It was ironic really. The
‘Casuals’ were the latter day punks and skins. They too populated the dole
queues and football terraces. They too carried menacing reputations of drugs and violence.
And yet they seemed to embrace the new age rather than confront it. They were happy to
luxuriate in Thatcherite notions of leisure. Just like the ‘yuppies’ they donned
the designer gear. They too had their mobile phones, VCRs and walkmen. Their very
existence seemed to endorse Mrs Thatcher’s economic principles. The pits and heavy
manufacturing would not guarantee growth, but the services and leisure goods industries
might. If we had any doubt on that score, remember how the ‘Frankie says…’
T shirts took off. ‘Frankie says Relax’. ‘Frankie says arm the
unemployed’.
Unemployment had increased by 141% during Mrs Thatcher’s first
term. With 40% of the nation’s welfare being shelled out in welfare benefits, the
North Sea Oil revenue could have financed a ‘New Deal’ policy. Peter Walker
recognised this, favouring investment in job creation. Michael Heseltine recommended
investment in urban regeneration, even if his vision was of bijou dockland mews, in place
of the wharves and warehouses where men and women once toiled. But Mrs Thatcher stuck with
her tax cuts and inflation targets. Unabashed by her approach, she later remarked,
‘No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions. He
had money as well.’ Political correspondent John Cole couldn’t contain his
exasperation. He snapped, ‘…why cut taxes? To allow us to buy more video
recorders to watch more Ethiopian children starve?’ It seemed as if we had left the
radical solutions to the likes of Bob Geldof.
After Bond, there were no radical solutions left at Turf Moor. In
fact, there was nothing much left at Turf Moor other than a spiralling overdraught and a
third, no, fourth rate manager and squad. £227,000 was lost in 1983/84 with the £114,500
compensation for Reeves’ injury only providing a fortuitous cushion. It was clear
that there were few resources for new talent and the pre-season games suggested that a
hard season lay ahead.
The opening game with Plymouth (1-1) attracted just 4,664 to Turf
Moor. George Michael’s Careless Whisper was number one. Benson’s team
included newcomers Peter Hampton (ex-Leeds and Stoke), Kevin Hird (ex-Blackburn and
Leeds), Barry Powell (ex-Wolves, Coventry and Derby), Neil Grewcock (ex-Leicester,
Gillingham, Kettering, Shepshed Charterhouse) and Alan Taylor (ex-Rochdale, West Ham and
Hull). Neil Whatmore (ex-Bolton, Birmingham and Oxford), the make weight striker in the
Hamilton sale, was unfit. Brian Flynn could only make it as far as the bench. According to
Danny West, the team gave John Benson the improved commitment he had asked for. Danny
added, ‘Neil Grewcock took the honours… giving a fine display of wing
play.’ But it took a late goal from 1975 FA Cup final hero, Alan Taylor, to secure a
point.
Burnley won one, drew four and lost two of their opening League
games and succumbed 0-7 on aggregate to Man U in the Milk Cup after Mark Hughes had scored
a hat trick at Old Trafford. Michael Bullen summarised, ‘Hansbury has played well in
goal… the man-to-man marking used makes Hird often appear very deep and Scott and
Hampton (the full backs) are drawn all over the place. The defence is reasonably secure
with the odd lapse. Phelan is used as a sweeper and seems to have a free role, pushing
forward whenever he can. Hird, Powell and Hutchison started the season in midfield…
Powell has been disappointing and replacing him with Miller (Brian’s son) has
improved the team. Up front… Grewcock has been a major influence… you wonder
what he has been up to the last few years. When he gets the ball he goes straight at
defenders and more often than not beats them to get into good positions. Unfortunately,
his crosses and shots could be better, but at the moment there is no one really to cross
to anyway. If only Billy Hamilton had stayed. Wayne Biggins and, at times, Alan Taylor try
hard, but they do not have the aerial power to cause big defenders problems. Taylor’s
ball control has let him down too often and the midfield players do not seem to have any
understanding with him when they pass. The forwards don’t look as if they can do the
business. Whether a fit Neil Whatmore will solve this problem remains to be seen.’
Michael was bang on with his analysis. Apart from two incontinent
gushes over poor Penrith (9-0) and Rotherham (7-0), goals were at a premium all season.
