
Lol's City career started in 1950 when he and fellow Derbyshire boy Frank Austin arrived in Coventry after being spotted playing schoolboy football by scout Harry Holmes. Within two years 17-year old Lol was in the first team, having impressed manager Harry Storer with excellent performances for the youth team, then playing under the pseudonym of Modern Machines, and the A team.
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The wing-half went back to the reserves but over the next four seasons he was used regularly and built up a reputation as a whole-hearted player with a bite in the tackle. Tragedy struck however in early 1956 when playing for the reserves at Plymouth he suffered a serious knee injury. A major operation left him with a 16-inch scar down his leg. Lol was out of action for over a year but returned to play his part in the club's promotion from the Fourth Division. More injuries hampered his career but he recovered from a cartilage operation to play virtually every game in 1959-60. Then, after 148 games for the club, he suffered more knee injuries in a 1-4 defeat at Barnsley. He recovered sufficiently to play a few reserve games but on the Saturday before Christmas against QPR reserves at Highfield Road his knee went again. The specialist was adamant, Lol, despite his desire to carry on, would suffer irreparable damage if he continued playing.
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Manager Billy Frith persuaded him to stay at the club assisting Paddy Ryan with the Bantam Fighting Fund pools set-up. In early 1962 Lol decided to leave the club and joined a small engineering company and later he moved to Massey Ferguson where he spent 33 happy years alongside other ex-City mates like Alf Wood, Brian Nicholas and Ron Farmer.Â





































































































































































































































































































































