Laurie Abrahams

{{Short description|English football player and coach (1953–2026)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Use British English|date=November 2011}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Laurie Abrahams | image = | fullname = Lawrence Adam Michael Abrahams | birth_date = {{birth date|1953|4|3|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Stepney]], London, England | death_date = {{death date and age|2026|4|12|1953|4|3|df=y}} | death_place = | height = | position = [[Forward (association football)|Striker]] | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = | clubs1 = [[Alfold F.C.|Alford]] | years2 = {{0|0000}}–1977 | clubs2 = [[Barking F.C.|Barking]] | years3 = 1977–1978 | clubs3 = [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] | caps3 = 16 | goals3 = 2 | years4 = 1978 | clubs4 = [[New England Tea Men]] | caps4 = 17 | goals4 = 7 | years5 = 1979 | clubs5 = [[Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–84)|Tulsa Roughnecks]] | caps5 = 15 | goals5 = 10 | years6 = 1979–1981 | clubs6 = [[California Surf]] | caps6 = 58 | goals6 = 30 | years7 = 1980–1981 | clubs7 = [[California Surf]] (indoor) | caps7 = 14 | goals7 = 14 | years8 = 1982–1983 | clubs8 = [[Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–84)|Tulsa Roughnecks]] | caps8 = 53 | goals8 = 28 | years9 = 1983–1984 | clubs9 = [[Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–84)|Tulsa Roughnecks]] (indoor) | caps9 = 25 | goals9 = 23 | years10 = 1984 | clubs10 = [[San Diego Sockers (NASL)|San Diego Sockers]] | caps10 = 19 | goals10 = 1 | years11 = 1984–1985 | clubs11 = [[New York Cosmos (1970–85)|New York Cosmos]] (indoor) | caps11 = 18 | goals11 = 7 | years12 = 1985–1986 | clubs12 = [[Kansas City Comets (1979–91)|Kansas City Comets]] (indoor) | caps12 = 55 | goals12 = 38 | years13 = 1986 | clubs13 = [[Melbourne Knights FC|Melbourne Croatia]] | caps13 = 9 | goals13 = 5 | years14 = 1986–1987 | clubs14 = [[Wichita Wings]] (indoor) | caps14 = 23 | goals14 = 14 | totalcaps = 283| totalgoals = 142 }}

'''Lawrence Adam Michael Abrahams''' (3 April 1953 – 12 April 2026) was an English professional [[association football|football]] player and coach who played as a [[Forward (association football)|striker]] in England, the United States, and Australia. From 1977 to 1987, Abrahams played 283 career league games, and scored 142 league goals.

==Career== ===Playing career=== Abrahams 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).<ref name=DB>[https://dbauckham.exposure.co/loyalty-points Loyalty Points] David Bauckham</ref> He returned to London. He joined non-league club [[Barking F.C.|Barking]], also working in a tailor's shop.<ref name=DB/> He signed a professional contract in 1977 with [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]]. He spent one season at Charlton, making sixteen appearances.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/charlton/charlton.html |title=CHARLTON ATHLETIC – 1946/47 – 2007/08 |accessdate=29 March 2009 |publisher=Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Transfer Database |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100904141132/http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/charlton/charlton.htm |archivedate=4 September 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After leaving Charlton in 1978, Abrahams moved to the United States and played in the [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|North American Soccer League]] for the [[New England Tea Men]], [[Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–84)|Tulsa Roughnecks]], and [[California Surf]]. The Surf folded at the end of the 1981 season and on 6 October 1981, the [[Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–84)|Tulsa Roughnecks]] selected Abrahams in the Dispersal Draft.<ref>4'' Dips Taken in NASL Draft'' Washington Post, The (DC) – Wednesday, 7 October 1981</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qcJaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HFkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2106,1706476&dq=championship+effort+carried+rowdies&hl=en|title=The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref> In May 1984, the Roughnecks traded Abrahams to the [[San Diego Sockers (NASL)|San Diego Sockers]] in exchange for [[Peter Skouras]] and two used soccer balls.<ref>"Socks' deals put on hold" ''Evening Tribune'' (San Diego) Friday, 11 May 1984</ref> 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 (1971–85)|New York Cosmos]] for $25,000.<ref>"Sockers sell Abrahams to Cosmos Team gets $25,000 for English forward" ''San Diego Union'' Thursday, 18 October 1984</ref> The Cosmos entered the [[MISL I|Major Indoor Soccer League]] in the fall of 1984, but sold his contract to the [[Kansas City Comets (1979–91)|Kansas City Comets]] in January 1985.<ref>"COMETS STIFF TEST FOR STING" ''Chicago Tribune'' Sunday, 27 January 1985</ref> He remained with the Comets through the 1985–1986 season. Abrahams spent the 1986 season in Australia with the [[Melbourne Knights FC|Melbourne Knights]], where he made 9 appearances,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/A/AA.html |title=Australian Player Database |accessdate=29 March 2009 |publisher=Oz Football |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220103853/http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/A/AA.html |archivedate=20 February 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> before returning to America to play with the [[Wichita Wings]] during the 1986–1987 MISL season.

===Coaching career=== Abrahams worked as the Assistant Soccer Coach at [[Irvine Valley College]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ivc.edu/athletics/msoccer/pages/rosterDetail.aspx?pid=987 |title=Assistant Coach: Laurie Abrahams |accessdate=29 March 2009 |publisher=Irvine Valley College |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716115813/http://www.ivc.edu/athletics/msoccer/pages/rosterDetail.aspx?pid=987 |archivedate=16 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He also worked at [[Santa Ana College]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal|url=https://www.sacdons.com/general/2025-26/releases/20260417mpipah|title=Long-Time SAC Kinesiology & Athletics Equipment Coordinator Laurie Abrahams Passes|date=17 April 2026|via=www.sacdons.com}}</ref>

==Death== Abrahams died on 12 April 2026, at the age of 73.<ref name="auto"/><ref>[https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/santa-ana-ca/lawrence-abrahams-12836825 Lawrence Abrahams] Dignity Memorial</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/A/Abrahams.Laurie.htm NASL/MISL career stats] * [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/ABB.html Aussie Footballers] Abbas to Alberton

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abrahams, Laurie}} [[Category:1953 births]] [[Category:2026 deaths]] [[Category:Alfold F.C. players]] [[Category:Barking F.C. players]] [[Category:California Surf players]] [[Category:Charlton Athletic F.C. players]] [[Category:English expatriate men's footballers]] [[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Australia]] [[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in the United States]] [[Category:English men's footballers]] [[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Australia]] [[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States]] [[Category:Men's association football forwards]] [[Category:Kansas City Comets (1979–1991) players]] [[Category:Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players]] [[Category:Melbourne Knights FC players]] [[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players]] [[Category:New England Tea Men players]] [[Category:New York Cosmos (MISL) players]] [[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players]] [[Category:National Soccer League (Australia) players]] [[Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets]] [[Category:People from Stepney]] [[Category:San Diego Sockers (1978–1996) players]] [[Category:Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–1984) players]] [[Category:Wichita Wings (MISL) players]] [[Category:English Football League players]]