Sad news - Brian Pilkington passes away

[ClaretTony]

In the first Burnley team I ever saw play and sad to report that Brian Pilkington has passed away today aged 86, and five days before his 87th birthday.

My thoughts are with Brian's family and friends at this sad time.

[Ashingtonclaret46]

Very sorry to read this news and my thoughts are with Brian's family.

[ClaretTony]

Just got something on site now - so, so sad to see another of that great team leave us.

https://www.uptheclarets.com/brian-pilk ... away-at-86

[evensteadiereddie]

Just before my time but my dad rated him very highly.
Best wishes to his friends and family.

[Guitargeorge]

In the first team I saw too. Condolences to the family. Great winger

[CleggHall]

A great little player, key component in the championship winning side.RIP Brian

[Tricky Trevor]

RIP Brian. Condolences to family and friends.

As above just before my time but highly regarded by those who saw him.

[Blackrod]

My Dad always talked fondly of him and rated him as an extremely good player. Valuable part of BFC history. RIP.

[Cirrus_Minor]

Very sad news. My dad used to rave about 'Pilky' and said he was always was a threat and rarely let the team dowm. Condolences to his family today.

[Petersa]

Brian became an estate agent in the Chorley area after his playing career and sold my mothers house in 1972. A really nice man who I as a young Burnley fan at that time could'nt believe my luck. We had a good chat about Burnley's fortunes. As I said a really nice man, my condolences to his family

[Bosscat]

Always a sad day when one of ours goes...

RIP Brian P

[Rodleydave]

One of his goals against Hamburg in the home leg of the European Cup was just a great goal when he let fly from 20 yards. Not easy with a heavy ball on those pitches. And one of the goals at Maine Road when they clinched the title. All good things come to an end.

[Bin Ont Turf]

Part of the famous 5, Connelly, McIlroy, Pointer, Robson, Pilkington.

Peace be with him.

[ClaretTony]

Part of the famous 5, Connelly, McIlroy, Pointer, Robson, Pilkington.

Peace be with him.

The sentiment is there, but Jimmy Robson celebrated his 81st birthday recently and, along with John Angus, Alex Elder and Bobby Seith, is one of four of that team still with us.

[DAVETHEVICAR]

Very sad news to hear
A regular member of the team when I started watching Burnley in the late 50’s.
Was present for the Hamburg game.
My condolences to his family and friends.

[Buxtonclaret]

A big, Big favourite of my Mum & Dad's.
Huge imput in our great post war side.

R. I. P Pilky

[Bin Ont Turf]

The sentiment is there, but Jimmy Robson celebrated his 81st birthday recently and, along with John Angus, Alex Elder and Bobby Seith, is one of four of that team still with us.

I didn't suggest that they had all passed away, just that he was part of the famous 5.

We are down on numbers now though, with just 4 of them left.

[The Enclosure]

Brian was a wonderful footballer ..very good dribbler and crosser of the ball...so sad to hear this news.RIP Brian...Last time I saw Brian was the play off final v Sheffield Utd He was there with his wife and i took a photo of them together with Ray Pointer and his wife

[ClaretTony]

A big, Big favourite of my Mum & Dad's.
Huge imput in our great post war side.

R. I. P Pilky

My dad didn't like little footballers but would accept them if they were playing on the wing. He was a big Billy Elliott fan so it took him a while to accept Pilky, but he did rate him eventually.

[conyoviejo]

Sad news indeed..R.I.P. Pilky..Great tricky winger ..

[ALP]

Rest in Peace dear Claret and sincere condolences to family and friends

[claretblue]

Brian was a wonderful footballer ..very good dribbler and crosser of the ball...so sad to hear this news.RIP Brian...Last time I saw Brian was the play off final v Sheffield Utd He was there with his wife and i took a photo of them together with Ray Pointer and his wife

any chance of posting the photo Enclosure?...would love to see it!

Brian came from humble beginnings discovered playing for Leyland Motors before playing over 300 games for the Clarets...Bob Lord sold him before the 2nd leg of the European Cup quarter-final.

