Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Sat May 11, 2019 6:29 pm

I’ve just been with my grandad, and when I go around talk usually turns to football and sometimes the olden days.

We got talking about players and he was asking what happened to certain players like Peter McKay etc, and it seems when discussing the 1940’s/50’s he can remember matches and goals quite vividly.

One player he was asking about was Andy McClaren who upon checking only played 3 (4 Maybe including FA Cup) games for Burnley in 1948/49. He says that it was a swap deal mid season where Burnley’s Jackie (John) Knight went to Preston.

My Grandad is adamant that he stood on the Bee Hole End on a winter’s day and watched McClaren receive a pass in front of the Popular side (Longside), and then belt the ball from just inside his own half into the goal at the Cricket Field End.

The games he scored in I’ve since found were versus Portsmouth on New Year’s Day and then the following week at home to Charlton in the cup.

Can anybody shed any light on the goal and/the actual game.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sat May 11, 2019 6:33 pm

Can’t tell you anything about the goal but Peter McKay left because of how the manager wanted to play him, or that’s what Jimmy Mac told me.

McKay was a prolific goal scorer but when Alan Brown came in he wanted him running the channels. Jimmy said that was no good for McKay so he went back to Scotland.

And the Longside was always referred to as the Popular Side when I first went. Not sure how and when it became known as the Longside.

Royboyclaret · Post by **Royboyclaret** » Sat May 11, 2019 7:09 pm

Wonderful that people like your Grandad is able to recall games from the 1940's, just after WW2 was a special time for us with a promotion to Division One and of course the FA Cup Final in 1947.

Strange circumstances surrounded the time of Andrew McLaren at Burnley. Manager Frank Hill brought him to the Turf from Preston in December 1948 and he started really well with those goals in the league against Portsmouth and the following week in the Cup against Charlton. But he played just two more games here before leaving for Sheff Utd in a career at Burnley that lasted just 14 weeks!

It was early March 1949 when McLaren left but just 12 months later the same manager Frank Hill will always be remembered as the man who persuaded Jimmy Mac to sign for Burnley. We can only be forever grateful for that.

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Sat May 11, 2019 10:06 pm

ClaretTony wrote:Can’t tell you anything about the goal but Peter McKay left because of how the manager wanted to play him, or that’s what Jimmy Mac told me.

McKay was a prolific goal scorer but when Alan Brown came in he wanted him running the channels. Jimmy said that was no good for McKay so he went back to Scotland.

And the Longside was always referred to as the Popular Side when I first went. Not sure how and when it became known as the Longside.

I read that he was a Dundee United legend and had a phenomenal scoring record before joining Burnley. My Grandad says he was only small, but could jump really well and any lose balls inside the box it was a goal. The fans loved him apparently.

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Sat May 11, 2019 10:10 pm

Royboyclaret wrote:Wonderful that people like your Grandad is able to recall games from the 1940's, just after WW2 was a special time for us with a promotion to Division One and of course the FA Cup Final in 1947.

Strange circumstances surrounded the time of Andrew McLaren at Burnley. Manager Frank Hill brought him to the Turf from Preston in December 1948 and he started really well with those goals in the league against Portsmouth and the following week in the Cup against Charlton. But he played just two more games here before leaving for Sheff Utd in a career at Burnley that lasted just 14 weeks!

It was early March 1949 when McLaren left but just 12 months later the same manager Frank Hill will always be remembered as the man who persuaded Jimmy Mac to sign for Burnley. We can only be forever grateful for that.

He says that fans were talking about that goal for a few years afterwards. No TV coverage in those days but depending which game it was there were between 31-37,000 who witnessed it. It seems that Beckham might not have invented the halfway line goal after all? I wonder if a match report exists in one of the papers?

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sat May 11, 2019 10:42 pm

Claretforever wrote:I read that he was a Dundee United legend and had a phenomenal scoring record before joining Burnley. My Grandad says he was only small, but could jump really well and any lose balls inside the box it was a goal. The fans loved him apparently.

Before my time but my dad used to talk about him affectionately and he didn't really like small players. He was a phenomenal goalscorer at Dundee United before we signed him. He scored 36 in 60 league games for us.

