The day we signed Ian Wright?

It was really late at night and I couldn't sleep. I read the news on Teletext and I couldn't believe it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/642971.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He was an old friend of Stan's and he persuaded him to come dont think it was an omelette that did the trick though

Longside4evr wrote:He was an old friend of Stan's and he persuaded him to come dont think it was an omelette that did the trick though

An old friend of Stan's? How I can't recall them being at the same club together.

South West Claret. wrote:An old friend of Stan's? How I can't recall them being at the same club together.

Palace?

Was assistant to Coppell

I was at home when a mate rang me and excitedly informed me we'd signed Wright...I was a bit meh about it to be honest..

I was sat at work when the Ian Wright news broke. I rang the late Peter White of the Lancs Telegraph at home and he refused to believe me as Stan had told him that afternoon there was nothing in the rumours.

Longside4evr wrote:He was an old friend of Stan's and he persuaded him to come dont think it was an omelette that did the trick though

I always thought it was Mitchell Thomas that told Stan "Wrighty was looking for a club" ... and the rest was history.

Clarets Mad confirms this....

-During a telephone conversation with Burnley defender and old friend Mitchell Thomas, Wright was considering packing in football to concentrate on his growing television career, and then Thomas asks "Why don't you come and play for us?"-

As for what was I doing ... Night Shift

I thought it was because he was a mate of Mitchell Thomas?

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/n ... it-for-me/

Can't remember where I was when I found out but I think his first game was Wigan at home (I think... or at least first home game) remember the Turf being packed and rocking. Finished 0:0 if my memory serves.

Couldn't believe all the hype that surrounded the Paul Gascoigne signing over 20,000 fans flocked to see him play one of the worst players to pull the famous shirt on for us.
It must have been to get a glimpse of Sheryl

My dad rang me at work to tell me, only time my dad has ever rung me at work to this day

My dad worked at Baxi behind Gawthorpe, and came home that evening to say his mate had seen Wright arriving.

We told him not to be daft and what reason would he have being there.

One hour later we found out

wilks_bfc wrote:My dad worked at Baxi

I was there at the time..in which department did your dad work?

Dazzler wrote:I was there at the time..in which department did your dad work?

Couldn’t tell you tbh.
Was there a “stores” department?

I was driving home from work, along the A6033 from Oxenhope to Hebden Bridge, when on Radio Lancs, Howard Booth said something like "I'm going to try to verify this during the news, It's unbelievable." After the news he confirmed that Ian Wright had signed.

Almost crashed the car.

In Fort Lauderdale.
Was around lunch time with the time difference.
Kept going back on the tinternet to check.

Lived in West Didsbury at the time and came back from work in Manchester city centre to an answerphone message from my dad. My wife even got excited and she's not too bothered about football. Still got the North West News' coverage of the events somewhere in the attic on VHS. One of my favourite seasons as a Claret tbh.

Spending a fortune on clubcall to see if it was actually true.

19 years that is terrifying.

I was 'dossing out' with some mates from school who lived up heasendford way. Never used to knock about up there and heard the news up there and thought they were all having me on. Got back and checked teletext religiously to ensure it wasnt bullshit. Tbh i couldnt believe celtic had got him never mind us. He still was a very good player and only recently been a top top player breaking that goalscoring record. Still in great shape. It was buzzing.

At the time was in process of moving from burnley to barlick and spent the week desperate to get tickets. Eventually got them and all of my mates stayed over at ours on the friday with excitement building. Played on some **** playstation game called this is football and made up burnley and ian wright. Playing it non stop.

Was so excited. Probably most ever for a game. Was an important match too and the gate and atmosphere was incredible for a third tier game. Was the biggest anticlimax ever though. Much like the pne and gillingham games that season. Yet we still managed to do it.

I left the notts county game early and missed his goal. In fact never saw him score for us and was gutted.

Great season and amazing memories. One of my best ever memories.

the_fat_shearer wrote:I thought it was because he was a mate of Mitchell Thomas?

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/n ... it-for-me/

Can't remember where I was when I found out but I think his first game was Wigan at home (I think... or at least first home game) remember the Turf being packed and rocking. Finished 0:0 if my memory serves.

Colchester away was a sellout because of Wrighty....

wilks_bfc wrote:Couldn’t tell you tbh.
Was there a “stores” department?

