This day in 1975

[Dum Spiro Spero]

The Clarets were doing ok 45 years ago today. A 2-1 home win over Sheffield United put us level on points with Stoke City at the top of the league.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjtg9Zq9E8s

[RammyClaret61]

Always remember this game. I recorded the commentary off the tv on the Sunday. Sinstadt starts by saying,
“Burnley verses Sheffield Utd, proof there are no easy games in the first division, Burnley could’ve been top, but went to Newcastle last week and lost”
Listening to it just 5 years later and we both met again in the 3rd division!!

[Buxtonclaret]

Always remember this game. I recorded the commentary off the tv on the Sunday. Sinstadt starts by saying,
“Burnley verses Sheffield Utd, proof there are no easy games in the first division, Burnley could’ve been top, but went to Newcastle last week and lost”
Listening to it just 5 years later and we both met again in the 3rd division!!

Its scary just how quickly we did go down.

[Silkyskills1]

I remember Leighton James giving their full backLen Badger, a torrid time.

[Dark Cloud]

One I'd forgotten about there! I'm pretty sure I can spot myself behind the Bee Hole End goals!

[ClaretTony]

We looked to be in with a very good shout of winning the league despite the team still being without Frank Casper and having sold both Martin Dobson and Geoff Nulty. Then, injuries struck and we had no replacements with any experience or quality.

The team against Sheffield United was: Alan Stevenson, Keith Newton, Ian Brennan, Peter Noble, Colin Waldron, Jim Thomson, Billy Ingham, Ray Hankin, Paul Fletcher, Doug Collins, Leighton James.

Just a few weeks later we were beaten three times in four days over Easter. The last of those games was at Carlisle when we were beaten 4-2 and frankly murdered. Billy Ingham at centre-forward and players in key positions who were nowhere near good enough.

Our team at Carlisle was: Micky Finn, Keith Newton, Ian Brennan, Peter Noble, Colin Waldron, Richard DIxey, Brian Flynn, Ray Hankin, Billy Ingham, Derrick Parker, Leighton James.

[scouseclaret]

My first ever Burnley game! I’ll be one of those kids in parkas to the right of the goal at the Bee Hole end. I’ll never forget the feeling of excitement I got when I saw the ground for t he first time - hooked from that moment.

Claret for 45 years! (Scouse for the last 30..)

[scouseclaret]

We looked to be in with a very good shout of winning the league despite the team still being without Frank Casper and having sold both Martin Dobson and Geoff Nulty. Then, injuries struck and we had no replacements with any experience or quality.

The team against Sheffield United was: Alan Stevenson, Keith Newton, Ian Brennan, Peter Noble, Colin Waldron, Jim Thomson, Billy Ingham, Ray Hankin, Paul Fletcher, Doug Collins, Leighton James.

Just a few weeks later we were beaten three times in four days over Easter. The last of those games was at Carlisle when we were beaten 4-2 and frankly murdered. Billy Ingham at centre-forward and players in key positions who were nowhere near good enough.

Our team at Carlisle was: Micky Finn, Keith Newton, Ian Brennan, Peter Noble, Colin Waldron, Richard DIxey, Brian Flynn, Ray Hankin, Billy Ingham, Derrick Parker, Leighton James.

The fact that we were genuine title contenders was lost on me as a 7 year old! I did have it in my mind that mike Summerbee was in the side that day though. Did we sign him later than that?

[ClaretTony]

The fact that we were genuine title contenders was lost on me as a 7 year old! I did have it in my mind that mike Summerbee was in the side that day though. Did we sign him later than that?

We signed Summerbee the following summer. We played superbly and won 3-0 at Coventry a week after the Sheffield United win and then drew 1-1 at home against Liverpool, who we had beaten earlier in the season at Anfield. That Liverpool game took us to a run of one defeat in 11 games and only two defeats in 17. But after Coventry we only won one of the last ten as the injuries took over and, after going so close to the top, we finished as low as tenth. And a year later we were gone, and for years I never thought I'd see top flight football again at Burnley. Is it any wonder I love what we are getting now?

[scouseclaret]

[quote=scouseclaret post_id=<a href="tel:1214410">1214410</a> time=<a href="tel:1582371350">1582371350</a> user_id=2094]
The fact that we were genuine title contenders was lost on me as a 7 year old! I did have it in my mind that mike Summerbee was in the side that day though. Did we sign him later than that?