Royboyclaret · Post by **Royboyclaret** » Sat May 11, 2019 10:56 pm

ClaretTony wrote:Before my time but my dad used to talk about him affectionately and he didn't really like small players. He was a phenomenal goalscorer at Dundee United before we signed him. He scored 36 in 60 league games for us.

Including 25 from 34 games in the 1955/56 season. In fact he was our first player to score 25 league goals in a season since George Beel back in 1931.

He was a terrific little player but unfortunately perhaps came to us a little late and he was 30 years old in that '55/'56 season. He was a real poacher in the Willie Irvine mould and his stay here was all too brief, but I think there was an issue with Allan Brown.

Wokingclaret · Post by **Wokingclaret** » Sat May 11, 2019 11:01 pm

Claretforever wrote:I’ve just been with my grandad, and when I go around talk usually turns to football and sometimes the olden days.

We got talking about players and he was asking what happened to certain players like Peter McKay etc, and it seems when discussing the 1940’s/50’s he can remember matches and goals quite vividly.

One player he was asking about was Andy McClaren who upon checking only played 3 (4 Maybe including FA Cup) games for Burnley in 1948/49. He says that it was a swap deal mid season where Burnley’s Jackie (John) Knight went to Preston.

My Grandad is adamant that he stood on the Bee Hole End on a winter’s day and watched McClaren receive a pass in front of the Popular side (Longside), and then belt the ball from just inside his own half into the goal at the Cricket Field End.

The games he scored in I’ve since found were versus Portsmouth on New Year’s Day and then the following week at home to Charlton in the cup.

Can anybody shed any light on the goal and/the actual game.

My dad always went on about a player scoring from our own half, he said the ball was still rising as it hit the net.

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Sat May 11, 2019 11:03 pm

McKay died in Corby, so must have worked in the stealworks after finishing is playing career. Corby is still like a mini Scotland today after a Scottish steel company built a huge steelworks there in the 1930’s. Not sure of the decade but think the 1950’s weren’t too kind for the Glasgow steel industry, and many thousands moved down.

Royboyclaret · Post by **Royboyclaret** » Sat May 11, 2019 11:10 pm

Claretforever wrote:He says that fans were talking about that goal for a few years afterwards. No TV coverage in those days but depending which game it was there were between 31-37,000 who witnessed it. It seems that Beckham might not have invented the halfway line goal after all? I wonder if a match report exists in one of the papers?

One goal that was talked about for many many years after was the Tommy Cummings goal against Newcastle in January 1952. Many will argue to this day it was the greatest goal ever scored at Turf Moor. He took the ball off Jackie Milburn on the edge of the penalty area at the Bee Hole End before powering forward beating several Newcastle players before unleashing an unstoppable shot from just outside their area at the Cricket Field end.

Very similar to the one your Grandad was describing.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sat May 11, 2019 11:12 pm

Royboyclaret wrote:but I think there was an issue with Allan Brown.

See post 2

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Sat May 11, 2019 11:18 pm

Peter McKay

: 696BCFF1-E5F6-4CC4-BAAE-927106B55AD2.jpeg (212.63 KiB) Viewed 2361 times

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Sat May 11, 2019 11:22 pm

CT says he isn't sure when the Longside first became known as the the Longside. I think it was when they closed the old Cricket Field stand and all the lads and lasses, who stood on there chanting (for the first time on the Turf), knew they would have to move over to what they simply called the Longside, because that's what it was to them. I remember my mates actually saying at the time that "it looks like we're going to have to move over to that long side then"

Bullabill · Post by **Bullabill** » Sun May 12, 2019 12:20 am

ClaretTony wrote:
"McKay was a prolific goal scorer but when Alan Brown came in he wanted him running the channels. Jimmy said that was no good for McKay so he went back to Scotland."

As I remember it he went to Dundee.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sun May 12, 2019 12:22 am

Bullabill wrote:ClaretTony wrote:
"McKay was a prolific goal scorer but when Alan Brown came in he wanted him running the channels. Jimmy said that was no good for McKay so he went back to Scotland."

As I remember it he went to Dundee.

