The Orient game - Highlights

[mkmel]

Yes I was there. Who else on here was at the Orient game?

Almost 40 years later I can still feel the emotions when watching the scenes at the final whistle.

https://youtu.be/7EeMfpzzkck?si=GWDJJ4oie74aZF6q

[Taffy on the wing]

Enjoyed that!............Thank you.

[ClaretinJapan]

I was there. Went in the Bob Lord that day.

[CharlieinNewMexico]

Bob Lord. D52 if I remember correctly

[mkmel]

Bob Lord stand for me too

[Claret Till I Die]

Longside, bottom right when looking at the pitch

[Vegas Claret]

bottom of the Cricketfield with the junior clarets, perfect view for the Grewcock goal - we knew it was in the minute it left his boot.

How unreal was the longside that day ?

[me01jh]

Yep, Bob Lord stand... first ever football match attended. Some introduction.

[Vegas Claret]

The repercussions of losing that, doesn't bear thinking about.

[Longsider]

Yes, in the Bob Lord. Was one of the only times I've been in that stand as I was always in the Longside. I think it was just a case of getting on somewhere.

[MalaysiaMo]

Listened to the game on a short-wave radio half-way up the Usambara mountains in Tanzania. I thought I was tuning into the FA cup final (I'd got the dates mixed up) - I had no idea of the mess Burnley was in until the commentator welcomed listeners to Turf Moor on what might be the Clarets last game in the professional leagues .... Then followed the longest couple of hours of my life ...

[Eagle Claret]

Living in Peterborough with no car. Me and my 5 year old travelled by train to Tod where my brother-in-law, who lived in Burnley, picked me up. There were no direct trains from Tod to Burnley in those days for some reason if I remember rightly. Bee Hole End and brilliant day. I relaxed with 10 mins to go because i knew we'd won it then. The Gods were on our side.

[ElectroClaret]

The repercussions of losing that, doesn't bear thinking about.

Probably have ended up on Towneley in some form, if we were lucky.

[Herts Clarets]

I was in the Cricket Field stand sat with my brother and a work mate, my Dad was in our usual seat, I didn't sit with him. I am on the video after 12 seconds, to the immediate right of the lad in the white jacket stood up singing. I will give the video a watch later. Sadly, 10 years to the day after the Orient game, 9th May 1997, I stood at the graveside in Burnley cemetery as the workmate from the Orient game was laid to rest having taken his own life. My Burnley scarf is buried with him. RIP Alfie Young.

[Clive 1960]

Can see myself next to the tunnel when players are coming out , never forget that day as long as i live ...

[Darthlaw]

MY first game with my Dad and Grandad in the BL and the only time three generations of Darth were on the Turf together.

[Row x]

We were a bit late arriving and had to go on the bee hole, once inside we bumped into 4 lads we knew.. all Blackburn fans, hoping to be able to say that they were there the day we went out of the league
I still see 2 of them now and again, and remind them what pricks they were, and they always say that I would have done the same if the boot was on the other foot

[pureclaret]

Just watched this the other day still give me that creep feeling that Lincoln might score 3 goals after we are told there game is over.
Longside in the centre on the rail above the walk way just so nobody could stand in front of us

[steve1264b]

We got George Courtney that day, i believe because we complained about the early whistle at Crewe?

We asked about the facilitues we offered for refs, he expressed surprise there was no TV in the refs room.

We had one fitted for the next season!

Couldnt sleep for a week, high probability we would have lost turf moor and we would have been much lower than the conference league.

[longsidetrumpet]

Bob Lord with my late sister, who had been a season ticket holder for a long number of years but hadn't been on for a while after having her daughter. Very emotional, thinking of our late mum and dad on that match who'd also been season ticket holders

[Cirrus_Minor]

I was there and remember the unbelievable tension right up until the final whistle. The relief at the end was pure emotion. God knows where we would be know if results had been different.

[Silkyskills1]

Living in Peterborough with no car. Me and my 5 year old travelled by train to Tod where my brother-in-law, who lived in Burnley, picked me up. There were no direct trains from Tod to Burnley in those days for some reason if I remember rightly. Bee Hole End and brilliant day. I relaxed with 10 mins to go because i knew we'd won it then. The Gods were on our side.

You relaxed with 10 mins. to go? Bloody hell,I didn't. It was excruciating the nearer we got to the final whistle, a whistle we had no idea of when it would blow( no board with added time on then). We'd obviously made dreadful mistakes all season defensively and another one could happen anytime.
Went home from the game relieved, tired and not wanting to see another football match for a long time.

