So ‘Jaw, jaw is always better than
war, war’? Maybe. But would Mrs Thatcher have won a second term of office without the
Falklands victory? Dennis Healey called her a ‘bargain basement Boadicea'. She did
take an almighty gamble, though. Had it not been for the Task Force heroics and some dodgy
Argentinean fuse timings, she would have sunk quicker than the Belgrano. Not that
Reagan took much notice of her enhanced standing. It was OK to call upon the ‘special
relationship’ when he needed to teach Libya a lesson, but it meant damn all as US
troops took over Grenada, ‘just in time to thwart a Soviet take over of Cuba’,
apparently. Of course, these were the days of itchy trigger fingers, as a South Korean 747
found to its cost when it strayed into Soviet airspace. Star Wars was on the agenda and
Glasnost was still to come.
Despite Reagan’s snub and mounting unemployment (13.3% of
Burnley’s workforce was then unemployed), Mrs Thatcher’s stock couldn’t
have been higher. But just as John Bond found, once your luck begins to run out, a trickle
can quickly become a torrent. For in that second term, she was bombed by the IRA,
humiliated by Spycatcher, embarrassed by Heysel, discredited by Westland, deprived
of her Cecil and then challenged not only by the GLC, but by her own MPs in disputes over
pay, pension tax concessions and welfare reforms. And, of course, there was the
Miners’ strike. Perhaps it was small wonder that she grasped again for the Falklands
solution. Scargill became the new Galtieri, although Orgreave seemed more like her
Gettysburg than her Goose Green. It might have been 1984 but was that any excuse for her
to use the police like her own stormtroopers?
Always respected more than liked, Margaret Thatcher courted an
inner circle of favourites, seeming to find fault with most ministers outside that cordon.
John Bond seemed a bit like that, carrying talismen around with him such as Hansbury,
Reeves and Hutchison. Some believed that, like Margaret Thatcher, he too readily found
fault with those not of his choosing. His initial assessment of his new club and team
partly supported that view. He said:
‘When I took over the club there were quite a few changes
which needed to be made and that’s why I have bought a series of experienced players.
In order to get the team I want and we need… we have got to bring in new players.
From what I can gather things have been allowed to get out of hand at Burnley… and
the people in charge have not been as ambitious as they should. But the potential is
terrific and the set up is better than the majority of First Division clubs.. thanks to
the efforts of former chairman Bob Lord…'
(However he later told a group of supporters, 'the person
responsible for leaving such an outstanding ground and creating a club of substance
perhaps stayed too long.')
Looking at his individual squad members, Bond stated:
Roger Hansbury: ‘He is a quality goalkeeper who has played at
the top level… What impresses me is his dedication and courage. He will make the odd
mistake but he is always prepared to work hard and make sure it doesn’t happen
again.’
(The supporters were less impressed and gave Hansbury a lot of
early stick. However, Hansbury stuck it out and began to show better form later in the
season.)
Joe Gallagher: ‘He is a good talker and he will have a good
steadying influence in the back four. He has played at the top level and I hope his
experience and knowledge of the game will rub off on other players. His greatest asset is
his heading ability and that will be of vital importance, especially at this level.’
(Again, the supporters took a different view. Bond eventually
agreed with them, dropping Joe and then sending him on loan to Halifax. Bond later blamed
the club doctor for failing to identify the full extent of Joe’s injuries prior to
signing him.)
Mike Phelan: ‘He could walk into any First Division side. He
is a very talented player and I will be very surprised if he doesn’t make the England
Under-21 side this season. A very smooth player, he reads the game well and is a good user
of the ball – not always a quality found in centre backs. He should combine well with
Joe Gallagher… A future England international.’
Willie Donachie: ‘He is an excellent professional…
Although he is now in his early thirties, Willie hasn’t lost any of his old sharpness
and will give good service to this club for a few years yet.’
