Roy (Royston) Law (29 September 1937 — 10 October 2014) was a

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

Amateur International centre-half footballer and player for

Wimbledon FC Wimbledon Football Club was an English association football, football club formed in Wimbledon, London, Wimbledon, south-west London, in 1889 and based at Plough Lane (1912–98), Plough Lane from 1912 to 1991. Founded as Wimbledon Old Centr ...

as an Amateur and Professional. The record for most appearances for Wimbledon is held by Roy Law, who turned out for the club 644 times between 1958 and 1972."Club to honour Roy Law"
AFC Wimbledon, 10 October 2014 Law's 433 league appearances was also a record. He served as captain of Wimbledon and the England Amateur team for much of his career.

Family and early years

Roy Law was born in Croydon, South London. He left school at 15, joining

Crystal Palace Football Club Crystal Palace Football Club is a professional football club based in Selhurst in the Borough of Croydon, South London, England, who compete in the Premier League, the highest level of English football. Although formally created as a profes ...

as a member of the groundstaff, with a view to a playing career. He broke his leg soon after joining, and was sacked shortly afterwards. He then did a plumbing apprenticeship and served British Army

National Service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

. On discharge, he went for a trial for

, and in 1958 was signed up.

Football debut and Amateur years

Roy Law's first game for Wimbledon was during the 1958–59 season, their 5 -4 victory over Woking. He notably led the team to their

FA Amateur Cup The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when the Football Association abolished official amateur status. History Following the legalisation of professionalism within footba ...

victory against

Sutton United Sutton United Football Club is a professional football club in Sutton, South London, England, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. They play home games at Gander Green Lane in Sutton about 11 miles so ...

in 1963. He led the team through what was to become a period of unprecedented success, and in 2013 was voted the second best captain in Wimbledon history, after

Dave Beasant David John Beasant (; born 20 March 1959) is an English football coach and former football goalkeeper. As a player, he was a goalkeeper, who notably played top-flight football for Wimbledon, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Southampton and Notting ...

International honours

He captained England Amateurs and formed a key part of England's central defence in the early 1960s, alongside fellow Don John Martin

Professional career

The proposal to turn Wimbledon FC professional and join the Division One of the Southern League was controversial, and Roy Law as captain, was instrumental in keeping the players and club united. Despite signing a professional contract on 10 June 1964, Roy continued with a day job as a builder throughout his remaining playing career. He remained captain until leaving the club in 1972, having served as captain for 13 years.

Later life

After leaving Wimbledon FC in 1972 Roy worked as a salesman, and part-time college lecturer. He later returning to the building trade, running his own small business. He became a staunch supporter of AFC Wimbledon following the club's formation in the wake of the destruction of Wimbledon FC. Along with

Lawrie Sanchez Lawrence Philip Sanchez (born 22 October 1959) is a Northern Irish football manager and former international footballer. The defining moment of his playing career came in the 1988 FA Cup Final, when he scored the winning goal for Wimbledon a ...

and Dave Beasant he was selected to receive historical memorabilia handed over by

MK Dons Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (), usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third tier of the English football league system. ...

Merton Council Merton London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Merton in Greater London, England. It is one of the 32 councils that form Greater London. History There were previously a number of local authorities responsible ...

. He has been voted by fans as the second best captain in the club's history, after Dave Beasant, who led the team to FA Cup glory. Roy Law died on 10 October 2014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Law, Roy 1937 births 2014 deaths Footballers from Croydon English footballers Wimbledon F.C. players Southern Football League players Association football defenders