Quietly
Making History
John
Haworth and Burnley Football Club
Part Three: 1916-1921
In
May 1919, with the ink drying on the Versailles Treaty, it was decided that the
forthcoming August would see the commencement of what the Burnley Express called
"Peace Football". In Paris, the Allies had finally concluded their deliberations
on how best to neuter the might of Germany, defeated only thanks to American intervention.
History books describe this event as the Paris Peace Conference, but this
is a misnomer. To confer implies an exchange of views, a collective effort to work things
out. Paris represented no such thing. The paranoid French and the chastened British
determined to end forever the capacity of Germany to upset the equilibrium of Europe. Most
disastrously of all, Woodrow Wilson deemed the price of peace to be the abolition of the
Hohenzollern monarchy, the only remaining institution with the prestige to cushion German
society from the humiliation of defeat.
As Burnley would first soar and then struggle through the post-war period,
the Versailles settlement would play into the hands of skilled German nationalists. By the
time Burnley fell from the First Division in 1930, the Waimar republic – an ambitious
and idealistic democratic project – was tottering in the face of National Socialism,
and the philosopher Martin Heidegger, in search of ‘authenticity’ within human
existence, had published his masterpiece Being and Time.
The search for authenticity was something with which all wartime football
fans could empathise. The end of the conflict saw the green shoots of normality slowly
emerge, and the most eagerly awaited event was the commencement of a fully competitive,
nationwide football season. Not for the first time, football served as both social balm
and amnesiac, soothing the trauma of war and focusing the mind, however fleetingly, on
something other than austerity and tragedy. Football’s role in the psychological
recovery of the nation was manifested in greatly increased attendances.
As if to underline the universal impact of the conflict, Burnley Football
Club herself could not carry on where she had left off. As the players and staff reported
back to prepare for the forthcoming season, three of Burnley’s Cup Final stars were
absent.
George Halley, the first Burnley footballer to join the forces after the
outbreak of war, had survived unhurt but was unable to return home due to the troubles in
India. Of more concern was David Taylor, the quickest full-back in the Football League,
who was seriously ill with heart trouble. Doubts were expressed as to whether he would
play again. But the biggest blow of all was the death of inside-left Teddy Hodgson. He had
been a vital attacking cog in John Haworth’s promotion and Cup winning sides of 1913
and 1914, scoring a memorable hat-trick during the 1914 Cup run to see off Derby County at
Turf Moor.
A parade to celebrate peace, Turf Moor, August
1919
His League record was just as impressive, scoring 53 goals in 120
appearances and outscoring Bert Freeman in the 1914-15 season. Hodgson was taken ill with
kidney trouble whilst in Germany with the Army of Occupation, and died in August 1919,
just a couple of weeks before the start of the new season. Thousands of mourners lined the
streets of Burnley to pay their last respects, and the Burnley Express paid its own
tribute:
Last week, the cleverest inside-left Burnley have ever had was taken to
his final resting place. Teddy Hodgson was probably Burnley’s best and most
consistent forward, and both Freeman and Mosscrop will greatly feel the loss of so smart
and tricky a partner.
The first full practice game was held on 20th August, just 10
days before the start of the new season itself. Burnley’s 24-man squad consisted of
seventeen old hands who had played for the Clarets before the War, and seven new signings,
including two young defenders - Len Smelt and Alf Bassnet. Smelt hailed from Rotherham,
but began turning out for the Clarets in wartime fixtures around April 1917 when visits to
his sister in Barnoldswick brought him to the area, an arrangement indicative of the
ad-hoc nature of wartime football.
The additions to the squad demonstrate that John Haworth and the board of
directors were alive as ever to the possibilities of strengthening the team. A scout had
been employed in Scotland to unearth talent, and on the eve of the season the manager made
an additional signing in young left-winger Walter Weaver. The final week before the start
of the season was one of furious activity. Full-scale friendlies took place on almost a
daily basis so that John Haworth and his new first-team trainer Charlie Bates could fully
assess the squad and devise the optimum line-up.
On the eve of the first game, the Burnley Express intimated at the
inevitable uncertainty that surrounded the commencement of League football:
Those stalwarts of the game who have escaped the dangers of warfare are
equally eager to resume their old pastime, and it is quite possible the early games will
be brisk and of an exciting character. For Burnley, the season may not open as
auspiciously as had been hoped.