Gerry Gow: ‘He was peanuts at £15,000. He is a very honest
and dedicated player, he will give me blood week in, week out. He has earned a bit of a
reputation for being a bit of a hard man, but he’s a better ball player than people
give him credit for. He is a tenacious player, very much in the Billy Bremner mould, and
is fabulous when it comes to challenging for 50/50 balls. He hates losing and is a great
fighter of lost causes… every team needs a player like him.’
(However London Claret, Steve Harridge, was less convinced. After a
few months, he concluded, ‘Unlike Gallagher, Gow has had ample opportunity to show
what he can do, which, judging by his performances to date, is not very much.’ Bond
was forced to agree, and after making eight full League appearances in the opening two
months, Gow was never selected again.)
Brian Flynn: ‘He’s a lively, cheerful player to have
around the place and it is a pleasure to be associated with a professional like him. He is
a very determined player with a great will to win and he’s going to be a key figure
this season.’
Derek Scott: ‘I’ve been very impressed with him in the
two months I’ve been at the club and although he lacks a bit of skill – his
touch seems to desert him in tight situations – he more than makes up for it with his
determination and will to succeed. His running off the ball is excellent and he gets
himself into good scoring positions, although his finishing sometimes leaves a bit to be
desired. I see his role in midfield.’
Martin Dobson: ‘I don’t see him holding down a regular
first team place this season – unless he really pushes himself to the limits –
and I would refer to him as a squad player, filling in when a player is suspended or
injured. He is a very elegant and skilful midfield player with experience of playing at
the highest level. He still retains that quality but perhaps doesn't complement it with
the necessary amount of running and hard work.‘
(Presumably this assessment accounts for John Bond’s
controversial sacking of Dobson as club captain? However, Bond seemed quite content to
pick Dobson for most games up until March 1984, when Dobbo became Bury's player manager.)
Kevin Young: ‘A young experienced player with a lot of skill,
who at the moment doesn’t have the urge to combine that skill with the effort you
need to become a good midfield player. He has a lot to learn and a great deal of hard work
in front of him if he is to fulfil his potential and really get the best out of himself.
Hopefully, I will be able to get the message through to him this season.’
Tommy Hutchison: ‘I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to
sign Tommy on a free transfer. He’s a terrific professional and I had no hesitation
in making him club captain. He will have a great influence on the players around him. When
I was at City I paid £50,000 for him and I’m still convinced that it was the best
£50,000 any manager has ever spent. ‘
(Hutchison said, ‘I would not have gone down to the Third
Division for any club unless it was managed by John Bond.’ Steve Harridge’s
verdict was, ‘Tommy took time to find his best form, but when he did he looked a very
good player indeed, as the ‘Player of the Year’ table indicated.)
Kevin Reeves: ‘I rate Kevin among the top six strikers in the
country. I first signed him as a schoolboy at Bournemouth and I have managed him almost
throughout his career. Kevin was unfortunate to lose his father at an early age and I feel
as though I have been the fatherly figure for much of his life. I consider myself lucky to
have bought him for a cut price £100,000. He is still a very good player and although his
finishing could be a bit better at times, he is going to be a great asset to
Burnley.’
(Kevin Reeves was potentially Burnley’s best signing since
Billy Hamilton. It was tragic that his career should have suddenly ended following a hip
injury sustained at Oxford in the FA Cup replay.)
Billy Hamilton: ‘People may be surprised that Billy has stayed
at the club despite being relegated, but unlike a lot of people who have played at the
highest level, Billy is not a money grabber. He is more concerned with enjoying the game
and that’s why he’s happy to stay at Burnley. He is a very cheerful, honest
person and a pleasure to have around the place. He will do absolutely anything for the
club and always gives 110%.’
Lee Dixon: ‘A talented youngster who is the main contender for
the right back spot. He likes to get forward as much as possible but perhaps needs to work
on the defensive side a little more. He looks to have a bright future.’
Terry Donovan: ‘Like Martin Dobson, he won’t be a first
choice player at the start of the season, but from a manager’s point of view it is
good to have a player of this calibre in reserve. He is a good, hard-working striker
although his control lets him down a bit. He is a good finisher and will always score
goals at this level.’
