140 YEARS OF BURNLEY FC

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A look back at 140 years of Clarets history

2022-05-18T10:31:35.733Z

140 YEARS OF BURNLEY FC

A look back at 140 years of Clarets history

2022-05-18T10:31:35.733Z

A look back at 140 years of Clarets history

18 May 1882 - The Club was founded by members of the rugby club Burnley Rovers. In a meeting at the Bull Hotel, they voted to switch from rugby to football. A few days later they dropped the suffix Rovers.

14 October 1882 - After a number of trial matches at Calder Vale, Burnley played their first competitive game, a Lancashire FA Cup tie against Astley Bridge. The visitors won 8-0.

17 February 1883 - Burnley played their first ever game at Turf Moor. The Club used a field adjacent to Burnley Cricket Club. Rawtenstall were the opponents in a trial game which the visitors won 6-3.

8 September 1888 - Founder members of the Football League, the Clarets lost their first game in the competition 5-2 to Preston North End at Deepdale. Seven days later, Burnley won for the first time in the league, 4-3 at Bolton with William Tait scoring a hat-trick.

9 January 1892 - The Clarets beat Darwen 9-0 at Turf Moor to record Burnley’s highest ever Football League win. Tom Nicol and Alex McLardie scored hat-tricks.

9 April 1898 - Burnley drew 0-0 at Gainsborough Trinity to win the Second Division title. Harry Bradshaw’s side lost only two league games that season. They returned to the top division at the first time of asking.

25 April 1914 - Burnley won their first major trophy with a 1-0 FA Cup final win over Liverpool at Crystal Palace. Bert Freeman scored the only goal. Captain Tommy Boyle lifted the trophy from King George V, the first reigning monarch to attend an FA Cup final.

23 April 1921 - A 1-1 draw against Everton at Goodison Park is enough to give Burnley their first ever League Championship title. Benny Cross got the goal against the Toffees. John Haworth’s team had gone a record 30 games unbeaten in Division One that season.

26 April 1947 - Burnley lose the 1947 FA Cup final 1-0 to Charlton Athletic after extra time at Wembley. A crowd of 98,215 watched Burnley’s first ever game at the famous stadium. The Clarets put that disappointment behind them to secure promotion from the Second Division.

2 May 1960 - Burnley won 2-1 at Maine Road to clinch the League Championship title. Brian Pilkington and Trevor Meredith got the goals as Harry Potts’ team went top for the first time that season. The Clarets won the title after a three-way battle with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.

18 January 1961 - Burnley beat Hamburg 3-1 at Turf Moor in their European Cup quarter-final. Brian Pilkington (2) and Jimmy Robson got the goals. A late consolation goal by Charly Dorfel gave the visitors hope. Sadly, Hamburg won the second leg 4-1, two months later, to reach the last four.

5 May 1962 - Tottenham Hotspur beat Burnley 3-1 in the 1962 FA Cup final at Wembley. When Jimmy Robson equalised just after half time, he scored the 100th FA Cup final goal at Wembley. It was a season of what could have been, in addition to being FA Cup runners-up, the Clarets finished second in the First Division to Alf Ramsey’s Ipswich Town.

8 February 1967 - Burnley drew 0-0 in Naples. Harry Thomson made save after save in Napoli’s Stadium San Paulo to protect Burnley’s 3-0 lead from the first leg of their Inter-Cities Fairs Cup tie. Unfortunately, Harry Potts’ side went out in the quarter-finals to Eintracht Frankfurt.

16 April 1973 - Burnley beat FA Cup finalists Sunderland 2-0 at Turf Moor to clinch promotion from Division Two. Paul Fletcher scored both goals as Jimmy Adamson’s side returned to the top-flight after two years. They would pip Queens Park Rangers to the title.

14 May 1982 - The Clarets won 4-1 at Southend United to clinch promotion from Division Three. Paul McGee (2), Andy Wharton and Brian Laws got the goals. Brian Miller’s side had lost six of their first eight league games but a run of 20 league games unbeaten helped Burnley climb the table. They would clinch the title with a 1-1 draw against Chesterfield at Turf Moor.

9 May 1987 - On a dramatic last day of the season Burnley beat Orient 2-1 at Turf Moor to avoid relegation out of the Football League. Goals from Neil Grewcock and Ian Britton saved the Clarets in front of a season-best crowd of almost 16,000. Lincoln City were the first side to be automatically relegated out of Division Four.

28 April 1992 - A 2-1 win at York City ended Burnley’s seven-year exile in the basement division. Goals from John Deary and John Francis sealed a dramatic comeback win at Bootham Crescent. Jimmy Mullen’s side won the Fourth Division title with Mike Conroy topping the scoring charts with 24 league goals.

29 May 1994 - Burnley beat Stockport County 2-1 at Wembley in the Division Two play-off final. David Eyres and Gary Parkinson got the goals in a dramatic comeback win to give the Clarets their second promotion in three seasons. The Hatters had finished 12 points above Burnley but had Michael Wallace and Chris Beaumont sent off in the final.

6 May 2000 - On an incredible last day, Burnley won 2-1 at Scunthorpe United to secure automatic promotion to the First Division. Goals from Micky Mellon and Glen Little gave Stan Ternent’s side a superb comeback win. Brian Flynn’s Wrexham did Burnley a favour with a 1-0 win over nearest challengers Gillingham.

25 May 2009 - A memorable Wade Elliott goal secured Burnley a 1-0 win over Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final at Wembley. The Clarets were back in the top-flight for the first time in 33 years. It was Burnley’s 61st game of an incredible season in which they reached the Carling Cup semi-finals and the FA Cup fifth round. Owen Coyle’s side had finished fifth and beat Reading home and away in the play-off semi-finals.

19 August 2009 - A sensational Robbie Blake volley gave Burnley a shock 1-0 win over reigning Premier League champions Manchester United. It’s Burnley’s first top-flight win since a 1-0 success at St James’ Park in April 1976. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had won their previous 17 league games against promoted sides. The win would be the highlight of the Clarets’ first Premier League season.

21 April 2014 - Goals from Ashley Barnes and Michael Kightly secured a 2-0 win over play-off chasing Wigan Athletic at Turf Moor to clinch promotion back to the Premier League. Sean Dyche’s side had started the 2013/14 season as one of the relegation favourites. It was Burnley’s first automatic promotion for 41 years.

7 May 2016 - Burnley won 3-0 at the Valley to clinch the Championship title. Sam Vokes, George Boyd and Andre Gray got the goals against already relegated Charlton Athletic, as Burnley returned to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Sean Dyche’s side were unbeaten in their last 23 league games.

26 July 2018 - The Clarets were back in European club action again for the first time since 1966/67. Substitute Sam Vokes got the equaliser as Burnley drew 1-1 with Aberdeen at Pittodrie. Sean Dyche’s side had finished seventh in the Premier League to record their best top-flight finish since 1973/74.

10 May 2021 - Burnley won 2-0 at Craven Cottage to secure their place in the Premier League for a sixth successive season. Two goals in the final ten minutes of the first half decided the crucial game. Ashley Westwood and Chris Wood got the goals that relegated Fulham and kept Burnley in the top-flight.

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