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[[File:St Mirren 1959 Cup Team.jpg|thumb|left|[[St. Mirren F.C.|St Mirren]] 1959 Scottish Cup Final Team, David Lapsley Centre, Holding Cup]]
[[File:St Mirren 1959 Cup Team.jpg|thumb|left|[[St. Mirren F.C.|St Mirren]] 1959 Scottish Cup Final Team, David Lapsley Centre, Holding Cup]]
'''David Lapsley''' (born 7 April 1924; died 16 January 2001) was a [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[football (soccer)|football]] player.<ref>http://sport.scotsman.com/football/St-Mirren-legend-Lapsley-mourned.2245193.jp, ''[[The Scotsman]]'', 18 January 2001 By Jon West.</ref> He started his footballing career with [[Tranmere Rovers F.C.|Tranmere Rovers]] after returning home from service in the [[Royal Navy|Navy]] at the end [[World War II|World War II]]. Lapsley signed for [[St. Mirren F.C.|St. Mirren]] in the summer of 1946 almost by accident; he was visting [[Scotland|Scotland]] when the St. Mirren manager at the time, Bobby Rankin, invited him for a trial, although he was due to join [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] on a months trial on his return to [[England|England]]. The trial consisted of him taking penalty kicks against a young goalkeeper, and on the basis of this he was invited to the boardroom to sign right away and it was on 4th September that year that he made his first team debut against [[Partick Thistle F.C.|Partick Thistle]].<ref name="therockoflovestreet">http://sport.scotsman.com/top-stories/The-rock-of-Love-Streets.2245289.jp, ''[[The Scotsman]]'', 20 January 2001 By David Ferguson.</ref> Lapsley was originally signed as a [[Forward (football)|centre forward]] but quickly established himself as a [[Defender (football)|right back]] and was well known in [[Paisley|Paisley]] for his strong, committed approach to the game and was more recently compared to modern-day footballer [[Jörg Albertz|Jörg Albertz]] for the directness of his [[Direct free kick|free-kicks]] and [[Penalty kick|penalties]]. With every [[Penalty kick|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.<ref name="therockoflovestreet"/>
'''David Lapsley''' (born 7 April 1924; died 16 January 2001) was a [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[football (soccer)|football]] player.<ref>[http://sport.scotsman.com/football/St-Mirren-legend-Lapsley-mourned.2245193.jp, St Mirren legend Lapsley mourned] ''[[The Scotsman]]'', 18 January 2001 By Jon West.</ref> He started his footballing career with [[Tranmere Rovers F.C.|Tranmere Rovers]] after returning home from service in the [[Royal Navy|Navy]] at the end [[World War II|World War II]]. Lapsley signed for [[St. Mirren F.C.|St. Mirren]] in the summer of 1946 almost by accident; he was visting [[Scotland|Scotland]] when the St. Mirren manager at the time, Bobby Rankin, invited him for a trial, although he was due to join [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] on a months trial on his return to [[England|England]]. The trial consisted of him taking penalty kicks against a young goalkeeper, and on the basis of this he was invited to the boardroom to sign right away and it was on 4th September that year that he made his first team debut against [[Partick Thistle F.C.|Partick Thistle]].<ref name="therockoflovestreet">[http://sport.scotsman.com/top-stories/The-rock-of-Love-Streets.2245289.jp, The rock of Love Street’s golden age] ''[[The Scotsman]]'', 20 January 2001 By David Ferguson.</ref> Lapsley was originally signed as a [[Forward (football)|centre forward]] but quickly established himself as a [[Defender (football)|right back]] and was well known in [[Paisley|Paisley]] for his strong, committed approach to the game and was more recently compared to modern-day footballer [[Jörg Albertz|Jörg Albertz]] for the directness of his [[Direct free kick|free-kicks]] and [[Penalty kick|penalties]]. With every [[Penalty kick|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.<ref name="therockoflovestreet"/>