Brian also got an England cap!

RIP...fondly remembered!

[Claret Till I Die]

Another one gone. RIP Brian

[ClaretTony]

Brian was a wonderful footballer ..very good dribbler and crosser of the ball...so sad to hear this news.RIP Brian...Last time I saw Brian was the play off final v Sheffield Utd He was there with his wife and i took a photo of them together with Ray Pointer and his wife

They went on a coach with a number of the players who had played in the championship team. I've found these pics that someone sent in. Hard to believe that Ray Pointer wasn't well even then.

Wembley 1.jpg (46.24 KiB) Viewed 3041 times

Wembley 2.jpg (43.57 KiB) Viewed 3041 times

Wembley 3.jpg (42.21 KiB) Viewed 3041 times

[bfcjg]

RIP.

[IanMcL]

A Champion Claret, who did us proud.

[elwaclaret]

Sad sad news. God bless. My Dad will be gutted to lose Pilky.
RIP

[tiger76]

Way before my time,but i know through family memories and reading about our history,how integral Pilky was in our greatest ever team,not least his goal at Maine Road.

A brief excerpt from the match report that day shows how much the game has changed over the years.

If they could not always dictate the, play, they disputed Manchester City's attempts to do so. Perhaps the nearest approach to the pattern of terrier tackling which comes to mind in a fixture at Turf Moor is the Tottenham encounter. Neither side gave any quarter. They stormed in for possession irrespective of size and weight and it was inevitable that someone would get hurt.

Strangely enough, each trainer made only a brief appearance. The players were too busy to note their bruises. No doubt they could count them afterwards though the Burnley boys were too happy to bother.

Most serious casualty was Pilkington, the Burnley outside-left who had been a constant worry to the City right flank. He is an expert at the acrobatic fall and he executed it with full dramatics on two occasions – to the baffled fury of the home crowd when the referee gave free kicks in acknowledgement of justice, pain and suffering.

However it was the final occasion, a few minutes before the end, when he was brought down and the injury was actual and serious and left him limping with a damaged ankle.

I love how simulation is described as an acrobatic fall and of course in the pre-sub days Brian had to hobble on to the bitter end,it really was a different game in those days.

RIP Brian thanks for the memories.

[AndrewJB]

Sad day for Burnley FC, and Pilkington's family and friends. I never saw him play, but the black and white videos have been enjoyed by more than Burnley fans.

[ashtonlongsider]

Really sad to hear this news. An important figure in the Championship winning team and a player my father always used to talk fondly of. May I offer my deepest condolences to his family. RIP Brian.

[mdd2]

RIP Brian but you leave us with a sackful of memories.

[FCBurnley]

RIP Pilky. Hugely underrated player and deserving of more honors in the game. A key part in a great team

[The Enclosure]

Those were the photos that I took at Wembley Tony and sent to you..

[Sozturf7]

A true legend, what a winger he was. RIP

[jdrobbo]

Sad news. Another great player departs. RIP

[mdd2]

The sentiment is there, but Jimmy Robson celebrated his 81st birthday recently and, along with John Angus, Alex Elder and Bobby Seith, is one of four of that team still with us.

I think Trevor Meredith is still with us isn't he? May not have played many games that season but he did have a role that season didn't he? Not sure how many games he played that season but he was in the team in early April and scored 3 goals that season

[Funkydrummer]

Here he is in all his glory. I was there on that brilliant night.

RIP Pilky and thank you so much for the fantastic memories. Once seen, never forgotten.

Fantastic times in a fantastic era for the club and the town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgJmFOQ3iw

Blimey, the grass looks a bit long.

[ClaretTony]

I think Trevor Meredith is still with us isn't he? May not have played many games that season but he did have a role that season didn't he? Not sure how many games he played that season but he was in the team in early April and scored 3 goals that season

Trevor is still with us - will be more poignant writing the 1959/60 articles now when Pilky is mentioned.

[mdd2]

Trevor is still with us - will be more poignant writing the 1959/60 articles now when Pilky is mentioned.

