ARTICLE: Our greatest ever goalscorer

[ClaretTony]

Today we recognise Willie Irvine our greatest ever goalscorer in the ex-Clarets feature

See link
https://www.uptheclarets.com/our-greate ... goalscorer

[Quicknick]

My favourite Claret ever. A truly great striker.

[ClaretTony]

My favourite Claret ever. A truly great striker.

Unbelievable, the best goalscorer I'll ever see in claret and blue that's for sure.

[Cajun]

Excellent piece. That fantastic 65-66 season was my start of going to Burnley games with my Dad, and Willie instantly became my hero. Have chatted with him, lovely guy.

[frankinwales]

Amazing stats.... I came along as a supporter later, I didn't realise that he was so good.

Up the Clarets.

[ClaretTony]

Excellent piece. That fantastic 65-66 season was my start of going to Burnley games with my Dad, and Willie instantly became my hero. Have chatted with him, lovely guy.

Special season was 65/66 - that forward line of Morgan, Lochhead, Irvine, Harris, Coates.

[Quicknick]

Special season was 65/66 - that forward line of Morgan, Lochhead, Irvine, Harris, Coates.

We used to sing it: Singing Morgan Lochhead Irvine Harris Coates...

[ClaretTony]

We used to sing it: Singing Morgan Lochhead Irvine Harris Coates...

It was a really good season that’s never really been written about, presumably because we didn’t win anything.

[4midable]

Isnt mine
No my era

[Claret Till I Die]

Lovely words Tony. Thank you

[FCBurnley]

I still hate Morrisey to this day. He should have gone to prison

[ClaretTony]

I still hate Morrisey to this day. He should have gone to prison

Absolute shocker - deliberate attempt to injure Willie.

[Mondsley]

My boyhood hero! I had a picture of him completing his hat trick in a 5 2 win at Fulham in December 1965. He was smiling for the camera as he smashed the ball home. Great footballer, goalscorer and thoroughly nice man.

[Sozturf7]

Hat trick at White Hart Lane and on loosing side. What a player.

[Silkyskills1]

Exciting, touch of arrogance, lethal with either foot. My early teenage years when he was at his best and he was a formidable opponent. I, I, Irvine, Irvine, I.

[Royboyclaret]

My boyhood hero! I had a picture of him completing his hat trick in a 5 2 win at Fulham in December 1965. He was smiling for the camera as he smashed the ball home. Great footballer, goalscorer and thoroughly nice man.

"as he smashed the ball home"........That's what set Willie apart from the rest......there were virtually no tap-ins.....every goal was both feet off the ground, on the volley, with the intention of breaking the net.

We all loved Ray Pointer before him, but Ray was often on the end of a Jimmy Mac magical run where, with the drop of shoulder Mac would take two or three opponents out of the game before laying on a tap-in for Ray or Jimmy Robson.

Willie was unique in that every goal was meant to rip the goal-net apart......leaving us fans desperate for his next attempt on goal......he really was so special.

Enough from me, except to say we are so proud to have called our only son.....Irvine.

[ClaretTony]

Exciting, touch of arrogance, lethal with either foot. My early teenage years when he was at his best and he was a formidable opponent. I, I, Irvine, Irvine, I.

You need that touch of arrogance too, and he definitely had it when he played. I know I'll never see anyone as good again in terms of goal scoring playing for us.

[Middle-agedClaret]

Excellent article, Tony.
The best Burnley player in my lifetime.

[Baliclaret]

Was that goal in the 2-0 win over Liverpool the same game Ralph Coates got the second with that superb solo run ?
Willie was one of my favourite players only behind Brian O'Neil.
Once he retired I had the good fortune to play alongside him in a lunchtime five a side league at the Thompson Centre.Turned out as a "ringer " for us.

[claret59]

I was one of those who eagerly waited for the weekly 'Pink' so I could read of his exploits for the A and B teams. My memory may be a bit clouded with age but every time I checked the A and B results he seemed to have scored a bagful. All of us claret boyhood fans of those times were desperate for him to get into the first team so as to see if his goal scoring exploits would continue there as well.What a player he was , as TC says we have seen nothing like him before and probably never will. A full international before he had a first team game under his belt.

On another note did not Morrisey have a reputation as a dirty player even before that awful tackle that effectively ruined Irvine's career?

[ClaretTony]

Was that goal in the 2-0 win over Liverpool the same game Ralph Coates got the second with that superb solo run ?
Willie was one of my favourite players only behind Brian O'Neil.
Once he retired I had the good fortune to play alongside him in a lunchtime five a side league at the Thompson Centre.Turned out as a "ringer " for us.

That was the game against Liverpool

[ClaretTony]

On another note did not Morrisey have a reputation as a dirty player even before that awful tackle that effectively ruined Irvine's career?

