After being selected for his town team and representing Northumberland Schoolboys, Brian Laws joined the well worn path from the north east to Turf Moor, signing as an apprentice in 1978 and becoming a professional on his 18th birthday in 1979.

The young defender progressed rapidly and after making a good impression in the reserves, he made his first team debut in a game with Watford at Vicarage Road in the 1979/80 season.

He saw off the challenge of veteran defender Ian Wood and spent the next three seasons as Burnley's first choice right back. He enjoyed the triumph of the Clarets' Third Division Championship season in 1981/82 when he was voted as 'Young Player Of The Year'.

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The following season was something of a bitter-sweet affair, with two great Cup runs, but ending with relegation from the Second Division.

That saw the arrival of John Bond at Turf Moor and was ultimately the end of Laws' Burnley career.

The popular full back found that his face no longer fitted at Turf Moor under the stewardship of Bond and within weeks of his arrival, Laws was sold to Huddersfield Town with Bond not convinced of his defensive abilities.

Laws certainly went on to prove Bond wrong and after spells at Huddersfield and then Middlesbrough, Brian Clough signed him for Nottingham Forest, where he had great success in the cup competitions, winning two Littlewoods Cups and playing in FA Cup and League Cup finals.

Laws then embarked on a career in management with Grimsby Town and he is currently in charge of Scunthorpe United.