OBVIOUSLY we’ve all got a bit more time and we’re getting more and more phone calls. I have said in past weeks that it’s nice for me to have calls, particularly from ex players and staff. One morning I had calls from Mick Channon and Kevin Keegan.

If I was picking the best team of say the 70s, 80s and 90s, those two would automatically be in there. But then I thought who would play upfront between those two?

The first name that crossed my mind was Ted MacDougall, but he was always linked with Phil Boyer.
They started at Bournemouth, went on to Norwich and I brought them here.

Absolutely everybody classed them as a double act. The surprising thing was was that at the end of his time at the top level, Ted went back to Bournemouth for a short while, which left Boyer. On his own, surprise surprise, he scored 30 goals and won the Golden Boot award!

Obviously Peter Osgood. I think he would get into most people’s teams. I got him towards the end of his career, but he would be a great presence in any team.

Then possibly a lesser known player who came through the ranks at The Dell, Steve Moran. Steve is not your typical centre forward. He wasn’t tall and how I got hold of him compared to the other big names was quite different.

My wife Anne and I in those days every Sunday morning would go off with our two sons who both played in the Tyro League for Sarisbury Sparks. I was watching my eldest Chris and his team one day, standing in the rain with about 15 other people, having been at Old Trafford the day before.

I said to the manager why is the little centre forward falling over so much? He said it’s simple, he’s got no studs in his boots. His mother is a widow and can’t afford them. At half time, while they were huddled together drinking their cups of Oxo, I called him over and said ‘get a hat trick in the second half and I’ll buy you a pair of boots’.

He put his cup down, picked the ball up and stood on the centre circle on his own. When the game restarted, he scored the fastest hat trick I’ve ever seen. Every time he scored, he looked towards me and I put my thumb up.

Next day I was at The Dell and a phone call came from Toomers, a little sports shop not far from The Dell where the club in fact in those days bought all their kit.

The owner said Lawrie there’s a youngster here saying you’re going to buy his boots and he won’t get out. What’s his name? Moran he said, give him the boots I said! I signed him as a schoolboy and the rest is history. So I think Mike and Kevin will be happy to have him in there.

If you were being adventurous and playing four up front, who would you play on the left side? Probably Danny Wallace. He’d be most people’s choice.

Looking back into midfield, a general, a captain, I suppose no one could beat Alan Ball, bless him.

The goalkeeper would probably have to be the player with more England caps than anyone else, Peter Shilton.

Anyway, I’ll leave the rest to you as you’ve probably got more time on your hands than usual.

Put your heads together, have a discussion and when you come to a decision, send your team to the Echo and they might just find space to put it in.

Any younger readers who have probably never heard of these players, might like to think about a team for the new period from 2000 to the present day. I suppose it would be interesting if the teams played each other, who do we think would win? I would say I would know the result before I even saw the names, but of course I’m biased.

IN the days when Graham Taylor, bless him, and I worked together with England we often spoke about our clubs Watford and Saints being very similar.
We were proud of the fact that both were more family type clubs than most. That has been proven as Saints for instance are working so hard at the moment with the chefs and the Foundation and ex players coming together and getting meals out to those who need it.

Watford, I read recently, are doing so much for The NHS. Their ground is right next to the Watford General Hospital, who apparently asked at the beginning of the virus if they could have use of a room for meetings.

It has now developed to where the NHS are using the whole ground except the pitch itself.

Graham would have been very proud of the fact that the stand which is named after him has 18 executive boxes which have been transformed into bedrooms for NHS staff.

Sir Elton John, also with a stand named after him, was the chairman in Graham’s day and now honorary life president, is keeping in touch from his home in America, encouraging more help.

Football wise, things like this pull a community together, respect will be given where it’s due and the game and life in general will be the better for it.