I think so but that night was just horrible and deliberate.

[Cajun]

My dad went to that replay at Goodison with one of his pals -- he was still in a rage about the injury to Willie the following day and confessed they had got into "a bit of a shoving match" with some Evertonians who had been shouting abuse at Willie as he was carried off.

[ClaretTony]

My dad went to that replay at Goodison with one of his pals -- he was still in a rage about the injury to Willie the following day and confessed they had got into "a bit of a shoving match" with some Evertonians who had been shouting abuse at Willie as he was carried off.

Everton fans shouting abuse - surely not

[Ashingtonclaret46]

Lovely to remember Willie's exploits for the Clarets.
When I joined the RAF in 1966 as a musician I met two fellow musicians from Carrickfergus who had been Willie's next door neighbours. They then introduced me to their sister, who was married to another musician, and who remembered Willie very well.
I met Willie several times when he was doing his hosting at the Turf and mentioned the Adairs to him ---his response was that he hoped that they hadn't told me too much about his early life. Whenever he saw me after our first meeting he always asked me to pass on regards.
Great player and a smashing bloke.

[ThaiClaret]

Great memories Tony
Those strong impressions as a football mad 12 year old never leave you.
Or even diminish.

[ThaiClaret]

My, imperfect, memory tells me that Willie was the League's leading scorer in 1966.
Above World Cup winner, Roger Hunt.

[Quicknick]

It was a really good season that’s never really been written about, presumably because we didn’t win anything.

It was, spoiled slightly at the end by that bizarre Elder own goal which handed Leeds second spot.

[ClaretTony]

It was, spoiled slightly at the end by that bizarre Elder own goal which handed Leeds second spot.

Beyond bizarre too. I was talking to him a few years ago and he said he was asked about that own goal more than anything.

[dermotdermot]

Lovely words Tony. Thank you

I may be reading between the lines here but it strikes me that you might be the great man himself. If so, do you remember scoring the winning goal in a League Cup tie at QPR perhaps in 1966? We were 1-0 down, somebody equalised and you got the winner by nutmegging Bobby Keetch and going on to slot the ball home. Such a small ground in those days. I can remember getting in by going through what looked like a garden gate in a fence where you hand over a couple of shillings to someone on the other side to gain entry. I don’t even think they issued tickets.

[ClaretTony]

I may be reading between the lines here but it strikes me that you might be the great man himself. If so, do you remember scoring the winning goal in a League Cup tie at QPR perhaps in 1966? We were 1-0 down, somebody equalised and you got the winner by nutmegging Bobby Keetch and going on to slot the ball home. Such a small ground in those days. I can remember getting in by going through what looked like a garden gate in a fence where you hand over a couple of shillings to someone on the other side to gain entry. I don’t even think they issued tickets.

CTID isn’t who you think he might be.

[dermotdermot]

Well I did wonder, CT. Whoever he is, he must think my post a little odd. Oh well.

Do you remember that game? I was only about fourteen at the time. It’s just that I wondered if I was right about the centre half. I knew that he had played for Fulham previously but wasn’t so sure that it was Keetch. QPR were a third division team at the time. I think that it was the year before they won the first ever League Cup final to be played at Wembley.

[ClaretTony]

Well I did wonder, CT. Whoever he is, he must think my post a little odd. Oh well.

Do you remember that game? I was only about fourteen at the time. It’s just that I wondered if I was right about the centre half. I knew that he had played for Fulham previously but wasn’t so sure that it was Keetch. QPR were a third division team at the time. I think that it was the year before they won the first ever League Cup final to be played at Wembley.

He won’t think it odd. He knows Willie better than any of us.

I remember the game but wasn’t there.

[Silkyskills1]

That was the game against Liverpool

Played on April 23rd 1966, my 14 th birthday if I recall correctly. Same game Tommy Smith went in very hard on Willie Irvine. Thought he'd got away with it but Gordon Harris made sure that wasn't going to happen.

[ClaretTony]

Played on April 23rd 1966, my 14 th birthday if I recall correctly. Same game Tommy Smith went in very hard on Willie Irvine. Thought he'd got away with it but Gordon Harris made sure that wasn't going to happen.

You wouldn’t try it on with Gordon Harris if you had any sense.

[Silkyskills1]

You wouldn’t try it on with Gordon Harris if you had any sense.

A few may have tried but he was a hard player and a firm favourite of mine. When we had him, Brian O'Neil and Andy Lochhead as outfield players they could play any way the opposition wanted.

[Quicknick]

Beyond bizarre too. I was talking to him a few years ago and he said he was asked about that own goal more than anything.

I was standing in the enclosure towards the Bee Hole End. I had the perfect view of the imperfect moment. Blacklaw was moving towards him as the ball left Eler's foot, went over his head and hit the base of the far post and went in. At least, that's how I remember it, Tony.