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It wasn't a tailor's then; there was no sign of Montague Burton and his tape measure in town at that time. The site was occupied by the Bull Hotel, a hotel that stretched back as far as where the Burnley Express offices are today.
Happy Birthday Burnley
It wasn't a tailor's then; there was no sign of Montague Burton and his tape measure in town at that time. The site was occupied by the Bull Hotel, a hotel that stretched back as far as where the Burnley Express offices are today.
Burnley Rovers had started to play association football in 1881 but in that very hotel on the 18th May 1882 a decision was taken for the club to formally change code. Those who made that decision that day have affected the lives of so many from that day to this. And so the club today celebrates its 125th birthday.
There's no one around today who can recall that meeting, that's for sure, but there are many of us who can recall the club's centenary season of 1981/82. It started poorly with six defeats in the first eight games, and at that point Bob Lord, chairman from 1955, handed over the reigns to John Jackson in October, two months before his death. It was a season that ended with success as Brian Miller's side went on to lose only two more games following that poor start and lift the 3rd Division title.
The point that clinched it came in the very last game in a 1-1 home draw against Chesterfield. The game should never really have gone ahead after a torrential downpour in the lead up to kick off had left the pitch underwater. However, kick off was delayed and a Kevin Young goal earned us that vital point that gave us the title to go with the promotion we'd won at Southend on the previous Friday. Not many will recall the date of that Chesterfield game, there are few fans who will remember that it was played on the 18th May 1982, the date of the club's centenary.
It almost seems to be the forgotten Burnley Championship team. Other title winning teams have been remembered recently but the one that was won on our 100th birthday, the one that was a quarter of a century ago, has scarcely been given a mention.
It should be. It was a brilliant achievement from a side that included no fewer than six teenagers in the strongest line up, including four in the defence. Five of the players who featured that season were full internationals and to add to that both Micky Phelan and Trevor Steven went on to play for England.
The team that represented us in that important match against Chesterfield was: Alan Stevenson, Brian Laws, Andy Wharton, Tommy Cassidy, Paul Dixon, David Holt, Martin Dobson, Trevor Steven, Billy Hamilton, Paul McGee, Kevin Young.
The two regular central defenders Vince Overson and Micky Phelan were both out injured and others to play in that memorable centenary season were: Derek Scott, Phil Cavener, Steve Taylor, Eric Potts, Stuart Robertson, Colin Anderson, Mark Allen and loan player Brian Flynn.