Jimmy Greaves – My first and forever hero
Jimmy had such breezy self confidence when young, with a mischievous sense of humour that seemed to carry him effortlessly through life’s many challenges. He was married in his teens,…
A Stormy Start In Blackpool
The previous night was wild. A violent gale rampaged across the country causing 26 deaths and £100m worth of damage. Some gusts reached 80 mph. My wife and I were…
October 1993 (Oh what a night)
Lest we forget, in the autumn of ’93 we were a third-tier side, managed by Jimmy Mullen. Although new recruits, David Eyres and ‘Rooster’ Russell brought extra fluency to the…
Bobby Seith: The man who defied Bob Lord and won
I met Bobby Seith on the Dundee waterfront on a bright, gusty spring day, a dapper man with a broad smile and impeccable manners. To the Burnley faithful, he is…
Willie Irvine: Burnley’s Jimmy Greaves
During Willie Irvine’s childhood, his large family often struggled to make ends meet, not helped by the tragic death of his father when Willie was only eleven months old. While…
Burnley’s Nemesis: Jimmy Greaves
Those who remember Greaves only as a ponderous pundit, might be surprised to learn that he was once one of Britain’s deadliest strikers. Between 1957 and 1971 Greaves scored 357…
Billy Elliott’s seaside swan song
Those Clarets old enough to remember former Burnley left-winger, Billy Elliott, will probably regard him with respect and trepidation. Like the ultra-hard Kevin Ball, Billy took few prisoners. On 25…
Eyes On The Prize
Whenever I consider Burnley’s prospects, I rarely manage more than a ‘half-empty’ response. In fact, it’s more likely to be ‘What bloody glass?’ Alice Walker suggested: “Expect nothing. Live frugally…