The draw brought an opportunity to write about my Turf Moor hero Adam Blacklaw

See link
http://www.uptheclarets.com/aberdeen-br ... of-my-hero" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He went to Frederick st school. You can walk past it as you are heading to Pittodrie.

“Dragged you to the Turf” yeah right!!

Adam's battles with Tottenham's burly centre forward Bobby Smith were worth the admission price alone, real shoulder charges in those days!

RammyClaret61 wrote:“Dragged you to the Turf” yeah right!!

Well, maybe not dragged.

Adam was a top class goalkeeper and great servant to Burnley. Hard as nails and brave as a lion, he took no prisoners.

Without doubt in the top five keepers I've seen representing Burnley. McDonald, Pope, Blacklaw, Heaton and Stevenson (and probably in that order).

I guess Jerry Dawson with the most Burnley appearances of all time will be the clubs' all time number one but we have had many top class goalkeepers throughout our illustrious history.

Lovely article, even for those too young to have seen him

Now I don't want to sound anything other than a loyal claret but Stevenson in the top few in recent years? Um. At home, when playing with my kid bro, one of my moves when he was about to shoot was to put both hands out to the side and stand motionless, suggesting it was going wide and watching the ball scream into the net, just like our Alan.

I'd have Nicky Walker above AS.

Lordlucan wrote:Lovely article, even for those too young to have seen him

Now I don't want to sound anything other than a loyal claret but Stevenson in the top few in recent years? Um. At home, when playing with my kid bro, one of my moves when he was about to shoot was to put both hands out to the side and stand motionless, suggesting it was going wide and watching the ball scream into the net, just like our Alan.

I'd have Nicky Walker above AS.

You must only have caught his final season, when he was awful but prior to that year he was exceptional and worthy of his call up to the England squad even though he never got a cap.

As a young lad, I remember that Adam lived on Thurston Street next door to my best friend from school. We often went round to his house with any old excuse to talk to him. He was very laid back about things and often didn’t know who he was playing against on the next Saturday. He had a young family at that time and they seemed to be the centre of his attention. He was a lovely man and I too was a big fan of his. It is very good to remember him as one of our greats and thank you CT for bringing back the memories.

Lovely article, Tony ..... so true about your first heroes .... Martin Peters, Elvis and my Dad, not necessarily in that order, still think the world of them !!

My eldest brother always likes to tell a tale about Adam when we played Spurs at home.
Whenever Spurs got a corner, Bobby Smith would come clattering in to Blacklaw and after about the fourth time, Blacklaw nodded towards Smith as if to say "That's the last time"
At the next corner Blacklaw came out to punch clear and 'accidentally' smashed a fist in to Smith's nose.

Splendid stuff Tony. Very moving.

Juan Tanamera wrote:My eldest brother always likes to tell a tale about Adam when we played Spurs at home.
Whenever Spurs got a corner, Bobby Smith would come clattering in to Blacklaw and after about the fourth time, Blacklaw nodded towards Smith as if to say "That's the last time"
At the next corner Blacklaw came out to punch clear and 'accidentally' smashed a fist in to Smith's nose.

It's not just a tale and I think there was a West Brom centre forward who used to get similar treatment.

One of his best though came on New Year's Day 1966 at Ewood. We, the Burnley fans, were in the Blackburn End that day (not even segregated them but that's where we congregated). At the far end, a Blackburn fan got onto the pitch and Adam must have spotted him. I think it is fair to say Adam got the better of that challenge although I did hear recently that the Blackburn fan has now been released from hospital.

Great article, Tony. Adam was a truly great goalkeeper.

I worked with Adam for a couple of years, he was a bricklayer by trade. The number of times we used to re-enact the penalty he didn't save at Wembley a great guy

Great article, I started watching Burnley in 1962 with my best friend when we were seven. He was a goalie and he idolised Adam. He called his son Adam, sadly he passed away three years ago.

I knew Adam when he was in charge of security at the Arndale Ctr in Nelson, he had a very calm but authorative presence and had no problem in moving a gang of lads on. Very gentlemanly and a nice chap plus he signed the picture in my book of him at Naples.

Will Scotty Arfield be soon added to that board? Or is Canada not considered a full cap, like in the past?

ontario claret wrote:Will Scotty Arfield be soon added to that board? Or is Canada not considered a full cap, like in the past?

Scott Arfield is on the board as is David Edgar

Amazing the number of ex Burnley greats who are considered to be not only great players, but great people as well.Or, maybe, not so amazing at all.

Thanks, Tony. Makes me feel very proud.

ontario claret wrote:Thanks, Tony. Makes me feel very proud.

Not sure when it was last updated - don't think Tarky & Pope are on yet though but I'm sure Jon Walters is so they are not far behind.

Looks a big unit. Most players from that era had limited upper body strength with thick legs.

BTW @rayzer ; Fredrick St school has been a block of flats for many a year.

rumpus, you've reappeared. They deleted all of your threads from yesterday.

^ Evening Mr Canada. Yes I believe most of the pathetic arseholes from up my direction got banned also. Quite right, bunch of junkie alcoholic **** the lot of them.

They ruined a good thread with pointless in-jokes which mean nothing to anyone apart from their own selves.

Agreed rumpus.

Those junkie alcoholics are not representative of the Dons support, indeed they drag the club's good name down with their inane filth.

Hopefully you are keeping well after being harshly banned.

^ Pricks gadly posting pictures of themselves taking drugs, many wear it as a badge of honour at been huckled by the police for threatening people who are against the new stadium.

Worst of all, they were ecstatic when they got in the papers for ridiculing an ex-footballer who's gone mongol and will die soon.

Utter vermin.

Fao rumpus. I stand corrected. I didnt word it very well. I meant you can walk past the site of the old school on the way to pittodrie.

They've gone back to trainspotting.

rumpus wrote:Worst of all, they were ecstatic when they got in the papers for ridiculing an ex-footballer who's gone mongol and will die soon.

Utter vermin.

hahaha, notice tups gone quiet all of a sudden. Short memory rumpus, it was your dwarf bumbuddy who was the ring leader in that particular escapade, you ******* idiot.

We spoke too soon.

Mate, you're right. You misjudged tup. He's a thug who was going to batter bluto on his front lawn because he hates alcoholics.

Reminds me of Scotland Mad on the old Footymad forums, Jesus, what a bunch of pr1cks.

I'm leaving no stone unturned Here, boll0cks to it...all, All, without exception, Scots are knobheads.

(Now Ian Britton is no longer with us, RIP Brit).

Listen, generalised opinions show you to be feeble minded
Sort it out bud

A nice tribute to Adam below.I first knew Adam when I was an 11 year old and he would have been 18.He was courting his future wife Sheila Weir who lived on Arkwright Street up Park lane in Burnley.
My best mate at Junior school lived a few doors higher up the street than Sheila .Adam was probably an apprentice at Burnley at that time and we often used to see him calling round to take Sheila out.A top lad was Adam and like you Tony he became a hero of mine when I started watching Burnley about the same time as you I guess.

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Saw an old Scottish guy I used to play rugby with for the first time in a long time on Saturday. He hasn't gotten any smarter.