The Longside Reference

Name: Alan Stevenson

D.O.B: 6th November 1950 

signed by Jimmy Adamson

Fee £50k

Debut 22nd Jan 1972 Orient(a)

Last Game:30th April 1983 Derby County (a)

Burnley Honours 2nd Division Title 72/73, 3rd Division title 81/82, Anglo-Scottich cup winners 77/78

International Honours: 11 U23 Caps England

Burnley career stats: 438 Leage games, 543 Total games.

Alan Stevenson stands forth in the all time list of Burnley League appearances behind Jerry Dawson (522 League appearances). Jimmy McIlroy (439 League appearances), and John Angus(438(1) League appearances), not bad for a goalkeeper who Burnley turned away as a youngster!

Way back in the late 60s Alan was turning out for Chesterfield boys while learning a trade as an apprentice fitter at Staveley Iron works he was invited to Burnley for a trial, which didn't go as well as he had hoped, conceding eight goals in the match, not the best of starts.

Shortly after that Alan signed on for Chesterfield first as an amateur, he would make his football league debut against Scunthorpe who had some kid with a rock star hair cut in their ranks, a kid by the name of Kevin Keegan! but even with "King" Kev in the Irons line up Chesterfield would be victorious 2-1 it would be the 4th October 1969.

Alan made over 100 consecutive appearances for the spirites as first choice keeper winning the 4th division title on the way, but his performances were gaining attention from other clubs, Leeds United being one team sniffing around the former apprentice fitter, Derby County and the late great Brian Clough being another!

£50.000 was the fee Burnley paid for Alan but it was how the transfer was completed that ended up in football trivia books!

Alan met with Burnley manager Jimmy Adamson, coach Joe Brown and scout David Blakely in a service station on the M1, Alan signed there and then and would make his debut on the Saturday away at Orient, being the forth Burnley goalkeeper that season after Waiters who had played his last game in Claret signing for Coventry after handing in a transfer request, Peter Mellor who would be sold to Fulham for £25k after the defeat to first division Huddersfield town in the FA Cup, Jeff Parton the only goalkeeper left on the books became the youngest post-war goalkeeper when he stepped in to face Watford conceding two goals in the 2-1 defeat aged just 18.

Stephenson's debut away at Orient paved way for the stopper to be an ever present in the Burnley goal up until March 1974, 88 consecutive league games, you could say Stevenson was Burnleys new No1.

When Burnley were crowned Second Division Champions, Alan was one of 6 ever presents the other being Keith Newton, Colin Waldron, Jim Thompson, Frank Casper and Leighton James.

Stevenson is one of the best ever England goalkeepers never to be capped at full International level, that opinion is felt by many a man who saw Alan play. Alan's England honours were all U23 caps 11 in total, although he made history? possibly as the only goalkeeper to  play centre forward for England U23s. While sitting on the bench against France in Valence, Stevenson was brought on to partner Claret team mate Paul Fletcher up front.

What happened on that night was the then England U23 manager Ken Furphy thought this particular match three substitutes were allowed in any position, but after making two outfield changes, the French complained about the intention to replace striker John McDowell with Tommy Taylor. Arguments between the benches were avoided by replacing McDowell with Stevenson leaving Melvin Day in England goal and Stevenson as England Striker.

He would make the full squad in Sir Alf Ramsey's last ever game as England manager an away game in Lisbon against hosts Portugal, but Alan would have to be content with a place as one of the five permitted substitutes, QPRs goalkeeper Phil Parkes won his only cap in the match, soon after Don Revie would be installed as England manager, and although Revie looked to sign Stevenson for Leeds United,  Revie never called up Alan for England.

Alan un explicitly in 75/76 suffered what only can be called a lack of form, losing the No1 jersey to Gerry Peyton, it seemed that Burnley's way of selling at profit Stevenson would be on his way. But Stevenson regained his form, regained the No1 shirt and it would be Peyton on his way sold in December 1976 another Burnley keeper sold on to Fulham (after Peter Mellor) this time for £35k.

The late 70s were not the best for Burnley but Stevenson would be like a rock at the back, older players coming in and the famous conveyor belt slowing up, Burnley were on the slide. The Anglo-Scottish cup would be one shining light in a time where Burnley would eventually slide into the third division for the first time.

Alan would be on couse for his 3rd Burnley Honour after the 2nd Division title and the Anglo-Scottish cup, Alan would be ever present as Burnley win the Third Division Championship in 1981/82.

The second division campaign was poor at best, but the cup runs had the entire country talking, Alan was replaced for a time during this season with Burnley Manager Brian Miller trying everything in his power to stop the second division slide, Billy O'Rourke would take the No1 jersey on four occasions the first would be the defeat at home to Blackburn. Alan's Burnley career would soon be at an end, after playing in all the glorious league cup run and all but two of Burnleys FA Cup run Stevenson would lose his place at the end of the season to O'Rourke this would be caretaker manager Frank Casper's decision as O'Rourke could not save Burnley's demise and relegation back to division three. Alan Stevenson would play his last ever game in the Claret'n'Blue first team away at the Baseball Ground, Derby County a game burnley lost 2-0.

Casper dropped Stevenson for the last four games of that relegation season of 82/83, but it would be John Bond who gave him a free transfer replacing Alan with  Roger "No Hands" Hansbury!!

In 1982 Alan would be granted a Testimonial by Burnley FC and Chairman John Jackson, A football match against David"Bumble"Lloyd's Lancashire Select at Baxenden and a game at Turf Moor against Manchester City who's manager at the time was John Bond?

The Football Charity match came first, with Programme notes from John Bond but the enigmatic manager barely mentioned Alan's career his words were " After 10 years with Burnley, he deserves a testimonial year..." praise indeed from the man who would ultimately end Stevenson's Burnley career!

The game would end in a 3-3 Draw with Kevin Young, Brain Laws and the man who was the manager in Alan's last ever Burnley appearance Frank Casper, the Burnley team would be a mix of current squad and management (with Casper getting a run out).

The game against Bumble would be a thank you to Alan from players of the past Waldron, Fletcher, Hall, Newton, Micky Summerbee, Casper, Miller, Kindon, Bellamy, even Ronny Clayton the former Blackburn Rovers captain making an appearance amongst others. 'Bumble's' team consisted of Lancashire cricketers including a soon to be director at Turf Moor Jack Simmons.

Stevenson away from football would also be an accomplished cricketer and a excellent Table Tennis player! strange but true.

On leaving Burnley in 1983, Alan played a season at Rotherham a season at Hartlepool where he initially joined on loan, he became Hartlepool's commercial manager when his playing days came to an end, with other business interests in marketing at Middlesboro, West Brom and Huddersfield.

Alan will always be hailed as one of Burnleys beat ever goalkeepers, a list that contains Dawson, McDonald, Blacklaw and Strong. and only the second goalkeeper in Burnleys history(so far) to be granted a testimonial (McDonald being the first).