A rather nice piece on the Spurs website:

https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/2 ... ing-ralph/

What a legend.

The word ‘Legend’ was invented for Ralph Coates my all time Clarets hero.

One of the best, yes the very best!
As ever we are a selling club but at least we got a very good fee for Ralph.
Hunter Davis in his book The Glory Days relates how Spurs players initially mocked Ralph for his lack of modernity and dress sense. Burnley had no Carnaby street or Kings road!

Given his success with us I was surprised he was seldom a regular at Spurs. He did score and win a cup final for them but he never had the impact he did for us.

The brilliant Ralph - loved by the fans of both clubs. I also remember his goals against us for Orient on the opening day of the 1979/80 season. What a reception he got that day from the few of us there.

Back in 2009, Richard Oldroyd interviewed him for a potential book we were trying to publish. The book, sadly, never happened, but here is Richard's interview with Ralph.

https://www.uptheclarets.com/an-intervi ... lph-coates

Excellent article that. I just missed out on seeing Ralph Coates but my dad rated him very highly.

My all time favourite Claret. He briefly dated a girl from Littleborough who worked with my Dad. She told my Dad what time he was picking her up so we stood outside our house on Todmorden Rd to watch his Cortina go by. My dad came home from work the day after with an autograph signed "Best Wishes Raymond, Ralph Coates". I still have it!!

Yer some player i must say

Apparently Ralph was incredulous at the fee, £190,000, that we received from Tottenham in May 1971. It seems that was the very same month that we rejected a bid from Leeds for Dave Thomas, even Lord would have struggled to justify selling two of our prize assets at the same time. Nevertheless, it was only in October of the following year that Thomas was on his way to QPR for £165,000. Two sizeable amounts for Burnley at that particular time.

Royboyclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 3:26 pm

Apparently Ralph was incredulous at the fee, £190,000, that we received from Tottenham in May 1971. It seems that was the very same month that we rejected a bid from Leeds for Dave Thomas, even Lord would have struggled to justify selling two of our prize assets at the same time. Nevertheless, it was only in October of the following year that Thomas was on his way to QPR for £165,000. Two sizeable amounts for Burnley at that particular time.

Never received an offer from Leeds for Thomas

bobinho wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 1:47 pm

Excellent article that. I just missed out on seeing Ralph Coates but my dad rated him very highly.

You will also have missed the crowds chanting "Oh Ralphy Coates is wonderful, oh Ralphy Coates is wonderful. Full of health, full of go, full of vigour, oh Ralphy Coates is wonderful." (My recollection of the words may not be 100% accurate).

UTC

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 3:58 pm

Never received an offer from Leeds for Thomas

Seems that Revie was providing incorrect information, then......Or was he?

Royboyclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 4:18 pm

Seems that Revie was providing incorrect information, then......Or was he?

Article published today with the comments from our club. I suppose it’s who you believe, Adamson or Revie.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 4:20 pm

Article published today with the comments from our club. I suppose it’s who you believe, Adamson or Revie.

So Adamson was accepting there had been "an inquiry" in May'71 even if not an official offer?

Royboyclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 4:34 pm

So Adamson was accepting there had been "an inquiry" in May'71 even if not an official offer?

That’s what he said but there again I would find it difficult to believe much of what Adamson said too. What we do know is that in 1968 we refused to allow Willie Morgan to sign for Leeds.

I grew up in the house he lived in. There used to be a hook in the ceiling by the front window where he'd sit in a hanging chair. Mum tells me we've got a copy of Ralph's marriage certificate in the with deeds too.

He lived on Herschel Avenue in Ightenhill, just round the corner from us. He was a really nice guy, as well as my favourite ever Claret. Legend.

Claretitus wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 7:33 pm

He lived on Herschel Avenue in Ightenhill, just round the corner from us. He was a really nice guy, as well as my favourite ever Claret. Legend.

Struggle to meet anyone nicer than Ralph. He was always so respectful of both Burnley & Spurs too. If he said something positive about one of us he would always say something positive about the other.

Spurs used to interview an ex player on the pitch perimeter at half time. I think it was the League Cup semi in 2009 and the player was Ralph. Terrific gesture from Spurs to conduct the interview right in front of the Burnley fans. I think there were suggestions that he might always be a Claret but what a reception he got.

Became a brilliant player for us when he was here, there and every f***ing where.

Recall the interviewer asking him the awkward question of who he was supporting in that semi final. Still had the speed of thought as he fielded it very diplomatically by saying he hoped Spurs could win through but that he hoped as much that Burnley would be promoted during the same campaign.

Yeah remember him being interviewed that night at White Hart Lane in the League cup semi final, Ralph Coates is a definite starter in my all time Burnley FC starting 11.

