 Thomas Lawton was born on 6 October 1919 to Elizabeth Riley and Thomas Lawton senior in Farnworth , Lancashire . His father was a rail @-@ road signalman of Irish extraction , and his mother worked as a weaver at Harrowby Mill . His father left the family 18 months after Lawton was born , and Elizabeth moved back into her parents ' home in Bolton . Elizabeth 's father , James Hugh " Jim " Riley , became Lawton 's surrogate father . Lawton 's natural footballing ability earned him a place on the Bolton Town Schools team in 1930 . He was picked by Lancashire Schools at the age of 13 . Despite scoring a hat @-@ trick in a trial game for England Schoolboys , he never earned a full England Schoolboy cap . At the age of 14 he began playing for Hayes Athletic in the Bolton Senior League , and went on to score 570 goals in three seasons . The FA 's rules meant he was unable to turn professional at a club until he was 17 , and Lawton 's grandfather rejected Bolton Wanderers 's offer for Lawton to work as a delivery driver for two years before turning professional at the club . Lawton instead played as an amateur for Rossendale United in the Lancashire Combination , scoring a hat @-@ trick on his debut against Bacup . He took up temporary work at a tannery , and then joined Burnley as assistant groundsman after his mother rejected an offer from Sheffield Wednesday as she objected to him travelling to Sheffield on a daily basis . 
 Thomas Lawton was born on 6 October 1919 to Elizabeth Riley and Thomas Lawton senior in Farnworth , Lancashire . His father was a rail @-@ road signalman of Irish extraction , and his mother worked as a weaver at Harrowby Mill . His father left the family 18 months after Lawton was born , and Elizabeth moved back into her parents <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'</mark></a>home in Bolton . Elizabeth <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>father , James Hugh " Jim " Riley , became Lawton <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>surrogate father . Lawton <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>natural footballing ability earned him a place on the Bolton Town Schools team in 1930 . He was picked by Lancashire Schools at the age of 13 . Despite scoring a hat @-@ trick in a trial game for England Schoolboys , he never earned a full England Schoolboy cap . At the age of 14 he began playing for Hayes Athletic in the Bolton Senior League , and went on to score 570 goals in three seasons . The FA <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>rules meant he was unable to turn professional at a club until he was 17 , and Lawton <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>grandfather rejected Bolton Wanderers <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'s</mark></a>offer for Lawton to work as a delivery driver for two years before turning professional at the club . Lawton instead played as an amateur for Rossendale United in the Lancashire Combination , scoring a hat @-@ trick on his debut against Bacup . He took up temporary work at a tannery , and then joined Burnley as assistant groundsman after his mother<a href='been_done' title='8'><mark></mark></a> rejected an offer from Sheffield Wednesday as she objected to him travelling to Sheffield on a daily basis . 
Thomas Lawton was born on 6 October 1919 to Elizabeth Riley and Thomas Lawton senior in Farnworth , Lancashire . His father was a rail @-@ road signalman of Irish extraction , and his mother worked as a weaver at Harrowby Mill . His father left the family 18 months after Lawton was born , and Elizabeth moved back into her parents  home in Bolton . Elizabeth  father , James Hugh " Jim " Riley , became Lawton  surrogate father . Lawton  natural footballing ability earned em a place on da Bolton Town Schools team in 1930 . He was picked by Lancashire Schools at the age of 13 . Despite scoring a hat @-@ trick in a trial game fa England Schoolboys , he never earned a full England Schoolboy cap . At tdaage of 14 he began playing for Hayes Athletic in thdaolton Senior League , and went on to score 570 goals in three seasons . Theda  rules ment he was unable to turn professional at a club till he was 17 , and Lawton  grandfather rejected Bolton Wanderers  offer for Lawton to work as a delivery driver ffirtwo yrs before turnin professional at the dab . Lawton instead played as an amateur ffaRossendale United in the Lancashire Combination , scoring a hat @-@ trick on his debut against Bacup . He took up temporary work at a tannery , and then joined Burnley as assistant groundsman after his mother done rejected an offer from Sheffield Wednesday as she objected to him travelling to Sheffield on a daily basis .