I worked in/with stores for the last 6/7 years before it shut...I've an idea who your dad might be if 'wilks' is anything to go by.

Dazzler wrote:I worked in/with stores for the last 6/7 years before it shut...I've an idea who your dad might be if 'wilks' is anything to go by.

“Wilks” can be gone by and as said I’m his “son”

If you’re thinking of a Tony then you’ll be right

How close was he to scoring on his debut? Ball just nicked off his toe as he was about to shoot, really close to the end of the game. Would have been the icing on the cake!

wilks_bfc wrote:If you’re thinking of a Tony then you’ll be right

I think so..

As it was February 14th I was making love to a beautiful woman and the news passed me by.

I got out of bed really early because I was driving from Edinburgh to Ipswich. The news was all over the radio. I remember th3 day well because I made an important 'signing' of my own in Ipswich, bought a Harrier Jump Jet for £31,000. It's now in the national museum of flight in Scotland.

Ternent and Wright were friends at Palace.

Post 20.. Wright’s first match was definitely Colchester (A)
I drove there from Wimbledon round the M25 it took me ages.
I got there at 2.30pm I had no ticket so I waited for the coaches to arrive. No one had any spares. Then I saw a young lady I knew (JC if she reads this) who had a big connection with BFC back then. She had about a dozen tickets she had got from the players.. I got one, the others got dished out, and I was in. It was full, 6000, (Layer Rd?)..
I cannot remember the score, it was a draw or win, not sure how many minutes Wrighty got..?

** He did well for us.. saw him come on late at Oxford United away when we got 2 late goals..? - Wright scored or assisted..

We were guests of Frank Teasdale that day and he bought us a great lunch at ‘The Trout’ on the river at Oxford.
Good times.

Almost soiled myself.

I remember his first home game because incredibly it was pay on't gate for Wigan in the Cricketfield.

Naturally there were loads of Burnley fans in the Cricketfield, including a last minute dash for me.

The police were pulling out Burnley fans all match. It was like a who's who of Clarets in there.

hampsteadclaret wrote:Post 20.. Wright’s first match was definitely Colchester (A)

Wright's first match was most definitely Wigan at home the week before Colchester away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQb01Y8Enp0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


https://www.11v11.com/teams/burnley/tab ... ason/2000/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He's turned into a right old fart anyway...Give me joey Barton every time!

Incredible when the news broke on Radio Lancs that we were signing him. The signing was actually done 19 years ago today on the 16th Feb.

hampsteadclaret wrote:Post 20.. Wright’s first match was definitely Colchester (A)

That was his first away game and the only away game he started for us, but his debut was the home game against Wigan as previously posted.

I find it disappointing that he never really has a good word to say about us nowadays. But he certianly gave the whole place a lift at the right time.

Oshkoshclaret wrote:I got out of bed really early because I was driving from Edinburgh to Ipswich. The news was all over the radio. I remember th3 day well because I made an important 'signing' of my own in Ipswich, bought a Harrier Jump Jet for £31,000. It's now in the national museum of flight in Scotland.

Out of interest, why did you buy the plane? Was it in an auction? How did it come to end up in the museum in Scotland?

Hendrickxz wrote:I find it disappointing that he never really has a good word to say about us nowadays. But he certianly gave the whole place a lift at the right time.

You are spot on with both. He seems to be quite anti-Burnley at times but I don't think I've ever known a signing lift the place like his did.

TheFamilyCat wrote:As it was February 14th I was making love to a beautiful woman and the news passed me by.

Was it the Bishop of Penrith's daughter?

TheFamilyCat wrote:As it was February 14th I was making love to a beautiful woman and the news passed me by.

The news was on the 14th, the signing was on the 16th.

South West Claret. wrote:An old friend of Stan's? How I can't recall them being at the same club together.

Love it when people dont take that extra few seconds to research before they post...

A teacher told us at school- we could not believe it! Days you remember, just like when Eyres left

South West Claret. wrote:An old friend of Stan's? How I can't recall them being at the same club together.

Crystal Palace in the late 80s when Stan was assistant manager under Steve Coppell.

Loyalclaret wrote:A teacher told us at school- we could not believe it! Days you remember, just like when Eyres left

Driving back from UCLAN, on the A59 by the Saab garage

Saw it on Teletext; double checked it on Ceefax!
Think I might have been playing Bamboozle at the time.