One poor Burnley mum was at the hospital holding a vigil at the bedside of her two-year-old son after he fell fifteen feet from an upstairs window at their Saxon Street home.
From the moment young Bradley Glover was admitted to the accident ward at Burnley Victoria Hospital with a fractured skull and hand injuries she'd been by his side.
She explained: "I do not really remember much about the accident. I was much too shaken.
"My husband went to work about 7:30 and shortly after I heard Bradley playing with his model car. At the time I was getting dressed. Then I heard him scream.
"I do not really know what happened. I was not in the same room. From what I can gather he just sat on the window sill, leaned on the glass, the window opened and he fell out."
A hospital spokesman said that Bradley's condition was reasonably comfortable and that he'd shown a slight improvement. This was a relief for Mrs Glover who a year earlier had lost her 10-week-old daughter who had died in her cot.
There was certainly some better news for Mr Raymond Fletcher of Rosehill Road. Back in 1962 he went into the record selling business with just £10 in capital and in 1973 was selling his empire for a bumper profit.
He was also selling his house and he, his wife and five children, were moving to Roughlee where they had bought a cafe and cottage with swings and an amusement area.
"I feel that I cannot go any further in the retail business without becoming more involved," Mr Fletcher said, but confirmed he would be keeping the 'racking' side of his business, providing singles and LP records for supermarkets and garages on a sale or return basis.
This part of his business, at 48 Standish Street, was a limited company which he operated with one co-director, and it serviced over 1,000 shops.
The parts of the business up for sale were based at 39-43 Standish Street and at 42 Standish Street. The former was used for dealing with cassettes, cartridges and new records with the latter occupying the used records part of the business.
Mr Fletcher would not reveal his asking price but admitted that his original £10 capital had reaped dividends.
Two local men, Michael King and William Collinson, got more than they bargained for when they took a walk through Thompson Park. They were approached by four men, one of whom was Steven Stewart Redford, a 17-year-old from Dundee.
Redford attacked them both. King lost two teeth and sustained a cut mouth, a black eye and numerous bruises and Collinson, having been butted in the face, had a lens broken in his spectacles that fell off. When he bent to pick them up he received further kicks to the face. Both were forced off work for between two and three weeks.
Redford told the court that he wasn't involved and that he was on a boat in the park lake when the attack happened. He said he saw the incident, went across and was kicked himself which resulted in him kicking the man back.
Eventually the truth was told. Redford admitted assaulting both King and Collinson and was fined £35 for each charge. He also received a further £5 fine for causing £2 worth of damage to the spectacles.
On the same day a man was fined £25 for stealing two £1.60 bags of cement from his employer and a couple were committed for trial charged with stealing a pair of boys' socks, a cardigan, four pairs of knickers, three pairs of men's underpants and four pairs of curtains from F. W. Woolworth Ltd. to a total value of £14.35.
Meanwhile, a man had appeared in court over the death of the three-year-old girl Theresa Hetherington that we recently reported. He was Victor Hancock (28) and was remanded in custody for eight days charged with the manslaughter of the girl.
Finally, work was underway on a £1.75 million scheme to make Burnley General Hospital into one of the largest and most modern hospitals in this part of the world.
The scheme was expected to take three years and would include the provision of a new accident and emergency department, a new out-patient department as well as new x-ray and physiotherapy departments.
All of the departments would be ready for use in 1976 as part of the plans to create a new major hospital serving the Burnley, Nelson and Colne areas.
The new building, close to the Edith Watson Maternity Unit, was to replace the casualty department at Burnley Victoria Hospital.
Having drawn against Spurs in midweek, the next visitors to Turf Moor were Derby who, just over a year earlier had been league champions, losing their title to Liverpool in 1973.
As expected Burnley had to go into the game without Frank Casper who had been forced off in the opening minutes of the previous game after a planned assault by the Tottenham players. Manager Jimmy Adamson said he hoped Frank wouldn't be out too long and that there was a chance he could be back in training the following week.
Thankfully, the other injuries had all cleared up and Paul Fletcher, who had missed the Spurs game through illness, was able to return and came in for Casper to play alongside Ray Hankin for the first time.
It was billed as a match expected to offer excitement, but in truth it was something of a disappointment. It had its good points but certainly lacked in both drama and goalmouth incidents.
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| A first Burnley goal for Ray Hankin as he heads home a Leighton James cross |
From Burnley's viewpoint, it provided further evidence (if any was needed) that the team had more than enough about them to match the game's elite and this was no mean result against a team that had threatened to take Europe by storm a year earlier and one considered as real favourites to lift the title for a second time in three seasons.
Burnley certainly defended well. Up against a forward line that included the likes of Alan Hinton, Roger Davies and Kevin Hector they had to be at their best and in truth only Hector caused them any real problems.
Jim Thomson, in particular, was in fine form and Peter Noble had his best game yet, providing Burnley with a good attacking option with his runs down the right wing.
With Leighton James causing problems down the left we were able to put Derby under some pressure but Fletcher and Hankin certainly found tough opponents in Roy McFarland and Colin Todd.
Burnley were undoubtedly the better side in the first half hour but the game cruelly turned against the Clarets. Martin Dobson had missed a glorious chance to give us the lead with only seven minutes gone, but just past the half hour he prodded home from a Thomson flick on following a James corner.
The celebrations were short lived as referee Vic James decided to disallow the goal, claiming a push by Thomson.
Manager Adamson said after the game: "The players said it was a good goal, but you expect them to say that. I have no complaints about the decision. Sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don't."
Within a minute of the disallowed goal, one that would have seen us go 1-0 up, we found ourselves 1-0 down. Archie Gemmill was sent clear down the left. HIs low centre was dummied by Hector at the near post for DAVIES to come in and fire past Alan Stevenson from ten yards.
