Next Game – West Bromwich Albion (away)

Rob Hulse

Their relegation last season was always inevitable and but for the presence of Sunderland last season it would probably have been confirmed earlier than it was. In fact they won only six games all season and finished a massive 18 points behind Bolton who were in the safe, 17^th position.

They struggled to score goals and managed just 29 in their 38 Premiership games with Scott Dobie and Danny Dichio joint top goal scorers with five goals each.

At the end of last season they released five players namely Bob Taylor, Jordao, Matt Collins, Des Lyttle and Brian Jensen whilst Igor Balis retired through injury. The only other departure was former Burnley target Derek McInnes who returned to Scotland and Dundee United for personal reasons.

Goalkeeper Russell Hoult is thought to be unsettled though and Jason Roberts is currently on the transfer list at his own request and was this week the subject of an offer from Wigan.

Manager Gary Megson has been able to strengthen his squad though and has added James O’Connor from Stoke, Crewe striker Rob Hulse and Bernt Haas who was back at Sunderland after a year out on loan at FC Basle.

Thomas Gaardsoe has arrived from Ipswich whilst experienced midfielder Artim Sakiri has signed from CSKA Sofia and Dutch defender Joost Volmer has arrived from Enschede.

Favourites they may be but they got a shock last week on the opening day of the season when they went down 4-1 at neighbouring Walsall with Paul Merson grabbing two of the home team’s goals. Jason Koumas scored the Baggies’ goal a last minute consolation.

They lined up at the Bescot Stadium: Russell Hoult, Sean Gregan, Larus Sigurdsson (Ronnie Wallwork 35, Artim Sakiri 72), Joost Volmer, Bernt Haas, James O’Connor, Andy Johnson, Jason Koumas, Neil Clement, Danny Dichio (Scott Dobie 54), Rob Hulse. Subs not used: Joe Murphy, Phil Gilchrist.

The bounced back to form in midweek seeing off Brentford 4-0 in the Carling Cup with goals from Hulse(2), Haas and Dobie. They made just one change to the starting eleven with Sakiri replacing the injured Sigurdsson.

West Brom will be favourites against us on a ground where we haven’t won since 1970.

Past Results in the last 20 years

Click HERE to see more results against West Brom.

Brian O'Neil - scored both goals

There was turmoil in Burnley in the week leading up to the game when a television programme was blamed for the inability to attract businesses into the area. Our MP of the time was pointing the finger at Coronation Street because it did not reflect Lancashire but was giving the impression to outsiders that the county was like that.

"How much would it cost to get Ena Sharples to say this is only for your entertainment, the real Lancs is much different", said Jones and added, "It is time this ridiculous programme was taken off television."

As far as we can ascertain Dan Jones MP was unsuccessful in his attempts to rid us of Coronation Street.

Down at the Turf though Burnley were making a signing, bringing to the club a player who would go on and play for England. The player was 15 year-old Dave Thomas who signed on as an apprentice. Incredibly by the end of the season he had made his Football League debut against Everton.

There was a massive following of Burnley supporters at West Brom and it was reported that most of them went by coach apart from two youths who hitch hiked it. That was big news in 1966.

It was the first away game but we had already picked up a maximum four points from two home games with 4-0 and 3-0 wins against Sheffield United and Fulham respectively, Gordon Harris hit a hat-trick in the opening day game against the Blades. West Brom had lost two away games at Manchester United 5-3 and Leeds 2-1.

The superb Hawthorns run continued with another win but this one was more down to hard work than anything as we had to survive against some superb play from West Brom.

It says much for the way the game went that Burnley goalkeeper Adam Blacklaw was the star of the show, in fact the whole defence did well.

But it was the Clarets who were better when it came to finishing as West Brom spurned a number of chances. Not so Brian O’Neill who scored in the 2^nd and 86^th minutes with almost identical goals, both superb efforts from outside the box.

So Burnley’s great Hawthorns run continued although it was to come to an abrupt end in the following season when we went down by eight goals to one.

The teams were,

West Brom: Richard Sheppard, Ray Fairfax, Ian Collard, Graham Lovett, Stan Jones, Doug Fraser, Tony Brown, Jeff Astle, John Kaye, Bobby Hope, Clive Clark. Sub not used: Graham Williams.

Burnley: Adam Blacklaw, John Angus, Alex Elder, Brian O’Neil, Brian Miller, Sammy Todd, Willie Morgan, Andy Lochhead, Willie Irvine, Gordon Harris, Len Kinsella. Sub not used: Arthur Bellamy.

Referee: A E Dimond (Harlow).

Attendance: 21,101.