Burnley v Celtic '78 newspaper clippings

[Loyalclaret]

A game occasionally discussed on the forum. The Evening Star, the day after the Burnley v Celtic game 12th September 1978

[CalamityClaret]

My dad took the 6 year old me on that day. Still calls it the most terrifying day of his life. Didn't take me on again for a few years

[TheOriginalLongsider]

Remember it well. 12 year old on the Bee hole end which was full of Celtic fans

[Tricky Trevor]

I pushed GimmerClaret out of the way of an incoming pool ball. It struck my mate stood in front of me on his left bicep. He had to drive home to Catterick with our kid, Colburn Claret, who had no license changing gear for him all the journey.
A night I wouldn’t want to live again.

[martin_p]

Don’t think anyone who was there will forget it. I was nine but sat in the cricket field stand so out of the way of the main trouble. Remember my dad sheltering me all the way back to our car after the match. Seem to remember the trouble made the back page of some of the national papers as well.

[Stonehouse]

Two of us jumped over the wall on the Longside nearest to the Beehole end and ran across the pitch to get out of the way of the Celtic fans and we were in our mid 30’s and I’m pretty certain the wrecked the Rose and Crown as well as a few other pubs.

[rincon]

I have some of those newspaper clippiings and a bloodstained programme to go with them (I got hit by a flying bottle). Not interested in selling them really, but always wondered if they were worth anything.

[Stproc]

I was there & remember it well as the worst day ever in a football ground. Throwing those spears was, to me, attempted murder and I’ve despised that club since. Vile fans of the lowest order.

[Spike]

I went to both the home and away legs so couldn’t have been that upset by the home leg

[claretgimmer]

I pushed GimmerClaret out of the way of an incoming pool ball. It struck my mate stood in front of me on his left bicep. He had to drive home to Catterick with our kid, Colburn Claret, who had no license changing gear for him all the journey.
A night I wouldn’t want to live again.

My hero D hope your keeping well

[Silkyskills1]

I went to both the home and away legs so couldn’t have been that upset by the home leg

Well, you can think yourself fortunate. I was on the Longside and it was horrendous. A constant sound of glass breaking, rampaging, drunken Celtic fans just wanting to create as much terror as they could ..... and then Steve Kindon went and scored down at the Cricket Field End. Cue more mayhem and thuggery and along with many others I escaped across the pitch to the relative sanctity of the Bob Lord Stand. The players were taken off the pitch and returned some time later. I didn't return to watch the remaining minutes and made my way out of the ground back to the car. Never experienced anything like that in what is now 67 years of attending live football.

[billyhamilton82]

Hopefully we will never see scenes like that ever again at the Turf.

We were in the CFS and vividly remember bodies being grabbed and lifted over the wall to help the Burnley fans escape off the pitch into the CFS and Bob Lord like a weird reverse lifeboat situation on a sinking ship.

Terrifying.

[bfcmik]

I stood on the Longside and had coppers feeding me bricks and lumps of concrete to throw back at the Celtic fans whilst they sheltered behind the stanchions. Scary time but " they never took the Longside!"

The return leg in Glasgow couldn't have been more different. Went in a pub and was immediately asked whether we were from Burnley? Unable to be convincing Glaswegians, or even Scots, we admitted we were, and got absolutely kalied without ever buying a drink. "We're no them * English hooligans, lads" (* insert swear word as appropriate), don't actually remember much of the game at all.

[fatboy47]

Strange one for me...was on the longside throughout and only vaguely aware that things were a bit unsettled ...left with a couple of rugby friends after the game for a pint or two (Roggerham Gate possibly?)....was genuinely suprised to see how big a deal it was in the local rag next day.

[Dark Cloud]

Absolutely the weirdest match I've ever been on. It was, after all, a two bit, no consequence, Mickey Mouse competition and yet as a 19 year old student at Manchester Uni I caught the X43 at Chorlton St mid afternoon and was somewhat bewildered to see drunken Celtic fans sitting upstairs, so I immediately swerved and went downstairs. That was my first inkling that things were going to be less than straightforward. I went home and had some tea at my mum's and then went to the match pretty early because people were already talking about hoards turning up. I stood in the Longside and it was actually packed with Burnley lads and well before kick off several lone Celtic fans came through the entrances at the back and tried taking on the entire crowd and each time it didn't end well. One hefty guy was literally stretchered out I remember. During the game full cans and bottles were being hurled from the Celtic side (full because it bloody hurts!) and I saw some people get hit. I also saw plenty of stuff going the other way too! There was actually mesh to prevent this higher up the Longside, but not lower down I think. Celtic fans were also in The Beehole and Burnley fans were gathered at the fence on the corner which sectioned it off and there was constant trouble there. That fence still had gaps in it where the gangways were (so actually somewhat unfit for purpose!!) I remember Kindon's great goal and the Burnley crowd absolutely erupted and I think that's when the Celtic fans got REALLY cross and managed to dislodge some of the railings in the fence along the away section. Shortly after I actually headed to the very bottom corner of the Longside/Beehole and went through the gap just before the Celtic fans clocked onto it and that manoeuvre became impossible with the ensuing chaos. As the game stopped with people being forced on to the pitch I left assuming they simply wouldn't come back out. It was only later I found out they actually had done to my complete surprise. Bizarre and terrifying, but glad I was there!

