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This was pre-internet days and I rushed into the newsagents to find out just who we had signed and learned that it was Sheffield United’s reserve team striker Nathan Peel who I later found out was a Burnley fan from Clitheroe.
He’d started at Preston before moving to Bramall Lane but at 21 had failed to win a first team place at either and had made just four league starts with three of them for Halifax on loan.
The Clarets were going well at home although they hadn’t collected an away point and Peel’s first two appearances were both at home and both as a substitute. It was the second of them for which he will always be remembered against Plymouth and goalkeeper Peter Shilton. They were riding high but Peel, on for John Francis, won it for us with two goals past the former England keeper and one of them was a stunner.
"Sign him on, sign him on," screamed the Longside and Mullen duly did paying Sheffield United £60,000 for his services but it was never to get that good for Peel again and they were his only goals for the club.
He started just four league games in that first season alongside nine substitute appearances and he was even displaced by forgotten man Graham Lancashire for the subs role in the play off final. Just three more substitute appearances followed in the next season and then not a single first team game in what was to be his last season in 1995/96.
He did have loan spells away from the club at Rotherham, Mansfield and Doncaster and it was for Rotherham (who he made his last Burnley start against) that he scored four goals in nine games.
But on his release in May 1996 he didn’t play league football again but a few years later was on the bench for Northwich Victoria in a pre-season friendly against the Clarets.
I’m sure though that it will be the game against Plymouth that everyone will remember when he comes out onto the Turf Moor pitch tomorrow afternoon.
