Burnley go unbeaten in three countries in one week
Having beaten East Fife in Scotland during the previous midweek and won 1-0 at West Ham on the Saturday, Burnley travelled to Wales for a League Cup second round tie against Second Division Cardiff City.
Grievances received from residents in Godiva Street had seen an argument ensue between the Town Clerk Mr Brian Whittle and the town’s MP Mr Dan Jones. It came about because thirty residents believed damage to their homes had resulted from road works at Duke Bar.
Mr Whittle had replied to the residents but the MP said of it: “I am surprised that the town clerk should append his name to a statement so cold, so unsympathetic and so utterly inept.” He added: “I am not prepared to withdraw that statement no matter what pressure is put on me. I shall be told that this is a local authority matter and I should mind my own business.”
In response, Mr Whittle wasn’t having that and responded to the MP with: “I am of course very sympathetic to the claim of the householders,” but it seemed he was only prepared to comment that the corporation had chosen the best option for diversions during the time the work was being carried out.
The arguments over the twinning with Vitry-sur-Seine continued with former mayor Alderman Desmond Parkinson suggesting that it was his belief that the French town just couldn’t afford it. He explained: “When one considers the size of Vitry, it is only a suburb of Paris and not so very long ago only had a population of about 1,000 and that takes into account that it has got three twin towns. The question of cost must come into it.”
Discussions had been held regard a potential twinning with the Spanish village Arbucias where several Burnley people had lost their lives three years earlier in a plane crash but Mr Parkinson felt the problems there would be the same. Mayor Councillor Frank Booth said of that opportunity: “If Burnley people want us to twin with Arbucias, then the matter will go forward to the Twinning Committee and will be investigated.”
It’s always of interest to see what entertainment is available in town. In this week, the Odeon, which was soon to close down, was showing the James Bond film Live And Let Die which featured Roger Moore as 007 for the first time. If you wanted an amateur production then Burnley Light Opera Society were presenting Charlie Girl at the Municipal College Theatre.
Then again, a visit to the Cabaret Club in Rosegrove would see you enjoying the Dickie Arnold and Dottie as the top of the bill act. Now this name intrigued me so I did some research. They were husband and wife and Dickie went on to play four parts in Coronation Street, the last of which was as Bet Lynch’s uncle. With his wife Betty they performed a risqué mime act which saw Dickie semi-naked on stage with Dottie taking things even further, usually wearing nothing other than a hat and high heels although Dickie would usually have a bunch of flowers strategically placed. It didn’t prevent them on one occasion from being charged with indecency after performing their act in Dublin although they were cleared.
I don’t know what Lord Longford would have made of it had he been to their show, but he was in town giving a talk at the Keirby Hotel where he said: “We shall see some kind of legislation against the display of pornography soon, and I would welcome a law of any kind if the Government moves against pornography.” I think most thought of him as a wild eccentric who had probably never been intimate with anyone but at the time he had eight children and seventeen grandchildren.
In 1973, local football leagues were many and strong, none more so than Burnley Amateur Combination. Some of the teams in that league were concerned they might be forced to leave, those whose home games were played at Fennyfold in Padiham which was being made unavailable, and this added to the problem of the Prairie in Burnley being unavailable for two years.
The league said they were doing all they could to help the clubs but Mr Fred Whalley, manager of Padiham Railway said: “We are investigating every possibility that we hear about and are hopeful we can find somewhere. If we cannot find pitches for ourselves the league must seriously consider asking us to drop out. It’s a real shame, especially as we are champions.”
Away from local amateur football and to Burnley who were in South Wales for the League Cup tie at Ninian Park against Cardiff and the night didn’t get off to the best of starts when Keith Newton was ruled out with injury, the first time he’d missed a game since signing for the club in the summer of 1972. It would be hard to believe now but with just twelve players having travelled, Newton had to take the substitute role. Geoff Nulty moved to left-back to cover Newton’s absence with Billy Ingham coming into the midfield.
This wasn’t the best of nights for us. We started the game poorly, recovered to twice take the lead, but then had Colin Waldron sent off before Cardiff scored a late equaliser to take the tie to a replay.
This was nothing like the Burnley team we’d seen start the season so well in the league and Cardiff looked the more dangerous of the two. Then, out of the blue, we went in front with just our second shot of the night. It came from Leighton JAMES, a Swansea fan no less, who crashed in an unstoppable shot from just outside the box that left Cardiff goalkeeper Bill Irwin helpless.
