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Once we had recovered from our bad start and climbed above our closest First Division rivals we remained above them until just over two weeks ago. It was not too long ago that we were seven points clear with a game in hand.
But Brown has made changes and things have looked up since he brought in some new players. He is one of the few managers in the league able to pay out transfer fees and much of that is due to the fact that in the last year Preston have sold both Jonathan Macken and Sean Gregan as well as collecting compensation for Moyes.
Preston suffered a run of five successive league defeats during December and January and also went out of the FA Cup in that period, beaten at Deepdale by 3rd Division Rochdale. The knives really were out for the negative Scottish boss but by the time the next game came along he had completed his fourth signing of 2003.
The first three signings were predictably all Scots. Brian O’Neil arrived from Derby who had released him to get him off the wage bill and he was followed by striker Simon Lynch and goalkeeper Jonathan Gould (son of the offensive Bobby) from Celtic.
Towards the end of January they were joined by the South African striker with the Greek name George Koumantarakis who signed from Swiss club FC Basle.
Brown certainly made room for them. Out went Brian Barry-Murphy, Tony Hallam and Adam Eaton on permanent deals and they were followed by six others who went out on loan deals. Goalkeeper Andy Lonergan went to rivals Blackpool and is the only one of the six to have returned.
Still out on loan are Tepi Moilanen (Hearts), David Healy (Norwich), Michael Keane (Grimsby), Iain Anderson (Tranmere) and Mark Rankine (Sheffield United).
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Suddenly the local radio phone in has gone quiet regarding the cries for Craig Brown’s sacking and they are even feeling quite smug now they have gone above us. Current form suggests they will stay above us.
Having said that they were not on form in their last match on Saturday and were thankful for a last minute goal to earn a point against Matt Jansen’s promotion chasing Coventry.
Preston apparently played reasonably well in the first half and went in front through leading scorer Richard Cresswell. But Coventry came back and looked as though they would take all three points until Pawel Abbott, just returned from a loan spell at Bury, hit a stoppage time equaliser.
The Preston team was: David Lucas, Graham Alexander, Michael Jackson, Chris Lucketti, Rob Edwards (Pawel Abbott 83), Lee Cartwright (Brian O’Neil 67), Paul McKenna, Dickson Etuhu, Eddie Lewis, Simon Lynch, Richard Cresswell. Subs not used: Andy Lonergan, Eric Skora, Tyrone Mears.
As said Richard Cresswell is the leading scorer in the league with 15 goals, one of only eight players to have more First Division goals than Gareth Taylor this season. Next is full back and former Burnley target Graham Alexander with 10 although all but 2 of them have come from the spot. Ricardo Fuller has 9 yet hasn’t played in months following a cruciate ligament injury.
The last four league games between the clubs have been televised live, two on Sky and two on ITV Digital the company whose collapse it Burnley harder than anyone else. We won three of the four and although this not surprisingly will not be televised it would be good to find another win against Preston to take us finally above 50 points.
Click HERE for the preview from the away game and HERE for Preston’s results this season.
He played for both
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Willie Irvine joined the Clarets as a junior from his native Northern Ireland and he was soon hitting the net with great regularity in the ‘B’ and then ‘A’ teams before winning promotion to the reserves.
He finally made his debut for the first team at Highbury against Arsenal in the next to last match of the 1962/63 season, he was still just 19 years old and yet had already won his first full international cap. It goes without saying that he scored, we won 3-2 but the following Tuesday he scored all three as we beat Birmingham 3-1 on his home debut.
Such was the talent at Turf Moor that this did not win him an automatic place the following season but in 1964/65 the place was his and he partnered Andy Lochhead up front. The Burnley team during the next three years or so may well not have quite reached the hights of the Championship team but we were never short of goals.
In 1964/65 he scored 22 goals in 33 league games, the year after he played all 42 and scored 29 goals (still a club post war record) and in 1966/67 he had scored 12 in 23 games before tragedy struck.
It wasn’t just in the league though, he scored 9 in 9 FA Cup ties, 3 in 4 League Cup ties and 2 in 3 European ties.
The tragedy came at Goodison Park in an FA Cup replay when he broke his leg in a challenge (and I use the word challenge very loosely indeed) with Everton winger Johnny Morrissey.
It was disgraceful and kept Willie out for the remainder of the season. He was back alongside new signing Frank Casper at the start of 1967/68 but the injury had taken its toll. He was sold to Preston, just 24 years old and had played his last game at the top level.
Take a look at his record for Burnley it is incredible. In 126 league games he scored 78 goals and adding the cup ties it was 148 game and 97 goals.
He had three good years at Preston before signing for Brighton and he was in the Brighton team that won promotion to Division Two in 1972, his only full season at the club. A short spell at Halifax followed before he retired before his 30th birthday.
