Much talk about Ronaldo being past it at 37. So who was the oldest player that you have seen play for the Clarets and which ancient has played against us at the Turf in your lifetime?

I maybe wrong in this but I thought Tony Waiters was quite old when he played. for Burnley in the 1970s. I do remember that he had forgotten the rule change about what a keepers was allowed to do and gave away an embarrassing freekick in the box - and the opposition scored from it?
( too many steps with the ball or picking up a back pass?)

I think Teddy Sheringham played against us when he was quite old?

I've no idea how old he was but I always felt like Ron Futcher was about 65 !

Graham Alexander @ 39 years old probably ... off the top of my head

Probably, Peter Shilton in goal for Plymouth.

Tommy Hutchison must be up thereabouts.

Did Stanley Matthews appear at Turf Moor in his later years either with Stoke or Blackpool?

Stopped playing at the top level aged 50.

However, I can't claim to have seen Stanley Matthews on t'Turf. I started going on in 1967. He retired 1965.

elwaclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 7:19 pm

Probably, Peter Shilton in goal for Plymouth.

He would be mid 40's ... I'd forgotten that Elwa

Gordon Cowans must have been knocking on a bit when he played for us under Waddle

Shilton retired earlier than that. South all played later - I think he was coaching at Bradford City and was called up due to injuries. I don’t think he played after that, in the league at least.

Chris Woods or Alan Harper?

How old was Ian Wood? He probably looked a lot older than he was though

I'm sure I've seen Neville Southall on the Turf but can't think who he was playing for. He was still at Everton into his 40's.

Devils_Advocate wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 7:22 pm

Gordon Cowans must have been knocking on a bit when he played for us under Waddle

Reached 39 by then

Mr N Southall played at the Turf for Southend Utd post Everton days

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 7:37 pm

Reached 39 by then

Grezza a few months older than Cowan.

Paul Waine wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 7:21 pm

Did Stanley Matthews appear at Turf Moor in his later years either with Stoke or Blackpool?

Stopped playing at the top level aged 50.

However, I can't claim to have seen Stanley Matthews on t'Turf. I started going on in 1967. He retired 1965.

Unlucky. In their first season back in the top division he played 9 times but missed our 4-4 draw down there. He was injured before the return ont’Turf. He played again the following season to get to 50yo but had retired before our back to back games near the end of the season, possibly an Easter double up.
Could well have played against us whilst at Lashers though!

Not a competitive game but I watched Tom Finley play in the Tommy Cummings testimonial. The game finished 10-10, Finley would have been 41 or 42 but still showed a lot of skill.

Don’t know how to edit but previous post should read Finney not Finley. This was the only time I ever saw him in the flesh, but he played in the first match I watched on tv, the 1954 cup final.

Don't know why but I always thought Warren Aspinall was knocking on a bit but it turns out he's only 54 so never mind...probably Peter Shilton then.

Bosscat wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 7:21 pm

He would be mid 40's ... I'd forgotten that Elwa

I think Shilton was 44 when he played for Plymouthat the Turf, and I reckon that was the game Nathan Peel bagged a few on loan before we signed him permament. One volley from outside the box if I remember correctly.

Actually come to think of it I can't remember seeing Shilton, did Bruce Groballerar visit with Wrexham late 90's?

Transpennine wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:42 pm

I think Shilton was 44 when he played for Plymouthat the Turf, and I reckon that was the game Nathan Peel bagged a few on loan before we signed him permament. One volley from outside the box if I remember correctly.

He would be ... had forgotten that ... had to google it and yes Peel grabbed 2 and Mark Monno and Eyres 1 apiece ...

morpheus2 wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:48 pm

Actually come to think of it I can't remember seeing Shilton, did Bruce Groballerar visit with Wrexham late 90's?

Grobbelaar never played for Wrexham, but he did play at Turf for Plymouth

Transpennine wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:42 pm

I think Shilton was 44 when he played for Plymouthat the Turf, and I reckon that was the game Nathan Peel bagged a few on loan before we signed him permament. One volley from outside the box if I remember correctly.

I would never have thought of Shilton but he was 44, three weeks past his birthday when he played in that game.

John Burridge would be a reasonable guess for people of all ages and most grounds. Played in the top 17 leagues of the pyramid, made 2,683 appearances for 48 clubs between the ages of 16 and 63. He looked 48 at 14. Some of that is true.

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:05 pm

Grobbelaar never played for Wrexham, but he did play at Turf for Plymouth

Remember him being at Odham but not Plymouth. Not sure if he played on t'Turf for Oldham but definitely Remember him playing at Boundary Park.

I remember watching a testimonial game, or was it charity? Either way there were some old uns in that.

Stanley Matthews.
I don't remember when, other than early '60s. I don't remember the score.
I do remember Alex Elder being labelled "Stanley's Little Lamb" in one of the papers. His match instructions were to keep close to Matthews. This he did. He even followed Matthews when he ran round the back of the nets.

