ARTICLE: Burnley win Bloomfield Boxing Day Battle

[ClaretTony]

Boxing Day 1972 and a trip to the seaside

See link
https://www.uptheclarets.com/burnley-wi ... day-battle

[JohnDearyMe]

Good read, sounds like a feisty affair.

In recent years it feels like we've not picked up too many wins on Boxing day but I'm imagining that's down to the fact we've generally played higher quality opponents

[ClaretTony]

Good read, sounds like a feisty affair.

In recent years it feels like we've not picked up too many wins on Boxing day but I'm imagining that's down to the fact we've generally played higher quality opponents

Very feisty and the referee had no control of it. I'm sure it was sparked to an extent by Potts v Adamson and I think this was the only occasion Harry Potts managed a team against us.

As for Boxing Day wins - we definitely didn't win a Boxing Day game away from home again until we beat Barnsley by the same score in 2010.

[strayclaret]

Memories !, despite arriving in Blackpool with what we thought was plenty of time, we didn’t get in due to the number of Clarets around the ground, until it was 1-1. I remember the roar from inside when Frank opened the scoring and singing whilst in the queue the Christmas number 1, Long Haired Lover from Liverpool, by Little Jimmy Osmond, goodness knows why .
Forgot about the sending offs, but do remember it was 2-1. Those were the days

[Quicknick]

It was a great day out. We had a huge following, and I remember running down the front in a very large mob, only to be chased by a larger mob ... of Burnley fans. An important win.
Was it really 48 years ago?

[nil_desperandum]

For some reason, I remember the game almost as though it was last week, whereas I can't remember half the games we've played in the last two years.
Getting older I suppose.
It was a great day out, unlike many Boxing Day games. Losing to a very late goal at Barnsley, and driving to Chesterfield to find the game called off at quite short notice stick in the mind.
Oh, and a 5-1 thrashing at home to Liverpool in about 1969?, with winger peter Thompson tearing us apart. Remember that one?

[Silkyskills1]

Apart from the last two games of the season at home to Sunderland and away at Preston this is a game I recall well. Boxing Day, a Lancashire derby and as usual just pay on the gate. It was reported at the time that Burnley had a following of some 12,000 and it certainly seemed that way when we arrived in the seaside resort.
The game was never going to be a 'gimme' as we can all see from CT's report with Blackpool having some very good players in their team. Expectations were high, though especially when Casper put us ahead but that was soon cancelled out. We attacked the Kop end in the 2nd half and it just became a battle especially after the sending off but Casper again won us the points close to the end.
A final word on the sending off. I was a student in London at the time and a friend of mine from Manchester had told me just before term end that a friend of his was expecting to make his debut for Blackpool against us. I saw the programme ahead of the game and his name was there. He got sent off in the 2nd half and his name was Kevin Tully. I'? not sure he lasted too long at Bloomfield Rd. after that.

[ClaretTony]

It was definitely a great day out. I think we landed in the pub across from Blackpool North station around 10 a.m. Can't remember where we went after that but we did get into the Tower Ballroom and then ended up in the Manchester. I can just about remember the game.

[ClaretTony]

Apart from the last two games of the season at home to Sunderland and away at Preston this is a game I recall well. Boxing Day, a Lancashire derby and as usual just pay on the gate. It was reported at the time that Burnley had a following of some 12,000 and it certainly seemed that way when we arrived in the seaside resort.
The game was never going to be a 'gimme' as we can all see from CT's report with Blackpool having some very good players in their team. Expectations were high, though especially when Casper put us ahead but that was soon cancelled out. We attacked the Kop end in the 2nd half and it just became a battle especially after the sending off but Casper again won us the points close to the end.
A final word on the sending off. I was a student in London at the time and a friend of mine from Manchester had told me just before term end that a friend of his was expecting to make his debut for Blackpool against us. I saw the programme ahead of the game and his name was there. He got sent off in the 2nd half and his name was Kevin Tully. I'? not sure he lasted too long at Bloomfield Rd. after that.

Kevin Tully played 11 times for Blackpool and left at the end of that season. He went on to play for Cambridge, Crewe, Port Vale and Bury. Also played quite a bit of non-league football. His name wasn't on the team list in the programme for this game though as per the image on the article.

[Silkyskills1]

For some reason, I remember the game almost as though it was last week, whereas I can't remember half the games we've played in the last two years.
Getting older I suppose.
It was a great day out, unlike many Boxing Day games. Losing to a very late goal at Barnsley, and driving to Chesterfield to find the game called off at quite short notice stick in the mind.
Oh, and a 5-1 thrashing at home to Liverpool in about 1969?, with winger peter Thompson tearing us apart. Remember that one?

I do remember the defeat to Liverpool. Played in a lot of fig and Peter Thompson right at the top of his game.

[Silkyskills1]

For some reason, I remember the game almost as though it was last week, whereas I can't remember half the games we've played in the last two years.
Getting older I suppose.
It was a great day out, unlike many Boxing Day games. Losing to a very late goal at Barnsley, and driving to Chesterfield to find the game called off at quite short notice stick in the mind.
Oh, and a 5-1 thrashing at home to Liverpool in about 1969?, with winger peter Thompson tearing us apart. Remember that one?

