Lawrence Adam Michael Abrahams (born 3 April 1953) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a striker in England, the United States, and Australia. From 1977 to 1987, Abrahams played 283 career league games, and scored 142 league goals.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lawrence Adam Michael Abrahams | ||
| Date of birth | 3 April 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Stepney, London, England | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Irvine Valley College (coach) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Alford | |||
| –1977 | Barking | ||
| 1977–1978 | Charlton Athletic | 16 | (2) |
| 1978 | New England Tea Men | 17 | (7) |
| 1979 | Tulsa Roughnecks | 15 | (10) |
| 1979–1981 | California Surf | 58 | (30) |
| 1980–1981 | California Surf (indoor) | 14 | (14) |
| 1982–1983 | Tulsa Roughnecks | 53 | (28) |
| 1983–1984 | Tulsa Roughnecks (indoor) | 25 | (23) |
| 1984 | San Diego Sockers | 19 | (1) |
| 1984–1985 | New York Cosmos (indoor) | 18 | (7) |
| 1985–1986 | Kansas City Comets (indoor) | 55 | (38) |
| 1986 | Melbourne Croatia | 9 | (5) |
| 1986–1987 | Wichita Wings (indoor) | 23 | (14) |
| Total | 283 | (142) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
editPlaying career
editAbrahams was born in Stepney, in the East End of London. His family moved to Alfold in Surrey and he started his football career in the youth team at Alfold F.C., once scoring 101 goals in a single season)[1] He returned to London. He joined non-league club Barking, also working in a tailor's shop.[1] He signed a professional contract in 1977 with Charlton Athletic. He spent one season at Charlton, making sixteen appearances.[2] After leaving Charlton in 1978, Abrahams moved to the United States and played in the North American Soccer League for the New England Tea Men, Tulsa Roughnecks, and California Surf. The Surf folded at the end of the 1981 season and on 6 October 1981, the Tulsa Roughnecks selected Abrahams in the Dispersal Draft.[3] He played the 1982 and 1983 outdoor seasons in Tulsa followed by the 1983–1984 NASL indoor season. He was the Offensive MVP of 1983 NASL Grand Prix of Indoor Soccer, posting 12 goals and 6 assists in 8 games.[4] In May 1984, the Roughnecks traded Abrahams to the San Diego Sockers in exchange for Peter Skouras and two used soccer balls.[5] He began the season paired with Ade Coker up front. Still, he was relegated to the bench after the Sockers acquired Steve Zungul and Branko Segota. On 17 October 1984, the Sockers sold Abrahams's rights to the New York Cosmos for $25,000.[6] The Cosmos entered the Major Indoor Soccer League in the fall of 1984, but sold his contract to the Kansas City Comets in January 1985.[7] He remained with the Comets through the 1985–1986 season. Abrahams spent the 1986 season in Australia with the Melbourne Knights, where he made 9 appearances,[8] before returning to America to play with the Wichita Wings during the 1986–1987 MISL season.
Coaching career
editAbrahams is currently the Assistant Soccer Coach at Irvine Valley College.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b Loyalty Points David Bauckham
- ^ "CHARLTON ATHLETIC – 1946/47 – 2007/08". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Transfer Database. Archived from the original on 4 September 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
- ^ 4 Dips Taken in NASL Draft Washington Post, The (DC) – Wednesday, 7 October 1981
- ^ "The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search".
- ^ "Socks' deals put on hold" Evening Tribune (San Diego) Friday, 11 May 1984
- ^ "Sockers sell Abrahams to Cosmos Team gets $25,000 for English forward" San Diego Union Thursday, 18 October 1984
- ^ "COMETS STIFF TEST FOR STING" Chicago Tribune Sunday, 27 January 1985
- ^ "Australian Player Database". Oz Football. Archived from the original on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
- ^ "Assistant Coach: Laurie Abrahams". Irvine Valley College. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
External links
edit- NASL/MISL career stats
- Aussie Footballers Abbas to Alberton