Was Burridge in goal when we beat Port Vale 7-0 under Bond?

I’m struggling with the fact that Ron Futcher is only 65 now. How has he remained 65 for over 30 years?

Culmclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 11, 2022 6:29 am

Was Burridge in goal when we beat Port Vale 7-0 under Bond?

Suddenly occurred to me that it was Barry Sidall in goal for Vale that day. For some reason I always get those two mixed up.

Probs Grezza though Shilton must have been in his 40’s at Plymouth . He played till late 40’s though mainly because he was a penniless gambling addicted drunk , but needs must and all that

Dale Stephens?

Gordonvale-we lost 2-1 Sir Stan was 45 and wandered all over the pitch and Elder followed leaving their right flank wide open which 'Pool exploited.
One of the daftest ideas of Potts. At 45 Stan was way passed his best but helped defeat us by his protean positions on the Turf and the limpet Elder following.

Pretty sure Sheringham only played against us for West Ham, I remember him going to Colchester but don't think he played us. He turned 40 when West Ham were back in the Prem so I think Alexander beats him by a matter of days.
Kazuyoshi Miura is still going at 54 in Japan, was still in their top-flight until December.

Tricky Trevor wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 7:59 pm

Unlucky. In their first season back in the top division he played 9 times but missed our 4-4 draw down there. He was injured before the return ont’Turf. He played again the following season to get to 50yo but had retired before our back to back games near the end of the season, possibly an Easter double up.
Could well have played against us whilst at Lashers though!

I don’t know whether the stats backed this up but I remember my dad saying that Matthews usually had a convenient injury when he should have been playing against Burnley - he didn’t fancy playing against the Burnley full backs.

There have been some very old chaps doing the half time drawer.

Claretforever wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 11, 2022 7:07 am

I’m struggling with the fact that Ron Futcher is only 65 now. How has he remained 65 for over 30 years?

He has chained his twin brother up in the loft and gone the full dorian grey.

Duffer_ wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:30 pm

John Burridge would be a reasonable guess for people of all ages and most grounds. Played in the top 17 leagues of the pyramid, made 2,683 appearances for 48 clubs between the ages of 16 and 63. He looked 48 at 14. Some of that is true.

Burridge is the name that immediately came to me.

mdd2 wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 11, 2022 11:12 am

Gordonvale-we lost 2-1 Sir Stan was 45 and wandered all over the pitch and Elder followed leaving their right flank wide open which 'Pool exploited.
One of the daftest ideas of Potts. At 45 Stan was way passed his best but helped defeat us by his protean positions on the Turf and the limpet Elder following.

I was at that game. Elder must have felt like a proper fool following Matthews around like a puppy dog and Sir Stan must have been pi$$ing himself laughing.

I saw Sir Bobby Charlton playing for Man U at the Turf in 1973? (0-0). He must have been getting on and very close to the end by then, but the problem of course was he ALWAYS looked old so difficult to say.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:08 pm

I would never have thought of Shilton but he was 44, three weeks past his birthday when he played in that game.

Was it 4-2 to us? I'd have been 15 but remembered him from Italia 90 as a god, and then turning up at the turf as a quite short overweight fella who looked and moved slower than my grandad.

On the plus side, he made Nathan Peel look good*

* these could be 2 separate games but it works for me.

Transpennine wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 11, 2022 10:06 pm

Was it 4-2 to us? I'd have been 15 but remembered him from Italia 90 as a god, and then turning up at the turf as a quite short overweight fella who looked and moved slower than my grandad.

On the plus side, he made Nathan Peel look good*

* these could be 2 separate games but it works for me.

All the same game - David Eyres & Mark Monington got the other two goals. Shilton really had been an outstanding goalkeeper.

Thanks Tony. That's when the Longside were chanting "sign him on". Good game that.

It's a shame my memory is better of a non -descript game 28 years ago than it is of last Tuesday....

Transpennine wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 11, 2022 11:00 pm

Thanks Tony. That's when the Longside were chanting "sign him on". Good game that.

And we did sign him on and he never scored for us again

Transpennine wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 11, 2022 10:06 pm

Was it 4-2 to us? I'd have been 15 but remembered him from Italia 90 as a god, and then turning up at the turf as a quite short overweight fella who looked and moved slower than my grandad.

On the plus side, he made Nathan Peel look good*

* these could be 2 separate games but it works for me.

He played for Derby in the FA Cup game at Turf in 1992 when Eli put a bullet header past him to make it 2-2 late in the game. He went down in instalments attempting to save Steve Harper's early goal. I seem to remember the great ovation he received as he walked onto the field although this was somewhat undone when the Longside were later chanting "who ate all the pies".

The 4-2 Plymouth game was I think a year or so later after we had been promoted to the third tier?