Former players want to honour manager

Last updated : 14 May 2003 By Tony Scholes

Jimmy Adamson
The manager was Jimmy Adamson and just four years ago the Centre Spot was renamed the Jimmy Adamson Lounge only to lose his name again when it was handed over to the Clarets Foundation two years ago.

But the players of 1973 want Jimmy’s name added to the Bob Lord Stand with it being given a new name of the ‘LORD ADAMSON STAND’. That would be a very uneasy reunion indeed, it was Lord who sensationally sacked Adamson in January 1976 for what was regarded as non-footballing matters.

One of the players of the Adamson era, Paul Fletcher, told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph on behalf of his former team mates,

"In our view there have been four key people in Burnley's history; Bob Lord, Jimmy McIlroy, Brian Miller and Jimmy Adamson. It could be argued that Jimmy Adamson is the most successful and longest serving manager in the club's history."

To be honest I find that incredible although in no way would I wish to undermine the footballing skills of Jimmy McIlroy and certainly not the careers of Jimmy Adamson and Brian Miller who were without doubt two Burnley greats.

But it certainly could not be argued that Adamson was our most successful manager nor our longest serving because neither of those are true.

Adamson was manager for just short of six years from February 1970 to January 1976 and there is no doubt whatsoever that he did a superb job in difficult circumstances, providing us with three magnificent years from 1972 to 1975.

Harry Potts
But that six years pales into insignificance alongside the twelve years Harry Potts was manager during his first spell as boss. And the 2nd Division Championship, albeit in different circumstances, cannot be compared with becoming Champions of England and representing the country in the European Cup.

Adamson is without doubt a major name in Burnley’s history and should of course be remembered but Potts took Burnley to the very top of English football. We did it the ‘Harry Potts Way’ and that should never be forgotten.

Honour Jimmy by all means – give him that uneasy relationship with Bob Lord on one side of the ground. But that should always be looking across at the ‘Harry Potts Longside’ the stand that was under construction when Harry sadly died in 1996. It simply demands his name.

To the two Jimmys, to Brian and to Bob Lord – you are all worthy of being listed as top names from Burnley FC’s history but any such list should always include the name of Harry Potts.