Neil Whatmore scored only once in nine games and was offloaded on Mansfield in March after
a loan period. After a diabolical second half performance at Reading, during which an
interval lead was swamped (1-5), Flynn was dropped and transferred at his request to
Cardiff for £20,000. This sale enabled Benson to purchase ex-Wolves full back, Geoff
Palmer (£5,000) and Rochdale striker, Les Lawrence (£15,000). Unsurprisingly, the crowds
turned away. Only 2,916 turned up for the midweek victory over Brentford (3-1), a new post
war low. After another win at Cambridge on November 10th (3-2), mid-table
obscurity was about as good as it got, for despite brief FA Cup glories, six out of the
next seven League games were lost with crushing defeats at Bristol City and York (both
0-4). Their performance at a cold, grey, misty Ashton Gate was particularly lamentable.
Only one inept attempt on goal was managed. Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s
Christmas? was just a pointless rhetorical question.
As expected, Burnley went out of the FA Cup at Second Division
Wimbledon (1-3). How the world turns in ten years! Hansbury was at fault for the first
goal, and after the game put in a transfer request. This brought Joe Neenan to the club,
initially on loan from Scunthorpe. He quickly endeared himself to the Burnley fans by his
readiness to shout at his defence!
The icy January weather provided much needed respite for
Burnley’s dwindling supporters. Amazingly, it seemed to rejuvenate the team. For
immediately after their enforced break, Burnley took Rotherham to the cleaners (7-0), with
Kevin Hird scoring a hat trick. It won Burnley the Fiat performance of the week award of
£500 and a new strip for Barrowford Celtic boy’s team. Thereafter, the magic rubbed
off. High-flying Hull rolled Burnley over (0-2) after a flukey goal defeated a magnificent
rearguard action by Overson and Co. Hird then missed a penalty in the home match against
Orient but still helped to salvage a point (1-1). Nevertheless, Burnley’s second half
domination ought to have secured a much-needed win. Evidently trying to restore the magic,
Benson arranged a pay-your-own-way five-day break in Majorca. He insisted that it was
‘not a holiday but training in a different environment.’ It did the trick. Just
the prospect of the trip lifted Burnley sufficiently to overcome a spirited Preston side
(2-0) and on their return they overcame Bolton at Burnden Park (3-1). Mark Pilling was
there to see it. At different ends of the cultural spectrum The Smith’s Meat Is
Murder was the top British album while Wham’s Make It Big was the
US best seller.
‘Burnden Park looked embarrassingly empty as referee David
Allison started the game, the ranks of spacious terracing and empty blue seats being a
testimony to the decline of football. In the very first minute, after a thwarted Bolton
attack, Hird raced down the right wing and sent over a long cross, which seemed to hang
gracefully. The leaping Peter Devine met it with his head and the ball flashed past
Farnworth. The home crowd’s stunned silence momentarily stifled our realisation that
we had scored. The swiftness of our strike was similar to what happened in the Turf Moor
encounter. We were soon brought back to earth by Warren Joyce’s neatly taken goal
from the edge of the area.
The next ten minutes were frantic, scrappy but exciting with both
sides threatening. What awaited us was most unexpected. One always gets a buzz when
Grewcock moves forward. Picking up the ball just inside the Bolton half, he dribbled until
about 25 yards out and then thundered a shot past Farnworth. It was a stupendous goal.
Play continued flow back and forth with both sides creating chances. Hird shot miles over
after good work by Devine and Biggins and then Biggins managed a shot on goal, which was
well saved. After that, the game went off the boil and the only other notable incident of
the first half was a booking for big Vince after a rough tackle on Tony Caldwell. We
deserved our half time lead although Bolton were knocking the ball about neatly.
Neither side could find much cohesion at the start of the second
half, but the match brightened up after ten minutes or so. Biggins was first to go close
after Bolton were caught messing around in their own area. Caldwell then nearly levelled
for Bolton. However, Wanderers were killed off by a move that thrilled in its ambition and
relative simplicity. Tommy Hutchison received the ball in midfield and played a lovely
pass out to Grewcock on the left wing and he crossed low to Devine. Devine then laid the
ball off to Hampton, whose incredible right foot (true!) drive from just inside the area
clipped the post and went in, leaving the diving Farnworth clutching the air. Somehow I
knew Hampton was going to score as soon as he struck it. No other outcome seemed feasible.
The exultation of the Burnley players was clear, particularly since the points had been
secured.