We signed Summerbee the following summer. We played superbly and won 3-0 at Coventry a week after the Sheffield United win and then drew 1-1 at home against Liverpool, who we had beaten earlier in the season at Anfield. That Liverpool game took us to a run of one defeat in 11 games and only two defeats in 17. But after Coventry we only won one of the last ten as the injuries took over and, after going so close to the top, we finished as low as tenth. And a year later we were gone, and for years I never thought I'd see top flight football again at Burnley. Is it any wonder I love what we are getting now?
[/quote]

Couldn’t agree more Tony- for the first 15 years or so I thought it was all my fault!!!

[Dark Cloud]

I remember travelling to the Carlisle away game CT refers to above. They were having their ONE and only season in the sun and were easily relegated at the end of it. Yet they blew us away that night and it was clear then that we could keep selling really, really good players if we wanted to (actually HAD to) but this time what we'd lined up in reserve as replacements probably weren't going to be good enough and as you say, a year later we were doomed! (As an aside, we only beat Carlisle in the home game earlier in the season 2-1 with a last gasp goal, I think!)

[ClaretTony]

(As an aside, we only beat Carlisle in the home game earlier in the season 2-1 with a last gasp goal, I think!)

We did - Doug Collins a couple of minutes from the end.

But once you started bringing in such as Finn, Dixey & Parker you were all but doomed and the season ended badly because of all the injuries.

[Buxtonclaret]

We were a couple of extra decent players short of winning that league.
There was not a team, any team, in that league we couldn't have beaten.
We were that good.
I never forgave Lord for flogging Dobbo, in the same way my Dad didn't for Jimmy Macs sale.

[ClaretTony]

We were a couple of extra decent players short of winning that league.
There was not a team, any team, in that league we couldn't have beaten.
We were that good.
I never forgave Lord for flogging Dobbo, in the same way my Dad didn't for Jimmy Macs sale.

Dobbo & Nulty sold - Casper & Fletcher injured - and after winning promotion in 1973 we only signed Noble in the first two years. We paid the price for losing too many quality players.

[randomclaret2]

Wasnnt Micky Finn about 5'8" ?

[ClaretTony]

Wasnnt Micky Finn about 5'8" ?

I don’t think he was that tall

[Buxtonclaret]

Dobbo & Nulty sold - Casper & Fletcher injured - and after winning promotion in 1973 we only signed Noble in the first two years. We paid the price for losing too many quality players.

We had the players, just not enough, after the sales and injuries.
As you pointed out up the thread with the team sheets, we just didn't have the caliber of players we needed as cover. Though in truth, I don't think Frank was ever quite the same player after the thugs at Leeds did what they did.
And our famed youth system was drying up.
It had started to look like we'd dark clouds around us.
We'd pretty soon find out just how dark.

[ClaretTony]

We had the players, just not enough, after the sales and injuries.
As you pointed out up the thread with the team sheets, we just didn't have the caliber of players we needed as cover. Though in truth, I don't think Frank was ever quite the same player after the thugs at Leeds did what they did.
And our famed youth system was drying up.
It had started to look like we'd dark clouds around us.
We'd pretty soon find out just how dark.

Frank only played a few games and they were in the following season. He was a huge loss, probably the biggest of them all.

We didn’t know it at the time but we were on the brink. As we know now there was no money left and we were running out of players to sell. James went in the following season, then Hankin & Flynn. That was the start really of all those dark years.

[Buxtonclaret]

Some real horrible times to be a Claret soon started popping up.
We all know what it led to.
There was the odd nugget. 4-1 at The Lane was one.

Reckon it's what happened to us back then, how we apparently came so close to not having a club, that makes what's happening now all the more enjoyable.
And we've done it without being bankrolled.

[ClaretTony]

Reckon it's what happened to us back then, how we apparently came so close to not having a club, that makes what's happening now all the more enjoyable.
And we've done it without being bankrolled.

I’m sure it is. It makes you so appreciative of what we’ve got now. I so often have to pinch myself to believe what’s happened at our club in the last six years.

[Dark Cloud]

Wasnnt Micky Finn about 5'8" ?

He still is!! (See him round Burnley and Padiham quite often!)