I keep watching the replay of the Chris Wood header that was ruled out on Saturday – such a shame it didn’t count. It was just sheer perfection: great close control and trickery from Dwight to give himself space to make the cross; a cross hit with perfect pace, curve, and height; Chris smashing home a bullet header, superbly placed, that bulged the net.
Got me thinking about memorable headed goals I have seen scored at the Turf. There was Fletch doing his ‘leap like a salmon, hover like a hawk’ routine to plant Taff’s diagonal cross into the corner of the Villa net at the Cricket Field End in the FA Cup 6th Round 1-0 win in ’74; Ian Britton. the smallest player on the pitch, ghosting in between Orient’s big defenders with a perfectly timed run to glance home that vital goal in May ’87; but I remember one which goes down as one of the best goals I have ever seen – Peter Noble in the 4-1 win over Newcastle in November ’74. Ian Brennan goes galloping down the left wing in front of the Longside in typical fashion and at full tilt just gets to the ball before the goalline near the corner flag, somehow wraps his boot around the ball and cracks over an outswinging cross that never got above shoulder height, and Uwe is steaming in to take off in a horizontal dive to connect with the ball around the penalty spot to rocket a header into the top corner. Magnificent. Well that’s how I remember it anyway.

the one i scored against padiham west end was my all time fave, perfect corner, and a clump of thug defenders surrounding me, I rose like a phoenix from the mud, and somehow, without me knowing anything about it, it gently arced into the top left corner as the hapless keeper was stomped into the quagmire which was once a six yard box.

Willie Irvine once leapt several feet in the air to score a cracker - was it against Liverpool about '65?

Andy Cooke vs Plymouth 1998

Jack Cork v Preston.

Also, Jack Cork v Swansea

Andy Lochead.

Sam Vokes has scored a few good ones!

Steve Davis II at Oxford, headed it in from outside the penalty area even though the keeper was in his goal.

[Edit - just inside the area, on further review. Weller scored possibly the greatest headed goal of his career in the same game!]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6xt_9ukCF4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://streamja.com/j1Xl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This isn't bad either: https://www.nbcsports.com/video/burnley ... highlights" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This from Charlie Austin:

https://youtu.be/KCDVsfVofSM?t=71" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Andy Lochhead could head the ball AND the keeper into the net at the same time.

I remember Roger Eli scoring with a belting header at the Turf but I can't remember who it was against. Help

.

Gareth Taylor is the greatest header of a ball i've seen at Burnley in my lifetime. Wood and Austin are up there. I guess with every great header of the ball there is a team mate who provides great service..

Taylor had Super Glenn
Austin had Trippier
Wood has McNeil

Croydon Claret wrote:I remember Roger Eli scoring with a belting header at the Turf but I can't remember who it was against. Help

Derby County in the 1st cup game I think.

Charlie Austin was the man for headers, probably at his best with us.

Vokesy v Wolves

Vokesy v Newcastle

Gareth Taylor v Wolves

Pender v Halifax

Lehktov (Bulgaria) v Germany in ‘94

Vokes as well, his goal at Southampton a few years ago was superb

That Austin header against us for Saints that Heaton somehow clawed away was a cracker

Croydon Claret wrote:I remember Roger Eli scoring with a belting header at the Turf but I can't remember who it was against. Help

Made all the better by scoring it Peter Shilton

He scored a better header later in the season at home to Scarborough. Mick Conroy with a great run and right foot cross and Eli buried it in front of the Bee Hole.

Gareth Taylor at home to Wolves December 2002 was a cracker too

And not forgetting my boyhood hero, Billy Hamilton scored a few...

Paul Fletcher was good.

Gareth Taylor heading in a Robbie Blake cross against Wolves remains one of my favourite ever goals. Taylor brought it down, gave it to Blake, made a looping run and after Robbie had bamboozled a couple of defenders he planted a cross right where Taylor’s run was taking him. Absolute class.

All of the above mentioned could head a ball.

So could Jay Rod in his first spell.

1) Big Sam vs Newcastle

2) Me on Whitebirk Playing Fields Ipswich when I amazed myself by scoring from a similar distance.

Rouwens_Weapon wrote:Gareth Taylor is the greatest header of a ball i've seen at Burnley in my lifetime. Wood and Austin are up there. I guess with every great header of the ball there is a team mate who provides great service..

Taylor had Super Glenn
Austin had Trippier
Wood has McNeil

Yes Gareth Taylor along with Sam Vokes...But Andy Lochead was in the memory bank first.

basil6345789 wrote:Willie Irvine once leapt several feet in the air to score a cracker - was it against Liverpool about '65?

