Willie Morgan and Mike Summerbee.

[daveyclaret]

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Going through my collection of programmes to pass some time on during the lockdown, I came across the programme for the first game of the 1975-76 season which was at home to Arsenal. The programme featured new signings for the season, Willie Morgan and Mike Summerbee. At the time, I was apprehensive of these signings as I was of the view that both players had had their better days with Man Utd and Man City, respectively, That home game with Arsenal which ended 0-0, and the performances of Morgan and Summerbee that game did little to ease my apprehension. It took each of them months to score a goal in the league even though Summerbee was a regular. Morgan had missed a few games where Brian Flynn stood in.

Overall, the 1975-76 season was a huge disappointment, as on paper, we had a decent side. Were Morgan and Summerbee good value in their performances that season? For me, no. Any older Clarets got a view on these signings.

[ClaretTony]

All the programme covers are on the site from 1946/47 to 1984/85 with more to follow in the coming weeks

https://www.uptheclarets.com/programmes

[Tribesmen]

Am i right in saying that in one game Summerbee was about to take the defender on and he just bent down and put his knee on the ball then skinned him ?

Was this at the Turf or for City i just can't recall

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

Am i right in saying that in one game Summerbee was about to take the defender on and he just bent down and put his knee on the ball then skinned him ?

Was this at the Turf or for City i just can't recall

He did ont’Turf can’t remember the opposition. For me he’d become more of a show than a player by then. I felt the same about Tommy Hutchison.

[rayzer]

I didn't think Summerbee scored any goals for Burnley. Could be wrong.

[Silkyskills1]

More than a hint of desperation signing one of them never mind both.

[IanMcL]

He did ont’Turf can’t remember the opposition. For me he’d become more of a show than a player by then. I felt the same about Tommy Hutchison.

Tommy Hutchison actually worked hard for the team, as well as showing his immense ability.

[ClaretTony]

Hutchison proved to be a terrific signing - worked his socks off every single game and made a big contribution

[ashtonlongsider]

Not sure of what happened to WM. When we signed him back, it was like the second coming for me.I know he sustained an injury in the away fixture at Tottenham in late Autumn of '75. Not 100% sure what happened, but seem to recall him getting his studs stuck in the pitch. After that his game time was very limited and subsequently he was sold to Bolton where he was very successful. One of my all time favourite players and it was very deflating at the time.

[basil6345789]

25 years after Willie first signed as a kid - that was a lot to expect!

[claretfern]

I didn't think Summerbee scored any goals for Burnley. Could be wrong.

I'm sure you're right. He did fare better than Willie as I recall. It didn't seem to work out for Willie second time round.

[Darnhill Claret]

Big fan of Morgan, before he went to United. Not the same player when he returned. Mike Summerbee, a fantastic player at City. Past his best when he came to us. Hutchison great player too but when he came to us he wasn’t surrounded by a lot of quality. Had some excellent moments for us but we were a team of individuals, so the quality within the team wasn’t put to best use.

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

Tommy Hutchison actually worked hard for the team, as well as showing his immense ability.

I don’t disagree with that my disappointment was that for so many years he’d been a dribbling lunatic getting to the goal line and putting across fabulous crosses. By the time he arrived with us that had, in the main, gone and he was pumping crosses in from 30-35 yds out with never the same threat.

[CleggHall]

A puzzle as to why we signed two aged wingers in a season where we needed to scrap? One was more than enough.

[ClaretTony]

Not sure of what happened to WM. When we signed him back, it was like the second coming for me.I know he sustained an injury in the away fixture at Tottenham in late Autumn of '75. Not 100% sure what happened, but seem to recall him getting his studs stuck in the pitch. After that his game time was very limited and subsequently he was sold to Bolton where he was very successful. One of my all time favourite players and it was very deflating at the time.

One of the players that Bob Lord told Joe Brown not to play - one by one, Morgan, Mick Docherty, Colin Waldron and Doug Collins were removed from the team.

Morgan had fallen out with Lord first time round but said Lord had told him that he wanted to bury the hatchet when he returned. Morgan said he hadn't realised he wanted to bury it in my head. Quickly moved to Bolton and played another five years for them and Blackpool making another 200 plus apperances. Was in the Bolton team that went back to the top flight in 1978 and was still playing really well.

[ClaretTony]

I don’t disagree with that my disappointment was that for so many years he’d been a dribbling lunatic getting to the goal line and putting across fabulous crosses. By the time he arrived with us that had, in the main, gone and he was pumping crosses in from 30-35 yds out with never the same threat.

