottish Cup
tie between St Mirren and Motherwell
on 27 January 2001. His ashes were ceremoniously buried under the penalty spot
at the home end of Love Street.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
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.
Schoolboy career and World War II
Bainsford School in FalkirkFalkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
were first to be rewarded with Lapsley's footballing talents and the highlight of this stage of his early football days was the trial with the Scottish schoolboys side. He went on to play with Bonnyrigg Rose
Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic F.C.
Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic F.C. are a Scottish junior football club from the town of Bonnyrigg, Midlothian. Formed in 1890 and nicknamed the Rose, they play in the Scottish Junior Football Association's East Region Super League, in which they finished as runners-up in the 2006–07 season, and...
at a juvenile level before, in 1940, taking the junior route to Bathgate Thistle
Bathgate Thistle F.C.
Bathgate Thistle F.C. are a Scottish junior football club, based in the town of Bathgate, West Lothian. They play in the Scottish Junior Football Association's East Region Super League....
. World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
prevented any further advance in Lapsley's career as he was called up for service with the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, stationed initially at Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
then Hayling Island
Hayling Island
-Leisure activities:Although largely residential, Hayling is also a holiday, windsurfing and sailing centre, the site where windsurfing was invented....
. During the war he was involved in the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
landings, stationed on a converted Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
barge to ferry ammunition across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
.
St. Mirren
Lapsey started his senior footballing career with Tranmere RoversTranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
after returning home from service in the Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Lapsley signed for St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
in the summer of 1946 almost by accident; he was visiting Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
when the St. Mirren manager at the time, Bobby Rankin, invited him for a trial, although he was due to join Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
on a months trial on his return to 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...
. The trial consisted of him taking penalty kicks against a young goalkeeper, Gordon Rennie, and on the basis of this he was invited to the boardroom to sign right away. He made his first team debut on 4 September that year against Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
. Lapsley was originally signed as a centre forward but quickly established himself as a right back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
and was well known in Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
for his strong, committed approach to the game, and was more recently compared to modern-day footballer Jörg Albertz
Jörg Albertz
Jörg Albertz is a retired German professional footballer. Between 1996 and 1998 he played three international games for the German national football team.-Career:...
for the directness of his free-kicks
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
and penalties
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
. With every penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
, Lapsley would get one of his strikers to place the ball on the spot before he would start his 30 or 40 yard run-up to strike the ball with blistering power.
During his time with the Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
club he captained them to an historic 1959 Scottish Cup Final win, the team defeating Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
3–1 in front of 108,951 supporters and after the final whistle his team mates carried him shoulder high from the pitch. Along with his 1959 Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
winning shirt and medal on permanent display in the Scottish Football Museum
Scottish Football Museum
The Scottish Football Museum is the Scottish Football Association's National Museum of football, located in Hampden Park in Glasgow.-The Museum:...
at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, there is also footage of Lapsley after the 1959 Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
win talking to a mass crowd, gathered in Paisleys' County Square, from the balcony of The Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
Council Chamber where he builds the excitement in the crowd by asking "Who was it that won the Cup?", with the crowd rapturously and loudly responding "St Mirren!" . Towards the latter end of his career with St. Mirren, Lapsley was on a part-time contract whilst working through the week as a tanker driver for BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
, and although he vowed to retire after the 1959 Scottish Cup, he did play one more match at the beginning of the following season when they beat Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
in the Renfrewshire Cup
Renfrewshire Cup
The Renfrewshire Cup is an annual association football competition between teams in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The final is generally a Renfrewshire derby contested between the two largest teams in the county, Paisley's St. Mirren and Greenock...
Final.
Legacy
In 2005, St Mirren officially inducted David Lapsley into their hall of fame. Lapsley was further honoured in 2008 when PaisleyPaisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
South councillor George Adam, who is a Saints supporter, elected to name a new street in his ward after the St. Mirren legend, and as a result Lapsley Avenue was commissioned.
Lapsley was also chosen to represent the Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
select 11 twice, playing against the Irish Football League select team and the English Football League
English Football League
English football league is not specific; it may refer to:* The Football League - the highest four divisions of English football until 1992 and the three divisions below the Premier League since 1992;...
select team, getting on the scoresheet in the 3–0 win against the former. He was also selected at International level for Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, on more than twenty occasions, as understudy to Rangers's
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
George Young
George Young (footballer)
George Lewis Young was a Scottish footballer, best remembered for his association with Rangers and for being the first player to receive over 50 caps for the Scotland national team.-Club:...
although he never played for his country. Following Lapsley's death, a one minute silence was held in his memory at the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
tie between St Mirren and Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
on 27 January 2001. His ashes were ceremoniously buried under the penalty spot
Penalty area
The penalty area , is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends to each side of the goal and in front of it. Within the penalty area is the penalty spot , which is from the goal line, directly in-line with the centre of the goal...
at the home end of Love Street.