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The famous five
A look at five memorable games since Burnley fell from Premier status

That sad day in May 1976 when Burnley said goodbye to the First Division with a 3-1 home defeat by Coventry heralded a patchy period of our history, when there were many occasions when we questioned why we bothered following the Clarets. Thrashings at Hartlepool, Scarborough, Hereford and York are just a few examples. However, there have been many contrasting occasions and I now recall five games which will always live in our memory.

Spurs 1 Burnley 4 (19 January 1983)

Still recalled by many as their favourite game ever. Burnley were bottom of the Second Division when they went to face Ardiles, Hoddle, Clemence and co, only four days after losing 3-0 at Bolton and with manager Brian Miller leaving the club on the morning of the match. 'What's it like to lose a war?' rang out at little Ossie, and Burnley showed some of the Falklands spirit by battling through a goalless first half. Gibson's goal seemed to signal the end, but in that incredible last half hour, we scored four times, including two own goals from Graham Roberts to give that amazing final scoreline. I can remember almost every detail, i.e. the apple core thrown at Glenn Hoddle when he took a corner at 2-1, the half time records on the tannoy (Joe Jackson's 'Stepping Out' and 'Catcharpaya' by Incantation) and the disappointment that Man Utd STILL got more headlines than us in the next day's papers. An unbelievable night.

Burnley 1 Liverpool 0 (15 February 1983)

The Spurs win brought us a two legged semi final against Liverpool and we weren't given a prayer at Anfield. Derek Scott missed an open goal at 0-0 and Trevor Steven had a blinder, but eventually and inevitably, we lost 3-0. The second leg saw a superb atmosphere and the Clarets battled every inch of the way. Liverpool had their chances but luckily Rush had a stinker and Souness was anonymous. The Longside went wild when Derek Scott scored ten minutes into the second half and a minute later Taylor's goalbound shot beat Grobelaar. As the crowd rose, Lawrenson somehow hooked the ball off the line. We couldn't manage any more goals, but the support that night was brilliant and the chant 'We're proud of you' was never more true.

Burnley 2 Orient 1 (9 May 1987)

'The Orient Game' is fondly remembered by everyone, not only for the tension and drama, but also as a turning point in both playing fortunes and level of support. The waning of our youth policy, the Bond era, and a series of incompetent managers sent us on the downslope to that fateful day. The Park View was packed with people pouring the ale down and trying to handle the tension. When Neil Grewcock scored, we were already celebrating with Torquay and Lincoln both 2-0 down at the time. lan Britton, 'the smallest man on the field' headed the second, and I looked up to see dozens of fans hanging from the rafters of the Longside by one hand, still celebrating. At the final whistle, relief mixed with delight. Returning to the M6 at Preston, we spotted a party of Rovers fans returning from Oldham. Beneath the standard vacant faces and appalling haircuts, they looked 'as sick as a parrot'. A tremendous sight.

Preston 1 Burnley 3 (April 1988)

The next season saw mixed fortunes in the League but a series of good victories in the Sherpa Van Cup put us one game from Wembley. Preston were a difficult task. The reigning Division 4 champions, they drew 0-0 at Burnley and with the second leg on their pathetic plastic, all the Preston fans booked their coaches to Wembley. We gathered on the Town End almost in a resigned mood, ready for the inevitable trashing, but it didn't come. As the sun dipped and the floodlights shone onto that farcical surface, George Oghani put us in front, but constant pressure saw Swann equalise and North End began premature celebrations. Extra time came and Ashley Hoskin put us back in front from a goalmouth scramble. Than, as time ran out, Comstive tapped in an easy chance to seal it, and we all sang as the coach firms in Preston counted the cost.

York 1 Burnley 2 (28 April 1992)

Seven years in the wilderness and despite being firm favourites for the title in the closing weeks of the season, no-one was counting their chickens until we were mathematically certain. Thousands of Clarets flooded into York and we were lucky by going the back way to find a couple of pubs that were open. The banner saying 'Kenny and his millions - staying down together' made local TV and was so nearly correct. It had gone eight o'clock when the excellent York police squeezed all the Clarets in, but unfortunately we played badly and were 1-0 down when Deary scrambled an equaliser midway through the second half. Deep into injury time, Conroy ploughed down the left and swept in a cross which John Francis bundled in off his shin, or knee, or thigh? Who cared? We were Champions and still celebrating when we walked past the ground at midnight and cheered the players onto the coach.

So there we are. If I'm ever on Desert Island Discs, I'll take a million cans of Boddingtons, a blow-up woman and the videos of these five games and you can come back for me in twenty years.

Tony Dawber
February 1994

Links - More on The Orient Game, the Sherpa Van game and The York Game