ARTICLE: Burnley fans will always have a special place in my heart

[ClaretTony]

What a certain Mr Blake has to say about us

See link
https://www.uptheclarets.com/burnley-fa ... n-my-heart

[Silkyskills1]

So many special moments from him. That run down the left v Spurs in the second leg that led to.our second goal.was magnificent. Talk about turning players inside out.

[ElectroClaret]

Easily my favourite player of recent decades, right up there with the best of the club's greatest players.

[Conroy92]

Loved Blake-unplayable on his day.

I remember a free kick from some distance infront of the Longside, it was a long way out but the fans urged Blake to shoot. It wasn't his best and when the crowd groaned collectively Blake looked at the crowd and put his arms up in a "what did you expect". Seconds later "Oh Robbie Robbie" was ringing round the turf.

We really loved him.

[Funkydrummer]

In reality, the last time he put a Burnley shirt on, to my knowledge, was in the charity
match for the Lenny Johnrose trust to help raise awareness of MND.

Fabulous player, up there with some of the best for us.

[ClaretTony]

In reality, the last time he put a Burnley shirt on, to my knowledge, was in the charity
match for the Lenny Johnrose trust to help raise awareness of MND.

Fabulous player, up there with some of the best for us.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't a Burnley shirt, but he didn't look quite as fit as he'd done when he played for us, but then neither did some of the others, none more so than Paul Cook and Micky Mellon.

[Stan Tastic]

Absolutely brilliant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voV3cDkNqRs

[Claret Till I Die]

I loved Robbie Blake.

[Funkydrummer]

Strictly speaking, it wasn't a Burnley shirt, but he didn't look quite as fit as he'd done when he played for us, but then neither did some of the others, none more so than Paul Cook and Micky Mellon.

Paul Cook that day was hilarious. He nipped on and off the field as he pleased just to get a break.
Some of his banter with the other players was brilliant.

I concede that it wasn't an official Burnley shirt that they wore, but it was our colours to be fair.

[BigRedrose]

Absolutely brilliant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voV3cDkNqRs

I should imagine he won't have a special place in the K*** Enders hearts!

[JohnDearyMe]

So many special moments from him. That run down the left v Spurs in the second leg that led to.our second goal.was magnificent. Talk about turning players inside out.

Almost felt sorry for their fullback by the end of that game

[Goobs]

Hated him for the way he left the first time and swore I would never cheer him when he returned. He quickly became my favourite player

An absolute genius and absolutely unplayable when he was on it.

[ŽižkovClaret]

Them red kecks too haha

[Swizzlestick]

My favourite Claret. What a player.

[TVC15]

Almost felt sorry for their fullback by the end of that game

That was Gunter wasn’t it ?
Within a week of that game he was off to Forest only for Robbie Blake to give him another roasting in a 5-0 victory in March !!

I loved Robbie - absolute joy to watch. At his best good enough to get in any Burnley team.

[jdrobbo]

Wonderful player

[superdimitri]

There's not many players like Robbie. He didn't need any pace he was so good. Another I can think at championship level was Taarabt for QPR.

As Glen Little put it in the under the cosh podcast, he had the swag. Hopefully Robbie will be true to his word and be a proper guest on the podcast when the pandemic is over.

[bobinho]

What a player this lad was.

[beddie]

Without doubt a special player to all Burnley fans. Interesting to hear him say that ST was the best Manager he'd played under, even though Stan had given him a kick on the shin under the table.

[Steve1956]

I spoke to him once,before we played Portsmouth in our first Premier League season,... "We need a win today Robbie".........." we certainly do"....i think we lost in a defensive shambles 2-0,ive never held it against the lovely little fella though.
A claret legend...love him.

[Stalbansclaret]

Robbie Blake ...football genius.That ability to twist and turn defenders inside out with the classic "low centre of gravity" was just an absolute joy to watch. A very,very special player. The winner v Man United is the most venomous volley I've ever seen and that free-kick against PNE at Deepdale completely world class. Just a shame that we ended up losing that day as that glorious bending strike into the top corner deserved to win any game. Love the man.

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

[burnmark]

Paul Cook that day was hilarious. He nipped on and off the field as he pleased just to get a break.
Some of his banter with the other players was brilliant.

