Following on from the thread about favourite signings, who broke you when he left?

For me it was Billy Hamilton. I was absolutely distraught.

Honourable mentions to Blake (1st time) Ade (1st time) and Trevor Steven.

Billy Hamilton for me too. Legend.

Brian ONeil

Andy Marriott

Steven for me, though it was logical

too young for McCilroy, Dobbo, Thomas, James though sure it would have crucified me - my uncle never went back after Dobbo

Ralph '' id walk a million miles for one of your goals '' Coates

Not heartbroken but was quite sad when Dave Thomas went.

The world ended for a very young member of the family when Charlie Austin left though.

Robbie Blake leaving for Birmingham.

Leighton James when he left first time for Derby County for £300,000

At the time, sad when Ralph Coates left. (From what he has said himself, so was he...but the books had to balance)

No question for me on this one - Ralph

Dobbo

Another for Billy Hamilton. The raw emotion came out again when holidaying in Tenerife a couple of years ago I got chatting to a fella of a similar age with an Oxford top on. Not sure Billy meant as much to him as he did me. What a loser, eh?

UTC!

Without a doubt Glen Little. Always be my hero. Others as a kid that never really knew about what went on off the pitch were Kurt Nogan and Adrian Randall.

:Another for ralph and as has been said if repoerts at the time were true i think he was more heartbroken than us!

Bordeauxclaret wrote:Andy Marriott

Better than beresford him

Glen Little was my hero, broke my heart both times we loaned him out, but I actually shed a tear at his final goodbye walking round the pitch with Stan after their final games.

I know people felt he was going through the motions in his last season and a bit with us but he was just a magical player on his day.

Robbie Blake when he went to Birmingham for similar reasons too, just fabulous to watch. At least with Robbie we got that Indian summer out of him in 08/09 which was surely his best ever season, even if he scored less due to being on the left hand side. I wish we could have brought Glen back to play in that side too, I think he would have been exceptional in a Coyle team and he was out of favour and on loan back at Reading - a trick missed I felt, but that may have been heart rather than head thinking.

I have seen more physically capable/top league worthy players since those two, but I will never love two players as much, legends.

Alan Harper.

Yet another for Billy Hamilton and also Glen Little
In the modern era Trippier Keane and Ings have all felt like a loss.
As for Owen Coyle doing the dirty on me well.

Nick Pickering

Steve1956 wrote:Leighton James when he left first time for Derby County for £300,000

this

but also Billy Hamilton (I was only 10 when we lost Taffy).

Duffer_ wrote:Another for Billy Hamilton. The raw emotion came out again when holidaying in Tenerife a couple of years ago I got chatting to a fella of a similar age with an Oxford top on. Not sure Billy meant as much to him as he did me. What a loser, eh?

UTC!

I ended up going to Brum City a few times once at Uni there simply because the first match i went on in the first year was them vs Oxford*. I ended up in the Oxford end and the few i spoke too said "you're here for Billy aren;t you?" Going to St Andrews became a bit of a habit then - except this time in the home end. Not sure why really.

*edited (must have had Watford on the brain - or the yellow shirt. Oxford Utd a tier 2 side/ back in the day!

Alex Elder,Andy Lockhead,Willie Morgan,and so on and so on.

Les Thompson

Heartbroken would be too strong but Dave Thomas going to QPR 1972.

For me it was Mc Ilroy .Leyton James .

You've lost me Babylon - did you mean Oxford, not Watford? I also loved Glen Little but felt we'd had him longer than our league status merited - somehow that softened the blow a bit.

UTC!

Edit: and I'd experienced women before Glen Little left but not before Billy.

Mike Conroy
David Eyres
Glen Little
Robbie Blake (1st move)

Little/ Blake and Austin - each time it was a sign that we just couldn't hold onto the players that could transform us as a club.

TREVOR STEVEN. After 5 minutes I knew we had a good un. Shame he was destined for higher things.
Caps, English Champ, Scottish Champ, French Champ, FA Cup, ECWC. Fantastic footballer.

After over 50 years watching you get used to it but the 2 which hurt the most were Leighton James going to Derby in 1975 but especially Geoff Nulty's departure the previous year. Geoff was the definition of unsung hero, one of the best headers of the ball I've ever seen, and we were never as good a team when he didn't play.

piston broke wrote:TREVOR STEVEN. After 5 minutes I knew we had a good un. Shame he was destined for higher things.
Caps, English Champ, Scottish Champ, French Champ, FA Cup, ECWC. Fantastic footballer.

..

Great player but I'm not sure about the after 5 minutes bit. He made his debut at Bristol Rovers and gave the ball away with his first 3 touches! After that though I agree- what a player and a pity he never played for us in the top flight.

A few
Ralphy and Taff's leavings were both bloody awful
But Dobbo getting sold was my worst outgoing.

Eyres
Blake (both times)
Barton to Rangers

McIlroy's leaving broke the whole towns heart.

Mac, of course. Taffy going to Derby County..

Irvine,Lochhead,Morgan,Oneil,Coates,Dobson,James,Jay Rod,Always feel the same when we lose a favourite Claret,even today,but thankfully with Sean allways well replaced!

I've never forgiven Waddle for selling Eyres and saying he was past it

Bin Ont Turf wrote:LOCHHEAD

Dont give a monkeys,was still sad to see him go.Where you?

Willie Morgan
I was sooooooo sad when he went.

I was angry when Taffy left

Kinda philisophical now that Keano has gone

I guess it's all part of growing up and being a Claret

Being a chap with fine long hair, George Boyd.

Martin Dobson -such a gentleman and always looked in complete control of the ball - even liked the way he walked !!

Steve Davis when he left for Luton.

Equally, the most pleased re a signing when he returned

Buxtonclaret wrote:A few
Ralphy and Taff's leavings were both bloody awful
But Dobbo getting sold was my worst outgoing.

I vowed never to go on't turf again when they sold both taffy and dobbo..we went on the slide after that.left town and decided I'd pick games I wanted to go to.missed all of john bonds tenure.

Billy Hamilton.I can still hear his name being sung on the Longside whenever his name is mentioned."Oh Billy Billy,Billy Billy Hamilton!!!".Gutted when he left for Oxford I think or some other crap club.

Steve1956 wrote:Leighton James when he left first time for Derby County for £300,000

My favourite ever Burnley player.

I didn't say him because he came back and that somewhat has healed the disappointment.

The reason to this day that Derby fans don't like him much (as a footballer) is because he wasn't called Alan Hinton.

Bin Ont Turf wrote:My favourite ever Burnley player.

I didn't say him because he came back and that somewhat has healed the disappointment.

The reason to this day that Derby fans don't like him much (as a footballer) is because he wasn't called Alan Hinton.

When willie Irvine broke his leg in the cup replay at Everton 67. That was my first big downer followed by taffy n dobbo

Ralph Coates and Martin Dobson. I've never been in the "Martin Dobson" stand and it may need to be the last seat in the ground before I'd do it.

UTC

John Deary. Was dispensed with far too soon and I even wrote to him to say so. (Still waiting for his reply. Check the post every morning. That's bloody Royal mail for you!)

Paul Waine wrote:Ralph Coates and Martin Dobson. I've never been in the "Martin Dobson" stand and it may need to be the last seat in the ground before I'd do it.

UTC

That was the strength of feeling at the time both dobbo and taffy left at the same time.do you feel the rot then set in????