"The goal came out of the blue, and it knocked us out of our stride for a while," Adamson said. It did and for the rest of the first half and the opening period of the second half we struggled to get back into it. Things could have been worse too had John McGovern not missed a chance.
But we slowly, and surely, did get back into the game. James set up Hankin who failed to take advantage and then James came close himself with a snap shot into the side netting.
The pair weren't to be denied and with 17 minutes remaining they combined to bring Burnley level. James had certainly got the better of Ron Webster and he beat him yet again. This time he crossed perfectly for HANKIN to run in and give Colin Boulton no chance with a downward header for his first ever goal in the first team.
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| It's nearly a first goal for Peter Noble too but Colin Boulton tips his long range shot over the bar |
Burnley ended the game with a barnstorming finish and might just have sneaked it with both full backs, Noble and Keith Newton, coming close, Bouton doing well to tip a Noble piledriver over the bar. But a draw it was and a well earned one at that.
Burnley received warm praise from visiting manager Brian Clough after the game. The outspoken Derby boss said: "Burnley played a lot of good football and deserved a draw. I think they will do well in the First Division this year."
Praise indeed from Clough after a game which he claimed had seen Derby give their best away performance of the season so far.
The teams were;
BURNLEY: Alan Stevenson, Peter Noble, Keith Newton, Martin Dobson, Colin Waldron, Jim Thomson, Geoff Nulty, Ray Hankin, Paul Fletcher, Doug Collins, Leighton James. Sub not used: Billy Ingham
DERBY COUNTY: Colin Boulton, Ron Webster, David Nish, Steve Powell, Roy McFarland, Colin Todd, John McGovern, Archie Gemmill, Kevin Hector, Roger Davies, Alan Hinton. Sub not used: John O'Hare.
REFEREE: Mr V James (York).
ATTENDANCE: 23,334.
There was still no stopping Leeds who made it seven wins out of seven with a 2-1 victory against Southampton at the Dell in a game that saw former Claret Brian O'Neil score for the home team.
Burnley still had a one point lead ahead of three clubs but Newcastle had joined Leicester and Derby in that group, replacing Coventry who were beaten at Chelsea.
Birmingham were still bottom despite drawing against Liverpool, for whom future Claret Brian Hall scored. They'd now been joined by West Ham and Wolves in the bottom three.
We now had a break from league football. Our next midweek game was the Texaco Cup clash against East Fife, a game that saw the debut of a young player who some years later would embark on a long Turf Moor career.
First Division Results
Saturday 15th September 1973
BIRMINGHAM CITY 1 LIVERPOOL 1
BURNLEY 1 DERBY COUNTY 1
CHELSEA 1 COVENTRY CITY 0
EVERTON 1 QUEENS PARK RANGERS 0
LEICESTER CITY 1 MANCHESTER CITY 1
MANCHESTER UNITED 3 WEST HAM UNITED 1
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 0
NORWICH CITY 0 ARSENAL 4
SOUTHAMPTON 1 LEEDS UNITED 2
STOKE CITY 1 IPSWICH TOWN 1
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 SHEFFIELD UNITED 2
Burnley's Goalscorers (League Only)
3: FRANK CASPER
2: DOUG COLLINS, MARTIN DOBSON, GEOFF NULTY
1: PAUL FLETCHER, RAY HANKIN, LEIGHTON JAMES, COLIN WALDRON
First Division Leading Goalscorers
6: PETER LORIMER (LEEDS UNITED)
5: DEREK DOUGAN (WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS)
4: BILLY BREMNER (LEEDS UNITED), ALLAN CLARKE (LEEDS UNITED),
DAVID JOHNSON (IPSWICH TOWN), MALCOLM MacDONALD (NEWCASTLE UNITED)
3: COLIN BELL (MANCHESTER CITY), BILLY BONDS (WEST HAM UNITED),
JIM BONE (SHEFFIELD UNITED), FRANK CASPER (BURNLEY), MICK CHANNON (SOUTHAMPTON),
MARTIN CHIVERS (TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR), MICK COOP (COVENTRY CITY),
TONY CURRIE (SHEFFIELD UNITED), ROGER DAVIES (DERBY COUNTY),
DON GIVENS (QUEENS PARK RANGERS), ALAN GREEN (COVENTRY CITY), JOE HARPER (EVERTON),
BOB HATTON (BIRMINGHAM CITY), GEOFF HURST (STOKE CITY), MICK JONES (LEEDS UNITED),
RAY KENNEDY (ARSENAL), DENIS LAW (MANCHESTER CITY),
MARTIN PETERS (TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR), BRYAN ROBSON (WEST HAM UNITED),
KEITH WELLER (LEICESTER CITY), ALAN WOODWARD (SHEFFIELD UNITED)
The League Table
| Team | pld | w | d | l | f | a | pts |
| LEEDS UNITED | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 14 |
| BURNLEY | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 11 |
| NEWCASTLE UNITED | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 10 |
| LEICESTER CITY | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 10 |
| DERBY COUNTY | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 10 |
| COVENTRY CITY | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 9 |
| MANCHESTER CITY | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 8 |
| LIVERPOOL | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 8 |
| SHEFFIELD UNITED | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
| EVERTON | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| ARSENAL | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 7 |
| CHELSEA | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
| QUEENS PARK RANGERS | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 6 |
| MANCHESTER UNITED | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 6 |
| SOUTHAMPTON | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 6 |
| STOKE CITY | 7 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
| TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 5 |
| NORWICH CITY | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 5 |
| IPSWICH TOWN | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 5 |
| WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 4 |
| WEST HAM UNITED | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 3 |
| BIRMINGHAM CITY | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 2 |