Sure will be Tony. I know you are a bit too young to have seen much of some those who have gone but it was a really tremendous largely home grown team who much like today played as a team for each other and largely without prima donnas apart from Bob Lord.
Of course Colin McDonald is still with us and would have been in that squad save for his career ending broken leg in 1959

[Royboyclaret]

Sad news indeed......Some magical memories of Pilky, he loved nothing more than to turn the opposition full-back inside out with his mazy dribbling. Perhaps be most remembered though for some absolutely key goals.......the two against Hamburg in the European Cup, the wonder goal at the Cricket Field End against Blackburn in the FA Cup 6th Round and the key first goal at City on that famous Monday night in early May 1960. But, for me, the most important one was just six days prior to that game at City, we were away at Birmingham and simply had to win to stay in the title race. Pilky scored the only goal of the game and, quite simply, without that result we would not have won the League Championship.

Farewell to the little, big man......RIP Pilky.

[ClaretTony]

Sure will be Tony. I know you are a bit too young to have seen much of some those who have gone but it was a really tremendous largely home grown team who much like today played as a team for each other and largely without prima donnas apart from Bob Lord.
Of course Colin McDonald is still with us and would have been in that squad save for his career ending broken leg in 1959

I did, thankfully, see all of them play with the exception of Bobby Seith. As for Colin McDonald, I know it is over a year ago now but he looked well and he's very bright still. I was looking at the video only last week because I get a short appearance (and a mention from Tom Heaton) on it. I was watching because I was stood next to my friend Alan Beecroft whose funeral I attended a week ago.

It's lovely to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jyGa7Qg5Ds

[Herts Clarets]

I did, thankfully, see all of them play with the exception of Bobby Seith. As for Colin McDonald, I know it is over a year ago now but he looked well and he's very bright still. I was looking at the video only last week because I get a short appearance (and a mention from Tom Heaton) on it. I was watching because I was stood next to my friend Alan Beecroft whose funeral I attended a week ago.

It's lovely to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jyGa7Qg5Ds

The line up at the beginning highlights just how big modern day keepers are.

[tiger76]

I think Trevor Meredith is still with us isn't he? May not have played many games that season but he did have a role that season didn't he? Not sure how many games he played that season but he was in the team in early April and scored 3 goals that season

I'd say scoring the title winning goal counts as having a role certainly hard to get in a team when you're competing with John Connelly for a place,shows the depth in our squad that season.

[ClaretTony]

The line up at the beginning highlights just how big modern day keepers are.

I was stood next to his wife and she said it shows just how much Colin has shrunk. He was 6ft 2ins tall when he played.

[Bullabill]

When I was a lad my dad had some connection with the groundsman Tommy Danns and through him managed to get me the autographs of all the first team players bar one - Pilky. He was doing National Service at the time and hadn't been at training when the autographs were acquired. At the next home game, as the players were having their pre-match 'kick-in' (Where Bobby Seith would regularly almost burst the net) I ran out to get the missing name. Brian duly obliged but when I got back to my dad and uncles I was rewarded with a good clout and a bollocking for running out onto 'hallowed ground'.

Another hero and role model gone.

[dsr]

I was thinking of Brian Pilkington and others just yesterday - in a game of "name the 20 Burnley players with 300 league appearances". Pilkington, as you can gather, was on the list - the twentieth name, in fact, exactly 300 league games.

(If anyone fancies the challenge, don't do it here - I'll start another thread.)

[The Enclosure]

I was a lad of 16 and stood at the cricket field end that night we played Hamburg, packed in like sardines.What a memorable night Pilky's goals stand out in my memory.How they managed to play good football on those pitches beggars belief. Think Areta may have had a few complaints.ha ha.

[Suratclaret]

Sad news indeed...saw him play many times and remember well that game against Hamburg.
RIP Brian

[ClaretTony]

Really good pic of Pilky in the Leyland Guardian with his England Cap and championship medal

[CleggHall]

A great photo, a proud man with much to be proud of, RIP Pilky.