Incredible day out in 1972 - great winning goal, superb performance in front of over 30,000 and MOTD there to witness it.

See link
https://www.uptheclarets.com/match-of-t ... ing-winner

Jimmy Mullen in the Sheff W Side....

Eyres_11 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 11:00 am

Jimmy Mullen in the Sheff W Side....

A very young Jimmy Mullen too - he's just a few months younger than me so he was either 19 or 20.

A special day for me as this was my first Clarets away game, shoehorned in to a car with my Dad and several of his mates.
It may have been in deference to my presence, but we sat in the main stand, level with the 18 yard line at the Leppings Lane End with the Clarets' contingent to our left and being aware that the MOTD cameras were present, it seemed a very special occasion as there were only two matches covered by the show each Saturday. The atmosphere and setting was spectacular as I don't think that I had seen so many people together in the same place before.
I remember asking my dad why the Burney fans were booing one of the Owls' players. "It's Peter Swan, he was banned for throwing away matches on the the pitch" was the reply. In my 9 year old mind I thought he was some kind of arsonist.
I remember the goal and Dad still ribs me about how I leaped up, punching the air in celebration after Taffy had thumped it home. I certainly remember that goal featuring in Goal Of The Month, did it win? And I remember watching it all again on tv that evening.
I remember having that programme, and some years later, as Eyres11 pointed out, realising that I had seen our then manager play for Wednesday.

Little was I to know that I would return to Hillsborough the following season for an FA Cup Semi Final, and that two years after that I would see Peter Rodriguez receive the FA Cup from the Queen at Wembley (the last player to do so) when my Granddad come up in the lottery for tickets.

I can still remember having the pound note in my hand as Swan came towards the Burnley fans when the teams came out. He took it well. He'd lost a great career too, would probably have been in the 1966 World Cup squad alongside Bobby Moore at the back.

Didn't really want to mention FA Cup semis but my mate who was so impressed with us that day was at the opposite end at Hillsborough in that semi. He's a good lad, we are still very much in contact, and he has never mentioned it.

Just a fantastic day though was Hillsborough in 1972 and one thing that shows how times have changed. I bumped into a Burnley mate and neighbour in the pub before the game and he passed on a message from my mum. How did we cope without phones?

We were in the main stand, as soon as it left Taffy's foot, I knew it was going in. I recall even the most partisan Wednesday supporters around us clapped.

Loved watching that team.We played lovely flowing football and we got results.Some real class players in there !

A great win that sent out a message to the rest of the division and an outstanding strike from Leighton James, down at their Kop end, to win it.
Plenty of names for the opposition that I usually associate with other clubs: Peter Rodriguez who four years later would lift the FA Cup for Southampton, Willie Henderson at Rangers and Johnny Siddons at West Ham.

Another I always associate with another club is Peter Grummitt who had been at Forest for years.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 11:36 am

A very young Jimmy Mullen too - he's just a few months younger than me so he was either 19 or 20.

How many managers have played against us, can think of Dyche, Coyle, Cotterill? maybe heath?

Eyres_11 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 12:25 pm

How many managers have played against us, can think of Dyche, Coyle, Cotterill? maybe heath?

I think Heath might have played against us for Stoke in the FA Cup in 1980. Dyche did, not sure about Coyle or Cotterill although he might have played against us for Bournemouth. Howe definitely played against us for Bournemouth, he scored his first ever goal on the Turf.

Excellent article that brings back memories of one of my favourite ever away days, the last game of the season at PNE being my absolute favourite.

The teacher you mention in the article will be 87 now if alive. I wonder if she is and if she still wraps up and engages in all the other vices she was encouraging children to try. Incredible!

Great to read these pieces. I remember once walking back from Hillsborough to Hunters Bar. Seemed to take forever up and down hills. Simpler times !

You are right Tony.Heath was in the stoke team.Highlights on YouTube

https://youtu.be/m0oUt5ATplY

Did Laws play against us ?