I concede that it wasn't an official Burnley shirt that they wore, but it was our colours to be fair.

An excellent day. Gareth Taylor still looked the same as ten years earlier.

[ChorltonCharlie]

I think the first time I saw Blake and thought wow was at Derby in 2002. We'd had an awful start to the season and taken only 1 point from 15 and scored only twice. Derby had just come down from the Prem and had so far had a mixed bag of results, but fair to say we didn't travel down there with much confidence. Sure enough by half time we were 1-0 down and looking at another defeat. Don't know why he was on the bench, but Little came on at half time and the two of them just tore Derby to shreds. If I remember rightly I think Weller also had a great second half. We came away with a much needed 2-1 win.

I can never work out why Blake never got given the chance in the Prem. Bruce bought him, then didn't play him and by the time he got there with us it was the twilight of his career and in fairness to players like Blake, it's very difficult to make an impact as a creative flair player in a struggling team.

[ClaretTony]

I think the first time I saw Blake and thought wow was at Derby in 2002. We'd had an awful start to the season and taken only 1 point from 15 and scored only twice. Derby had just come down from the Prem and had so far had a mixed bag of results, but fair to say we didn't travel down there with much confidence. Sure enough by half time we were 1-0 down and looking at another defeat. Don't know why he was on the bench, but Little came on at half time and the two of them just tore Derby to shreds. If I remember rightly I think Weller also had a great second half. We came away with a much needed 2-1 win.

I can never work out why Blake never got given the chance in the Prem. Bruce bought him, then didn't play him and by the time he got there with us it was the twilight of his career and in fairness to players like Blake, it's very difficult to make an impact as a creative flair player in a struggling team.

Brilliant that afternoon at Derby - that was the first time we saw him play like that for us although two seasons earlier I'd seen him play against us like that for Forest. That was when Bradford City were in the Premier League but they sent him out on loan during their second season.
Just looked at his Premier League record at Bradford City - 29 starts, 19 sub appearances, 6 goals.

[ChorltonCharlie]

Brilliant that afternoon at Derby - that was the first time we saw him play like that for us although two seasons earlier I'd seen him play against us like that for Forest. That was when Bradford City were in the Premier League but they sent him out on loan during their second season.
Just looked at his Premier League record at Bradford City - 29 starts, 19 sub appearances, 6 goals.

Had more chance than I realised then, though again in a struggling team. On his game though he definitely had the ability to play at that level, but his inconsistency was probably a factor that went against him and also fair to say he wasn't the most natural athlete.

[claret59]

Like everyone on here the goal against Man Utd is that memory that will never fade, a couple of other lasting memories for me are one sad and one humorous. He was in tears on TV when Burnley lost to Spurs in the League cup semi having come so close to knocking them out and with Robbie having played so fantastically . (It still gripes how extra time was allowed when we should have gone through on the away goals, ) the humorous one is when he returned with Bolton, again in a league cup tie, and fluffed his lines somewhat to the response from the crowd of 'You're not Robbie Blake, you're not Robbie Blake !"

[beddie]

the humorous one is when he returned with Bolton, again in a league cup tie, and fluffed his lines somewhat to the response from the crowd of 'You're not Robbie Blake, you're not Robbie Blake !"

Still convinced he missed that one on purpose.

[IanMcL]

Control of a genius.

[NickBFC]

Had the pleasure of meeting Robbie a few months ago at a local match against his side Bognor Regis. He had plenty of time to talk to my son and I about Burnley. Mentioned Super Glen as being one of the best he played with. A really nice genuine bloke - clearly still very fond of the Clarets.

[ashtonlongsider]

An exceptional mercurial talent. One of our greatest crowd pleasers.

[Pearcey]

I remember the first time I saw him. It was Watford away and he came off the bench. I thought he was incredible! I remember ringing my Dad after the game and saying we’d bought a proper player. I also remember Gillingham away watching him, Little and Chadwick them apart.

[bodge]

Proper two footed player Robbie, I to had the pleasure of watching him and Glen tormenting Derby down their left channel, give and go after give and go.

A class act the pair of them.