The Longside Reference

Talk in summer of 1975 of Burnley being League Champions did not seem far fetched. They had been close enough the previous season, and given freedom from injuries this time, why not? few could forsee the traumas that lay ahead.

Although early league form was generally unimpressive, with only one win in the first ten games, there were high spots. Peter Noble hit a Hat-Trick in that one win, the 4-1 defeat of Middlesbrough on 30th August, and went one better a fortnight later by scoring all four in the eight goal thriller against Norwich. The team showed its capabilities by reaching the quarter finals of the League Cup, defeating eventual champions Liverpool on the way. Fran Casper returned to the first team after 18 months' absence and scored his hundredth league goal to defeat QPR on the Turf on 18th October. But the comeback was short lived. A major blow came in November with the departure of Leighton James to Derby County for £300.000; James had publicised his desire to leave and bowed out after the worst display of the season when Wolves came to the Turf and won 5-1.

Burnley had sunk to 20th place by the time the FA Cup third round match against Blackpool came up. An inept display saw the Second Division side win 1-0, with Ray Hankin sent off. This was to be Jimmy Adamson's final match as Burnley manager, and the following week assistant Joe Brown was promoted to take charge of the team. Brown's first match was at Norwich with a much changed side, and this was the last game in Burnley colours, coincidentally, for both Frank Casper(right) and Mick Docherty.

In an attempt to stave off the inevitable, under23 international Tony Morley was signed from Preston North End in February. Morley was to go on to championship and European Cup success with Aston Villa, but his impact at Turf Moor was disappointing. Wins against Birmingham and Newcastle in April kept hope alive, but the inevitable blow fell when Turf Moors biggest crowd of the season, 27.411 saw Manchester United win 1-0 on Easter Monday.

So it was back to Division Two.the way back this time would not be so easy.

Taken from Burnley v Scarborough Match Programme, 9th January 1990, extract compiled by Ray Simpson and Wallace Chadwick