He was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease last year

Gabriel Shepard Assistant Head of Print

05:00, 10 Jun 2025

Gloucester cricket legend David ‘Syd’ Lawrence (Picture: Gloucestershire CC)

Former England and Gloucestershire fast bowler David ‘Syd’ Lawrence has revealed writing his autobiography was a “race against the clock”.

From becoming the first British-born black man to play Test cricket for England, to running Dojo nightclub in Bristol’s Park Row for more than 25 years – not to mention winning the West of England amateur bodybuilding title three times – whatever Syd has set his mind to achieving, he has done so with skill and a flourish.

But last June he was forced to accept a fresh challenge.

Following months of inconclusive tests at a Bristol hospital, he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

Already left without the use of his legs, he had to face a new reality that would mean a deterioration across the rest of his body, a loss of independence, the requirement of carers, and gradually the loss of his voice.

For a once powerfully built athlete with booming voice to match, this was a particularly cruel fate, knowing all his physical abilities would be stripped away from him bit by bit.

So before his voice disappeared completely and he was forced to rely on a voice bank for communication, he committed to telling his life story.

In Syd’s Voice is the culmination of that decision, detailing the most recent months since his diagnosis, alongside the memories of his 61 years so far.

“Being diagnosed with MND puts everything into perspective and was a sudden jolt that I definitely wasn’t expecting,” he said.

“My life took a dramatically different turn and made me think a lot about the things I have done, the people I have met and the life I have led.

“Committing my story to a book was something I had been thinking about for a while and the process had actually already begun before I received the news that turned my life upside down.

“The deadline had changed though and I knew that I needed to tell my story before my voice was taken away from me. It became a race against the clock, and thankfully we managed to beat it.

“From a humble start in Gloucester I have travelled the world and connected with some incredible people, with amazing talents and who have made it a lot of fun. My life is very different today, and I’ve been very honest about that in the book, but that’s only a small part of my story.”

Co-author Dean Wilson said: “Syd has led a fascinating life, full of twists and turns and it would have made for a great read even without the very latest development. That is why I was delighted to get involved and help get his life on to the page.

“But the enjoyable and light-hearted way we started things soon gave way to an altogether different experience following his diagnosis. It became a far more emotional and passionate project and one that I am both sad and uplifted to have worked on.

“There is something warm and genuine about Syd, and that nature is still there even though he has physically diminished before our eyes.

“This book has that character at its core throughout.”

A minimum of 50p, evenly split between the MND Association and the Cricketers’ Trust will be donated for every copy sold. The book is released on Thursday.