Gone? He played every game for us for two years and then went to Swansea and played another 200 games or so. A lot of Burnley fans decided they didn't like Hutchison because of who signed him, they should have opened their eyes. Despite his age he was outstanding for us.

[Cajun]

I was happy to see Willie come back, shame it didn't work out for whatever reasons. Summerbee was an odd one to me. There was a game at the Turf, can't recall who against or at what stage of the game, but I think there was an injury and he was being told to come off the right wing and fill in at left back. He seemed to get into a heated discussion with the bench about it, then proceeded to waddle around in a kind of Charlie Chaplin walk for a while to show his displeasure at it.

[Steve1956]

I didn't think Summerbee scored any goals for Burnley. Could be wrong.

He never scored a league goal that's for sure

[ClaretTony]

He never scored a league goal that's for sure

Summerbee didn't score a goal for us

https://www.uptheclarets.com/players/ap ... als-s-to-z

[jackmiggins]

Both were poor - Hutch was superb, had lost any speed but had a fantastic football brain.

[ClaretTony]

Both were poor - Hutch was superb, had lost any speed but had a fantastic football brain.

Remembering him at Blackpool when he first came down from Scotland, it seemed to be nothing but pace that he had to offer but he just got better and better as his career went on. The way he would bring Reeves into the game in that first season and how the pair helped provide huge gaps for midfielders to get into. It was all down to Hutch and that footballing brain.

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

Gone? He played every game for us for two years and then went to Swansea and played another 200 games or so. A lot of Burnley fans decided they didn't like Hutchison because of who signed him, they should have opened their eyes. Despite his age he was outstanding for us.

This isn’t personal, maybe I expected more. I was used to seeing him tearing FBs a new one in Div 1. We were in Div 3 and as I said earlier he was lumping in crosses from distance. It certainly had nothing to do with who signed him just what my eyes were seeing. “Outstanding” is stretching it a bit. Although he looked better when Kevin Reeves was banging them in. He was 36 when we signed him and looked a bit leggy to me. However many matches he went on to play.

[jackmiggins]

When he played against us for Coventry he was a fabulous winger. When he played for us, he had to change his game and ran things from midfield. Plus he could tackle - used to work extremely hard, as I remember.

[ClaretTony]

When he played against us for Coventry he was a fabulous winger. When he played for us, he had to change his game and ran things from midfield. Plus he could tackle - used to work extremely hard, as I remember.

In his early days he was a pacy winger who could get down the line and cross the ball time and time again. By the time he got to us, and even when he was at Manchester City before us, he had become a far more intelligent player who could run the game.

[jackmiggins]

In his early days he was a pacy winger who could get down the line and cross the ball time and time again. By the time he got to us, and even when he was at Manchester City before us, he had become a far more intelligent player who could run the game.

Spot on - loved watching him. First player I saw to drag back the ball with his disguised ‘instep heel’. Only bettered on the wing by Taffy, but they had very different styles.

[Im_not_Robbie_Blake]

Summerbee played central midfield for us.

I remember once when he was waiting to take a corner, there was a break in play and he sat on the ball. The Longside fans started singing (good-humouredly) 'Summerbee's a wa##er' - he turned round and with a big grin on his face he started conducting the chant!

[joey13]

I thought Summerbee was ok in that season , certainly better than many others

[ClaretTony]

I thought Summerbee was ok in that season , certainly better than many others

I did too - and he played all over the pitch. Played up front on a number of occasions.

[jackmiggins]

Remember, as a youngster, reading that we were signing Summerbee and Morgan in three lines of the News of the World and being very excited - transfer activity in those days was extremely scant!
Both did next to nothing. Noble and Newton were unexpectedly superb - quality not quantity - we should remember that nowadays.

[Steve1956]

I can remember that season with Summerbee,i was willing him to score for us most of the season,he hit the bar with a screamer towards the end of the season on the Turf,any of you guys with memories like a hard drive remember who it was against?

[Hipper]

Bob Lord, or Jimmy Adamson, had said somewhere that wingers were the future, and then signed Morgan and Summerbee. It didn't work.

All I recall of Morgan was that Tottenham game after his injury where he was limping around unable to do anything - presumably we'd used our one substitute. Of Summerbee, he at least once used the corner flag to blow his nose!

Tommy Hutchison was very impressive for us. There were good players (Hamilton, Reeves, Dobson, Flynn, Overson, Phelan, Donachie) in that side and considering we were playing in Division Three, should have been doing well. The problem of course was he was one of John Bond's boys, and perhaps worse, he was given the captaincy in place of our great hero, Martin Dobson.