(In fact, Donovan didn’t stay as a reserve too long. He was
transferred to Rotherham for £15,000 in September 1983.)
John Bond told the Burnley supporters that he was disappointed by
their welcome and appealed to them to give him a chance. He concluded by promising that he
would ‘work like stink to make this club great again’ and insisted that,
‘by the end of the season this club will be one of the most talked about in the
country.’
Missing from John Bond’s squad analysis were Trevor Steven,
Brian Laws, Vince Overson, Alan Stevenson, Andy Wharton, Steve Taylor, Phil Caverner,
Tommy Cassidy, David Holt and Paul McGee. Steven moved to Everton during the same week in
June in which Bond and Benson arrived at Turf Moor. A fee of £325,000 was agreed. It has
been said that Bond was responsible for the transfer but it seems that Howard Kendall had
negotiated the deal before Bond’s appointment. In any event, Bond was not opposed to
the deal since it gave him the spending power he required for squad strengthening.
Newcastle’s £150,000 bid for Hamilton was refused, however.
As for the others, Holt had retired and Stevenson, Taylor, Cassidy,
Caverner and McGee had all been released prior to Bond starting. Wharton was retained but
soon fell from favour, Overson was also retained and became a Bond man and Laws was
transferred to Huddersfield for a paltry £20,000 after failing to impress Bond during the
pre-season games. Bond’s view of Laws was, ‘although he is quite good going
forward, I do not believe he is a good enough defender.’ Brian Laws reacted with,
‘Mr Bond did not rate me as a player. He’s entitled to his opinion but I’m
determined to make him eat his words. Huddersfield seem a friendly family club, the way
Burnley used to be.’
London Claret, Kevin Wood, was devastated at Laws’ departure.
He wrote, ‘I am writing this a few days after Brian Laws’ transfer – I
don’t think it has truly sunk in yet. It has to be admitted that Brian did not have a
great season last year, but his departure will mean that we will now no longer see his
dogged determination… in defence or on the break. My personal memory of his
performance dates back to Easter Monday 1982 when he scored a brilliant volleyed goal
against Chesterfield from a ridiculous angle. Good luck Brian.’
Despite a surprising Milk Cup exit at the hands of Crewe (3-5 on
aggregate) and a pasting at Hull (1-4) in the opening game, there was some cause for early
optimism. Fellow London Claret, Mike Bullen, wrote in October:
‘After the poor performance against a pretty good Hull side at
Boothferry Park, where only Reeves and Phelan did well and Lee Dixon had a reasonable
game, things have got better. That result may be a favour in the long run. The Milk Cup
game at Crewe was an improvement; Hutchison was getting more involved, the defence was
looking sound (except when dealing with free kicks whence Crewe's goal came) against an
unenterprising attack, but the forwards made little headway against a solid looking Crewe
defence.
Bournemouth were not a very good side (5-1), but although the two
early goals helped the Clarets on their way, this was a much better performance. Flynn was
making lots of forward runs into space, and Gow, playing deep in midfield, had an
impressive first game (he was suspended for the previous two). One had the feeling that
every time Burnley attacked a goal was on, although it has to be said that Bournemouth did
not mark very well. There were many good passing and one touch movements, some variation
with free kicks and corners and lots of good crosses. Billy Hamilton was really sharp (he
scored a hat trick of headers). John Bond told the Burnley Express that he had a
word with Billy in training: ‘‘If he does what I want he will score thirty goals
– if he does what he wants he’ll only get between ten and fifteen.’’
Do what Mr Bond wants, Billy.
The Newport game (2-0) was not as exciting. Newport were what are
called a workmanlike side – no outstanding individuals, just a solid team. The one
touch movements were still there but the passing and crossing were not so hot. With the
umpteen corners Burnley won, they tried the same thing every time – the near post
flick on – and failed every time. Only once can I remember something different: a
short corner, Dobson crossed and Billy headed home. The first goal came from a penalty
after Flynn had his legs removed. Quite frankly, Burnley did not look like scoring until
then but neither did Newport, with Burnley’s defence playing very well.
