Sunderland pay tribute to long-serving Laurie after death

Sunderland have paid tribute to Lyall ‘Laurie’ Bolton, who played three games for the club in the mid-1950s. Bolton, who died recently aged 86, was born in Gateshead on July 11 July 1932. A wing-half, Bolton played in an era where there were no substitutes at all so he only got an occasional opportunity at a time when Sunderland were known as ‘The Bank of England Club’ and had many big names. Lauries had been on Sunderland’s books for almost six years when at the age of 23 he made his debut four days after the side had lost in an FA Cup semi-final for the second consecutive year. It came in a 2-2 home draw with Preston North End on March 22 1956, a result that dropped Bill Murray’s team from fifth to seventh in the top flight. Coming in for Stan Anderson, who also sadly passed away recently, Bolton lined up against the great Tom Finney and alongside the likes of Len Shackleton, Billy Elliott and Charlie ‘Cannonball’ Fleming, the latter scoring in all three of the games he appeared in. Bolton did well enough to get another game a fortnight later at Manchester City, this time as left-half rather than right-half, in a 4-2 defeat. Seven months later, he was called upon for a final time in a 3-3 draw at home to Portsmouth before moving on to Chelmsford City in July 1957. In addition to his three league appearances, Bolton also made appearances in some prestige friendlies, such as one at Norwich City to inaugurate Carrow Road’s floodlights.