Michael Lyons (born 8 December 1951) is an English former footballer in the 1970s and 1980s. He is most famous as captain of Everton during this period.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Lyons | ||
| Date of birth | 8 December 1951 | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, Lancashire, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1971–1982 | Everton | 390 | (48) |
| 1982–1985 | Sheffield Wednesday | 129 | (12) |
| 1985–1987 | Grimsby Town | 50 | (4) |
| 1991 | Nova Scotia Clippers | 6 | (1) |
| Total | 569 | (64) | |
| International career | |||
| 1974–1975 | England U23 | 5 | (0) |
| 1978 | England B | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1985–1987 | Grimsby Town | ||
| 1991 | Nova Scotia Clippers (Assistant) | ||
| 1993–1995 | Brunei | ||
| 1995–1997 | Canberra Cosmos | ||
| 2002 | Brunei | ||
| 2004–2010 | Stirling Lions | ||
| 2011 | Cockburn City | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early life
editLyons was educated at the all-boys' De La Salle School in Liverpool. He was an Everton fan and his dream was to play for the football club.
Club career
editEverton
editLyons signed as a professional at Everton in 1970 after having served an apprenticeship at the club. He made his first team debut in the Football League First Division in 1971. Utilized mostly as a defender, Lyons would be pushed forward into an attacking role in the last 10 minutes of a game.
Lyons was not considered the most technically gifted of players but more than made up for it by his desire to play for Everton,[2] the club he supported when he was a boy. Lyons' versatility made him a very useful player; he could play anywhere down the middle and was once Everton's top goalscorer.
Sheffield Wednesday
editLyons moved to Sheffield Wednesday in 1982. He appeared for them 129 times, scoring 12 goals. Lyons helped Wednesday win promotion to the Football League First Division. He was appointed as Youth Team Coach for the 1984/85 season.
International career
editLyons won one England "B" cap in 1978.
Managerial career
editGrimsby Town
editLyons became player-manager of Grimsby Town in 1985, replacing David Booth. The side could never get above mid-table and finished 15th. The 1986–87 season began well and most of the season was spent in the top half and on the fringes of the play-off race. However, a run of 8 losses and 2 draws in the last 10 games meant that Grimsby fell from 8th to 21st and the first of two consecutive relegations.
Nova Scotia Clippers
editIn 1991, he was an assistant coach with the Nova Scotia Clippers of the Canadian Soccer League and also appeared as a player in six matches, scoring once.[3]
Canberra Cosmos
editLyons was appointed coach of Canberra Cosmos in Australia's National Soccer League in 1995. A 9th-place finish in his first season showed sporadic promise, but this was not maintained as the club finished last the following season.
Stirling Lions
editLyons spent five years as the coach of the Stirling Lions in the Football West Premier League in Perth, Western Australia. He was dismissed in April 2011.[4]
Cockburn City
editHe was appointed as manager of Cockburn City in 2011 and his first came against Perth Soccer Club.[5] He was sacked in July 2012 leaving the club in fourth position, three points behind the league leaders.[6]
UWA Nedlands FC
editLyons was appointed as manager of UWA Nedlands Football club in 2013 for the upcoming 13/14 season. A mixed season saw the first team finishing 7th.
Legacy
editIt was at Everton that Lyons is best remembered and revered for his commitment and dedication to "the cause".[2] Lyons famously dived under Norman Hunter's boot to score from inside the six-yard box in a league game against Leeds United.
Honours
edit- League Cup: Everton 1977, runners up
Sheffield Wednesday Promotion to League Division One 1984
References
edit- ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 178. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
- ^ a b "Mick Lyons". toffeeweb.com. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
- ^ "Michael Lyons soccer statistics on StatsCrew.com".
- ^ "Stirling Lions Sack Mick Lyons Appoint Paul Lincoln". club-footballwa.com.au. Archived from the original on 15 April 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
- ^ Mitaros, Elle. "Cockburn City 1 – 3 Perth SC". Perth Soccer Club. Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
- ^ "Miller back in charge of Cockburn after Lyons sacked". West Australian. 13 July 2012. Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.