During his time with the [[Paisley]] club he captained them to an historic [[Scottish Cup 1958-59#Final|1959 Scottish Cup Final]] win, the team defeating [[Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen]] 3-1 in front of 108,951 supporters and after the final whistle his team mates carried him shoulder high from the pitch.<ref name="therockoflovestreet"/> <ref>{{cite book| first=Jack| last=Paterson| title=Marching On... 125 Years Of The St Mirren Football Club, Paisley| publisher=Saltire Graphics| year=2005| isbn=0 9543647 0 8| page=96}}</ref> Along with his 1959 [[Scottish Cup|Scottish Cup]] winning shirt and medal on permanent display in the [[Scottish Football Museum|Scottish Football Museum]] at [[Hampden Park|Hampden Park]], there is also footage of Lapsley after the 1959 [[Scottish Cup|Scottish Cup]] win talking to a crowd outside [[Paisley|Paisley]] Town Hall where he proclaims "The best team won the Scottish Cup". <ref>[http://www.paisleydailyexpress.co.uk/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/2009/09/10/saints-fans-x2018-lap-x2019-it-up-at-museum-87085-24649192/ Saints fans ‘Lap’ it up at museum!], ''[[Paisley Daily Express]]'', 10 September 2009 by Andrew Newport.</ref> Throughout his time with St. Mirren he remained on a part-time contract, working through the week as a tanker driver for [[BP|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 F.C.|Greenock Morton]] in the [[Renfrewshire Cup|Renfrewshire Cup]] Final.<ref name="therockoflovestreet"/>
During his time with the [[Paisley]] club he captained them to an historic [[Scottish Cup 1958-59#Final|1959 Scottish Cup Final]] win, the team defeating [[Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen]] 3-1 in front of 108,951 supporters and after the final whistle his team mates carried him shoulder high from the pitch.<ref name="therockoflovestreet"/> <ref>{{cite book| first=Jack| last=Paterson| title=Marching On... 125 Years Of The St Mirren Football Club, Paisley| publisher=Saltire Graphics| year=2005| isbn=0 9543647 0 8| page=96}}</ref> Along with his 1959 [[Scottish Cup|Scottish Cup]] winning shirt and medal on permanent display in the [[Scottish Football Museum|Scottish Football Museum]] at [[Hampden Park|Hampden Park]], there is also footage of Lapsley after the 1959 [[Scottish Cup|Scottish Cup]] win talking to a crowd outside [[Paisley|Paisley]] Town Hall where he proclaims "The best team won the Scottish Cup". <ref>[http://www.paisleydailyexpress.co.uk/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/2009/09/10/saints-fans-x2018-lap-x2019-it-up-at-museum-87085-24649192/ Saints fans ‘Lap’ it up at museum!], ''[[Paisley Daily Express]]'', 10 September 2009 by Andrew Newport.</ref> Throughout his time with St. Mirren he remained on a part-time contract, working through the week as a tanker driver for [[BP|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 F.C.|Greenock Morton]] in the [[Renfrewshire Cup|Renfrewshire Cup]] Final.<ref name="therockoflovestreet"/>

Revision as of 20:18, 15 September 2009

David Lapsley
File:Davie Lapsley.jpg
Personal information
Full name David Lapsley
Position(s) Centre Forward and Right back
File:St Mirren 1959 Cup Team.jpg
St Mirren 1959 Scottish Cup Final Team, David Lapsley Centre, Holding Cup

David Lapsley (born 7 April 1924; died 16 January 2001) was a Scottish football player.[1] He started his footballing career with Tranmere Rovers after returning home from service in the Navy at the end World War II. Lapsley signed for St. Mirren in the summer of 1946 almost by accident; he was visting 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, and on the basis of this he was invited to the boardroom to sign right away and it was on 4th September that year that he made his first team debut against Partick Thistle.[2] 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.[2]

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.[2] [3] 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 crowd outside Paisley Town Hall where he proclaims "The best team won the Scottish Cup". [4] Throughout his time with St. Mirren he remained on a part-time contract, 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.[2]

In 2005, St Mirren FC officially inducted David Lapsley into their hall of fame.[5] David Lapsley was further honoured in 2008 when Paisley 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. [6]

Lapsley was also selected for the Scottish Football League twice, playing against the Irish Football League and the English Football League getting on the scoresheet in the 3-0 win against the former.[7] Following Lapsleys death, a one minute silence was held in his memory at the Scottish Cup tie against Motherwell on 27 January 2001, his ashes were buried under the penalty spot at the home end of Love Street. [8]

Notes

  1. ^ St Mirren legend Lapsley mourned The Scotsman, 18 January 2001 By Jon West.
  2. ^ a b c d The rock of Love Street’s golden age The Scotsman, 20 January 2001 By David Ferguson.
  3. ^ Paterson, Jack (2005). Marching On... 125 Years Of The St Mirren Football Club, Paisley. Saltire Graphics. p. 96. ISBN 0 9543647 0 8.
  4. ^ Saints fans ‘Lap’ it up at museum!, Paisley Daily Express, 10 September 2009 by Andrew Newport.
  5. ^ Love Street Favourite Joins Exclusive Club, Paisley Daily Express, 30 November 2007.
  6. ^ Road to be named after St Mirren legend Lapsley, Paisley Daily Express, 27 June 2008.
  7. ^ David Lapsley, London Hearts Supporters Club.
  8. ^ Old Firm back winter break, The Daily Telegraph, 23 January 2001 By Neil Irvine.