LS7 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 1:45 pm

Great to read these pieces. I remember once walking back from Hillsborough to Hunters Bar. Seemed to take forever up and down hills. Simpler times !

I doubt I could do that walk now. Some of those Sheffield hills make Brunshaw Road past the Turf look nothing.

LS7 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 1:47 pm

Did Laws play against us ?

Possibly League Cup in 90/91

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 2:17 pm

Possibly League Cup in 90/91

Definetly played in the 0-1 home defeat in the 2nd leg. Remember him at the end of the game turning to applaud the Longside. John Bond was on the wrong end of some defeats in the 60's, especially at Turf Moor.

Remember it like yesterday!
Terrific goal by Taffy right in front of me.
I remember very well one unsavoury incident in the crowd near the end. It was the run up to Bonfire night and a young 'gentleman' threw a firework under a police horse. Plods not amused..justifiably...and to the cry of "get him" he was restrained by a couple of fans equally not amused handed over and dragged behind a wall. The groans that transpired suggested the Plods gave him more than a penny for the Guy!....not justified! Long time ago

Rumpelstiltskin wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 11:59 am

Loved watching that team.We played lovely flowing football and we got results.Some real class players in there !

I think at least 4 of that team - Casper, Dobson, Fletcher and James - would be first choice in our current team. With Thomas as well of course.

Honorable mentions to Stevenson and Newton.

brunlea99 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 2:36 pm

I think at least 4 of that team - Casper, Dobson, Fletcher and James - would be first choice in our current team. With Thomas as well of course.

Honorable mentions to Stevenson and Newton.

Would be interesting to be able to add those players to the current squad. Keith Newton would walk in at right back and some of the others would be challenging for a place of that there's no doubt.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 2:16 pm

I doubt I could do that walk now. Some of those Sheffield hills make Brunshaw Road past the Turf look nothing.

When the Tour de France went through Yorkshire one year, I think it had it's steepest climb in Wincobank, in the east of Sheffield.

Newton, Casper, Dobson and James, along with Thomas, but I wouldn't select Fletcher in the current 1st XI.

I was at the game and remember the home crowd getting over excited about Willie Henderson but he really did nothing to threaten us. The Leighton James goal was a beauty.

A strange thing happened when I was there. One of my 'acquaintances' said he had come prepared in case there was any 'aggro'. I asked what he meant and he said he had come with a chair leg down his trousers .

Remember this game well. I was sat high up in the Leppings Lane End stand and was right behind James's shot for the goal. It was a really impressive display by the Clarets and the 1-0 scoreline doesn't reflect the difference in class shown by the Clarets.

I live in South Yorkshire and I bought the Sheffied Star on the Monday following the game. The match report in the Star was gushing at the Claret's performance and, if I recall the report correctly, it started along the lines of 'Burnley brought the best Second Division side seen at Hillsborough for many, many years'.

We were stood on the big open end until we were politely advised by some Wednesday supporters that we'd appreciate the view much better from the Leppings Lane end. They very sportingly escorted us onto the pitch too, to cross over to the covered end.

If I remember correctly, MOTD had George Best on that night and he heaped praise on Taffy's goal. I haven't been able to locate the goal but I came across this interview with him with Alastair Campbell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJnJsdu ... amesPontin

It shows both Taffy's goals against Luton and two more belters. I'm not sure who they were against but I'm sure someone can come up with something. I thought one of them might have been against Coventry.

I think it was the only time Leighton James actually cut in and scored, the rest of the time the corner flag and a characteristic limp afterwards.

I was on the Leppings Lane terrace.

I was in my final year at Uni, and I went up on the train from Birmingham New Street.

I was sat in the longside stand to the left of Leppings Lane end. I'm not sure why as my dad was usually too tight to pay for such luxury - though even that far back, he wasn't fond of the Leppings Lane.

Great view of Taffy's goal.

dougcollins wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:04 pm

I was sat in the longside stand to the left of Leppings Lane end. I'm not sure why as my dad was usually too tight to pay for such luxury - though even that far back, he wasn't fond of the Leppings Lane.