The game drew to a close and the introduction of George Oghani was
just a token gesture by Bolton’s manager, Charlie Wright. The result was superb. I
felt sorry for my friend, Stuart, with whom I had travelled to the game. He was a Bolton
fan and had spent the match with the home supporters. I was kept in the away section until
five to five, so once I met Stuart outside the ground, we then had to rush to catch the
5.10pm train back to Manchester Victoria. He bore his disappointment well. Our detention
meant that we had to share the train with some Burnley fans who were planning to make
merry in Manchester. One of them came up to us. He was excited and nervous and clearly
looking for trouble. He wanted to take us on and when he realised that we were having none
of it he ripped off Stuart’s Bolton scarf. I was scared as this guy had something in
his hand, which he concealed. Others were hovering behind us. I thought we were going to
be beaten up but he was finally pushed away by some other Burnley supporters. we spent the
rest of the journey sitting nervously wondering how we could escape. Eventually we reached
Victoria without further trouble, but even as we left the station we had to constantly
look back over our shoulders. It completely ruined a good afternoon and a splendid
match.’
Life didn’t get much better for any of us after that. Burnley
promptly lost their next four matches and did not manage another victory for eleven games.
The die was cast. The Board reduced admission fees to £1 for the final three home games,
which helped swell the gates to around 4,000 but didn’t help the team’s form.
Apart from a home victory against Cambridge (2-0) and an away win at John Bond’s
Swansea (1-0), the results remained dire. Benson described the 0-4 defeat at Bristol
Rovers as a ‘pathetic joke.’ But no one at Turf Moor was laughing. Even a final
day victory at Walsall (3-2), couldn’t stave off relegation to the Fourth Division,
another new low. Simple Minds warned, Don’t You Forget About Me. It was a
wasted instruction. After the Bradford fire and the Heysel crush we preferred to forget
that we cared anything about football.
Chairman John Jackson resigned and so did his expected successor,
Derek Gill, leaving new director, Frank Teasdale, with the hot seat. Benson left the club
by ‘mutual consent’, so the managerial merry-go-round was given a further spin.
The inexperienced Martin Buchan, assisted by Tommy Cavanagh, were the Board’s final
choices. Scott and Phelan both refused to re-sign, Scott moving to Bolton for £20,000 and
Phelan going to Norwich for £70,000. Hutchison re-joined Bond at Swansea, Hansbury went
to Cambridge and Miller went to Tranmere. Joe Neenan arrived on a permanent basis to
replace Hansbury and Buchan signed central defenders Ray Deakin from Bolton and Jim
Hegarty from Larne.
Pre-season form was encouraging, with Biggins scoring hat tricks
against Rochdale (7-0) and Bolton (4-0). Burnley even stormed into a 3-0 half time lead
against Northampton in their first game in Division Four, with Biggins continuing his hot
streak. A Longside wag insisted that Buchan should be given the ‘Manager of the first
half award’. But then the gloss began to tarnish. Northampton fought back well in the
second half and were unfortunate not to have at least levelled. Thereafter results
stuttered. Bury knocked Burnley out of the Milk Cup at the first time of asking and
victories over Aldershot (2-0), Hartlepool (2-0) and Rochdale (1-0) were undermined by
home defeats against Stockport (0-1) and Port Vale (1-2) and an away loss at Preston
(0-1). Ex-Claret Steve Taylor broke Joe Neenan’s jaw during the 1-0 victory over
Rochdale played in torrential rain. Dennis Peacock was signed from Doncaster on loan as
cover.
Buchan was unhappy with team discipline. He sought advice from his
mentor Alex Ferguson. Alex advised, ‘Don’t seek confrontation. It will come to
you anyway.’ Buchan responded, ‘Too late. I hung one on my centre-half an hour
ago.’ The crunch moment came after two humiliating defeats. The first was at home to
Colchester (0-2) on 2nd October. Perhaps fittingly, Dire Straits’ Brothers
In Arms was then the best selling British album.
Stuart Pilling reported, ‘the crowd roar as the play ebbs and
flows, hardly a minute goes by without either side producing something for their fans, be
it a delightful chip, timely tackle or dynamic dribble. Goalmouth incident punctuates
these silky professional skills and passionate, exciting football ensues. Unfortunately I
can’t write about these things because I was at Turf Moor watching Burnley get
defeated by table-topping Colchester.
Burnley committed two defensive errors (including a pass back by
Palmer directly to an opponent) and were punished clinically… the defence seemed to
lack confidence to run with the ball into open space before them. Deakin tried but not
enough. The pace of the attacking moves was too slow and ideas were few and far between.
The addition of Taylor on the right wing injected much needed pace
but nothing could be done with his crosses. Some players acted as though they were going
through the motions… Peacock looked sharp and composed in goal and made several
important saves, Malley makes up for his lack of ability with 100% effort and Taylor was
the only forward to look dangerous.’
