Player #410 for Aston Villa, Lawrence Canning known as Larry Canning, played as a Midfielder for the club. Larry played for Villa between 1948-49 and 1953-54 making 41 appearances and scoring 3 goals.

Larry was born in Cowdenbeath, West Fife, Scotland on 1 November 1925 and made his debut appearance for Villa on Saturday, 11 September 1948 at the age of 22.

Villa had signed Larry from Paget Rangers in December 1943 aged 18 and he signed professional forms in October 1947 having worked as an engineer in the RAF during World War Two, being posted to Malta and Italy.

Larry starred for Villa as a youth player during war time football, scoring twice for Villa away to Derby County on 11 December 1943. However national service intervened and Larry wouldn’t return to Villa until 1947 following which he signed professional forms with the club.

Larry was a regular feature in Villa’s reserve team in the Central League playing as a centre forward or inside man and scored 10 goals in the 1947-48 season as well as fourteen for the Third team.

Larry made two appearances in the 1948-49 season as deputy to Trevor Ford but given the prowess of Villa’s leading man, the understudy restrained to become a first rate wing half back.

Stockily built, Larry shined in whatever position he played whether at centre forward, half back or outside left despite his preference for the intermediate line and was known as an excellent golfer of which he often partook in his downtime between Villa commitments.

Although Larry’s first team exposure was relatively limited - he only reached double figure league appearances for Villa once with 16 in 1950-51 - Larry went on to become synonymous with football in the Midlands.

Having signed from Paget he soon became a fan favourite despite his limited appearances however it was as a broadcaster - after his retirement - that Larry found fame.
Larry had played his last game for Villa on Wednesday, 31 March 1954 aged 28 and moved on to Kettering Town

After retirement he was invited by famed commentator David Coleman to take part in an open mic competition on Sportsnight and although Larry did not win he did go on to a successful career as the ‘Mr Football of the Midlands’ and his voice was recognisable to generations of listeners on radio and TV when it came to local games.

Larry also later became an Aston Villa Director.

Larry had played under Villa managers Alex Massie, George Martin and Eric Houghton and he passed away from Vascular Dementia in Nottingham on 6 April 2012 aged 86.

From Birminghammail.co.uk 24th October 2012:

“Last night Larry’s widow Margaret Canning, 78, confirmed that her husband had passed away on Wednesday.

Margaret said: “I have been overwhelmed by the amount of people who have been in touch or sent flowers.

“I would have thought people had forgotten oldies like us.

“It is so lovely to know that so many people thought so well of him. Although his final years were not easy I know he would have been very touched by the response he has had in the last few days.

“Larry was a wonderful, generous and caring man to everybody he ever met – unless he met you on a football pitch! Or a golf course for that matter. He was a very competitive sportsman.

“That’s probably the reason he was so good at it, to be honest. It’s also why he was one of the only journalists Brian Clough ever had any time for. Brian would always call him Mr Canning, and I don’t think he ever failed to get an interview with him.

“They were very similar characters when it came to sport – the kind of characters you don’t see too much in the game nowadays.”