Colin Blant

[Bfc]

I've just heard today that a Clarets fan friend of mine living in Newcastle, went to our game there. He had his Burnley scarf on at the ground and was approached by a man wanting to talk about Burnley, telling him he had played for us in the 60s. Turned out it was Colin Blant, who also lives in Newcastle and goes to all there home games.
My mate got a selfie and to us old enough to remember Colin on and off the pitch, you now wouldn't recognise him in the street. I had the photo sent to my phone, but don't know how to show it on here.

[IanMcL]

It's a tough life!

Good that CB still wants to talk of his time as a Claret.

[conyoviejo]

Hope he didn't kick your friend from behind..

[boatshed bill]

He used to put himself about. Those old Geordies were a tough lot.

[Claret Toni]

Some 40+ years ago, while working in West Cumbria, I used to watch any mid-week games at Workington Reds when they were still in the old 4th Tier.

Colin Blant played for the Reds at Centre Half, and he used to scare me then just watching. He was a "strong" player when there were a lot of "strong" players.

[Aclaret]

He used to put himself about. Those old Geordies were a tough lot.

Geordie ? Colin was born and bred in Rawtenstall !
Old mate and neighbour of my dad up Balladen, didn't know he moved up to Newcastle.

[boatshed bill]

Geordie ? Colin was born and bred in Rawtenstall !
Old mate and neighbour of my dad up Balladen, didn't know he moved up to Newcastle.

That's news to me, I thought he was from the north east

[rufus lumley]

He worked as a builder for Ashworth and Hobson during the summer I worked with him when they were building the police station in Rawtenstall he had a fry up every morning then heading straight to the Queens after work.
Come the start the season he was kicking lumps of centre forwards :

[Aclaret]

When he signed for Rochdale he used to take me and my dad over owd betts in his car and gave us tickets for the game I must only have been about 12 years old and remember Colin as a giant of a man, a good man too.

[Woodleyclaret]

I saw him play many times and he was always 100% trier
A rugged player in a rugged era for football

[CleggHall]

A sports journalist once wrote " Blant was a mobile hazard to players of both sides", sums him up really!

[Quicknick]

One game we were losing 1-0, I think, at TM just before the end. Three opposition players were holding the ball by their corner flag. Colin Blant swept them all over with one sturdy leg. The crowd roared its appreciation.

[Tricky Trevor]

Spells at Darlo & Workington couldhave led to him settling up there.
The article gives him 9 goals in 62 apps, the panel gives him 7 in 53. One for CT.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Blant

[Dinks]

Delivered his racing post when he lived up Linden Lea on Balladen estate.

[Bfc]

My first question to ask him, would be,”did you bite a rats head off for a bet”. This was rumoured in the 60s and to me the way he treated the hard guys in opposition games, it wouldn’t have surprised me if he did.
Colin was never shy of letting them know, a boy from the Rossendale Valley was as hard as them Londoners. He left us to play for Southampton. Without checking records, Dave Merrington played for them and even Brian O’Neill around the same time. Now that was a trio of hard men, without including nasty Terry Paine.

[Silkyskills1]

One game we were losing 1-0, I think, at TM just before the end. Three opposition players were holding the ball by their corner flag. Colin Blant swept them all over with one sturdy leg. The crowd roared its appreciation.

We were playing Everton at home towards the end of the season, a night match I think. Anyway we were losing and some Everton players were running down the clock until Colin went after each player that was just passing the ball around. There were 3 'superstars' writhing on the ground after Colin cleaned each one of them out. The Longside roared it's approval despite the scoreline and he gained 'respect' from the remaining Everton players.
Presumably he was seen as a replacement for Willie Irvine after his leg was broken at Everton and I saw him score twice in a victory at Blackpool just after we'd played away at Napoli. Harry Thomson saved another penalty that day,too.

[claretfern]

Colin left us for Portsmouth and played alongside Freddie Smith and Ray Pointer. They all played against us in our Promotion season 72/73....Pointer was captain for the day as I recall....

[Stayingup]

He used to put himself about. Those old Geordies were a tough lot.

He's from Rwatenstall is Colin. Not a geordie at all.

Sorry Bill didn't read the posts above. Already told he was from Rawtenstall. Hall Carr area I believe.

[Cirrus_Minor]

I saw Blant playing against Everton at Turf moor, I was watching from the wall at bottom of the long side He flattened Joe Royle and as he was lying on the floor walked on him. Not sure what VAR would have made of that nowadays!

He had an uncompromising style but was also had a fair amount of talent. He was also tried for a game or two as a centre forward. He was a bit of a ‘terrace hero’ at the time.

[boatshed bill]

He's from Rwatenstall is Colin. Not a geordie at all.