It was 1-0 at half time but there could be no denying that Cardiff deserved their equaliser just before the hour. Johnny Vincent, the game’s best player on the night, played a through ball for Derek Showers. His shot, from a similar distance from which James had scored, beat Alan Stevenson but came back off the post but Andy McCULLOCH was there to put the ball into the empty net.
Despite struggling, we regained the lead soon afterwards. James started the move when he pushed a ball through for Ray Hankin and the youngster then released Paul Fletcher clear down the left wing. Fletcher got to the line before centring the ball low for JAMES to push it home from close range.
By now, we looked set to be winning the game but with thirteen minutes remaining, Waldron broke up a Cardiff attack with a well timed tackle, brought the ball out and played it forward just as McCulloch came in with a hard tackle. Waldron didn’t like it and gave a retaliatory flick with his leg at the Cardiff player and that was enough for referee Peter Walters to send him off.
Fletcher moved to centre-half alongside Jim Thomson and we looked comfortable until right at the end when we cleared a ball. VINCENT picked it up for Cardiff and hit a screamer into the net via a deflection and brought them level just before the referee blew for time on a 2-2 draw.
The replay would take place in the following week and Waldron would remain available. He had ten days to decide whether to lodge an appeal and if not would then serve a three-match suspension.
It hadn’t been the best of nights for Burnley but we were still in the competition.
The teams were;
Cardiff: Bill Irwin, Philip Dwyer, Gary Bell, George Smith, Richie Morgan, Leighton Phillips, Gilbert Reece, Andy McCulloch, Derek Showers, Johnny Vincent, Bobby Woodruff. Sub not used: John Impey.
Burnley: Alan Stevenson, Peter Noble, Geoff Nulty, Martin Dobson, Colin Waldron, Jim Thomson, Billy Ingham, Ray Hankin, Paul Fletcher, Doug Collins, Leighton James. Sub not used: Keith Newton.
Referee: Mr P Walters (Bridgewater).
Attendance: 8,775.
The League Cup back in 1973 usually saw teams play their strongest teams so it would have been a major shock for Arsenal going out against Tranmere. York beat Aston Villa too although Villa weren’t a top flight club at the time and the two would play each other in the league in the next season.
There was no giant killing at Orient. The home side were close to the top of the Second Division whereas the beaten visitors were a mid-table Third Division club.
There was just one scorer with a Burnley connection – Middlesbrough’s 1-0 win came courtesy of a Malcolm Smith goal.
League Cup Second Round Results
Tuesday 2nd October 1973
Arsenal 0 Tranmere 1
Walsall 0 Manchester City 0
Monday 8th October 1973
Coventry 5 Darlington 1
Derby 2 Sunderland 2
Everton 1 Reading 0
Halifax 0 Wolves 3
Ipswich 2 Leeds 0
Leicester 3 Hull 3
Manchester United 0 Middlesbrough 1
Newcastle 6 Doncaster 0
QPR 1 Tottenham 0
Southampton 3 Charlton 0
Stoke 1 Chelsea 0
West Brom 2 Sheffield United 1
West Ham 2 Liverpool 2
Tuesday 9th October 1973
Blackpool 1 Birmingham 1
Bury 2 Cambridge 0
Orient 2 Blackburn 0
Plymouth 4 Portsmouth 0
Scunthorpe 0 Bristol City 0
Stockport 1 Crystal Palace 0
York 1 Aston Villa 0
Wednesday 10th October 1973
Bournemouth 0 Sheffield Wednesday 0
Cardiff 2 Burnley 2
Chesterfield 1 Swindon 0
Gillingham 1 Carlisle 2
Luton 1 Grimsby 1
Millwall 0 Nottingham Forest 0
Norwich 6 Wrexham 2
Oxford 1 Fulham 1
Rotherham 1 Exeter 4
Rochdale 0 Bolton 4
Burnley Goalscorers (League)
3: Frank Casper, Doug Collins, Martin Dobson, Paul Fletcher
2: Leighton James, Geoff Nulty, Colin Waldron
1: Ray Hankin
Burnley Goalscorers (Cups)
4: Paul Fletcher
3: Leighton James
2: Peter Noble, Geoff Nulty
1: Ray Hankin, Colin Waldron
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