The second crushing defeat came on the following Saturday at
Chester (0-4). Granville Shackleton of the Burnley Express reported, ‘I
have never seen a Burnley side play as badly as this one did at Sealand Road and neither
have I seen Burnley fans as angry with a performance. Burnley were incredibly devoid of
ideas, basic skills and lacked concern for their task.’ Buchan called the performance
‘suicidal’ and ‘feeble.’ Only Taylor and Peacock came out of the game
with credit.
Four days later, Buchan resigned. A two-year contract remained
unsigned. He explained to the Burnley Express, ‘I could not make the
transition from dressing room to management. There are certain aspects of the job that I
honestly could not handle and I have not been happy with my own performance as manager.
The reason for my resignation is as simple as that and that is the truth. This is the best
thing for me and the club and the decision is entirely my own. I am heartbroken for the
Chairman. He has worked unbelievably hard for the club and he tried to persuade me to stay
but my mind was made up. I am bitterly disappointed …In some respects football
management is a job I can’t cope with…’
Frank Teasdale said, ‘Martin Buchan in my opinion is a victim
of the soccer rat race and his own personal integrity. He felt he could not do the job he
required of himself. It is a bombshell but we will have to live through it and it is
another mountain we have to climb.’ Cavanagh was put in charge of team affairs, but
hardly commended himself to the fans by his habit of sporting his Man U tracksuit. After
this upheaval it was unsurprising that Burnley should then slump to another home defeat,
their fourth of the season, against Swindon Town (0-2).
John McPartlin reported, ‘…the performance was the most
dreadful I have ever seen. The abrupt departure of the manager… is a sign of the
rifts within the club and this had its obvious effect on the team.
The 4-4-2 system with Biggins wide on the left gave us no punch up
front and the midfield were outfought by a more determined outfit, motivated well by the
the hard-working Hockaday. Early goals in each half sewed the game up for the visitors and
but for the alertness of Peacock it could have been even worse. Our own offerings were a
few hurried shots from Taylor, well covered by their keeper Allen. There was one good pass
from Devine down the line that Hutchison last year would have done much with. We simply
played without any cohesion or understanding and in the second half; we were gripped by
fear. On one occasion a series of hurried back passes led to Malley almost scoring an own
goal. On another we conceded a corner from the half way line without a Swindon player
touching the ball!
Unless there are drastic changes, the future looks very bleak
indeed. I hate writing so gloomily of the club but that is how it is. Only four of us
travelled up from London and as I said to one of them, what a lovely stadium, but
we’ve got no team.’
After this game, the playing strength was depleted further by the
sale of Biggins to Norwich (£35,000) although Derrick Parker (£10,000) was re-signed to
replace him. Grewcock nearly left, too, for £10,000, but he could not agree personal
terms with Bolton. Gradually, the team settled once more and results improved. Victories
over Wrexham (5-2) and Southend (3-2) at the turn of the year took Burnley into eighth
place, but a poor end of season run saw them drop to fourteenth position. Just 1,988 could
motivate themselves to face Burnley lose at home to Crewe on April 15th.
Needless to say, another record low was registered.
By now the club was in serious financial difficulty. The receiver
was about to be called, but the crisis was averted at the twelfth hour. Bob Blakeborough,
Clive Holt and Bernard Rothwell joined the Board from which John Jackson had resigned in
the previous March, having sold a majority of his shares to Frank Teasdale.
But severe economies on the playing front were required. Overson
left for Birmingham (£25,000) having been warmly applauded for his efforts. Taylor and
Hird were offloaded, as the club could not afford to renew their contracts. Significantly,
Hird went to Colne Dynamos, who were about to embark upon a remarkable run of non-league
success, bankrolled by businessman, Graham White.
With Cavanagh resigning for ‘medical reasons’, the club
were in a fix. It was time to call upon faithful servant, Brian Miller, once more. Brian
was running a newsagent shop when he answered the distress call. He was given no budget
for transfer fees and was told that he could recruit three or four new players only and
providing no fee was involved. Brian appointed Arthur Bellamy as his assistant and they
went about recruiting Leighton James from Newport and Billy Rodaway from Tranmere. Ian
Britton from Blackpool and Wayne Entwistle from Bolton were also signed on loan. Joe
Gallagher was rehabilitated as centre back to fill the gap left by Overson. We awaited
events with trepidation.
