He'll always be a Claret

Last updated : 09 November 2004 By Tony Scholes

Ralph made the half-time draw at the tie between the clubs two years ago but he just simply had to be invited back again once we had been paired together in this fourth round.

He’ll say that he can’t lose, that he is a fan of both clubs having played many games for both but don’t be fooled Spurs fans because Ralph is really a Claret with some affection for your club.

It was a very sad, but inevitable day, when he signed on the dotted line for Bill Nicholson and became a Spurs player. He was THE star player at the time in a Burnley side that had been relegated and there was no way on earth we could turn down the massive fee of £190,000.

For many of us he is an all time favourite, at times an unlikely looking football hero but one with huge talent who really should have won more England caps than he did. He was called up for the first time in April 1970 and played against Northern Ireland in a 3-1 win at Wembley.

That got him in the squad that departed for the World Cup in Mexico, but despite featuring on the single ‘Back Home’ and getting his World Cup Ford Cortina he was incredibly left out of the final squad.

Ralph welcomed onto the pitch by his Burnley team mates after his first England call up
It was to be April 1971 before he played again and this was his only other cap whilst a Claret, yet another player whose international career was not as extensive as it should have been because he didn’t play for one of the big clubs.

His debut for the Clarets came at Christmas 1964 and his final appearance was at Wolves on May Day 1971, the last match of the relegation season. There was no long drawn out saga during the summer as to whether he would leave or not, four days later he was a Tottenham player.


He doubled his international cap tally whilst with Spurs, scored the winning goal in a League Cup Final although I still wonder just what an influence he could have had on our successful side of the mid-70s had we been able to keep him. As it happened he played against us.

After Spurs he finished his career at Orient and in 1979/80 played twice against the Clarets. It was a 2-2 draw at Brisbane Road on the opening day of the season and he got both Orient goals.

He didn’t score in the return, on a day when two Burnley youngsters Phil Cavener and Vince Overson were making their debuts. We lost that 2-1 but the lasting memory of the day will be the reception for Ralph as he led Orient out.

It was repeated two years ago and tonight he is assured another superb Turf Moor welcome, you might miss him though if you are not quick, he’ll be here, there and every ……. where Ralphy Coates, Ralph Coates.