Andy Lochhead: 1941-2022
Scotland Under-23s international Andy was an old school centre-forward who was a superb header of the ball. Born in Dumbartonshire in 1941, he joined Burnley in 1958 as a youngster. He made 226 top flight appearances and scored a total of 128 league and cup goals for the Turf Moor Club, twice netting five goals in a game.
In October 1968 he was signed, for a fee of £80,000, by Leicester City manager Matt Gillies. The Club was struggling in the First Division at the time and Gillies’ plan was to play Lochhead alongside striker Allan Clarke, who had moved to Filbert Street for a British record transfer fee of £150,000 during the previous close season.
The following month, Gillies left Filbert Street after 10 years at the helm to be replaced as manager by Frank O’Farrell, who sadly died earlier this month.
Andy only missed one league game for the Foxes for the rest of the season and was an ever- present in the FA Cup run which took Leicester City to the 1969 FA Cup Final against Manchester City.
During this run to Wembley, Andy’s brilliant headed goal in the 1-0 defeat of Shankly’s Liverpool in the fifth round replay at Anfield secured his place in the Club’s folklore.
In the three weeks after losing to Manchester City at Wembley, Andy featured in all five of the games played by Leicester City as they fought hard to avoid relegation after 10 years in the top flight but unfortunately defeat at Old Trafford in the last game of the season resulted in the Club dropping to the Second Division.
Despite scoring six goals in the first seven league games at the start of the following season, together with a League Cup hat-trick against Bristol City in his ninth game of the season, O’Farrell let Andy transfer to Second Division strugglers Aston Villa in February 1970.
Although Aston Villa were relegated at the end of the season, Andy was in the Villa side which reached the 1971 League Cup Final and was top scorer for the team when they won the Third Division title in 1972.
Eventually he lost his place in the side to future Leicester City manager Brian Little and he moved to Oldham Athletic where he was in the side which won the Third Division title in 1974.
Following a loan spell at Denver Dynamos, Andy later returned Boundary Park before becoming a publican near Burnley.
The thoughts of all at Leicester City are with Andy’s family and friends at this sad time.