The death has taken place in London of Joseph "Robin" Lawlor, an outstanding soccer full back in the 1950s who won acclaim on both sides of the Irish border.

A Dubliner, he started his senior career with Drumcondra, and together with Con Martin and John "Kit" Lawlor - no relation - he was in the team which beat Shamrock Rovers in one of the most famous FAI Cup finals in 1946.

Later he aligned himself with Belfast Celtic, with whom he won Irish Cup and championship honours. His most memorable achievement with the Belfast club, however, was to share in the 2-0 win over a full Scotland team, who were then on an American tour, in New York.

Subsequently, he moved to Fulham and played in a gifted team which included the fine England inside forward Johnny Haynes.

A thoughtful, composed player who didn't always fit the concept of the full backs of his era, Lawlor had another gift which endeared him to the fans. A full generation before Mick McCarthy arrived on the scene, he was known as the master of the long throw-in.

He won the first of his eight Republic of Ireland caps on the day that Jackie Carey made his last international appearance and caught the eye in a 4-0 win over Austria at Dalymount Park in March, 1953.

He would later share in victories over Norway (twice), Luxembourg and Holland, but dropped out of favour, to be replaced by Noel Cantwell, after the 4-1 defeat by Yugoslavia in Dalymount Park in 1955 - a game made memorable by the edict of the former Archbishop of Dublin, Dr John Charles McQuaid directing Catholics not to attend the fixture.