Oxford was another good result (2-2) even though the final minute
equaliser was a bit fortunate. Burnley’s first goal was a gem, a Hamilton header (his
fifth goal, all headers). Billy started the move himself, Hutchison put over a great cross
and bang, in it went. I thought Hansbury had his best game for the club and Donachie had
another good game. Gerry Gow and Andy Wharton, neither of whom had a good game, were
booked (Burnley’s first cautions of the season).’
Another member, Colin Elliman added:
‘At Oxford, the back four of Donachie, Overson, Phelan and
Wharton looked as solid as any defensive combination employed last season, which
doesn’t say a lot for them. They tend to get caught square but with such an attack
minded back four that was on the cards. I thought Donachie had a good game at right back
combining well with Hutchison. The midfield of Dobson, Flynn, Gow and Hutchison was not as
positive as I believed it would be, and although they combined well, the final ball tended
too often to go astray. Hutchison seems a valuable asset for he looked comfortable on the
ball. I am not so sure about Gerry Gow, who seemed to be having difficulty knowing quite
what to do. Hamilton and Reeves worked well together creating space for the midfield to
exploit. John Bond is reputed to still require a midfielder and a defender (Dennis Tueart,
Steve Daley and, for a very short period, Alan Waldron would all be signed in the lead up
to Christmas). Upon seeing this performance it is not surprising if he feels this way.
Burnley could be pleased with the draw, more so than Oxford, who should never have let a
two goal lead slip with fifteen minutes to go. There was not much to be excited nor
despondent about as long as Billy can climb above defences as positively as he did here.
As for Brian Flynn’s goal, well, they say you make your own luck.’
Mike Bullen continued:
‘In the Milk Cup second leg, after Flynn’s equaliser in
the 10th minute, Burnley looked like they were going to tear Crewe apart. But
Crewe’s John Crabbe was given too much space and restored Crewe’s lead. A
penalty put them in the driving seat and when Hutchison was caught dribbling inside the
penalty area, Crewe went 4-1 up. In the second half, Steve Kennedy replaced Kevin Reeves.
Donachie and Gallagher appeared to be carrying injuries. Burnley gradually came back into
the tie without looking particularly good. Flynn scored from a penalty after Hamilton was
pushed and Wharton scored with a long low cross that deceived everyone. Crewe had five men
booked but it was their night – they fully deserved their win. I enjoyed the game but
one thing I did not like was the Burnley crowd chanting, "Alan Stevenson." That
won’t help Hansbury settle in – he was not to blame for any of the goals –
and at times they were booing the Clarets and cheering Crewe.’
In the months leading up to Christmas, Turf Moor was a fortress.
Only one home league game was lost during this time, to Gillingham (2-3). There were some
impressive victories, too, such as against Wigan (3-0), Sheffield United (2-1) and Port
Vale (7-0). Danny West reported:
‘October 29th. In a very entertaining game, Burnley
beat Wigan 3-0. Wigan showed why they have such a good away record by being enterprising
in attack, but for all that they couldn’t score. After being accused of having no
backbone after the Lincoln game (1-3), every Claret played with more determination. As for
the goals, Flynn scored the first in the 36th minute, with a shot from six
yards after good work by Reeves. Hutchison, scored the second in the 42nd
minute with a deflected shot after running past two defenders. And finally, in the 89th
minute, the most satisfying goal of all, when Reeves volleyed home after Hamilton had
knocked the ball down. Reeves had missed one good chance and three harder ones and had one
goal disallowed. Steve Taylor played for Wigan until being substituted by another
ex-Claret, Neil Bailey.
