The 1948 Olympic Games provided a unique
occasion for both Burnley Football Club and the town itself. A Burnley player, locally
born, played three times for Great Britain in the Football Competition, including the
semi-final. That player was Peter Kippax.
The career of Peter Kippax is summarised admirably in
Ray Simpson’s ‘The Clarets Collection 1946-1996’ and need not be repeated
here. What Ray cannot convey however is the element of ‘what might have been’.
Certainly it was said at the time that if Pete had been the son of a mill worker instead
of a mill owner he would have had a fabulous career as a professional footballer.
As it was, he played football - and most other sports -
as an amateur in the broadest sense of the word. He would, for instance, announce himself
as unavailable if it interfered with his business commitments. During the 1946/47
promotion season he did not play in the away match at Newcastle because this meant
travelling on a Friday, which was a business day on the Manchester Cotton Exchange. The
game attracted 61,000 spectators, Burnley won 2-1 and started the push for promotion.
Again in the following season, after a period in the
doldrums, he made a triumphant return to the first team and gave a fabulous display in the
3-0 defeat of Liverpool, the then reigning Champions. He was the hero of the hour and the
consternation can be imagined when he announced the following week that he was not
available, due to turning out for Yorkshire Amateurs in the FA Amateur Cup. This probably
ended his first class career, particularly as he was subsequently injured, and he played
only one more first class game for Burnley. In all, he played in only six games in the
1947/48 season, but it is interesting to note that Burnley won five and drew one.
In his short career honours fell thick and fast on
Pete. He played twice for the Football League, scoring two goals, and, most unusually for
an amateur, was selected for a full England side against France. He did not play, however,
through illness.
Throughout his Burnley career, he was often referred to
as an Amateur International but this was not the case, although he undoubtedly played in
representative games during the War. He did eventually win an Amateur International cap,
but this was after he had left Burnley FC and he was representing Yorkshire Amateurs.
Ironically, this cap was awarded against France.
Peter Kippax did not live to make old bones, dying
after a long illness at the relatively early age of 65. He did, however, make one final
public appearance shortly before his death. He was featured prominently on BBC tv in the
tribute to Les Dawson, as a fellow member and past president of a men-only members club!
He was a truly great player in a tradition long gone.
And my god, he was fast!