Came from Dundee United and went to St Mirren

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sun May 12, 2019 12:23 am

Vino blanco wrote:CT says he isn't sure when the Longside first became known as the the Longside. I think it was when they closed the old Cricket Field stand and all the lads and lasses, who stood on there chanting (for the first time on the Turf), knew they would have to move over to what they simply called the Longside, because that's what it was to them. I remember my mates actually saying at the time that "it looks like we're going to have to move over to that long side then"

I've had this queried on here before being told it was always the Longside. But my recollections were of it being the Popular Side so I picked up on that with this thread.

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Sun May 12, 2019 12:36 am

You are right CT, it was called the Popular Side and was also designated as such on ground plans in the programmes and on tickets of the time. I used to go to the Turf with my dad in his car in the late 50s and 60s and I would go behind the goals and meet my mates, whilst he used to go "on the Popular Side, because you get a better of the game" he would say. As I say, I think it was the younger end, who moved from behind the Cricket Field to the Long Side, who gave it that name.

Hipper · Post by **Hipper** » Sun May 12, 2019 10:13 am

Claretforever wrote:He says that fans were talking about that goal for a few years afterwards. No TV coverage in those days but depending which game it was there were between 31-37,000 who witnessed it. It seems that Beckham might not have invented the halfway line goal after all? I wonder if a match report exists in one of the papers?

Why not contact the Burnley Express?

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Sun May 12, 2019 1:27 pm

Hipper wrote:Why not contact the Burnley Express?

In truth I’m interested, but not really enough to trawl the newspaper archives. I asked on here as there’s a lot of years experience in watching Burnley on here, and thought maybe there was already a reference somewhere.

It’s one to look for if I’m ever trawling the archives, but I wouldn’t know where to start in any case. Can it not be done online now, or is it a trip to the library?

Hipper · Post by **Hipper** » Sun May 12, 2019 5:33 pm

If you have the date of the game I suggest you either write direct to the Burnley Express (e-mail Sports Editor Chris Boden I guess) and perhaps they might find it interesting enough to do the research themselves.

I'm not sure but I think CT may have done some research there and I'm sure author Dave Thomas has.

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Sun May 12, 2019 6:31 pm

Not at home, so can’t check, but wouldn’t it have been worth a mention in Clarets Chronicles?

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sun May 12, 2019 6:35 pm

Claretforever wrote:I wonder if a match report exists in one of the papers?

The Burnley Express will have one and it will be on microfilm in the library. If I can remember, I'll look it up next time I'm in there.

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Sun May 12, 2019 7:08 pm

ClaretTony wrote:The Burnley Express will have one and it will be on microfilm in the library. If I can remember, I'll look it up next time I'm in there.

Thanks CT. It would be good to find out how accurate the memory of a then 14 year old is some 70 years later.

Quicknick · Post by **Quicknick** » Sun May 12, 2019 7:50 pm

ClaretTony wrote:Can’t tell you anything about the goal but Peter McKay left because of how the manager wanted to play him, or that’s what Jimmy Mac told me.

McKay was a prolific goal scorer but when Alan Brown came in he wanted him running the channels. Jimmy said that was no good for McKay so he went back to Scotland.

And the Longside was always referred to as the Popular Side when I first went. Not sure how and when it became known as the Longside.

We are the Pop Side Burnley. Derby wouldn't have liked that.

Claret1205 · Post by **Claret1205** » Sun May 12, 2019 9:10 pm

Both goals by McLaren were from close in according to Burnley Express, however the Charlton goal in the FA Cup is described as "a rocket shot from as near 40 yards as makes no matter" so I wonder if this is the goal Claretforever's grandad remembers?

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Sun May 12, 2019 9:40 pm

Claret1205 wrote:Both goals by McLaren were from close in according to Burnley Express, however the Charlton goal in the FA Cup is described as "a rocket shot from as near 40 yards as makes no matter" so I wonder if this is the goal Claretforever's grandad remembers?

Could be. He was 13/14 so it could have been the Charlton goal he recalls.

I love that line “as near 40 yards as makes no matter”.

Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949

Re: Burnley player scores from his own half 1949