Colin Waldron

The Hall of Fame Number 36 – Colin Waldron

Date of Birth: 22nd June 1948 Place of Birth: Bristol Burnley debut: Southampton (a) 28th October 1967 Other Clubs Bury Chelsea Manchester United Sunderland Rochdale

When Frank Casper was signed from Rotherham in the summer of 1967, the first signing for over eight years, little did we expect Burnley to go and splash out again by October?

But they did and in the days when northerners seemed to play for northern clubs and vice versa we signed a Bristol born lad from a London club when we paid Chelsea a Burnley record of £30,000 for defender Colin Waldron.

This was a Bristolian with a difference though, one with a Lancashire accent having spent most of his life in Oldham before making the long journey to Gigg Lane and Bury as an apprentice.

In the summer of 1967 the big clubs were after him and he signed for Chelsea despite the interests of Liverpool and Bill Shankly. Waldo admitted to being somewhat frightened of Shanks and decided to tell him that he had chosen Chelsea via a phone call. "Good, you are no good anyway," said Shanks.

But he didn’t settle and when Harry Potts came in for him just two months into the season he jumped at the chance of returning north.

He made his debut at right-back and then moved over to the left but once in central defence it was clear why Potts had broken our record to get him.

When Andy Lochhead moved on to Leicester in the 1968/69 season Waldron was given the club captaincy and he led us into a League Cup Semi-Final. Disappointingly he was injured in the first leg against a very physical Swindon side and missed the second leg and replay as we went out to the 3^rd Division side.

He lost his place in the side and the captaincy and it was clearly a problem between him and manager Harry Potts. There seemed no way back until Harry was moved upstairs and Jimmy Adamson, now in charge, brought him straight back into the side.

That was in February 1970 but in the following season despite some inspired performances he could do nothing to prevent the Clarets from losing their place in the First Division after a stay of twenty-four years.

There were changes to be made but Waldron was not one of them, Adamson intended building his new look defence around him and he was partnered with Jim Thomson. The first season down was an average season but the following year we took the division by storm and clinched promotion with some games to go and the Championship on the last day of the season at Preston.

We needed a point to be sure and Waldron was the hero as he crashed in a shot just after half time at the Town End at Deepdale. The goal clinched the title and in our very next game another Waldron goal ensured another trophy as we beat Manchester City 1-0 at Maine Road in the Charity Shield.

That goal was to become a trademark goal for Burnley with a newly worked free kick move, Maine Road was the first time it was used.

His partnership with Thomson was solid and carried on where it left off after promotion although as we got within a point of Europe, into the FA Cup Semi-Final and the Texaco Cup Final only to be robbed by Newcastle each time.

Into the 1974/75 season and the early departure of Martin Dobson to Everton saw him become captain for the second time and this time he led us right up into second place in the league by March. Who knows, but for a whole string of injuries, he could have been another Burnley captain to lift the League Championship trophy.

Waldo said to me recently that the injury to Frank Casper at Leeds in 1974 was a significant turning point for Burnley Football Club and who can disagree. But his last season at Turf Moor, 1975/76 most certainly was.

The club was in turmoil after the FA Cup defeat at Blackpool that saw Jimmy Adamson sacked in the aftermath. There had apparently been some problems in the dressing room at Bloomfield Road.

With Adamson’s departure Waldron’s was inevitable along with other players. During Adamson’s time as Burnley manager no player had played more often than Waldron, he missed only a few games in six years.

Incredibly as Bob Lord appeared to remove the club of all Adamson backers Waldo had to go and he was released at the end of that season as we bowed out of top flight football.

He moved on initially to Manchester United, signing for the manager who had bought him for Chelsea nine years earlier Tommy Docherty. He then moved up to Sunderland with the other released rebels to sign for Jimmy Adamson who by this time had taken over at Roker Park.

He ended his career in America where he played for three different clubs but made one more return to England to play for Rochdale who were managed by his mate Doug Collins.

He moved into the world of bookmaking after football and can still be found running Waldron Racing on Bradley Hall Road, Nelson.

Despite playing for Burnley in the period when we left top flight football for good he must surely be regarded as one of our best post war centre halves. He came so close to leading Burnley to top honours in the domestic game, into Europe and must have been very close to international honours.

And who can ever forget that brilliant goal on that memorable day at Deepdale?