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There are so many ways one could start a review of Peter Kenny Jones’ latest historical deep-dive – this one concerning the simultaneously heartwarming and tragic story of Tommy Lawrence, Liverpool Football Club’s legendary Flying Pig.
I could kick things off chronologically with the family’s move from Scotland to Culcheth in Warrington – the site of Pete’s second book launch date (get your tickets here) – or I could go with the goalkeeper’s incredible achievements under the guidance of Bill Shankly, his poor treatment at international level… or how about that Stan Boardman quote about him being covered in shit all the time? Yes, let’s start things off there, shall we?
“Tommy was always covered in shit because he’d be diving all over the place,” the former Liverpool youth star turned comedian was quoted in Sweeper Keeper: The Story of Tommy Lawrence, Scotland and Liverpool’s Legendary Flying Pig.
“His green sweater was black because the pitches then were not like they are green now, they were just mud.
“If he had a day where he was getting a bit kicked at, he would be covered in shit and he’d have to get in the bathroom. So, I tried to get in the bath before Tommy Lawrence because he was always caked in mud!”
Fear not, you get all the aforementioned critical details of Tommy’s life and more, all told by the people closest to him, from the likes of former teammate Phil Boersma to his daughter, Tracey Murray.
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As ever with Pete’s remarkable storytelling, Liverpool, football and sports fans generally are treated to an honest but fair deconstruction of a man almost as cruelly cut down by the passage of time as he was ultimately neglected by the football club he loved and gave so much to.
It’s a tale of adversity, triumph and heartbreak told expertly by a football historian who intrinsically understands and cares about the finest details of a sportsman’s life, virtues and vices. Most importantly of all, Pete delivers this with a level of grace and empathy you’ll find lacking elsewhere in modern journalism.
If you are to leave reading Peter Kenny Jones’ latest historical foray with only one message, let it be this: We stand on the backs of giants and we owe each and every one of them a debt that we must continually strive to repay no matter the decades that roll by.
Sweeper Keeper: The Story of Tommy Lawrence, Scotland and Liverpool’s Legendary Flying Pig is available on Amazon and Peter Kenny Jones’ website.
