Paul Lawrence
DOB: 21st January 1964
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 1985/86
Season of last appearance: 1986/87
Full Appearances: 12
Substitute: 3
Goals: 1
Also played for:
Ramsgate, Dover Athletic and Herne Bay
Player Profile:
Tall Ramsgate-born forward who played for the Thanet Schools side as a youngster before moving into local Sunday League football with Westgate.
Paul joined Thanet United during the 1985/86 season and played regularly for the reserves throughout the campaign. In March 1986, he broke into the first-team squad and made his senior debut when he came on as a substitute in a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Cambridge City on 25.3.86. Paul made his full debut in the return match at Cambridge on 29.3.86 as United went down 6-0. He went on to make a total of 11 appearances (one as sub) before the end of the 1985/86 campaign. His only goal came in United's last game of the season - a 2-0 win at Dunstable on 3.5.86.
Paul stayed at the club for the 1986/87 campaign but only made a handful of first-team appearances. On 15.11.86, he played his first game of the season when he was surprisingly preferred to Gary Pugh for a Southern League match at Poole. Thanet lost 2-1 but Paul did well enough to keep his place for the following game - a 3-1 defeat in a Southern League Cup tie at Canterbury on 18.11.86. That turned out to be his last start for Thanet, although he made two further appearances as a substitute. Paul then returned to the reserves before leaving the club.
He later had spells with Ramsgate, Dover and Herne Bay but didn't stay long at any of the clubs. In 2009 Paul said: "I don't think they liked my over-physical style of play."
He ended his playing career with Thanet Works League outfit Anglian.
In 2009, Paul was still living locally and played golf at St Augustine's club just outside Ramsgate. He was running his own building/roofing company at that time.
During the 2009/10 season, his son Carl played for Margate's Under-18's and also featured for the reserves on occasions.
