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Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:34 pm
by ClaretTony
It's often suggested on here that we have an obsession with re-signing players who have been with us previously and this summer we've had both Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Michael Keane for example.
I've just taken a look at the list of players I've seen play for us at first team level in more than one spell at Burnley (for some always permanent and for others with a loan included). It totals 29. I've no idea about other clubs but would you suggest that 29 is high?
Ade Akinbiyi
Phil Bardsley
Ashley Barnes
Joey Barton
Marlon Beresford
Robbie Blake
Jack Cork
Paul Crichton
Steve Davis
Martin Dobson
Brian Flynn
John Francis
Lee Grant
Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson
Adrian Heath
Joe Jakub
Leighton James
Lenny Johnrose
Steve Kindon
Aaron Lennon
David Miller
Willie Morgan
Tony Morley
Vince Overson
Derrick Parker
Billy Rodaway
Jay Rodriguez
Peter Swan
Steve Taylor
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:39 pm
by Pearcey
Didn’t realise Crichton and Grant had been with us twice. My memory isn’t what it was, clearly!
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:42 pm
by fidelcastro
I've seen most of those play, so is it a recent phenomenon that players return to their former club?
I guess there were a lot more one club men back in the old days, who stayed there their whole career too.
Edit: Does Sam Vokes not make the list?
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:43 pm
by Row x
I don't think it's the signing of the players, so much as fans suggesting them as targets, Ings was suggested a few weeks back, an example that if he'd never played for us, he wouldn't even get a mention
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:44 pm
by ClaretTony
Pearcey wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:39 pm
Didn’t realise Crichton and Grant had been with us twice. My memory isn’t what it was, clearly!
Stan brought Crichton in on loan from West Brom at start of 1998/99 season but he was recalled after one game and then signed for us three months later.
Grant came in on loan when Jensen was suspended after his red card at Luton.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:47 pm
by Pearcey
ClaretTony wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:44 pm
Stan brought Crichton in on loan from West Brom at start of 1998/99 season but he was recalled after one game and then signed for us three months later.
Grant came in on loan when Jensen was suspended after his red card at Luton.
I bumped into Paul Crichton in a bar in Norwich when he was down here and I asked him if he was actually stuck in traffic when Niko took his place. He confirmed it. Seemed a really good bloke.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 3:12 pm
by Selby Claret
Long list - Vokes definitely needs adding - JBG is the only tenuous one of the rest although I can accept why he's included
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 3:22 pm
by Selby Claret
John Mullin
Gerry Harrison (although not sure he actually played a game when he came back!)
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 4:42 pm
by ClaretTony
Pearcey wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:47 pm
I bumped into Paul Crichton in a bar in Norwich when he was down here and I asked him if he was actually stuck in traffic when Niko took his place. He confirmed it. Seemed a really good bloke.
And yet Michopoulos had played the previous game
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 4:43 pm
by ClaretTony
Selby Claret wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 3:22 pm
John Mullin
Gerry Harrison (although not sure he actually played a game when he came back!)
Vokes was on my list but for some reason not transferred onto here. Good shout with Mullin, one I had missed.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 5:36 pm
by Cleveleys_claret
Andy Gray?
Thought he had a loan spell then signed permanently
Or have I misunderstood the original post
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 5:47 pm
by ClaretTony
Cleveleys_claret wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 5:36 pm
Andy Gray?
Thought he had a loan spell then signed permanently
Or have I misunderstood the original post
It was but it was only to get around the rules, same with Alan Mahon at the same time, went permanent straight after the loan.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:22 pm
by Fretters
I remember we'd once made profits on both Blake and Akinbiyi, yet they were still playing for us at the time.. work that one out. Cotterill was brilliant in the transfer market.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2025 10:47 pm
by martin_p
All in the last 50 years as well. Leighton James even came back twice! Had totally forgotten Tony Morley came back.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 4:54 am
by Quicknick
martin_p wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 10:47 pm
All in the last 50 years as well. Leighton James even came back twice! Had totally forgotten Tony Morley came back.
Morley only came back on loan.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 4:58 am
by Quicknick
Quicknick wrote: ↑Mon Jun 30, 2025 4:54 am
Morley only came back on loan.
I should have started at the top of the thread. I'd have spotted the on-loan reference then.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 8:08 am
by Down_Rover
You have to make sure new arrivals ‘fit in’ with the local customs
We don’t take kindly to strangers around here
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:18 am
by Selby Claret
martin_p wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 10:47 pm
All in the last 50 years as well. Leighton James even came back twice! Had totally forgotten Tony Morley came back.
Steve Davis came back twice
And technically Jack Cork
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:20 am
by ŽižkovClaret
JBG feels a stretch lol
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:31 am
by martin_p
I guess the next question is, how many of those players were as good or better second/third time round?