I do remember the defeat to Liverpool. Played in a lot of fig and Peter Thompson right at the top of his game.
Edit: fog not fig

[ClaretTony]

I do remember the defeat to Liverpool. Played in a lot of fig and Peter Thompson right at the top of his game.
Edit: fog not fig

Peter Thompson had murdered Jim Thomson on his debut in the previous season when we lost 4-0.

They also beat us 5-1 on the Turf in 1964 and that was the match where we couldn't see because of the fog.

[Top Claret]

I missed one game that season and that was the 3-3 draw away to Middlesbrough. The only thing I remember was a mate of my Dads getting into a barny with a Blackpool fan who was sat behind us, when he stood up we couldn't believe it he was a dwarf, we all pished ourselves

[dougcollins]

A boxing day trip that always stands out in the memory.

Great day out.

[Silkyskills1]

Kevin Tully played 11 times for Blackpool and left at the end of that season. He went on to play for Cambridge, Crewe, Port Vale and Bury. Also played quite a bit of non-league football. His name wasn't on the team list in the programme for this game though as per the image on the article.

Thanks for that CT. Easy to make mistakes after so many years. The name, Kevin Tully, has always stuck with me though especially as a few years later I think there was a cult TV character using the same name.

[Stan Tastic]

It was a great day out. We had a huge following, and I remember running down the front in a very large mob, only to be chased by a larger mob ... of Burnley fans. An important win.
Was it really 48 years ago?

I was probably in that larger mob because we'd just arrived on the train and we spotted a group of Burnley fans on the seafront and ran up to join them, only to see them scatter at the sight of us. I think they thought we were Blackpool fans.

[ClaretTony]

I was probably in that larger mob because we'd just arrived on the train and we spotted a group of Burnley fans on the seafront and ran up to join them, only to see them scatter at the sight of us. I think they thought we were Blackpool fans.

Thugs

[claretfern]

Kevin Tully, has always stuck with me though especially as a few years later I think there was a cult TV character using the same name.

......Probably thinking of Rik Mayall's character 'Kevin Turvey' ?

[Southportclaret]

That 1-5 defeat was my first ever match - 9 years old. I'll never forget going through the Bee Hole turnstiles, hearing some kind of bang from the floodlights and then seeing a starling which had electrocuted itself falling to the ground near us.

[tiger76]

Very feisty and the referee had no control of it. I'm sure it was sparked to an extent by Potts v Adamson and I think this was the only occasion Harry Potts managed a team against us.

As for Boxing Day wins - we definitely didn't win a Boxing Day game away from home again until we beat Barnsley by the same score in 2010.

Good thing we're not playing on Boxing day this year then isn't it.

[ElectroClaret]

Not sure if I went to this one.
Did the Kop still have its roof on? Seem to remember them taking the roof off and starting to demolish that end, but for a few seasons, there was just uncovered terracing.
Certainly went to a few with the roof on.

[ClaretTony]

Not sure if I went to this one.
Did the Kop still have its roof on? Seem to remember them taking the roof off and starting to demolish that end, but for a few seasons, there was just uncovered terracing.
Certainly went to a few with the roof on.

The roof didn’t cover too much of it but it was still there then

[onewillieirvine]

Roof came off in 1981, it was only on for 20 years.

[Silkyskills1]

......Probably thinking of Rik Mayall's character 'Kevin Turvey' ?

You're right, claretfern, I am. Thanks for that.

[ClaretTony]

Roof came off in 1981, it was only on for 20 years.

My first visit was in 1962. Had never realised that it was new at the time.

[onewillieirvine]

It must have been pleasant before it was put on with the wind and rain howling in from the sea

[ClaretTony]

It must have been pleasant before it was put on with the wind and rain howling in from the sea

Nothing will ever beat that night in 2009 when we were in the Gene Kelly. But I’ve enjoyed a couple of wild afternoons weather wise on the old Kop.

[Silkyskills1]

Always went behind that goal then and for a.long time afterwards. Reminded me of a.Boxing Day fixture at Stoke in 1965 in their Boothen End where home and away fans were seperated by steps down the middle.

[onewillieirvine]

Indeed CT, me too.

[keith1879]

Roof came off in 1981, it was only on for 20 years.

Was that the end where they left some of the supports in place to carry loudspeakers? It was the only ground I've ever been on where it was possible to be in the open air with a restricted view due to a roof support!!!

[ClaretTony]

Was that the end where they left some of the supports in place to carry loudspeakers? It was the only ground I've ever been on where it was possible to be in the open air with a restricted view due to a roof support!!!

That's the one

[ClaretTony]

This is it with the roof




and later without the roof

[Buxtonclaret]

We arrived pretty early and there were Clarets all over the place. I saw the big crowd surge up from the station too.
One of the biggest away followings I remember, that season (apart from Preston).
I was always a bit dubious of the official gates they gave. Seemed like a 30 plus thousand gate that day.

[Top Claret]

You don't see away followings these days like you did in the 70s. Leeds and Man Utd would bring 15000 with them. Chelsea brought a massive support in the 1970 Cup replay to. Boro, Sunderland and Newcastle all had large followings to it would always get tasty with those lads, especially the Boro