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The
Year of the Phoenix
The 1991-92 season game by
game - part nine
March
3 March
Gillingham 3 Burnley 0
So after going through February unbeaten, albeit at times by the skin of our teeth, the run was brought to a decisive end. What was worse was that it was only January when we'd beaten them convincingly at home, 4-1. But against that we had a bad record at the Priestfield, so perhaps it wasn't that surprising. The setback began within the first minute, when David Crown scored. Then in the second half, with Burnley trying to get back into it, Gillingham grabbed two more. John Pender's absence through suspension may have been a factor. The versatile Andy Farrell always tried his best whatever position he played in, but Pender had presence.
The consequence of defeat was disproportionate; from top, we slipped down to third, our lowest position since November. Blackpool and Mansfield had both won to take advantage of our defeat. It was tight at the top.
I had cause to remember this match some years later, when I'd moved to London. Me and my wife were out in Rochester, and I happened to be wearing a Burnley shirt. A Gillingham supporter came up to me and reminded me of our defeat that night. He presumably didn't recall that, while we ended the season as champions, Gillingham came eleventh. We're all entitled to the odd bad result.
Team: Walker, Measham, Jakub, Davis, Farrell, Randall (Yates), Harper (Lancashire), Deary, Francis, Conroy, Eli.
Attendance: 3,279.
7 March
Burnley 3 Barnet 0
Still, it was important to come back with a good result. We duly did just that. Barnet, in their first season in the league, were no mugs either. Barry Fry was in his pomp, and they were having a crazy season of it. They were conceding lots of goals but scoring even more, so they were at the right end of the table.
As it happened, it was a fairly one-sided game, which we always had control of. For that, I was grateful. I had a couple of university friends over for the weekend, one a sort of Sheffield Wednesday fan and the other with zero interest in football. They could do what they wanted to on Saturday afternoon, but I was going to the game. They ended up coming too. This caused me to worry. Burnley have a habit of letting you down in front of non Clarets. You so want them to impress, but they often find a way to embarrass you.
Not so this time, and an early goal settled our nerves. Once again, it came from a Joe Jakub corner. He sent it high into the area, and Steve Davis took advantage of Barnet's slack marking to head from close range.
There were other chances. Mike Conroy knocked a header down to John Deary, who tried to find Roger Eli with a cross. It was cleared straight back to Deary, but the keeper saved his reaction shot. Then down the other end Nicky Walker came off his line quickly - something of a trademark - to block a Barnet chance. Conroy got in a header after Farrell's cross for Eli came off a defender, but it was saved.
Early in the second half we could relax thanks to an own goal. John Francis superbly found Ian Measham in space. Barnet's Dave Barnett ensured that Eli didn't threaten from the resulting cross by kindly sticking it into his own net. The scoring was concluded with a lovely goal from Deary. Pender played it from the back and Adrian Randall, on for Davis, ran with it through the midfield. He was tackled, but Deary picked up the loose ball and ran through the space towards goal. He didn't even acknowledge the attempt at a challenge by a Barnet defender, and this underrated player coolly ran into the box before slipping it through the goalkeeper's legs.
That was the Gillingham set back recovered from, and our top spot quickly reclaimed, on a day when none of the other top six clubs won. We didn't lose often, and when we did we responded well. For my immediate purposes, that meant that evening's pub crawl could be a celebratory one.
Team: Walker, Measham, Jakub, Davis (Randall), Pender, Farrell, Harper, Deary, Francis, Conroy, Eli. Sub not used: Lancashire.
Burnley scorers: Davis (10) Barnett 52 (og), Deary (61).
Attendance: 12,018.
On 10 March, tragedy came to Turf Moor. Ben Lee, a Burnley apprentice, climbed onto the roof of the Longside terrace. He was trying to retrieve a ball that had been kicked there during the England v Wales schoolboy match the weekend before last. But he fell through the roof and down onto the steps of the terrace below. The fall killed him. It was an awful thing to imagine happening to anyone, but here was a teenager, with a career, and more importantly, a life before him. We remember him.
That night we were due to play at York. I was at work, and hadn't heard the dreadful news. I was going to the match, and so I shot out of work as soon as I could, heading home for a quick bite to eat before the supporters' club coach. When I got home they told me what had happened. Naturally, the game had been called off. For once, here was a postponement that was absolutely right.
It shouldn't take something like this to do it, but this sport we angst about was suddenly thrown into context. Nothing in the world seemed more important than promotion. On the 10th of March, we remembered that football wasn't the most significant thing in life. This word tragedy is used all the time in football - even in writing this chapter, there are so many handy clichés that I had to take care to avoid - but a real tragedy showed us how we misuse that word.
