Deepdale here we come

Last updated : 28 April 2003 By Tony Scholes

That was thirty years ago today and a last day of the season fixture between the two Lancashire sides who both had more than a little to play for. It was a Second Division fixture that whatever happened would not be played again the following season.

We had already won promotion some twelve days earlier and since that fantastic Monday night win against Sunderland we had gone on and won another three games without conceding a single goal. But still we couldn’t shake off second place Queens Park Rangers who were still in with a chance of taking the top spot and we needed a point to ensure that the Championship would be ours.

Preston had other concerns, although two places clear of the relegation positions they could still go down if results went against them. To ensure they stayed up they too needed a point.

There had been suggestions in the days leading up to the game that with both teams needing a point for success a draw was a certainty but both clubs ruled out any suggestion of anything that was not above board.

Preston though were worried about the Clarets attacking strength and considered the threat of Leighton James down the flank to be their greatest concern and so they removed the wings. In an amazing move they had the pitch narrowed by some yards on each side. Then they heavily watered the centre of the pitch to make decent football impossible. With that in mind the poor conditions would obviously favour North End.

But the original lines had been there all season and it was almost impossible to remove them and it left Deepdale looking more like a tennis court with tram lines down either side.

I was at the end now reserved for away fans, then a partially covered terrace. That was the away end that day but there again so was the other end of the ground. And the stands were basically Claret & Blue as well.

In fact for those who know the Deepdale of today the only area that the Preston fans claimed was the piece of terracing that is still there but no longer used down the side next to the old Pavilion Stand. Deepdale simply went Claret & Blue for the day.

The 8 o’clock from Burnley Central Station was packed as fans left some seven hours before kick off to ensure they got in. There were no tickets for the terracing, it was pay at the gate and a first come first served policy.

Martin Dobson leads the Clarets out
My decision to go by train was a wise one with news that the roads from Burnley to Preston (in pre-motorway days) were blocked hours before kick off. I was there and inside the ground in what could be described as before kick off. I think I was in there at about 1 o’clock.

I’d seen the Clarets triumphantly return to the First Division and now wanted the icing on the already delivered cake. We were a better side than QPR and we deserved the Championship, just as much as Portsmouth have deserved it ahead of Leicester this season.

The league table showed that they had four points less than us and they were away to Fulham with a further game eleven days later at Sunderland. Their goal difference was worse than ours but should they win both and us lose then it would become better. So basically we needed the point to ensure we won the trophy.

From my recollections of the day it was pretty tense but nothing like as tense as it would be if you needed a point to go up. We’d already done the hard part and whatever happened we would be back in the top league in August.

There was no speculation about the team; we knew what the line up would be. Mick Docherty was out injured and Billy Ingham would deputise in an otherwise unchanged team. It had been like that all season.

Stan could only dream of what happened. Injuries were so rare that six players were ever present, another missed just one game and one missed just two games.

We lined up: Alan Stevenson, Billy Ingham, Keith Newton, Martin Dobson, Colin Waldron, Jim Thomson, Geoff Nulty, Frank Casper, Paul Fletcher, Doug Collins, Leighton James. Sub not used: Ray Hankin.

The Preston team was: Allan Kelly, John McMahon, Eric Snookes, John Bird, Graham Hawkins, Stuart Baxter, Dave Connor, Alex Bruce, Alan Lamb, Alex Spark, Neil Young. Sub not used: Hugh McIlmoyle.

The referee was John Hunting of Leicester.

Celebration time in the Deepdale dressing room
It was played in the days when the teams didn’t come out together, it allowed fans to cheer and boo the two separate entrances. Preston were first out but stood in two lines by the touchline to offer the promoted Burnley a guard of honour to come through.

That was the only concession they gave us and when the game kicked off it was immediately obvious what Preston’s ploy was. They were to defend in numbers on a pitch with no room and just hit long balls up to two willing front runners in Lamb and Bruce.

It was Burnley in possession for just about all of the first half as we attacked the Kop End right in front of me. But there always seemed to be Preston defenders in the way and with no wings Leighton James would have had to be on the neighbouring Moor Park to have been effective.

"It’s just a matter of time before there’s a goal," one of the London Clarets told me as we pressed forward. "They can’t keep getting in the way of everything," he added.

With just two minutes left in the first half he was proved to be correct but it was Preston who took the lead. It was no surprise that it came from a long ball out of defence and Lamb beat Billy Ingham to it. His run took him into the box where he squared it for their leading scorer Bruce to hit home from ten yards.

The half time whistle blew and it was a long ten minutes especially when news came through that QPR were one up at Fulham. It could only get worse in the second half when Preston would surely pull just about everyone back.

They did and almost from the restart Snookes was able to clear a Fletcher header off the line. But just when we needed some inspiration it arrived eight minutes into the second half. A Frank Casper throw in found Martin Dobson who hit a scissor kick towards the edge of the Preston box.

Colin Waldron got up and won a header but it was headed back out by a Preston defender and back to Waldron. Waldo hit the ball on the volley from some 25 yards out that screamed into the top corner of Kelly’s goal.

Deepdale went silent, it was if time had stood still. And then as one the whole place lifted – the noise was incredible and I am certain that those left behind in Burnley heard it.

It was all Burnley now and quite how Preston survived the next period I will never know. But they did and it was still 1-1. Then with around ten minutes to go the whole temp changed, Burnley virtually retained possession and played keep ball.

Preston let us, they were too frightened to make a mistake that could cost them their place in the Second Division.

Burnley fans on the pitch at the end
Minutes before the end I left my place on the Kop and certainly for the last two minutes or so of the game I found myself inside the six yard box, even finding time to have a word with Alan Stevenson.

All I could do was keep my eye on the referee, he was the one that was going to signal that we were Second Division Champions and eventually he did.

The players were lost in a sea of Claret & Blue that covered the Deepdale pitch and having reached safety they appeared in the Directors’ Box to join in the singing.

E-I-E-I-E-I-O
Up the Football League we go
When we win promotion, this is what we’ll sing
We all love you, we all love you, Martin Dobson’s King.

It was only some time after the game that we learned of QPR’s win, they won the last game at Sunderland too so the point had been needed.

It was a magical day and difficult to believe that it was whole of thirty years ago. Jimmy Adamson had fulfilled his promise to take us back up and he was about to take us on an adventure over the next two years that saw us almost reach an FA Cup Final, get within a point of qualifying for Europe and being real Championship challengers.

We were so close to emulating the team that Adamson had captained.

In that promotion season we lost just four league games all season, two at home and two away from home. We were unbeaten away from home until January. Click HERE to see all our results from the 1972/73 season.

Below is the list of players who played for the Clarets in that league campaign with the number of appearances each made.

Frank Casper – 42, Eddie Cliff – 3, Doug Collins – 37, Mick Docherty – 35, Martin Dobson – 41, Paul Fletcher – 40, Ray Hankin – 0(1), Billy Ingham – 11(7), Leighton James – 42, Keith Newton – 42, Geoff Nulty – 32(6), Eric Probert – 0(1), Alan Stevenson – 42, Dave Thomas – 11, Jim Thomson 42, Colin Waldron – 42, Alan West – 0(2).

The goalscorers in were,

Paul Fletcher – 15, Frank Casper – 12, Martin Dobson – 12, Leighton James – 10, Geoff Nulty – 6, Billy Ingham – 4, Dave Thomas – 4, Colin Waldron – 4, Doug Collins – 2, Keith Newton – 1, Jim Thomson – 1, Own Goals – 1.

The Champions