Aug 25th: Hello, Hello, Good To Be Back

[ClaretTony]

The 25th August, and it brings, among other things, the start of a new era in the top flight and a bit of a difficult after match fun after an away win.

Pre-war football matches were underway by this time but I'm going to concentrate on post-war to keep to the games I didn't see, those before my time down to a minimum so let's get those early games dealt with first.

Having kicked off the 1948/49 season with a win against Manchester City, we couldn't make it two when we travelled to The Valley to take on Charlton. The home side went in front with a Sid O'Linn goal but we quickly equalised through Jackie Chew. It remained 1-1 for most of the game but then Chris Duffy, who had scored the goal against us at Wembley in 1947, restored Charlton's lead before Charlie Vaughan scored a late third to give them a 3-1 win.

We'd won one point from two games in 1952 but got our first win when Fulham arrived at Turf Moor on this date. Bill Holden scored what was the only goal of the game just six minutes in. And it was another home win in 1953 when we beat Blackpool 2-1. Brian Pilkington scored early with an Eddie Shimwell own goal making it 2-0 just past the half hour. Stan Mortensen pulled one back for Blackpool in the second half but we took the points.

We didn't make the best of starts at Cardiff in 1956. With only seven minutes gone we were 2-0 down. John McSeveney got the first and Gerry Hitchens, who went on to play in Italy for Inter Milan, Torino, Atalanta and Cagliari, scored the second. Peter McKay pulled one back but Trevor Ford restored Cardiff's two goal advantage and there were only 20 minutes gone. It was Burnley's second half though; Peter McKay got his second from the penalty spot with Jimmy McIlroy securing a point from a 3-3 draw ten minutes from the end.

After a win against Leeds on opening day, we actually went top of the league for 24 hours in 1959 with a home win against Everton and a big win too. John Connelly, Brian Pilkington and Ray Pointer all scored in the first twenty minutes although Everton did pull one back with a goal from Eddie Thomas. Jimmy Robson added a fourth, Brian Miller put through his own goal and close to th end Connelly, who had started it all, got his second and it was a 5-2 win.

Read more about this game at:
https://www.uptheclarets.com/burnley-go ... -home-game

We went to West Brom in 1962 and led 2-1 with goals from Miller and Pointer, both in the second half. It ended 2-1 with Keith Smith scoring a late consolation. We'd drawn 2-2 in the first game of the 1964/65 season against Blackpool; three days later Spurs were at the Turf with the same result. Willie Irvine and Ian Towers both scored first half goals but some bloke by the name of Jimmy Greaves pulled one back for Spurs who went on to equalise with a Frank Saul goal.

The 1970/71 season wasn't going well. Although we'd drawn both away games, we suffered a second successive home loss, losing 2-0 against Manchester United. Did I refer to some bloke by the name of Jimmy Greaves? The scorer here wasn't so far behind him in terms of goalscoring; Denis Law scored both in this game.

Second Division champions, Charity Shield winners and now the day when we returned to the First Division at Bramall Lane in 1973. And what a start. Two goals in ten first half minutes, the first from Doug Collins and the second scored by Martin Dobson gave us a fully deserved 2-0 win. Maybe if we'd known then what we know now, we might not have been too enthusiastic with the singing of a Gary Glitter song, but it was good to be back.

Things weren't looking anything like as good when we Notts County came to the Turf in 1979. We hadn't won since the 2-1 victory at Ewood in April; we still hadn't after this game, it ended 1-0 to the visitors.

We did at least get a point on opening day in 1984, Alan Taylor scoring a debut goal at home against Plymouth. He'd played against us for Hull in our previous league game. Peter Hampton, Kevin Hird, Neil Grewcock and Barry Powell also made debuts and it took a late Taylor goal to rescue a point in a 1-1 draw.