Sorry Bill didn't read the posts above. Already told he was from Rawtenstall. Hall Carr area I believe.

No problem.
I'd always thought he was from the north, a bit like Ternent and many others.
I don't come from the Burnley area so know next to ffff all about the area

[Royboyclaret]

Spells at Darlo & Workington couldhave led to him settling up there.
The article gives him 9 goals in 62 apps, the panel gives him 7 in 53. One for CT.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Blant

Both stats are correct, to a degree, Trevor.

The '7 in 53' will be league games only. He started 46 league games with a further 7 as substitute scoring 7 goals.

He played in 2 FA Cup games scoring 1 goal and 7 League Cup games scoring I goal. So, in total 62 games scoring 9 goals.

[RalphCoatesComb]

When CB went in for a tackle, I'd wince! It wasn't a matter of whether he got the ball but whether the opposition player would get up again!

[Proudjohn]

I also can remember the Everton game .Iron man Blant flattened quite a few Everton players on a run into the penalty area.
The referee finally blew for a foul by Big Colin and I remember him holding his arms wide in disbelief of the foul.Proper tough player.

[ClaretTony]

Spells at Darlo & Workington couldhave led to him settling up there.
The article gives him 9 goals in 62 apps, the panel gives him 7 in 53. One for CT.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Blant

One for CT?

Why not look on here

https://www.uptheclarets.com/players/ap ... als-a-to-c

[Tricky Trevor]

One for CT?
Why not look on here
https://www.uptheclarets.com/players/ap ... als-a-to-c

Strangely I was looking for that page yesterday when researching Steve McAdam. Had a blind spot for an obvious page that I’ve used many times before.

[Top Claret]

He worked as a builder for Ashworth and Hobson during the summer I worked with him when they were building the police station in Rawtenstall he had a fry up every morning then heading straight to the Queens after work.
Come the start the season he was kicking lumps of centre forwards :

Ashworth and Hobsons!!! Don't you mean Ponyeads?

[Top Claret]

• t

My first question to ask him, would be,”did you bite a rats head off for a bet”. This was rumoured in the 60s and to me the way he treated the hard guys in opposition games, it wouldn’t have surprised me if he did.
Colin was never shy of letting them know, a boy from the Rossendale Valley was as hard as them Londoners. He left us to play for Southampton. Without checking records, Dave Merrington played for them and even Brian O’Neill around the same time. Now that was a trio of hard men, without including nasty Terry Paine.

It was Plute (Vernon Tulley) who bit the ferrets head off, on a **** up in Skipton.

Vernon his dead now but would have probably been the same age as Blanty and a mate, they more than likely both suped together in the queens

[holdyourfire]

Think colin had a newsagents in heywood,for a time.

[Life of Riley]

Surprised about the Newcastle location, he was still in Heywood just a few years ago. Also last time I saw him he was easily recognisable.

[Royboyclaret]

Remarkably Colin will be 74 years young in October this year.

[ClaretTony]

Surprised about the Newcastle location, he was still in Heywood just a few years ago. Also last time I saw him he was easily recognisable.

Very recognisable last time I saw him.

I did see one ex-Claret in the away end at Newcastle. Derek Scott was there.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Imagine Colin Blant,Kevin Ball and Joey Barton in the same side...

[ClaretTony]

Imagine Colin Blant,Kevin Ball and Joey Barton in the same side...

Happy to as long as I wasn't playing for the opposition

[Aclaret]

Imagine Colin Blant,Kevin Ball and Joey Barton in the same side...

And just imagine today's refs refereeing them !

[Dinks]

• t

It was Plute (Vernon Tulley) who bit the ferrets head off, on a **** up in Skipton.

Vernon his dead now but would have probably been the same age as Blanty and a mate, they more than likely both suped together in the queens

Think he was called Tolley not Tulley.

[Aclaret]

Think he was called Tolley not Tulley.

Indeed he was Dinks.Remember Plute from his concrete wagon days.

[Dinks]

Indeed he was Dinks.Remember Plute from his concrete wagon days.

Always good craic when you had a full day pouring concrete and he was around all day....a true larger than life Rossendale character.

[Suratclaret]

Dave Merrington once said to me that being tackled by Colin Blant was like being hit by a flying lamp post.

[ClaretTony]

Dave Merrington once said to me that being tackled by Colin Blant was like being hit by a flying lamp post.

Merrington - lay preacher on a Sunday and taking out anything that moved on the pitch the day before

[Helmshore Claret]

My favourite 'Colin Blant game' was at Anfield in1968 , when both he and Colin Waldron were absolutely brilliant in a 1-1 draw . Also,I seem to remember, that he had an U23 cap, but I may well be wrong on that one.

[Steve1956]

For a footballer Colin really was a lovely fella always had time to chat didnt matter who you were.