Had he not broken his leg at Everton you just wonder how many goals he would have gone on to score for Burnley. Goalscorers are so important to a team and when Burnley were relegated in 1971 he was still just 28. Who knows, a fit Willie Irvine would surely have been able to change history.
He has lived in Burnley now for over 40 years yet there is still no trace of a Lancashire accent but don’t let that fool you, he is as passionate a Claret as any local. He works at the club on match days alongside his old partner Andy Lochhead, two quiet gentlemen they are.
Did I say he was the best goal scorer I have ever seen at the Turf? No disrespect to Payts or anyone else but no one comes close. His record shows you that. It would have been even better if he had been able to take penalties.
League results in the last 20 years
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
a | |||||
1983/84 | 3 | h | 2-1 | 8,095 | Reeves Hamilton |
a | 2-4 | 8,813 | Donachie Tueart | ||
1984/85 | 3 | h | 2-0 | 4,768 | Scott Biggins |
a | 3-3 | 4,995 | Biggins(2) Whatmore | ||
1985/86 | 4 | h | 1-1 | 3,835 | Deakin |
a | 0-1 | 5,585 | |||
1986/87 | 4 | h | 1-4 | 5,974 | James(pen) |
a | 1-2 | 10,716 | Parker | ||
1992/93 | 2 | h | 2-0 | 12,648 | Heath(2) |
a | 0-2 | 7,209 | |||
1996/97 | 2 | h | 1-2 | 16,186 | Barnes |
a | 1-1 | 12,652 | Nogan | ||
1997/98 | 2 | h | 1-1 | 13,809 | Cooke |
a | 3-2 | 12,263 | Payton Cooke Moore | ||
1998/99 | 2 | h | 0-1 | 11,561 | |
a | 1-4 | 15,888 | Eastwood | ||
1999/2000 | 2 | h | 0-3 | 22,310 | |
a | 0-0 | 13,708 | |||
2000/01 | 1 | h | 3-0 | 16,591 | Moore Ball Little |
a | 1-2 | 17,355 | Moore | ||
2001/02 | 1 | h | 2-1 | 18,388 | I Moore Johnson |
a | 3-2 | 20,370 | Gnohere(2) Little | ||
2002/03 | 1 | a | 1-3 | 16,046 | Taylor |
Preston were the first side we ever played in a league game. Click HERE to see all results against them from that day.
Last Time in the League
Burnley 2 (I Moore 5 Johnson 25) Preston North End 1 (Anderson 84) Nationwide League Division 1, Sunday 17th March 2002
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It was all so different than we had expected a week earlier. Then Stan made his move and brought in Nottingham Forest's David Johnson on loan to boost the squad.
But the major news was Everton sacking manager Walter Smith as manager. Before we knew where we were Preston boss David Moyes had gone, to replace Smith, and his first action was to allow the Clarets to sign Paul Gascoigne.
Gazza made a pre-match entrance, receiving a superb reception from the Burnley crowd and took a seat in the Directors’ Box to watch the game.
Under the management of Kelham O’Hanlon Preston had no answer to the Clarets who were soon in front through Ian Moore. He picked up the ball after a mistake by Preston keeper David Lucas, failing to deal with a long kick from Marlon, and Mooro chipped the ball in.
Johnson nearly scored twice and then with just 25 minutes gone became the first Burnley player to score on his league debut since Phil Tippy Gray. Quick thinking between Johnno and Alan Moore in the centre circle at a free kick saw the loanee get clear down the left. He made no mistake.
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Half time came with the score still 2-0 and Preston did come back at us in the second half. They had a good spell but were interrupted by a streaker who had the ‘bare cheek’ to display the score of 2-0. He was captured by Bertie Bee and has since been banned from Turf Moor although the Burnley mascot got away scott free after being guilty of pitch encroachment.
Preston did pull a goal back late in the game when Iain Anderson got away from Dean West and on to the end of a cross from the right from Preston’s outstanding Dickson Etuhu.
But Burnley were back on song, three vital points, a second win in succession after the 2-0 win in the Land of the Unprofessionals a week earlier. Gascoigne to come in, we couldn’t miss the play offs now – surely.
The teams were,
Burnley: Marlon Beresford, Dean West, Ian Cox, Mitchell Thomas, Lee Briscoe, Paul Weller (Glen Little 59), Kevin Ball, Tony Grant, Alan Moore, Ian Moore (Robbie Blake 89), David Johnson (Paul Cook 89). Subs not used: Nik Michopoulos, Andy Payton.
Preston North End: David Lucas, Graham Alexander, Chris Lucketti, Sean Gregan, Rob Edwards, Lee Cartwright (Iain Anderson 64), Dickson Etuhu (Thordur Gudjonsson 90), Mark Rankine, Michael Keane, Richard Cresswell, David Healy (Steve Basham 84). Subs not used: Tepi Moilanen, Adam Eaton.
Referee: Paul Durkin (Portland, Dorset).