Fan hits out after Clarets sign young goalkeeper
In 1991, Frank Casper was busy trying to get the squad strengthened for another attempt on winning promotion from the Fourth Division but his first move into the transfer market was to sign a young goalkeeper who had previously been with Everton and it didn’t go down too well with one supporter.
Burnley had fielded young Ian Walsh in goal for the last reserve game of the 1990/91 season. Walsh did well so when he was released by Everton we quickly offered him a deal. “Ian kept a clean sheet in the reserves for us on the last day of the season and we were impressed with him,” said Casper. “I have spoken to the people at Everton and they are sure he has a big future in the game, but they simply had too many goalkeepers.”
Casper confirmed that he would join the other young players at the club and would be eligible to play in the ‘A’ and newly formed ‘B’ teams whilst he could also be included in reserve team plans.
That wasn’t good enough for one supporter, a Mr Malcolm Hibbert, who, in an astonishing attack on the club’s first summer signing, slated the capture of Walsh in a letter to the Burnley Express whilst demanding the removal of both Casper and chairman Frank Teasdale because of this deal.
Writing about the signing of the young goalkeeper, Hibbert said: “What a waste of time and money. Good quality players are what we need, not 17-year-old frees. The Clarets, under the present set up, are going nowhere whatsoever. For God’s sake, let’s get them out and get someone in who wants ambition and a board of directors with drive.”
Meanwhile, regular contributor to the Burnley Express, Councillor Harry Brooks, let readers know that he’d offered the club financial help during the previous season, an offer which had been declined, and that he’d also warned the club of the perils of not strengthening on transfer deadline day, a day when we sold Winston White to West Brom.
There was some good news to be had regarding the first team with John Deary having accepted terms from the club. That left just captain Steve Davis and Ian Measham who were not prepared to sign. With no offers having been received for either player, they were both now on week to week contracts although it looked as though there could be an offer on the way for Davis from Wolves.
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