November 8th. In front of 9,551 people, Burnley beat
Sheffield United 2-1 in an exceptionally entertaining match. The Clarets took the lead
after two minutes when Dobson’s 25-yard shot was deflected past United goalkeeper,
Waugh. For twenty minutes Burnley dominated the game, with Reeves hitting the bar and
Hutchison and Hamilton going close. Then it became end to end stuff with Hansbury having
to make some good saves. Then in the 59th minute, Reeves deflected
Donachie’s shot to make it 2-0. It was Willie’s first goal for Burnley and only
the third of his career. A couple of minutes later, ex-Claret, Colin Morris, capped an
excellent game by scoring after a solo run. This led to an exciting final half an hour in
which both sides had disallowed goals. Overson, Hansbury, Flynn, Hutchison and Dobson all
had good games.
November 26th. Burnley went a long way towards wiping
out the memory of two Cup defeats by Port Vale with a 7-0 victory at Turf Moor. They were
6-0 up by half time. This rout started after four minutes when a Michael Phelan shot was
blocked and Billy Hamilton hammered in the rebound. Ten minutes later Kevin Reeves’
skill earned him a penalty, which he converted. Goal number three came after 19 minutes
after Tommy Hutchison dispossessed a defender and scored from six yards. Number four came
from a blistering ground shot by Brian Flynn. Willie Donachie’s cross shot from a
tremendous pass by Hutchison produced number five and, then, on the stroke of half time, a
five man move left Kevin Reeves in the clear to slide in the sixth. Only one more goal was
added in the second half when Kevin Reeves completed his hat trick, with a header from
Flynn’s free kick.’
Burnley’s home form kept them in with a chance of promotion.
Unfortunately, they were not as invincible on their travels. Their first away victory did
not arrive until December 17th, when, on John Bond’s 51st
birthday, they beat Wimbledon 4-1. John Bond had another reason to celebrate. He and John
Benson had just signed a two-year contract. Bond said, ‘I’m really happy here. I
love it. It would take something really exceptional to remove us from this football club
now.’
Danny West reported:
‘Two excellent headers by Derek Scott were the highlights, but
altogether it was a team performance to suggest that Burnley were getting it right at
last. Derek Scott even managed to miss a penalty which would have given him his first
senior hat trick. Reeves and Hamilton got the other two goals. Mr Bond was proud of his
team’s performance – we all were… Brian Flynn was named as substitute only
three days after skippering Wales. Mr Bond explained, "It was a difficult decision to
make and, as I told him at the time, I wasn’t even sure myself that it was right, but
I felt the effort and hard work he put in midweek might have affected his game, and with
another important game coming up against Chesterfield, two days later, I decided to rest
him. It was definitely a case of him being rested and not dropped." I remember
Leighton James returning from international duty and saying he could not face a game at
QPR (who can?). He got no sympathy from Jimmy Adamson, was fined, censured and put on the
transfer list. Was Mr Bond right?’
Burnley’s form stuttered once more on Boxing Day, when they
lost at home to lowly Bradford in front of 12,136. Admittedly, Bradford were in the throes
of a remarkable renaissance, which would enable them to secure nine consecutive victories.
But Burnley threw this game away. They even shunned the gift of a fourth minute own goal
from Peter Jackson, conceding two goals in the final ten minutes. However, they picked up
form quickly, thumping Scunthorpe 5-0 on December 31st and grabbing all three
points at Brisbane Road two days later. The season probably turned on a foul night in
Oxford on January 11th. It was a Third Round FA Cup replay. Hansbury was hit by
a coin, Reeves sustained his career-ending hip injury and Burnley lost. Hamilton had
scored 17 League goals before Reeves’ sad exit, many of which were set up by
Reeves’ near post flicked headers. After Reeves became sidelined he would score only
four more goals. The Flying Pickets’ Only You was number one.
Bond was furious about the outcome of the Oxford game. He even
attempted to have the result annulled on account of the crowd disorder. Never shy of
venting forceful opinions, Bond stated, ‘If they were my sons, I’d kick them
straight out of the house. I advise their parents to do the same.’ I’m sure that
the local Social Services Department was delighted to hear this.