That's the one, the header of all headers. April'66 at the Bee Hole End, Alex Elder crossed from the left and Irvine rose to power home a header from the very corner of the 18 yard box. Sensational and never seen one better since.

Jason Shackell when he was as brave as a chicken ( Sean Dyche's words ) at Ewood park.

What a day

I was gutted that Wood's goal was chalked off, it was a beauty. I recall Andy Carroll got a decent one for England going back a few tournaments.

5-1 win over Spurs about '67, ball worked out to Ralph Coates from kick off.
Ralph's blistering pace took him past a defender before swinging an early cross to the back stick for Andy Lochhead to nod in.
Classic winger- centre forward goal.

Just as an individual goal Andy Gray V Norwich when we won 4-1 at their place. It was on TV and the replay made it look even better, it seemed to curl in.

Herts Clarets wrote: He scored a better header later in the season at home to Scarborough. Mick Conroy with a great run and right foot cross and Eli buried it in front of the Bee Hole.

..

That's the one I was thinking of. Cheers

Edit: about 1 minute in
https://youtu.be/02236dG8lX4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I seem to remember a game against Sheffield United. We went one down, then equalised just before half time. In the second half Derek Scott scored from a diving header at the end of a sweeping end to end move. We won 3 v 1

Eli v Derby and Taylor v Wolverhampton were the pick for me and thank you to the poster who said Blake crossed it. Couldn't think who it was. Taylor used to get criticised for only scoring with his head. Top player was Taylor.

Not the greatest headed goal but Ian Moore at Bradford in injury sticks in the mind just because we were in deep at the time and sent a massive following home happy.

This was a good one.

https://youtu.be/ZtudMG__HEA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nugent v Sunderland
Papadopolus v Stoke?

No specific goals but Paul Fletcher is the best header of a ball I’ve seen at Burnley

Billy Hamilton Boxing day v the mags (cant remember the year)...brilliant diving header

ClaretTony wrote:No specific goals but Paul Fletcher is the best header of a ball I’ve seen at Burnley

Fletcher was very good, but would you have him ahead of Andy Lochhead and Willie Irvine in the heading department?

Vokes scored one from outside the box against Newcastle last year.

Royboyclaret wrote:Fletcher was very good, but would you have him ahead of Andy Lochhead and Willie Irvine in the heading department?

Miles ahead of them as a header of a ball

A few examples of Jay leaping like a salmon in his 2012 player of the year video.
https://youtu.be/NeIhHSU58D8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rouwens_Weapon wrote:Gareth Taylor is the greatest header of a ball i've seen at Burnley in my lifetime

He's right up there with Lochhead and Fletch, et al.

Marvellous header of the ball was GT.

[quote="ElectroClaret"]He's right up there with Lochhead and Fletch, et al.

Totally agree, in 58 years of watching the Clarets those two were the best IMO.

We have been blessed over the years but Andy Lochhead was the best by a country mile.
Fletcher, Taylor, Austin and Vokes were very good.
One who I haven’t seen mentioned above was Ray Hankin, quite wonderful in the air.

I seem to recall Neil Moore scoring with a header from either the edge of the penalty area or just outside against York City. The memory is a little vague, but I seem to think we came back from a goal down to win 7-1, Andy Cooke scored a hat-trick and a ball that rolled off the Bob Lord Stand hit a steward or policeman on the head.

Can anyone confirm any of that? I'm sure I wasn't dreaming!

Zom Zom wrote:I seem to recall Neil Moore scoring with a header from either the edge of the penalty area or just outside against York City. The memory is a little vague, but I seem to think we came back from a goal down to win 7-1, Andy Cooke scored a hat-trick and a ball that rolled off the Bob Lord Stand hit a steward or policeman on the head.

Can anyone confirm any of that? I'm sure I wasn't dreaming!

Think it finished 7-2 and do recall the ball bouncing off someone's head possibly the linesman. Think Brass might have scored in that game.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G8cwiDR8JJM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here you go, Burnley 7-2 York. Winstanley blunder for the first goal!!

Colin Waldron vs Man City, Charity Shield 1973:

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

Favourite player, favourite Burnley team, favourite goal!

Great? For me yes.

ClaretTony wrote:Miles ahead of them as a header of a ball

Quite a claim CT. Like you I saw plenty of all three and although I'd choose Andy Lochhead I can definitely see an argument for Paul Fletcher but 'miles ahead'? I'm not too sure about that.

Shaun McGrory v Torquay, 1988. Edge of the box over the out coming keeper. Lee Sharpe came on as sub in his last game before going to Man United.