It was League Cup night in 1987 and a night I'll remember when Turf Moor stood as one to remember a very good friend of mine who had passed away. He wasn't a former player or manager, simply the local journalist who had worked at the Burnley Express and the then named Lancashire Evening Telegraph. He was Keith McNee who was taken from us far too early. We'd lost the first leg at Wrexham but he'd have been pleased with this result, which came a couple of days after he'd died. We beat them 3-0 with Paul Comstive, George Oghani and Andy Farrell scoring the goals, Oghani's from the penalty spot.

It was another 2-2 home draw as we kicked off the 1990/91 season with a home game against Lincoln. John Deary gave us the lead but we fell behind before Joe Jakub scored our equaliser in the second half.

Two more League Cup games now, one defeat and one win a year apart. Carlisle completed their win against us in 1992. They'd beaten us 4-1 at Brunton Park in the first leg and drew 1-1 at the Turf; John Pender scored our goal. A year later, in front of the television cameras, we beat Preston. 2-1 up from the first leg, we coasted to a 4-1 win at home. Kevin Russell scored his first Burnley goal with more to follow from David Eyres, John Francis and Deary. The Russell goal was good fun. Preston goalkeeper thought referee Paul Harrison had given a free kick for offside so handled the ball outside his box and threw it forward to take the free kick. He hadn't given the offside; he'd played advantage, so now had to give us a free kick for handball. Adrian Heath took it quickly for Russell to loop it into the unguarded net from outside the box.
You can see the goal around 3mins 45 seconds in at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElfWcAYd-0A

What a hot day it was and what a hot reception we received from the Millwall fans at the end after we'd beaten them 2-0 in 2001. We'd played superbly to win this game, a third successive win to start the season with our goals scored by Ian Moore and Alan Moore, five minutes apart just past the hour.

The fun started when referee David Pugh decided to give Millwall a late penalty for handball against Ian Cox. Now I'm not sure it was a handball at all but if it was then it was clearly outside the box which the assistant, who hadn't bothered to flag, said when Pugh consulted with him. Aided and abetted by their central defender and captain (I think his name was something like Sean Dyche), young midfielder Steve Reid decided to have a word with Pugh and got himself sent off. The home fans didn't like it, and it kicked off. After the game we were trapped in an area outside the ground in searing heat with bottles, bricks, you name it, flying in.

It was another away win in 2003 and a much needed one at Gillingham. We hadn't won a point from the first three games but we put it right at the Priestfield Stadium. Ian Moore and Dean West gave us a two goal lead in the first half with Robbie Blake scoring to complete the 3-0 win after the break.

We won at Hartlepool after extra time in the League Cup in 2009. It was the first time we'd experienced Richard Eckersley and Brian Easton as well as Jon Moss. None of them offered much hope for the future with Moss, harshly in my view, showing Eckersley two yellow cards and sending him off. It took a late Steven Fletcher goal to level things after Hartlepool had led through Adam Boyd for some time. Fletcher got his second in extra time to take us through.

One more game and one with late drama just a year ago at Molineux. Ashley Barnes had scored a superb opening goal for us early in the game but Craig Pawson someone decided Erik Pieters had fouled in the box and that enabled Raul Jiménez to equalise from the spot in the 97th minute.

It was disappointing on a day when everyone's attention, before the game had been on the cricket when England looked down and out at 286/9 with another 76 needed. Step up Ben Stokes and Jack Leach. Fantastic and it would have been an outstanding all round day but for Pawson.

[claretonthecoast1882]

Was the Carlisle cup game in 92 the one when Oghani scored for them ?

The Millwall game was a lively day around London Bridge before and after as well.

[ClaretTony]

Was the Carlisle cup game in 92 the one when Oghani scored for them ?

The Millwall game was a lively day around London Bridge before and after as well.

I think he did score for them, he certainly played.

That day was lively all round and it was so hot it was untrue. We got stuck in that compound after the game playing dodging the missile. I blame Dyche and Reid for all of that.

