ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

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ClaretTony
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ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by ClaretTony » Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:21 am

As promised yesterday davet/rodleydave on John Connelly

See link
https://www.uptheclarets.com/a-tribute-to-john-connelly
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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by CleggHall » Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:40 am

Excellent article, Connelly was one of my favourites.
He scored the first Burnley goal I ever saw ( v West Ham 1959), a real goal scoring winger. I never realised/appreciated how tough he must have been but playing on those pitches against the likes of Banks and Hartle you had to be.
Thanks for the memories Dave.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by warksclaret » Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:42 am

Lucky to see him play-its when I started supporting the club. This is a lovely interview from him. Can still remember him heading over the bar in his first round game in the 66 Worlk Cup game v Uruguay. If that had gone in he might have stayed in that famous winning team

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by Hendrickxz » Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:54 am

I can still remember him AT the bar in the Sparrow Hawk, Fence. A really nice guy in "real life". Well suited when he eventually got his World Cup medal.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by Blackrod » Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:17 pm

My favourite ex player who I’ve met. Never saw him play but he was obviously an outstanding player. When I was very small used to go to his chippy. I once got talking to him in the Sparrow Hawk not realising who he was. He bought me a drink and he was a lovely man. Used to always bump into him there afterwards and say hello. A top bloke off the pitch.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by Silkyskills1 » Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:21 pm

Enjoyed reading that. Brought back some wonderful memories. John cutting inside from the right wing and shooting with his left foot remains a vivid memory. What a player! I have read somewhere that in his earlier days with us he turned up to get changed for the game and there were wood shavings on the floor beside him. He had come direct from.a shift in the morning as a.joiner and not had time to get changed. Imagine that today.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by ClaretTony » Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:48 pm

Simply outstanding player for us

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by Buxtonclaret » Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:52 pm

Hendrickxz wrote:
Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:54 am
I can still remember him AT the bar in the Sparrow Hawk, Fence. A really nice guy in "real life". Well suited when he eventually got his World Cup medal.
John eventually getting his medal was one of the best sporting reads I've ever had! 8-)

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by TheFamilyCat » Thu Jun 18, 2020 2:44 pm

John used to watch the cricket at Nelson. Lovely bloke.

Made a cracking cod n chips too.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by ClaretTony » Thu Jun 18, 2020 3:22 pm

TheFamilyCat wrote:
Thu Jun 18, 2020 2:44 pm
John used to watch the cricket at Nelson. Lovely bloke.
I didn't know that until Eli passed away and John was at the funeral - the link was Nelson Cricket Club

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by Staniola » Thu Jun 18, 2020 4:06 pm

I was once in Faro airport returning from holiday and John Connelly was in front of me in the security queue. He was my boyhood hero and we got chatting. When we got to the scanners, he said “ Watch this, I set this off every time - metal knees” He never mentioned he was a footballer, though I obviously knew. When he set the scanner off, he turned round and winked. What a lovely, unassuming bloke.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by evensteadiereddie » Thu Jun 18, 2020 5:03 pm

A lovely article, thanks.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by expoultryboy » Thu Jun 18, 2020 5:34 pm

Really nice fellow and his chips weren't bad either ! John and my father used to be part of the Brierfield shopkeepers association , which occasionally resulted in a few free tickets for the turf . When I got a bit older i played for Nelson grammar school old boys , and john with Jimmy Robson came and had a few games with us . Didn't run much , but didn't need to .

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by The Enclosure » Fri Jun 19, 2020 6:53 am

John was a lovely guy and a talented footballer .He was a member of the same golf club as me in his later years and although a much better footballer than golfer he loved to play a round of golf.
John and his lovely wife Sandra ran Connellys Plaice chippy in Brierfield and he would always have a chat about his beloved Clarets whilst waiting for his excellent fish and chips to cook.
Thanks Dave for an excellent article, it brought back happy memories of John.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by ALP » Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:54 am

A superb man who I knew quite well, his gravestone sums him up too with the quote 'A Footballer and a Gentleman' how true that was.

Great article
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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by Stan Tastic » Fri Jun 19, 2020 3:05 pm

Surprised he said he hadn't watched the tape of the Reims match. His goal wasn't what I was expecting from a right winger. He goes straight down the centre. Nice finish though. His goal starts at 3min 30secs.