But fate is funny. This postponed match, when restaged, became one of the greatest nights of my life. So much for context.
14 March
Burnley 1 Halifax 0
Understandably, it was a subdued game. We called time on a horrible few days in the only appropriate way, with a win. This was the first time any sort of Burnley team had played since the death of Ben Lee. As well as the York match, the reserve team's game, scheduled against Mansfield at Turf Moor the day after, had been called off. This game therefore marked, not necessarily the end of grieving, but a chance to think about something else. It began with a minute's silence of unbelievable poignancy, and one, it should be said, that was perfectly observed by the Halifax supporters.
Captain Pender scored the goal from a Deary free kick. He rose above everyone in a crowded box to get his header in. The celebration was kept to a minimum.
During the match, it was impossible not to look up at that hastily repaired Longside roof.
Team: Walker, Measham, Jakub, Farrell, Pender, Randall, Harper (Monington), Deary, Francis, Conroy, Eli. Sub not used: Yates.
Burnley scorer: Pender (70).
Attendance: 10,903.
17 March
Burnley 2 Huddersfield 0, Autoglass Trophy Northern Semi-Final
We were now officially on a run in this competition, as we easily put out a side from the division above. Despite the fact that Huddersfield were playing in the division we aspired to join, we controlled the game, scored two early goals, and cruised the rest.
In Davis' absence, Mark Monington, the player who'd lost out when Jimmy Mullen had abandoned Frank Casper's sweeper system, got a rare start. Our first goal was a Conroy penalty, given after a deliberate handball in the box, and then Roger Eli scored after a nice solo run. I don't remember much else, apart from Deary being ridiculously sent off after being booked twice for nothing.
Anyway, we were through, and it looked like we might have to start taking this competition seriously. After all, it isn't often that we beat a team from a higher division in any sort of cup competition. The crowd was an excellent one for this contest, too.
Team: Walker, Measham, Jakub, Monington, Pender, Farrell, Harper (Lancashire), Deary, Francis, Conroy, Eli. Sub not used: Yates.
Burnley scorers: Conroy (9 pen), Eli (24).
Attendance: 10,775.
21 March
Mansfield 1 Burnley 0
This was a crucial win. Mansfield had been up there all season, but now we'd beaten them home and away.
Me and my brother went to this one, an unusual away excursion for us. The excitement of top of the table had clearly got to us. I've since become prepared for the fact that I will start going to unexpected games as we near the end of the season. Mansfield being in the middle of nowhere, we caught the official supporters' club coach. At this time, Mansfield was still, as everyone knew, the ground furthest from a railway station, although they subsequently went and spoilt it by building one. I wonder what the furthest is now? But I never much liked going by coach, to be honest. Journeys were dull, and you'd step on the bus in Nelson or Burnley, get off at the other end, watch the game, and then get back on and go home, and you would have no sense that you'd been anywhere or learned anything about the place you'd spent your day going through been. I prefer to travel by rail; at least you have to storm through the centre between pubs, and you're kept mentally active working out how to get to the match when they cancel your train.
This remains my only visit to Field Mill, and I wasn't impressed. It was a shabby, nondescript place. On the inevitable open terrace we stood in a howling gale. The weather made for a scrappy game, but we deserved the win. The match was illuminated by one moment of skill, and it came from Burnley.
Mansfield never quite cleared Steve Harper's ball into the box. Deary picked it up and played it in to Conroy, stood with his back to goal. He passed to Francis on the edge of the area, ran behind him, and as Conroy called for the ball back, Francis deftly flicked a backheel into his path. In a tight game, this had bought precious space, although Conroy still had a bit to do. There were three defenders closing in as he shot. The keeper touched it, he couldn't stop it going in.
After that, it was a question of keeping our shape at the back, and with the Davis / Pender partnership restored, and Farrell filling in well in another different position, this time for Measham, we did just that. All in all, we done a sound, professional job.
The win sent us back above Mansfield into second. Through not playing that York match, we'd drifted back down to third, but that wouldn't be for long.
Team: Walker, Farrell, Jakub, Davis, Pender, Randall, Harper, Deary, Francis, Conroy, Eli. Subs not used: Lancashire, Monington.
Burnley scorer: Conroy (41).
Attendance: 8,336.
The Mansfield win turned out to be Walker's last game for us. His month's loan was up. We tried desperately to get him for another month, but Hearts were having none of it, so back he went. We'd warmed to Walker, a courageous and energetic keeper, notwithstanding his terrible haircut. Of our many goalkeepers this season, he was the best.