Ralph was hardly prolific when it came to goalscoring and always appeared happiest when setting up opportunities for his teammates. However, when he did score, they were often very special goals and none moreso than in the home game against Liverpool in April'66.

It was a game to remember and Willie Irvine put us ahead with an amazing header from the edge of the box before Ralphy took over in the second half. He picked up a clearance in the centre circle and ploughed 40 yards through deep mud before lobbing the ball over the onrushing Tommy Lawrence in the Liverpool goal. That was Ralph at his very best and we finished the season third in Division One just six points behind Champions Liverpool.

Ralph Coates was a superb player for us and then later for Tottenham.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 8:09 pm

Struggle to meet anyone nicer than Ralph. He was always so respectful of both Burnley & Spurs too. If he said something positive about one of us he would always say something positive about the other.

Spurs used to interview an ex player on the pitch perimeter at half time. I think it was the League Cup semi in 2009 and the player was Ralph. Terrific gesture from Spurs to conduct the interview right in front of the Burnley fans. I think there were suggestions that he might always be a Claret but what a reception he got.

Became a brilliant player for us when he was here, there and every f***ing where.

That interview, and Defoe's massive hat, are my abiding memories of that night

I stopped for fuel in Hertfordshire in the 80's and paid with my "Burnley Football Club" credit card. The lady cashier said "Ah Burnley, Ralph Coates lives near me'"

Guitargeorge wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 9:08 pm

I stopped for fuel in Hertfordshire in the 80's and paid with my "Burnley Football Club" credit card. The lady cashier said "Ah Burnley, Ralph Coates lives near me'"

That says it all George.UTC.

Fading memories of Ralph haring down the wing with
hair a la Booby Charlton and opposing full back chasing after
but Ralph always seem to get a unbelievable cross into the penalty area.
Everytime he got the ball Burnley fans got excited because we knew
and hoped he could create something which he invariably did.
Probably the best crosser of the ball I've ever seen.
And a great bloke too.

To have a Ralph Coates in our team today.

He always gave 110%

Total respect !

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 4:42 pm

That’s what he said but there again I would find it difficult to believe much of what Adamson said too. What we do know is that in 1968 we refused to allow Willie Morgan to sign for Leeds.

I'm glad Willie Morgan didn't go to Leeds. Morgan, Coates and James: three of our finest wingers ever.

The best player I have seen in Claret and blue and I have seen a few.

I have often wondered how Ralph would have done in the 72/73 and 73/74 teams. I reckon he would have made an excellent team into an outstanding team. He did well at Spurs but I think he would have been even better if he stayed.

Cirrus_Minor wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 25, 2020 1:57 pm

The best player I have seen in Claret and blue and I have seen a few.

I have often wondered how Ralph would have done in the 72/73 and 73/74 teams. I reckon he would have made an excellent team into an outstanding team. He did well at Spurs but I think he would have been even better if he stayed.

Knowing Ralph it's more than likely that he didn't particularly want to go, although the fact that he doubled his salary will have softened the blow. Also worth remembering that by '73/'74 Leighton James was firmly established in the wide left position.

It really was all about Bob Lord and his by now insistence that any player worth a reasonable amount would be next on the outward conveyor belt. We've talked about Coates and Thomas higher up the thread from '71 and '72 and of course some 22 months after Thomas departed he was followed by Martin Dobson for £300,000 to Everton.

Even back to Pilky in '61 he certainly did not want to leave. He'd just scored two goals on the Turf in the first leg of the European Cup quarter-final against Hamburg, but before the second leg came round he was a Bolton player. That's how it was with Lord, sadly.

Royboyclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 25, 2020 2:31 pm

Knowing Ralph it's more than likely that he didn't particularly want to go, although the fact that he doubled his salary will have softened the blow. Also worth remembering that by '73/'74 Leighton James was firmly established in the wide left position.

It really was all about Bob Lord and his by now insistence that any player worth a reasonable amount would be next on the outward conveyor belt. We've talked about Coates and Thomas higher up the thread from '71 and '72 and of course some 22 months after Thomas departed he was followed by Martin Dobson for £300,000 to Everton.

Even back to Pilky in '61 he certainly did not want to leave. He'd just scored two goals on the Turf in the first leg of the European Cup quarter-final against Hamburg, but before the second leg came round he was a Bolton player. That's how it was with Lord, sadly.

Leighton James was established on the left wing but that’s not where Coates played for us for much of his last three seasons at Burnley. He played inside with Kindon mainly on the wing.

We did try to sign him back at one point but it didn’t materialise. He was another player who I doubt would have rushed back to play for Adamson.