Burnley Memorabilia And Programmes

Saturday 26th September 1959

Burnley 3 - 1 Birmingham City

Goalscorers:Pointer, McIlroy, Connelly

Att: 23,848

Teams

Burnley: Blacklaw, Angus, Elder, Adamson, Cummings, Miller, Connelly, McIlroy, Pointer, Robson, Pilkington.

Birmingham City: Merrick, Farmer, Sissons, Watts, Smith, Neal, Hellawell, Gordon, Larkin, Orritt, Hooper

Referee      Mr. J.Cook    (Pontefract)

Linesmen     Mr. C.L.Ross and Mr.J.A.Russell

This week back at Turf Moor after their 3-1 win over Newcastle United, The Clarets were facing the bottom of the league club Birmingham City. A win for our heroes was certainly expected and for once they didn't let us down.

 Straight from the kick off Burnley were showing their strengths with a fabulous neat passing game and it was no surprise to the crowd when inside 10 minutes Pointer had headed home to give the Clarets an early lead.

City had not been at the races and Merrick was playing a blinder in goal to keep the marauding Clarets at bay.This Birmingham side were looking absolute second best, and totally against the run of play it was Orritt who brought the game level at 1-1.

This goal seemed to give City the spur they needed and Orritt again went close with a shot that rebounded off the post. This unexpected improvement in City's play didn't last long though and the Clarets totally dominated the rest of the first half.

Birmingham's only answer to the foraging Clarets was to resort to foul play, and the referee had to give many a warning.The second half started with again Burnley showing their superiority, with McIlroy and Connelly giving the City defence a torrid time.

It was McIlroy himself scoring from a header that put the Clarets back into a 2-1 lead with a neatly headed goal. The Brummies were now totally at sixes and sevens and it was Burnley doing all of the attacking, but it wasn't until the last minute that Connelly finally put the game beyond doubt scoring to make it 3-1 to the Clarets.

This was one of those games that Burnley totally dominated and the scoreline should easily have been 6 or 7, the gulf between the two teams was definitely huge.

Programme Review

Teams were as printed in the programme.

Harry Potts Calling

In his weekly column this week Harry commented on the well earned victory up at St James Park last Saturday, this victory keeping the Clarets in joint 2nd place in the table.

He offered a word of caution to the fans at today's match not to expect an easy win, even though Birmingham have experienced a poor start to the campaign it was going to be a difficult game to win as Burnley had previous experience of against the Blues.

He also praised Jimmy Adamson's 300th League appearance for the Clarets against Newcastle, he stated " Our Jim " is one of those players whose name will go down in our club's history among those whose loyalty, affection and endeavour for this club has never been found wanting, and I know you will be heartily in with me in offering him our most sincere congratulations on his splendid record which we envisage him extending with many more distinctions.

( How right he was. )

Harry also went on to mention, Ray Pointer and John Connelly who had both been selected for representative games, Ray for the under 23's eleven at Goodison Park against the Hungarian under 23's team, and John for his selection to play for the Football League eleven against the Irish League

Congratulations also went out to Jimmy McIlroy for being selected to play for Ireland against Scotland in Belfast, this would be Jimmy's 25th consecutive cap for Ireland