Great view of Taffy's goal.

No surprise on the Leppings Lane comment. It really did have problems.

Really pleased this game has brought so much comment today. Was a very good Performance.

Quicknick wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 3:35 pm

Newton, Casper, Dobson and James, along with Thomas, but I wouldn't select Fletcher in the current 1st XI.

Doug Collins made that team tick. Underrated genius.

I think Taffy had about 7or8 goals by this stage of the season and then didn't score again until the penultimate game of the season v Luton at home. Stand to be corrected on this, though.

I was in Leppings Lane, someone else said this one and PNE were most memorable that year. Also remember a bunch of Burnley fans in open end, having to come across field to Leppings lane, some went to help from Leppings.

dougcollins wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:14 pm

Doug Collins made that team tick. Underrated genius.

Indeed, Doug: you were brilliant.

I recall a miserable middle-aged Wednesday fan moaning to my dad at the end of the game: 'All right, you won, but surely you can't be happy with that performance'.

My dad, a little bemused, responded, 'Not happy? - I'm absolutely bloody delighted!'

Silkyskills1 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:47 pm

I think Taffy had about 7or8 goals by this stage of the season and then didn't score again until the penultimate game of the season v Luton at home. Stand to be corrected on this, though.

Nearly, Silky.
He scored also in the previous game, at home to Brighton.

vancouverclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 15, 2020 1:00 am

I was in Leppings Lane, someone else said this one and PNE were most memorable that year. Also remember a bunch of Burnley fans in open end, having to come across field to Leppings lane, some went to help from Leppings.

A bunch that included one fatboy. It was a grim few minutes on the east bank before kick off, and a few Burnley fans got a real kicking.. Including me... I was glad to be on the pitch and dodging the plod in a sprint to the Leppings end.

And having a couple of half bricks shatter the train window right by me just outside Sheffield Station rounded off a scary day.

The Waterloo mob went on their end along with a few others.

The lads starting singing come on Burnley and it kicked off big style leading to an organised retreat over the pitch.

They had also been fighting with the Wednesday fans before the game and there was fun and games afterwards, leading to the train being bricked.

Some of that crew were basically mental and made a habit of going on the home end.

I know that 4 or 5 posters on here were in that crew. Be interesting to hear an account from someone who was actually there.....

In addition to the footy bits i really enjoy the social history aspect of these articles. Great read.

I was on the open end that day. We had decided to try to “take” Wednesday’s end and 2-300 of us ventured in. We were too cocky by half and were soon surrounded by a baying mob and half a dozen cops who didn’t fancy it. To be fair, we held out for about half an hour until it was decided that we had to get out. It’s a long way from the top of that end to the pitch and we took a real pasting on the way down. It was a relief to get onto the pitch and then watch us win from the relative peace of the Leppings Lane. Getting back to the station after was “interesting “. Par for the course in those days.

My favourite ever Claret.

Staniola wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:33 pm

I was on the open end that day. We had decided to try to “take” Wednesday’s end and 2-300 of us ventured in. We were too cocky by half and were soon surrounded by a baying mob and half a dozen cops who didn’t fancy it. To be fair, we held out for about half an hour until it was decided that we had to get out. It’s a long way from the top of that end to the pitch and we took a real pasting on the way down. It was a relief to get onto the pitch and then watch us win from the relative peace of the Leppings Lane. Getting back to the station after was “interesting “. Par for the course in those days.

I was one of the 300 or so. Not our best decision, although we held our ground for a long time.

vancouverclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 15, 2020 1:00 am

I was in Leppings Lane, someone else said this one and PNE were most memorable that year. Also remember a bunch of Burnley fans in open end, having to come across field to Leppings lane, some went to help from Leppings.

That's what I posted above, but I'd add Blackpool away on the Boxing Day. What a triumvirate.

Dave Thomas would be worth pushing £40 million today.
If not more.
No sh1t.