I’ll start with Robbie Blake. He certainly didn’t disappoint in his second spell, you could argue that the year we went up (2008/09) was his best at the club.
Difficult to assess with some players as we were playing at a different level when they came back, but I’d also argue Steve Davis was as good if not better in his second spell at the club.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:37 am
by Bordeauxclaret
martin_p wrote: ↑Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:31 am
I guess the next question is, how many of those players were as good or better second/third time round?
I’ll start with Robbie Blake. He certainly didn’t disappoint in his second spell, you could argue that the year we went up (2008/09) was his best at the club.
Difficult to assess with some players as we were playing at a different level when they came back, but I’d also argue Steve Davis was as good if not better in his second spell at the club.
I’d add Jack Cork to that list.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 10:01 am
by ClaretTony
martin_p wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 10:47 pm
All in the last 50 years as well. Leighton James even came back twice! Had totally forgotten Tony Morley came back.
He actually came back three times. Taffy was released at the end of the 1986/87 but returned in the following season as youth team coach. An injury to Ray Deakin saw Miller bring him back into the team and play him at the back.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 10:03 am
by ClaretTony
Bordeauxclaret wrote: ↑Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:37 am
I’d add Jack Cork to that list.
I'd probably say Jack Cork would be top of that list.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 10:18 am
by Socrates
Pearcey wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:47 pm
I bumped into Paul Crichton in a bar in Norwich when he was down here and I asked him if he was actually stuck in traffic when Niko took his place. He confirmed it. Seemed a really good bloke.
My Dad and I saw a Crichton sprinting in to the ground about 2.30 that day at Huddersfield.
He definitely turned up late.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2025 10:17 pm
by jdrobbo
Can James O’Connor be on this list too?
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2025 8:39 am
by ClaretTony
jdrobbo wrote: ↑Mon Jun 30, 2025 10:17 pm
Can James O’Connor be on this list too?
Although there was a delay between the loan ending and the permanent signing, I didn’t include him because it was always no more than a delay.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2025 10:49 pm
by jdrobbo
Jacob Bruun Larsen!!
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2025 10:55 pm
by ClaretTony
jdrobbo wrote: ↑Fri Jul 11, 2025 10:49 pm
Jacob Bruun Larsen!!
I wasn’t expecting JBL to be going on that list when I started the thread; I wasn’t expecting him to be going on a couple of days ago.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2025 11:01 pm
by jdrobbo
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2025 11:09 pm
by NottsClaret
Socrates wrote: ↑Mon Jun 30, 2025 10:18 am
My Dad and I saw a Crichton sprinting in to the ground about 2.30 that day at Huddersfield.
He definitely turned up late.
Me and my dad were in the car behind George Oghani in1988 on Brunshaw Road at about 2:15 once. He still started the match.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2025 11:11 pm
by fidelcastro
NottsClaret wrote: ↑Fri Jul 11, 2025 11:09 pm
Me and my dad were in the car behind George Oghani in1988 on Brunshaw Road at about 2:15 once. He still started the match.
He'd been shopping at Woolworths.
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2025 11:19 pm
by 123EasyasBFC
ClaretTony wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 2:34 pm
It's often suggested on here that we have an obsession with re-signing players who have been with us previously and this summer we've had both Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Michael Keane for example.
I've just taken a look at the list of players I've seen play for us at first team level in more than one spell at Burnley (for some always permanent and for others with a loan included). It totals 29. I've no idea about other clubs but would you suggest that 29 is high?
Ade Akinbiyi
Phil Bardsley
Ashley Barnes
Joey Barton
Marlon Beresford
Robbie Blake
Jack Cork
Paul Crichton
Steve Davis
Martin Dobson
Brian Flynn
John Francis
Lee Grant
Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson
Adrian Heath
Joe Jakub
Leighton James
Lenny Johnrose
Steve Kindon
Aaron Lennon
David Miller
Willie Morgan
Tony Morley
Vince Overson
Derrick Parker
Billy Rodaway
Jay Rodriguez
Peter Swan
Steve Taylor
Imo Jack Cork is the best loan signing we didn’t sign perm.
Absolutely loved the shock in his re-signing, it was right in between social media wrecking transfers. I remember seeing someone tweet sky bet request a bet asking for odds on cork to sign for Burnley and sky bet replied saying they wouldn’t take bets.
Cork our most consistent player since 2010?? Closest player to Dobbo I’ve seen anyway
Re: Obsession with signing former players
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 5:36 pm
by dougcollins
fidelcastro wrote: ↑Fri Jul 11, 2025 11:11 pm
He'd been shopping at Woolworths.
Just washed some clothes.
