This Is Your Life: Lawrie McMenemy

Lawrie MCMENEMY (1936-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Lawrie McMenemy, football manager, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews as he and his wife arrived at a riverside restaurant in Southampton to celebrate his 20th wedding anniversary.

Lawrie started his footballing career with Newcastle United before moving to Gateshead in the late 1950s. An injury ended his playing career in 1961, but he stayed with the club for a further three years, moving into coaching. He later managed non-league Bishop Auckland taking them to the third round of the FA Cup, then spent two years at Sheffield Wednesday, before he got his big break as manager of Doncaster Rovers, winning the Fourth Division Championship in the 1968–69 season.

After a short spell as manager of Grimsby Town, he become assistant manager at Southampton, and was promoted to manager within six months. In 1976 he guided the Saints to an FA Cup Final victory over Manchester United, and two years later the club won promotion to the First Division.

programme details...

Edition No: 550
Subject No: 546
Broadcast date: Wed 29 Oct 1980
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Wed 22 Oct 1980
Venue: Southern Television, Southampton
Series: 21
Edition: 3
Code name: Matt

on the guest list...

Anne - wife
members of Southampton FC team
Ted Bates
John Mortimore
Lew Chatterley
Kevin Keegan
Jean Keegan
Kathleen - sister
Norah - sister
Peter - brother
Michael - brother
Paul - brother
Harry - brother
Frank - uncle
Sean - son
Chris - son
Alison - daughter
members of Malestrom
Jimmy Tarbuck
Pauline Tarbuck
Billy Currar
Arthur Soper
Eric Coates
Bobby Stokes
Don Revie
Mary Smith
Jimmy Hill
Alan Ball

production team...

Researcher: Brian Klein
Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
Directors: Stuart Hall, Terry Yarwood
Producer: Jack Crawshaw

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Match of the Day

tackling football's top names

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

This is the secret life

Jack Crawshaw reviews his time on This Is Your Life

Kevin Keegan

Don Revie

Screenshots of Lawrie McMenemy This Is Your Life

Lawrie McMenemy recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his book, A lifetime's obsession...

It was at Corpus Christi I palled up with two lads, Eric Coates and Brian Murphy. We were friends. I say were because sadly we have lost touch but, like me, their happiness was mainly due to a teacher, Miss Smith, who was adored by all. Miss Smith took the infants class and was also the headmistress of the infant section.

Many years later in 1980, when I was due to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary on a night out with Anne, I was to be genuinely shocked when she took me to this obscure place in Southampton only to find Eamonn Andrews then the host of the This is Your Life television programme waiting for us. I was to be the subject that night.

There were a lot of guests, old friends like Jimmy Tarbuck, Don Revie and Kevin Keegan but the highlight of the evening came at the end when the last guest was Miss Smith. She hadn't seen me for all these years and it was a moment that brought back good memories.

Everyone who met Miss Smith loved her. She was a dedicated teacher, married to the job. Miss Smith exuded goodness.

Series 21 subjects