The latest town centre plans were revealed with confirmation that the Palace theatre was to be demolished in early 1974 and replaced by a new block incorporating a superstore.
That superstore was confirmed as a new Woolworth's store with its own basement car park for 200 vehicles. The development, it was said, would also house another large store, a multi-story office block, smaller shops and a mall connecting it all with St. James' Street.
FW Woolworth confirmed that the new store would have a greater emphasis on food with a large basement food hall. They said: "There will also be an increased range of goods with a fully comprehensive range of furniture, fridges, washing machines and similar goods which aren't sold in the present store."
That present store was the site on the corner of Hammerton Street and St. James' Street but there was no indication as to what would replace it although Alderman Thomas Gallagher said there would be great demand for the site.
It was claimed that this final phase of the redevelopment would ensure Burnley had a shopping area equal to any other in the country.
In terms of Turf Moor it might have been too close to call, but we had parachutists dropping in at Towneley. It was an enjoyable diversion for pupils at Towneley Comprehensive School when members of the Red Berets arrived as part of a public relations exercise that had seen them parachuting into schools in the North West.
I wonder if some of the parachutists looked over to the then four year old cricket field stand and considered it a likely landing spot in years to come.
Burnley people had been given the thumbs up by one London firm who had decided to open up in town because of excellent communications and the good labour force they could expect. "We are very happy to be moving to Burnley," said Mr R. T. Stephenson, the manufacturing director of Cigarette Components Ltd.
They had agreed to move to premises at Heasandford in the New Year and would initially employ 48 men and 30 women but with expansion plans that would see them employ over 100 in total within a year.
"We searched the country for a suitable place to operate, and we just liked the look of Burnley," Mr Stephenson added. "It's communications and reputation for good labour relations attracted us," he added.
Young nurse Kathleen Jeffries became a patient after suffering the ordeal of being locked in a lift for over an hour with her boyfriend. The couple managed to get the lift stuck between two floors and when help came they managed to get it stuck again. She said that she had been unnerved by experience and had been kept calm by her boyfriend.
When Burnley are at home on Boxing Day, as they were in 2014 against Liverpool, many supporters have difficulty making it to Turf Moor because of there being no bus service.
In 1973, Burnley, Colne and Nelson Joint Transport Committee confirmed: "Services will be bolstered on Boxing Day this year - a Wednesday - because Liverpool FC visit Turf Moor that day."
Burnley's promotion had given them quite a boost in takings and Mr D. C. Chaplin, the general manager, told committee members: "Since the club's promotion our passengers have increased and this has made a difference to our receipts.
"Now Burnley are getting good gates, where it varies between 24,000 and 26,000, it means an additional £400 in revenue for one match. This is good and we hope it continues."
It wasn't Liverpool who were here for a League Cup replay in October 1973, but Cardiff City after the two teams had drawn 2-2 at Ninian Park a week earlier.
Jimmy Adamson was able to name an unchanged team from the one that had beaten QPR on the Saturday and we had two hours of football to look forward to with Cardiff taking the game into extra time.
There was little evidence of an exciting game during a somewhat dull first half that ended goalless but things certainly changed after the break with Leighton James, as he'd been in the first game, the player who really caused Cardiff the most problems.
In the opening twenty minutes of the second half it was Cardiff goalkeeper Billy Irwin who was responsible for keeping the score at 0-0. He made a string of saves and two in particular, to deny first Martin Dobson and then Ray Hankin, were outstanding.
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| Ray Hankin heads in the opener |
It started to look just a matter of time before we went in front and the opener finally came on 69 minutes when HANKIN ran in to meet Peter Noble's perfectly flighted centre and head wide of Irwin and into the net.
Cardiff had nothing to lose and came storming forward. Only Alan Stevenson kept us level with a save from Gil Reece but only with the lead only seven minutes old it was taken away with a Cardiff equaliser.
Burnley failed to clear a corner and it fell to Phil Dwyer who volleyed the ball across the penalty area. There was a scramble as Burnley tried to get the ball away but Bobby WOODRUFF scored from close range.
Despite, overall, being the better side, it could have been worse. Twice Cardiff hit the woodwork and so the game ended 1-1 with it going into extra time.
Within three minutes, referee Harold Williams had upset both teams, awarding a penalty to us and then to Cardiff.
In the very first minute we were in front again. JAMES was adjudged to have been brought down by Dwyer and converted the spot kick himself, his very first penalty for the club.
Cardiff immediately moved their captain Peter Morgan up front and in the very next attack he won a penalty for a supposed foul by Colin Waldron. Gary BELL scored and it was all level again at 2-2.
Hankin forced Irwin into a memorable save but the visiting goalkeeper and our Welshman were directly involved in the winner. JAMES beat Bell and aimed a centre to the far post only to see it drop over Irwin's head and into the net.
There was no third comeback for the Welshmen and Burnley it was who went through to the last 32 of the competition, looking forward to a home game against Plymouth.
James had scored four of the five goals in this tie and Peter Higgs wrote of him in the Burnley Express: "How Burnley would progress against packed defences without the penetration of James is hard to assess. His skill in beating defenders to get into shooting positions or to set up opportunities for others is an asset which few other teams can boast."
The team were;
BURNLEY: Alan Stevenson, Peter Noble, Keith Newton, Martin Dobson, Colin Waldron, Jim Thomson, Geoff Nulty, Ray Hankin, Paul Fletcher, Billy Ingham, Leighton James. Sub not used: Billy Ingham.
CARDIFF CITY: Billy Irwin, Phil Dwyer, Gary Bell, Peter King, Peter Morgan, Leighton Phillips, Gil Reece, Andy McCulloch, Derek Showers, Johnny Vincent (David Powell 16), Bobby Woodruff.
REFEREE: Mr H. Williams (Sheffield).
ATTENDANCE: 12,313.
Burnley had three games to play before the Plymouth game. We'd league games against Everton and Manchester United with a Texaco Cup trip to Hearts squeezed between them.
Football League Cup 2nd Round Replay Results
BIRMINGHAM CITY 4 BLACKPOOL 2
BRISTOL CITY 2 SCUNTHORPE UNITED 1
BURNLEY 3 CARDIFF CITY 2 - after extra time
FULHAM 3 OXFORD UNITED 0
GRIMSBY TOWN 0 LUTON TOWN 0 - after extra time
HULL CITY 3 LEICESTER CITY 2
LIVERPOOL 1 WEST HAM UNITED 0
MANCHESTER CITY 0 WALSALL 0 - after extra time
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1 MILLWALL 3
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 2 BOURNEMOUTH 2 - after extra time
SUNDERLAND 1 DERBY COUNTY 1 - after extra time
2nd Round 2nd Replay Results
GRIMSBY TOWN 0 LUTON TOWN 2
MANCHESTER CITY 4 WALSALL 0
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 2 BOURNEMOUTH 1
SUNDERLAND 3 DERBY COUNTY 0
Football League Cup 3rd Round Draw
BIRMINGHAM CITY v NEWCASTLE UNITED
BRISTOL CITY v COVENTRY CITY
BURNLEY v PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
CARLISLE UNITED v MANCHESTER CITY
EVERTON v NORWICH CITY
FULHAM v IPSWICH TOWN
HULL CITY v STOCKPORT COUNTY
LUTON TOWN v BURY
MILLWALL v BOLTON WANDERERS
ORIENT v YORK CITY
QUEENS PARK RANGERS v SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
SOUTHAMPTON v CHESTERFIELD
STOKE CITY v MIDDLESBROUGH
SUNDERLAND v LIVERPOOL
TRANMERE ROVERS v WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
WEST BROMWICH ALBION v EXETER CITY