With a midweek match looming, we saw the third comeback of Chris Pearce.
24 March
Barnet 0 Burnley 0
Burnley hadn't played in a goalless draw all season, while high scoring, unpredictable Barnet hadn't had one at home. So football logic decreed this scoreline, I suppose. It was also an established fact that Burnley never won in London. This is what I was told when I moved in London in 1994, although that run ended in spectacular style at Wembley later that year. I suppose Barnet is just about still in London?
The practical upshot of this match, well attended by London Clarets among a big Burnley following, was that we drew level on points with Blackpool, separated only by goals scored - not even goal difference. It was tight, but we had a game in hand.
Team: Pearce, Farrell, Jakub, Davis, Pender, Randall, Harper, Deary, Francis, Conroy, Eli (Lancashire). Sub not used: Monington.
Attendance: 4,881.
26 March was transfer deadline day, and we didn't quite manage to sign a goalkeeper. At one point Mullen must have thought he'd cracked his season long problem: we were supposed to have struck a deal to sign Arsenal's reserve keeper Alan Miller. But then it was reported that he'd decided not to join us after all. Perhaps he didn't fancy moving up north. By the time Miller had messed us about, there wasn't enough time to bring in anyone else, although it's possible we made further futile attempts at Andy Marriott or Walker.
We did make one signing, though. Robbie Painter, an attacking midfielder-cum-winger, joined us for £25,000 from Maidstone United. Painter hailed from Wigan, and had started out at Chester before moving down to Kent. His first name was in fact Peter, making him yet another in the series of Burnley players who change their names. Obviously we already had attacking players, in the form of Francis and Harper, but it looked like Mullen was following the old adage of strengthening when you're doing well. As it turned out, Painter would play a critical part in one or two of the games that brought promotion. He would make his debut in our next game - at home to Maidstone.
The day's major news was that finally, after months of desperate struggle, Aldershot went out of business. They were the first league club to crash out since Accrington Stanley, thirty years before in 1962. They'd been teetering for a long time, but it's impossible to imagine the loss of your club. Arguably, Burnley came close in 1987, but football clubs have a remarkable way of survive despite the odds, and somehow you think they will always manage to fight another day. At the time of writing, only Maidstone, before the start of the next season, have gone the same way. At least Burnley did their bit to help: we'd bought players off both clubs.
As it happened, we profited from Aldershot's disappearance. All their matches were wiped from the records. Points and goals against them no longer counted. This was bad news for Steve Harper, whose great goal against them was expunged, but good news for Burnley. It's a bit sad that we gained from their misfortune, but that's what happened. The top four sides had all beaten Aldershot home and away, but we had beaten them narrowly, 2-0 and 2-1, while others had won by more. Once those scores had been taken out, Burnley's goal difference was better than Blackpool's. We therefore returned to the top level with Blackpool on 66 points, but above them on goal difference. It felt like a bit of a fraudulent way to reclaim first place. We would have to keep winning, and prove we deserved to be there on merit.
28 March
Burnley 2 Maidstone 1
We made hard work of this. Perhaps the nerves were setting in. Maidstone clearly weren't any good, but they had the lead, and we only just pulled off a win.
Painter duly started against the club he'd been at two days before, in for Eli, who'd been struggling on and off with an injury. Maidstone frustrated us, partly due to their old, fat goalkeeper Ian Hesford, who had one of those inspired days when he stopped almost everything. He saved Pender's header from Jakub's corner - yes, that old routine again - and then Conroy hit the post from a tight angle.
Their goal, at the start of the second half, was a real mess. They lobbed a ball into the box but their attacker slipped. Farrell, again playing at right back, had time to clear it, but for some reason didn't. Liburd Henry chased the ball diagonally across the box while our defenders stood in confusion, and ran it back to Newman, whose shot was accurate and stayed on the ground, giving Maidstone a shock lead.
Now the pressure was on. We came at them, but it just wouldn't go in. Deary produced a fine shot after Eli had knocked down Farrell's header, but Hesford found another good save. He then saved from Davis, who got in a shot after the ball broke to him from Pender's header. Meanwhile, Maidstone timewasted at every opportunity. Hesford in particular took an age to retrieve the ball and take kicks.