[Silkyskills1]

The win at Sheffield was one of my favourite away wins. We looked good in a brand new away kit, we played well and it seemed that things were just continuing on from the previous season. A classy display and an early warning to the rest of the division. We were back and meant business.

[ClaretTony]

The win at Sheffield was one of my favourite away wins. We looked good in a brand new away kit, we played well and it seemed that things were just continuing on from the previous season. A classy display and an early warning to the rest of the division. We were back and meant business.

Fantastic day out - always nervous when you go up a division and wonder if you are going to be good enough. We were that day.

As for the new kit, we just turned out in it, there had been no info about it. That day though we wore the blue shirt with white shorts and claret socks.

[Silkyskills1]

Fantastic day out - always nervous when you go up a division and wonder if you are going to be good enough. We were that day.

As for the new kit, we just turned out in it, there had been no info about it. That day though we wore the blue shirt with white shorts and claret socks.

I know it was altered after this but I thought the white shorts and blue socks.looked really smart. A new era for me as I'd just finished full time education and about to become a young working man. Possibly the same for you,CT?

[ClaretTony]

I know it was altered after this but I thought the white shorts and blue socks.looked really smart. A new era for me as I'd just finished full time education and about to become a young working man. Possibly the same for you,CT?

I’m sure they were claret socks that day and then we went with the sky blue shorts and dark blue socks.

Yes, full time education at an end. I was about to start work in a role that I knew was wrong for me within the first week. But it was the right company for me and I was able to manoeuvre myself into a career that I really enjoyed.

[Braindead]

After a win against Leeds on opening day, we actually went top of the league for 24 hours in 1959 with a home win against Everton and a big win too. John Connelly, Brian Pilkington and Ray Pointer all scored in the first twenty minutes although Everton did pull one back with a goal from Eddie Thomas. Jimmy Robson added a fourth, Brian Miller put through his own goal and close to th end Connelly, who had started it all, got his second and it was a 5-2 win.

I am sure i read somewhere that Burnley only ever went to the top of the league during our title winning season when we went ahead against Man City, which was played after the official season had finished.
Guess that was one of those myths.

[Herts Clarets]

The Millwall game was a lively day around London Bridge before and after as well.

I was only talking about this game at the weekend. I managed to get out of the ground before they closed the gates so walked with Millwall fans to the station, no colours, mouth shut reading the programme. I was meeting the future Mrs Herts and a couple of others after they had been to West Ham. Had a pint in a bar overlooking HMS Belfast. That will be £5.50 please. How f***ing much?

[ClaretTony]

I am sure i read somewhere that Burnley only ever went to the top of the league during our title winning season when we went ahead against Man City, which was played after the official season had finished.
Guess that was one of those myths.

It was because back then they didn’t bother with league tables until a few games had been played. We won this game on the Tuesday but by the following night we’d dropped off the top and didn’t get there again until after that win at Maine Road.

[ClaretTony]

I was only talking about this game at the weekend. I managed to get out of the ground before they closed the gates so walked with Millwall fans to the station, no colours, mouth shut reading the programme. I was meeting the future Mrs Herts and a couple of others after they had been to West Ham. Had a pint in a bar overlooking HMS Belfast. That will be £5.50 please. How f***ing much?

You were probably very fortunate not getting trapped in that compound. It wasn’t a pleasant experience going there back then.

[Herts Clarets]

You were probably very fortunate not getting trapped in that compound. It wasn’t a pleasant experience going there back then.

I have a mate who is a Forest fan and they got locked in for quite a long time. He had tickets for a West End show that evening and missed it due to the lock in.

[vancouverclaret]

The Sheff Utd. Game is one that I remember well as others fade. Great atmosphere.... Burnley are back Burnley are back hello hello!

[ClaretTony]

The Sheff Utd. Game is one that I remember well as others fade. Great atmosphere.... Burnley are back Burnley are back hello hello!

It was the 'Do you want to be in my gang' line that's probably more disturbing now