[billyhamilton82]

Reading the press article it is difficult to believe that there were only 20 people hurt in total.

It was carnage, and as a 10 year old it was interesting going to school the next day hearing stories from other kids that sounded like exaggerated playground nonsense, but sadly it wasn't.

For years we had "relics" of the Celtic visit spraypainted walls and vandalised bus stops.

[Tricky Trevor]

My hero D hope your keeping well

And back at ya, P. In Panama for a week thankfully I have access to BBC iplayer for a 6.30ko. All is well.

[Commy]

A coach load of them pulled up outside my local village pub, ran in, stole a load of bottles from behind the bar and ran out. On the way out one said to my mother 'like your top love' as she had on a green and white hooped t shirt. I was at the match but managed to get into the corner of the Bee Hole End and out of the way.

[Tricky Trevor]

Was it not Scots week in Blackpool and a lot of them came over from there?

[Dazzler]

I was 14, A mate and I got onto the pitch from the longside and got out of the ground between the CFS and the BL.
walked down to the bee-hole and back on. We eventually made our way back onto the longside to where we stood before it all went off.

That brave bobby who was first into no man's land lived across the street from me. Can't recall his name, but I had the utmost respect for him from then on. And I told him so.

[Dazzler]

Was it not Scots week in Blackpool and a lot of them came over from there?

Yes, I think you're right about that.

[Flixtonclaret1]

It was Glasgow September holidays. I was 18 and worked as a warehouseman at Marks & Spencer. My job allocated was to go up a set of ladders and pretend to dust the soffits but in reality I was watching for the jocks stealing spirits and beers from our licensed section. Must admit I did turn a blind eye to the older blokes who had no shame. Remember it was half day closing on a Tuesday so finished at 1 pm to go home and meet the lads for a few pints. Scariest night ever watching Burnley although Olympiacos came close second.

[CaptJohn]

I was there with my wife (Married earlier that year) and I realised there was going to be trouble whilst having a pee in the old bus station toilets. A ginger haired, pasty faced jock in a green and white hooped shirt had a go at me. We stood on the Bee Hole and there were battles everywhere. When we scored I was jumping about and an empty bottle whistled past my head smashing onto the terracing. My wife dragged me out and back to the car as she knew what was going to happen. It wasn't a pleasant experience for sure. Of course ten years later we had the battle at Stockport

[Quicknick]

Was it not Scots week in Blackpool and a lot of them came over from there?

Definitely true.

[ALHAMBRA 1925]

We actually an afternoon of great bants with the Celtic fans drinking cans sat on garden walls on Lyndhurst road.
But on the Turf it changed, it was toxic.
It kicked off good style when we scored.
I was 22 at the time and fuelled up feared nowt, we had to defend the Long side ( was like Roukes drift ).
unforgettable night.

[Dazzler]

We actually an afternoon of great bants with the Celtic fans drinking cans sat on garden walls on Lyndhurst road.
But on the Turf it changed, it was toxic.
It kicked off good style when we scored.
I was 22 at the time and fuelled up feared nowt, we had to defend the Long side ( was like Roukes drift ).
unforgettable night.

Was a lad with the surname Bradshaw in attendance?

[SPC&G]

And Moor

[ALHAMBRA 1925]

Dazzler I think you're meaning Shaun, no he wasn't out with us that day but he'd been about no doubt.

[SPC&G]

Few of us went on from Padiham. Loads of coaches full of hammered jocks coming through Padiham that afternoon/early evening. We were on the longside till just after the goal but then had to go on the pitch for a while. I got disorientated running around on the pitch and looked up to see a sea of green and white in their section of the longside. We when home before the game restarted. Never experienced anything like it before or since. Many great tales to tell from that night

[Dazzler]

Dazzler I think you're meaning Shaun, no he wasn't out with us that day but he'd been about no doubt.

No, not Shaun, Mick.

I lived nearby at the time and nipped to the corner shop and saw a group hanging about, and I was sure I saw Mick Bradshaw in there.

[Jimmymaccer]

IMG_1103.jpeg (1.86 MiB) Viewed 1207 times

My match ticket……

[Flixtonclaret1]

Noticed they only mentioned one kick off time on your ticket!

[mikeS]

burnleyvCeltic.jpg (134.41 KiB) Viewed 965 times

[Longford Claret]

I was 13 years old and went with a friend from school and his dad. We were stood halfway up the Longside near where it meets the Bee Hole End.

[Turftalkers mentor]

Remember it well , terrifying night .
But the underlying thing about all this is when the occasional idea of Celtic or Rangers joining one of our leagues raises its head again , it’s one of many reasons why it should never be entertained

[Claretmutt]

Went with my brother, was living in Nelson
at the time,used to go in Derby arms on
Scotland road. We were in the Bob Lord
stand.Two Celtic fans tried to climbing
in like wild animas, they got punched back
onto the ground.Saw the landlord of the
Derby pub and gave us a lift back.saw a
Burnley lad hit over the head with a four
pint can of Youngers tartan bitter.Never seen trouble at a match like that ever.