Finally we broke through. Randall's free kick found Davis in space in a crowded box, and he sidefooted home at the near post. We briefly sighed relief, then urged them on for the win. After a great run by Eli, on as sub, had taken out three players, Conroy's shot was blocked by a defender who knew nothing about it. But then, with a few minutes left, Eli proved he couldn't be written off. Deary played a ball in to Mark Yates, who headed on from the edge of the box. It dropped to Eli, who took it on his chest, then wrapped his foot around the falling ball. Hesford had left a gap, and Eli found it.
Yes! By the way, at this point in the 1991-92 season video, you can see me and my brother celebrating. Well, you can if you know where to look. In the shot of the vast Longside terrace, there are many jubilant Clarets, but we know we are in there. My brother identified himself by his carrier bag, raised aloft as he applauds, and once you've spotted that, you can see me next to him. Or rather I can, and that's what matters.
It got a bit tasty at the end. Maidstone got a corner and we didn't defend it well. There were a lot of players in the box, and although it was close to Pearce, he didn't claim it. What begun as a scramble for the loose ball turned into a fight. The boots were flying in, and Pearce looked to catch one in his, err, midriff. Everyone piled in, and it became a fine old scrap, with a particularly good set to between Davis and Henry, while Conroy attempted to play peace maker by running in and crashing into the back of one of their players. Once again, our aggression stemmed from our determination. We were a team, and we'd all fight for each other, occasionally literally. It was all good fun, and anyone who says they don't enjoy a good old fashioned melee is a hypocrite. No one had any idea where the ball was, mind.
On the video, as the scrap peters out, you can see Pearce lying on the ground, smiling. I've been a bit harsh on his ability as a goalkeeper, but he was undoubtedly a character. The lads ask him if he's alright, but he just grins. He's got the ball. Then he stands up, still smiling, and holds the ball in the air for the crowd to see. It got a big cheer. Maidstone's Henry got sent off.
Team: Pearce, Farrell, Jakub, Davis, Pender, Randall, Harper (Yates), Deary, Francis (Eli), Conroy, Painter.
Burnley scorers: Davis (77), Eli (87).
Attendance: 10,986.
We must have been getting close to the end of the season, as the PFA division teams of the year were announced. Steve Davis was in the Fourth Division team, deservedly so. But where were the others? Surely we should have had more. The full team was O'Hanlon (Carlisle), Fleming (Mansfield), Hardy (Wrexham), Davis, Walker (Gillingham), Goodwin (Rotherham), Groves (Blackpool), Lowe (Barnet), Bull (Barnet), Stant (Mansfield). What about prolific Conroy, determined Eli and flying Francis? What about Deary holding things together in the middle, and Pender walking tall at the back? Arguably, apart from a goalkeeper, which we still didn't have, the entire Burnley side could have been named. But it is always the way that Burnley do not get the recognition they deserve. Or perhaps we could take this as a sort of tribute to Jimmy Mullen, for having moulded a team from not the most talented players in the world.
31 March
Burnley 2 Hereford 0
Can't remember much about this one. Look at the line up, though. Injuries and suspensions were beginning to bite. Deary was out after his sending off against Huddersfield, while both wide players, Francis and Harper, were missing, as well as Measham. So Monington and Yates got rare starts, while the useless, long forgotten Ian Bray even made the bench.
Despite that, it was pretty routine stuff. We were still clearly a better team than Hereford, and a couple of goals in the first half sealed the win. Monington tapped one in from a scramble, and then Conroy produced a fine volley. Job done. No fuss.
Team: Pearce, Farrell, Jakub, Davis, Pender, Monington, Randall, Yates, Painter, Conroy, Eli (Lancashire). Sub not used: Bray.
Burnley scorers: Monington (25), Conroy (30).
Attendance: 10,578.
And that was March. It had been a tough month, but after that bad defeat at Gillingham we hadn't lost again. The victory against Mansfield had been a big win, while at home to Maidstone we'd shown our priceless ability to recover from setbacks.
After dropping down to third at the start of the month, we had climbed back to a commanding position, finishing the month five points clear. We had 72 from 35 games. Behind us were Blackpool (67 from 36), Mansfield (67 from 37), Rotherham (66 from 36), Rochdale (61 from 36) and Barnet (59 from 36). With three going up automatically, we were six points off the side in fourth place. It looked like the top four would fight for the first three places now.
Mullen set out his no nonsense objectives: "The main objective is to get promotion. That's the be all and end all - to get up there and out of this division. And if we can do that as quickly as we can, in the next two or three games, then we'll have a couple of games, and maybe we can go on and have a go for the Championship."
It was hard to see us not going up, and thoughts now turned to winning the title. This was very much on. Time to believe.
Firmo
March 2002
Part ten - April 1992
The 1991/1992 season
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