Oooh David Eyres

[Rowls]

[HollandsPies]

... and what a good player he was too.
A late arriver to professional footy, but one of my favourites from when I was much younger.

[Quickenthetempo]

What a man.

I can still see that goal at Blackpool away.

[bodge]

Good technical player Eyres, another who would have gone further with more pace but he forged a decent career after starting late in the pro game, dodgy barnet that though.

[claptrappers_union]

Late starter but played league football into his 40’s - he was looked at all the clubs he played for. He was my favourite player as a youngster

[Blackburn_Claret]

I had a crush on him as a teenager.

[4:20]

Curtains with a #2, #1 or #0 undercut. Mid 90s schoolyard classic. Gel optional but preferable.

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

Wem-ber-ley. What a goal.

[Ptgclaret]

Got my first season ticket in 1997, and I'm sure he got sent off in the 1st home game of the season. Don't think he even made it to half time.

[Rowls]

Remember a rumour he'd been sold when we arrived at Boothferry Park one day. Fortunately it wasn't true.

[tiger76]

Wem-ber-ley. What a goal.

You'd instinctively say he scored the best ever Burnley goal at Wembley, however then you remember Wade's thunderbolt, it's damned hard to choose between them, and both were equally important in their own ways.

Eyres was class that season, yes he lacked a yard of pace, but he was so intelligent and clever in his play he didn't need to make many runs, he knew where to position himself, and often the best runs on the pitch are the ones when you stand still, and wait for the ball to come to you, David was great at that art, and it's not something you can teach, you've either got that knack or you haven't, and he definitely had it.

[Buxtonclaret]

Cracking player.

But with that photo, always made me think his hairdresser had a phonecall & had to leave half way through the job.

[Red Fox Rocks Socks]

Amazing how often the old drop a shoulder and cut inside worked for him. He didn’t really have another trick, wasn’t quick (as said above) and his right foot wasn’t up to much but was a very good player at that standard as proven by his longevity

[Rowls]

Eyres was certainly a player who was more than the sum of his parts.

He had a sharp turn disguised as a cross which he mastered so well it could pull it off successfully several times in a game. As Glen Little described it, he "had the chop."

[Clarets4me]

You'd instinctively say he scored the best ever Burnley goal at Wembley, however then you remember Wade's thunderbolt, it's damned hard to choose between them, and both were equally important in their own ways.

Those two goals that won us that play-off, ( Eyres and Parky ), gave us a season in the 2nd tier of English football. That one season enabled us to qualify for grants of around £2.6m which enabled both the James Hargreaves and Jimmy McIlroy stands to be built. I know they're not everyone's " Cup of Tea ", but looking back, developing two sides of the ground for a net cost to the Club of £2.6m was a steal, even at 1996 prices.

[Rowls]

Those two goals that won us that play-off, ( Eyres and Parky ), gave us a season in the 2nd tier of English football. That one season enabled us to qualify for grants of around £2.6m which enabled both the James Hargreaves and Jimmy McIlroy stands to be built. I know they're not everyone's " Cup of Tea ", but looking back, developing two sides of the ground for a net cost to the Club of £2.6m was a steal, even at 1996 prices.

That's a scary "what if" scenario.

If we hadn't won the '94 play off final, we wouldn't have been promoted, we wouldn't have qualified for those grants and wouldn't have built the new stands.

Easy to imagine in that case that the Longside and Beehole would have been condemned a few years afterwards and it might have been that the only financially viable option for the club was to move to a poxy out-of-town ground. Makes me shudder just to think of it.

Ooooo David Eyres!

[dushanbe]

I accidentally cut my hair like that over lockdown

[ClaretTony]

Amazing career really when you consider his age when he first went to Blackpool. Went on to play over 650 league games. I thought he maybe struggled a bit when we went up after Wembley but at what is now League One he was outstanding.

[TheFamilyCat]

Accosted him ****** on the Isle of Man one pre-season. To his immense credit, he tolerated us in a very friendly manner.

[Quickenthetempo]

Amazing career really when you consider his age when he first went to Blackpool. Went on to play over 650 league games. I thought he maybe struggled a bit when we went up after Wembley but at what is now League One he was outstanding.

You will of watched more of him in the 2nd tier than me but after the Wolves away defeat on the Friday night me and a few others were of the opinion only Eyres was good enough for that level.

[ClaretTony]

You will of watched more of him in the 2nd tier than me but after the Wolves away defeat on the Friday night me and a few others were of the opinion only Eyres was good enough for that level.

We made some poor signings for that season and discarded some players too quickly. Maybe it was playing in a struggling team but he rarely stood out that season. Mullen’s record in the transfer market wasn’t the best but Eyres was one he definitely got right.

[Jimmymaccer]

I think he had a lot of respect for Burnley...enjoyed his time with us.......

[Burnleyareback2]

Has he retired yet?

Claret Legend

[Vegas Claret]

I accidentally cut my hair like that over lockdown

[Rileybobs]

Remember that image vividly. I used to love collecting the Football League stickers and my dad, who was a high school teacher, would do my ‘swaps’ with his pupils.

[bfcjg]

His Wembley goal was awesome, if a media darling at the time have scored it would have been played and played on the tele.

[Vintage Claret]

My favourite Burnley player ever (until Ben Mee came along, now I can't make my mind up)

[Quicknick]

Those two goals that won us that play-off, ( Eyres and Parky ), gave us a season in the 2nd tier of English football. That one season enabled us to qualify for grants of around £2.6m which enabled both the James Hargreaves and Jimmy McIlroy stands to be built. I know they're not everyone's " Cup of Tea ", but looking back, developing two sides of the ground for a net cost to the Club of £2.6m was a steal, even at 1996 prices.

Good post. I didn't know that.

[mkmel]

I remember driving up to the Turf to watch us play Bournemouth I think it was.

And if my memory serves me well didn't David Eyres play in goal for us at least for some of the game

[BenWickes]

Cracking lower league winger for us. Abiding memory I have of him, Wembley goal apart; was a lovely free-kick versus Bury in 1997. Live on Sky I think as well but I was sat in the Bob Lord for that one.

[Wellsy1882]

I can remember his goal in my head at wembley

[jrgbfc]

I remember driving up to the Turf to watch us play Bournemouth I think it was.

And if my memory serves me well didn't David Eyres play in goal for us at least for some of the game

I can remember him taking over in goal on the Turf one game, think it was a night match. Can't remember the circumstances but it definitely happened!

[ClaretTony]

I remember driving up to the Turf to watch us play Bournemouth I think it was.

And if my memory serves me well didn't David Eyres play in goal for us at least for some of the game

1995/96 v Bournemouth

[Herts Clarets]

Was that the game where Bournemouth had a young Rio Ferdinand in their side? On loan from West Ham at the time.

[ClaretTony]

Was that the game where Bournemouth had a young Rio Ferdinand in their side? On loan from West Ham at the time.

That was the season after when we won 1-0.

The one when Eyres went in goal ended 0-0. Wayne Russell was in goal. He fouled the Bournemouth player but they still scored. But the ref blew for the pen and sent Russell off. They then missed the pen.

[groove]

Does he still do the commentary on Radio Lancs? Always came across like he was still fond of us whenever I've heard him.

[ElectroClaret]

Had a real talent for running at defences, often cutting inside to lay the ball off, or have a shot himself.

A very good player for the level we were at then.

[ClaretTony]

Does he still do the commentary on Radio Lancs? Always came across like he was still fond of us whenever I've heard him.

He works as an agent. Not so sure about radio commitments.