[mkmel]

Showed this video this morning to my Filipina wife who knows nothing about football. But she fully understands what Burnley Football club means to me.

And when we were watching the scenes at the end of the game and I was explaining to my wife what the Orient game was all about my voice turned a bit shaky and emotional. Even after almost 40 years it gets to me.

[ClaretTony]

We got George Courtney that day, i believe because we complained about the early whistle at Crewe?

We were given George Courtney because the original referee Guy was from Merseyside and Tranmere were still in the running to go down until they played on the Friday night. Similarly, the referee for the Swansea v Lincoln game was changed. It was due to be Lester Shapter form Torquay and Torquay were still involved.

Referee at Crewe I seem to recall was Ken Lupton - but it was nothing to do with him or the game at Crewe.

[whalleyd]

Was working in Coventry, couldn’t get to the Turf so killed time by going to Highfield Road as Cov City celebrated going to the FA Cup Final. Absolute torture, couldn’t stand the euphoria around me so drove round the ring-road about 10 times with car radio on. My dad was on Longside, can still remember calling him after the game, he passed away shortly after so always a poignant memory.

[dsr]

You relaxed with 10 mins. to go? Bloody hell,I didn't. It was excruciating the nearer we got to the final whistle, a whistle we had no idea of when it would blow( no board with added time on then). We'd obviously made dreadful mistakes all season defensively and another one could happen anytime.
Went home from the game relieved, tired and not wanting to see another football match for a long time.

As it happened an extra time board wouldn't have helped. he blew bang on 45 minutes!

I suspect at least part of the reason for Courtney being appointed (as opposed to any regular 4th division referee) was because it was such a high profile game. So far as I know it is, and probably always will be, the only 4th division game selected for live radio commentary when there was a full programme of Division 1 (PL) games being played.

[Herts Clarets]

Offide.jpg (67.44 KiB) Viewed 2092 times

Just watched the highlights, I was still a bag of nerves watching that second half. Some points I don't remember from the game nearly 40 years on:

1. Phil Malley hit a cracking shot at 0-0 that flew just wide of the post, great effort.
2. Joe Neenan makes a very good save at 2-0 and another good block at 2-1
3. Ian Britton with a glorious chance at 2-1 that drifts agonisingly wide of the left hand post
4. Neil Grewcock hits the post at 2-1 which would have won the game for us
5. Phil Devaney was given offside in the above photo, scandalous decision from the liner.

Thank goodness we never had to go through that again.

[claretspice]

As it happened an extra time board wouldn't have helped. he blew bang on 45 minutes!

I suspect at least part of the reason for Courtney being appointed (as opposed to any regular 4th division referee) was because it was such a high profile game. So far as I know it is, and probably always will be, the only 4th division game selected for live radio commentary when there was a full programme of Division 1 (PL) games being played.

I have heard about that Radio coverage - the commentator apparently was Peter Jones, who was one of the greats at conveying the emotion of a football match. I'd love to hear it (Orient was just before my time) but I suspect no copies of it exist.

[dougcollins]

Longside, bottom right when looking at the pitch

Neighbours!

[Cajun]

In the seething mass on the Longside and on the pitch after the final whistle for me Pure raw emotion that day.

[paderbornclaret]

On the Longside.
Stood in same position all season with sometimes the nearest person being at least 5m away. That day I saw bugger all. Bloody tourists.

[IanMcL]

Longside near the back,for me. Rammed.

Not sure I should watch that again. At one moment, my foot moved to kick the ball to clear it!

It was hard enough the first time.

Funny how you notice the like of Leighton James and Ian Britton, linking to control the game.

Thank you all those players, every one, who were magnificent on the day.

[welsbyswife]

I've never watched the highlights again until now. Amazing how the tension and emotions come flooding back watching that. Never forget the look on my dad's face in that last 10 minutes. He's normally the most relaxed guy you can imagine - he even made us stay until the end and clapped them off in the Hereford match - but he looked like he might keel over. White as a sheet.

[Lip]

Longside for me,great game.

[exilecanada]

I missed the bad times our beloved club suffered because there was little or no football news or coverage in Canada at the time. I left Burnley in 1971 and slowly lost interest in the game due to no coverage and communication with friends gradually dried up. I got the Internet around the turn of the century and a whole new world opened up for me, contact with old friends resumed, interest in football returned. Reading about ‘The Orient Game’ came as a total shock, it’s unthinkable what would have happened to our club if we were relegated out of the Football League. So in a way I was fortunate, I was around to see the glory days, around to see the resurgence of our little club and missed the bad era.

