It was November 1958 and I was living in
Bredbury, near Stockport, on the street where I spent the first 24 years of my life.
School pals mainly followed the Manchester teams, whilst a few stood on the terraces at
Edgeley Park, Stockport County being the nearest league ground. One day I accompanied a
friend to old Trafford when Burnley were the visitors. I think the return coach fare was
two Shillings and we were both aged eleven. Parents didn't worry too much in those days
about youngsters making those sorts of trips.
I remember the day being dull with a cold breeze blowing. The result was a
rare 1-3 home defeat for United, but two factors specifically stood out about that autumn
afternoon. One was experiencing the atmosphere under floodlights, although it was late
afternoon rather than evening. I still experience a buzz during night matches at the Turf.
The second was a blond centre forward called Ray Pointer, who scored twice. I was
captivated by his swift passing and shooting, where the ball rarely left the ground's
surface. Whilst my contemporaries’ heroes in that post-Munich period became Charlton,
Law, Best etc, mine was Ray Pointer, and thus began my support for the Clarets.
Incidentally, it was marvellous to see him at Wembley a few years ago competing in the
Vintage Claret team prior to the Sherpa Van Trophy Final. He looked no different thirty
years on, if understandably slightly slower.
In my teens living thirty odd miles from the Turf and with no car in the
family home, matches witnessed were few and far between. The coach trips (five Shillings?)
were utilised when United or City played Burnley away, and Christmas or Birthday treats to
the Turf were the exception. Pointer moved on but my allegiance stayed as the heights of
the early and mid sixties fell to the relegation battle and subsequent Division Two status
at the end of that decade.
Life moves on and I found myself working and living in London in the early
seventies. We have the joy of promotion back to Division One after two years and then
three years in the top flight under the shrewd management of Jimmy Adamson. What a tragedy
when he left after the Blackpool Cup defeat and caused the loss of so many key personnel
both on and off the field.
It was at this time that one began to notice some regular faces on trains
to and from London on match days. Could there really be a small nucleus of Clarets fans in
the South? Our magazine editor in the 99th edition asked contributors to use 1976 as the
trigger point for supporters club items, so I hope you will forgive the preamble so far.
So when can we really say our club started?
From my own standpoint, I would regard 6.00 pm approx. on 10th January
1976 as the catalyst. I was returning from Norwich to Liverpool Street after witnessing a
3-1 defeat I recall Keith Newton was our goalscorer.
Walking up the corridor of the Inter-City train were Michael Garrard and
Greg Peck. The latter is sadly no longer with us after a personal tragedy in the mid-80s.
The former had a briefcase with about ten of the original APFSCIL clubs specified in large
letters, including of course, their own Norwich City. (How ironic that Norwich feature in
this article, a team whose current close passing game resembles so much our own both now
and in the past.)
Greg and Mike talked about APFSCIL and the various social functions
arranged. Also the joint travel procedures. I seem to recall Danny West and I liased by
phone the following Monday and agreed that he would attend an APFSCIL darts match and I
would turn up at one of the monthly meetings. From my recollection I went to the Savoy
Tavern off the Strand and it was there that our own first meeting took place. Regrettably,
I don't recall the exact date, but it was probably about four months after the
above-mentioned Norwich v Burnley match.
From there the supporters club grew in opposite proportion to the team's
fortunes as Second Division became Third and then Fourth. I was privileged to be Chairman
/ Secretary in the late seventies and also treasurer of APFSCIL for a while. Personal
circumstances restrict my current involvement, but it is marvellous to know the membership
is presently 210 and rising. One record I do have intact is to see the youth team at least
once a season, and I've kept this going since 1979. I used to try and do the same with the
reserves, but sadly this lapsed in the 1980s.
Highs and lows? You bet. Exhilaration at witnessing the 4-1 win at Elland
Road in March 1974. For a Turf Moor performance, the 2-1 victory over Liverpool on a wet
Boxing Day 1973 springs to mind. Utter depression at seeing a 0-2 home defeat by Plymouth
Argyle in the New Year of 1977, and sympathy for keeper Billy O'Rourke's debut performance
in a 7-0 away drubbing at QPR in October 1979. Smiles at witnessing a similar score line,
this time in Burnley's favour at home to Rotherham in February 1985. Dejection with a 0-6
home defeat by Hereford in January 1987. And so one could go on.
Coming up to date I attended the superb Youth Cup victory at Wimbledon in
January 1994 and it was again pleasing to witness some solid and vociferous away support,
even at youth level. Taking Burnley FC generally as opposed to simply the first team, I
feel there is a solid foundation for the future, and-hope that league elevation will
continue for the remainder of the decade.
In conclusion, the supporters’ club has achieved a status beyond my
wildest dreams from some twenty years ago and I wish it well for the future. To all
current and past Committee members, thank you for your time and efforts. To all members],
remember you are supporting a great footballing institution, not withstanding the problems
of the last ten years or so, and we can all hold our heads high in any football gathering.
It finally occurs to me that if the newsletter frequency continues at the
current rate, I shall be in my seventies for the 200th edition! Assuming I'm still around
to contribute to that publication, Ray Pointer will once again feature in the opening
comments.
