Leaders put tribute to Lawson in writing!

Tommy became Skelmersdale manager in June 2006 with Skem having won promotion from the North-West Counties League the previous season. He already had a pedigree in local Non-League football having managed a number of clubs including, Warrington Town, Droylsden, Clitheroe and Stantondale, but it was at Prescot Cables that he had really mark his mark, taking the club from the North West Counties via two promotion’s to the brink of Conference North, only a play-off defeat preventing him from achieving a hat-trick.

At the time of his appointment at Skelmersdale he had only six weeks earlier been appointed as Liam Watson’s assistant manager at Burscough, but the offer to manage his local club was too good an offer to turn down.

Tommy who has a catering business in the town and lives in village only four miles outside Skelmersdale expressed his delight when he said: "It’s a bolt out of the blue to be honest, but I didn’t have to be asked twice, as Skelmersdale is a great club. The committee at Skelmersdale are very ambitious which suits me fine because so am I. I will repay their faith in me by taking this club forward."

His first game didn’t start too well as Skelmersdale lost 1-0 to Eastwood Town, with two significant names in his line-up, one Carl Osman the brother of Everton star Leon, the second Tom Hardwick who was to captain Tommy’s Championship side in 2012/13.

The first season ended with a modest finishing place in the NPL Division One table of 15th, but he had established the club’s place in the division. 2007-08 was a lot more successful as after pushing eventual champions Bradford Park Avenue all the way they lost out to FC United in the promotion play-off final at Gigg Lane, notably though, the Skelmersdale goal in the final was scored by a player who was to go and make his mark in the Football League Sean McConville.

2008-09 was a terrific season, in the NPL League Challenge Cup Skelmersdale started with a splash beating Bamber Bridge 10-0, but the run ended with a defeat at the hands of now Conference North side Guiseley. However, in the league itself, matters went to the wire.

A last day victory at Curzon Ashton saw them miss on the title by a point to Durham City, then slip up in the play-offs. There was one piece of silverware though, as an extra-time victory over Radcliffe Borough brought the Lancashire Cup to Skelmersdale, Michael White and Mark Houghton getting the goals for a 2-1 margin.

The vast resources of a resurgent FC Halifax Town lifted the league honours the next season, but Skelmersdale still grabbed a play-off spot before losing at Lancaster City. Tommy Lawson notched up his 250th game in charge and celebrated with a 4-1 win at Mossley, the team that day was Eastham, McIntosh, Bryne, Burke, Akrigg, Turner, Woolcott, Armstrong, O'Donnell, Almond, Ledsham Subs McGoldrick, Lloyd, R Wade.

2010-11 was to end with dramatic scenes at Stormy Corner. Chester had seemingly won the title bar the shouting at the end of February such was their lead, but the club with the huge backing support wise started to falter and Tommy Lawson smelled blood, Skelmersdale surged up the league and on the last day, Chester had to draw at Garforth Town to lift the title, and if they lost Skelmersdale still had to win 7-0 at home to Ossett Albion.

Neil Leatherbarrow wrote the report for the local papers that day and said: "If the events at the Skelmersdale & Ormskirk College Stadium last week had been written in a comic you would not have believed them, but the outcome for Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson was anything but funny.

"His free scoring team had to defeat struggling Albion by seven clear goals and leaders Chester had to lose at Garforth Town to lift the Evo-Stik Division One North title and this after Chester had enjoyed a thirteen point lead back in March.

"At half-time United were 3-1 up while Chester were 1-0 up in Yorkshire and the title was theirs for the taking. Twenty five minutes into the second-half, Chester were 2-1 down and Skelmersdale were a remarkable 7-1 up, a crucial twenty minutes awaited.

"The sad outcome was that nothing happened, well nearly nothing, Ossett pulled a goal back and despite sending wave after wave of attacks on the Ossett goal, Skelmersdale couldn’t score again and the 'Cestrian Hordes' in Yorkshire were left to celebrate, they had won the league by just two goals."

2011-12 was a season of 'relative failure', if that is what you can call finishing up one place outside the play-off places while 2012-13 was to be a season of record breaking proportions.

Mossley set the early pace in the league but they had played more games than Skelmersdale who had a tremendous run in the FA Trophy. Boston United and Guiseley were dismissed before a trip to Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road ended in a 2-0 defeat with both goals coming in the last ten minutes. However, it was in the league that Skelmersdale excelled.

Lawson’s men remained unbeaten until January and even then only lost four times all season, amassing 102 points and scoring 110 goals, finally topping the table by a 16 point margin. The title was achieved with a 4-0 win at home to Farsley. A number of older Skelmersdale supporters have since said that the team that season was maybe even better than the famous Wembley sides of 1967 and 1971.

The last two seasons in the Evo-Stik Premier Division have seen Skelmersdale do anything but struggle, as they have spent almost half their time in the division occupying top spot.