[Culmclaret]

Longside. What a day that was. I missed the last train back to Bristol and spent the night drinking in Birmingham. I had met two Port Vale fans on their way back from Chester and they kindly took me on a pub crawl and put me up in Cradley Heath. I also met the Villa groundsman returning from old Trafford. I showed him my piece of the hallowed Turf which I had liberated after the match and he very accurately described the state of our pitch having examined the sample, which very much impressed me!

[Enola Gay]

Started watching Burnley December 19 1986, a 1-3 home defeat to Cardiff.

Orient was the first game I saw Burnley win.

[dougcollins]

Started watching Burnley December 19 1986, a 1-3 home defeat to Cardiff.

Orient was the first game I saw Burnley win.

You picked a good start.

Some games in there.

[Dazzler]

I Very nearly didn't go on... I felt it would have been too unbearable...anyway, I got talked into it

We managed to squeeze in around our usual spot which was roughly about 15 yards in from no man's land and about 15 yards up

[Silkyskills1]

Offide.jpgJust watched the highlights, I was still a bag of nerves watching that second half. Some points I don't remember from the game nearly 40 years on:

1. Phil Malley hit a cracking shot at 0-0 that flew just wide of the post, great effort.
2. Joe Neenan makes a very good save at 2-0 and another good block at 2-1
3. Ian Britton with a glorious chance at 2-1 that drifts agonisingly wide of the left hand post
4. Neil Grewcock hits the post at 2-1 which would have won the game for us
5. Phil Devaney was given offside in the above photo, scandalous decision from the liner.

Thank goodness we never had to go through that again.

I'd forgotten about the missed effort by Ian Britton in the 2nd half but Number 2 on your list, the block with his knees by Joe Neenan still haunts me to this day. An Orient player picked up the rebound,scuffed his shot and that was blocked. Think that was as close as I've ever been to feinting at a football match.

[Dazzler]

I'm not a religious person by any stretch, but I still thank god that George Courtney was the ref that day. I still feel to this day if it had been any other it would have been curtains.

[Dazzler]

At the turn of that year Orient were 4th from the bottom, they came to Turf Moor that day top of the form table. over their previous 23 games they had 13 wins and 5 draws.

We were up against it.

[ISpeds00]

Anyone got last nights highlights?
Was a cracking game

[fidelcastro]

Anyone got last nights highlights?
Was a cracking game

We didn't play last night.

[Stevie2112]

Just watched this the other day still give me that creep feeling that Lincoln might score 3 goals after we are told there game is over.
Longside in the centre on the rail above the walk way just so nobody could stand in front of us

Same here,couldn't have been far away from you.This was my Dads last game on the Turf,having been a season ticket holder from 1947.Iwas on the Longside with my mates,not sure where he was,but at the final whistle,when everyone went onto the pitch,I saw him,with tears in his eyes,as I ran up to give him a hug.After the tumult had died down,I walked up the tunnel,into the dressing room,and at least five players were still in there,and signed my program.

[Claretitus]

I had 2 complimentary tickets, courtesy of Neil Grewcock, who lived on Bramley Avenue in Ightenhill, a neighbour of ours. They were for the BL stand, but I couldn’t bring myself to go in there. IF, it was to be my last time on t’ Turf, I was going on the Longside with my mates. So that’s what I did, gave the BL tickets to my Dad, and father in law, and “ enjoyed” the game from there.

[Wokingclaret]

Was in the Bob Lord with my dad.

Drove up from Bromley on the Friday to home in Guisborough, then across on Saturday. Back to Bromley on Sunday.

Set the Video and recorded Football Focus, Saint and Greavsie and the various evening News. All featured us.

[Beagleheart]

Longside. First time I really spent time with my father-in-law. He's still going strong and his grandchildren and great grandson are all Clarets.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

We were given George Courtney because the original referee Guy was from Merseyside and Tranmere were still in the running to go down until they played on the Friday night. Similarly, the referee for the Swansea v Lincoln game was changed. It was due to be Lester Shapter form Torquay and Torquay were still involved.

Referee at Crewe I seem to recall was Ken Lupton - but it was nothing to do with him or the game at Crewe.

George Courtney spoke at the 30 year Orient reunion dinner. He said he was originally down to ref a 1st division match (sure he said Villa Liverpool) but then got a phone call just before the weekend to tell him he’d been swapped to our match. Very good after dinner speaker and nice bloke.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

I have heard about that Radio coverage - the commentator apparently was Peter Jones, who was one of the greats at conveying the emotion of a football match. I'd love to hear it (Orient was just before my time) but I suspect no copies of it exist.

I’m sure my dad or older brothers got hold of an audio cassette of the commentary (might have been hospital radio) that had Peter Jones on it.