To his credit, John Bond managed to unearth a bargain striker,
Wayne Biggins, who had languished in non-league football after his release by Lincoln. Relax
urged Frankie Goes To Hollywood but Biggins had no intention of doing so, scoring four
times in his first four games, including a hat trick against the club which had discarded
him (4-0). Promotion was still a remote possibility as late as March, but a desperately
inept defeat at Newport (0-1) on April 7th started a dreadful run, in which
Burnley lost eight out of their last ten games. A Steve Daley hat trick granted them a
solitary victory at Port Vale (3-2).
The final game was the re-arranged home fixture with Hull. It came
on the evening of May 15th. Duran Duran’s The Reflex was number
one. The original game had been postponed after Hull had failed, controversially, to make
it through the M62 snow in January. At that time, the game promised to be a tight contest
between two promotion contenders. In May it was no contest. Just fifteen months after
giving one of the world’s top teams a massive fright, Burnley were reduced to
thwarting Hull’s promotion ambitions. Hull needed to win 3-0 to overtake Sheffield
United. Burnley were commended for restricting them to a two goal victory. What a
disgrace! The crowd of 8,045 comprised many Tigers and Blades. Certainly, there was little
interest for any self respecting Claret.
£600,000 had been accrued from the 1982/83 Cup runs and the sale
of Steven. Bond spent £419,605 on transfer fees, while talented players like Laws and
Dixon were discarded. Despite his frenetic transfer activity, Bond never satisfactorily
resolved the full back and midfield problems. Director Derek Gill concluded, ‘too
many players did not justify their fees.’ In the twelve months since their
relegation, Burnley’s playing strength and finances deteriorated markedly. This
deficit would increase with the sale of Billy Hamilton (£80,000) to Oxford. Bond
complained, ‘All I want to do is manage the club in my own way as I have done at my
previous clubs. I am prepared as ever I was, to make Burnley a First Division club again
but I am afraid that is an impossibility for any manager when there is friction between
himself and the chairman. I am afraid that is the case and it has to be sorted out one way
or the other.’ This was as subtle as carpet bombing. It was small wonder that he was
relieved of his job.
Michael Bullen assessed John Bond’s contribution shortly after
his dismissal. He wrote:
‘My reaction to his appointment was "give him a
chance." Other supporters had already decided that they did not like him and were
sceptical of his ability to bring success to the club. A popular alternative among the
fans was Jimmy Frizzell who, like Bond, had had success in the lower divisions, but unlike
him had not worked at the top level. Indeed it seemed that a lot of locals did not take to
Mr Bond, judging by their reaction at certain games, particularly against some of his
signings, notably Tommy Hutchison. He certainly did not endear himself by his occasional
spoutings in the national press on subjects other than Burnley. Yet this sort of noise is
typical of the man who said on his appointment, "If I can make my voice heard on
something I believe in, then I shall do it."
Nevertheless, it is results and performances… which should
have decided his fate. Mr Bond had stated that he was looking to get Burnley into Division
One in four years and obviously most people expected, at least, an instant return to the
Second. He started right away to alter the staff at the club to what he wanted, bringing
in his own men. He appointed Tommy Hutchison as team captain in place of everyone’s
favourite, Martin Dobson… then came the results of last season, a tale of two halves,
the second being a disaster with the team being totally unmotivated. Whilst this is the
responsibility of the manager, the players are surely also to blame. Failure to achieve
promotion, or to be anywhere near it, led to another big clear out of players (Dixon,
Wharton, Gow, Donachie, Daley, Tueart, Young, O’Rourke etc).
Fourteen months is by no means long enough to make a football club
successful. If the Board were going to consider the results over the past six months they
should have done it at the end of last season, to give the new man a chance to sort things
out in his own way. Now (his replacement, former assistant) John Benson has to use the
remnants of Mr Bond’s plans… I’d rather he had stayed to finish the job he
had started. To sack him now seems stupid when he should have been able to benefit from
his mistakes last season.'
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now sang Morrissey of the
Smiths. Who could possibly disagree?
