Lawson Bert Image 1 Brentford 1928

Description

Luton, Bedfordshire born outside right Bert Lawson began his football career with Frickers Athletic and played for Athenian League club Luton Clarence in 1923, from where he was signed by First Division club Arsenal as an amateur in October 1924, signing professional a month later. He made his Football League debut against Burnley in February 1926, scoring twice in 16 appearances before the end of the season as Arsenal finished runners up in the League Championship. But he was again relegated to the reserves in 1926-27 and didn’t make any further first team appearances before transferring to Third Division (South) club Brentford in March 1927.

A regular during The Bees’ 1927-28 campaign, he lost his place at the start of the following season and played only 17 more matches over the following five years before leaving Brentford to join hometown club Luton Town in 1933 after 12 goals in 64 appearances for The Bees. However he only played once for The Hatters in a defeat at Exeter City in December 1933 before he joined non league Bedford Town in 1934, where he played out his career. In July 1939 Lawson became trainer-coach to Letchworth Town but his football career was ended by the outbreak of the Second World War.

Lawson’s father Billy was famously the trainer at Luton Town for 30 years from 1889 to 1919.

NB in the image it appears he may be wearing an Arsenal shirt (Brentford played in white shirts during the 1920’s before adopting their red & white stripes), in which case the image would have been taken c.1926.