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

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by ClaretTony » Fri Jun 19, 2020 3:53 pm

Stan Tastic wrote:
Fri Jun 19, 2020 3:05 pm
Surprised he said he hadn't watched the tape of the Reims match. His goal wasn't what I was expecting from a right winger. He goes straight down the centre. Nice finish though. His goal starts at 3min 30secs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwLz-rXyitA
Nelly was Tommy Finney like in that he was predominantly a left footer playing on the right. If the full back showed him on the outside he was a great crosser of the ball with his right foot but if the full back showed him inside then he would often hit superb shots into the far corner.

We had some special players back then, Nelly was one of the top ones, no mistake about that.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by Herts Clarets » Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:30 pm

I played football for Barrowford Celtic as a youngster with his son Jonathan. His dad came to a training session and ran rings around the lot of us. Everytime he sidestepped a tackle he would say 'oh eckers'. I was too young at the time to realise just how good a player he had been.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by ClaretTony » Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:47 pm

Herts Clarets wrote:
Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:30 pm
I played football for Barrowford Celtic as a youngster with his son Jonathan. His dad came to a training session and ran rings around the lot of us. Everytime he sidestepped a tackle he would say 'oh eckers'. I was too young at the time to realise just how good a player he had been.
Ex pros are different class. I worked with Keith Dyson, ex Newcastle and Blackpool, back in the 1980s. Keith’s career was over at 26 with a cruciate. He used to play in matches with us from work. He could hardly move but was still the best player on the pitch.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by Royboyclaret » Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:59 pm

Stan Tastic wrote:
Fri Jun 19, 2020 3:05 pm
Surprised he said he hadn't watched the tape of the Reims match. His goal wasn't what I was expecting from a right winger. He goes straight down the centre. Nice finish though. His goal starts at 3min 30secs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwLz-rXyitA
What a night that was, topped off by two special goals......the first a superbly worked free-kick routine and typical goal poacher finish from Jimmy Robson, and then a classic John Connelly goal. Incredible burst of acceleration from just inside the Reims half and as cool a finish as you could wish to see. Some player was John, part of a great team.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by Herts Clarets » Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:20 pm

ClaretTony wrote:
Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:47 pm
Ex pros are different class. I worked with Keith Dyson, ex Newcastle and Blackpool, back in the 1980s. Keith’s career was over at 26 with a cruciate. He used to play in matches with us from work. He could hardly move but was still the best player on the pitch.
I played in a charity 5 a side thing at Gawthorpe mid 90s, got involved through working at the Turf. When I turned up, Derek Scott was on my team. What stood out was how easy he made the game look and how much time he seemed to have with the ball. I pulled off what I classed as a very decent save in a game and as I was getting back to my feet I got a clip round the head and a 'great save lad' from Derek. That comment from an ex pro made my day.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by Longtimeclaret » Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:38 pm

Really lovely bloke.A regular with his wife at our Sunday morning mass in Padiham.John used to collect the offerings halfway though the service. Very unassuming and engaging .

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by Vino blanco » Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:46 pm

Fabulous player, fabulous man; I saw him play many times for the Clarets and that forward line of Connelly, Mac, Pointer, Robson and Pilky was pure joy to watch. After Mac, John was my favourite player and it was two sad days when they both left us. However when John did go to United a young Scots lad called Willie Morgan cam into the team.....how good was he?

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by claretblue » Sat Jun 20, 2020 3:38 pm

‘...Willie Morgan cam into the team.....how good was he...?

he also followed John to Old Trafford in ‘68

Great article from DaveT!

Although Ray Pointer’s my favourite Claret John was a terrific player - I was proud that he played for England in the ‘66 World Cup game against Uruguay!
Last edited by claretblue on Sat Jun 20, 2020 3:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by claretblue » Sat Jun 20, 2020 3:42 pm

no post

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by ClaretTony » Sat Jun 20, 2020 5:23 pm

claretblue wrote:
Sat Jun 20, 2020 3:38 pm
‘...Willie Morgan cam into the team.....how good was he...?
Another outstanding winger but can't be compared with Connelly simply because they were so different. Willie Morgan was the Matthews type dribbler who loved to get to the line and cross. He would rarely be able to do what Nelly did, coming inside and firing shots into the far corner. We were privileged to have one then the next in our number 7 shirt.

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Re: ARTICLE: A Tribute to John Connelly

Post by Suratclaret » Mon Jun 22, 2020 6:00 am

Loved watching him play. When ever he cut inside, the always seemed to be more than a murmur of expectation from the crowd and often we weren't disappointed. Great player and one of the best wingers to wear Burnley colours.

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