This somewhat pessimistic forecast was a measured response to the absence
of players such as Hodgson, Taylor and Halley, and the vagaries of the fixture list, which
demanded eight matches in the first 29 days of the season. A poor September could wreck
any hopes of the title.
Finally, on August 30th 1919, the Clarets took to the field at
Meadow Lane to face Notts.County. In front of keeper Jerry Dawson was an unfamiliar
defensive line-up. Len Smelt was preferred to Cup winner Tom Bamford, and Cliff Jones wore
the No.3 shirt that David Taylor had previously monopolised. Burnley’s famous
half-back triumverate was only two-thirds complete, with Will Taylor taking George
Halley’s No.4 shirt. Up front, pre-war regulars Freeman, Mosscrop, Lindsay and Kelly
were reunited.
Bob Kelly
(left) had been with the club since November 1913, but had initially been unable to
displace any of the forward line that had gone on to win the F.A. Cup. His most consistent
spell before the War had come in the 1914-15 season, in which he had scored 12 goals in 30
appearances. However, despite this unspectacular record, everyone at Turf Moor knew that
in Bob Kelly they had a footballing star. He had begun to emerge in wartime football,
where his displays of speed, skill, close control and fearsome shooting had earned him
admiring reviews across the land. He continued to play for the Clarets throughout the War,
and John Haworth was no doubt expecting great things from his striking prodigy upon the
start of the Football League season.
It was an unhappy return to League football for Burnley, defeated 2-0 at
Notts.County, but September was generally a successful month. Without finding a settled
line-up, John Haworth guided Burnley to five wins and two draws. Although not finding the
net with any regularity himself, Bob Kelly was causing havoc in opposition defences, and
the local press praised Burnley for their fine attacking play. With the fixture list
organised so that teams played each other home and away on consecutive weeks, the Clarets
had an early opportunity to avenge their opening day defeat. This they did with a 2-1 home
win over the Magpies on September 6. Most satisfying were back-to-back victories against
Blackburn Rovers, 3-2 at Ewood Park on September 13 and 3-1 at Turf Moor a week later.
With the Clarets in 4th position after the Blackburn
double-header, the Burnley Express began to cautiously revise its pre-season reservations:
The fact that Burnley have done so well encourages one to hope for a
fair measure of success in the future.
A 1-0 defeat of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on September 27 gave Burnley
their fourth consecutive League win, but the return game at Turf Moor was lost 3-2. This
defeat set off a brief slump in home form. The only reward to show from the three home
games in October was a solitary point, gained from a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United. A few
disgruntled fans wrote to the Burnley Express to share their concerns, but the poor
home form was more than offset by the Clarets' remarkable away record. The victory at
Blackburn Rovers was followed by wins at Chelsea, Liverpool, Sheffield United and
Manchester United.
Burnley also defeated Man U at Turf Moor with a superb performance that
prompted the Burnley Express to rate the game as "equal to anything seen for
years". However, this victory, their first at home in four attempts, was overshadowed
by the controversy surrounding the omission of Bert Freeman from the starting line-up. A
letter in the Burnley Express praised the team’s performance, but questioned the
treatment of the legendary centre-forward.
It transpired that Freeman had turned up late for the game having been
stranded on a malfunctioning train. However, so splendid had been the team effort without
their feared striker that both John Haworth and the directors felt it worth continuing
without him. The same team took to the field at Old Trafford a week later and won 1-0. But
still the Freeman controversy rumbled on. A reasoned supporter penned the following to the
Burnley Express:
As a
great admirer of Freeman I am very sorry he is not in the team. Still I admire the
directors’ policy in choosing the eleven that are (vide the Manchester papers)
"a fine team" and will want some beating. Don’t bother about Scotch
forwards, directors, whilst the boys available now carry on, and you will receive the
support of the football public.
The comment about Scots forwards was in response to
Burnley’s employment of a scout North of the border, as well as the constant
rumours of possible new signings that did the rounds even in those days. If most of the
rumours surrounded the signing of forwards, this was due in no short measure to the form
of Burnley’s defence. In October, Willie Watson was chosen again to play for England.
Remarkably, Levy Thorpe was also selected as a reserve. Thorpe had been at the Turf since
1913 and was deployed as a utility half-back, playing whenever Halley, Boyle or Watson had
been absent. With George Halley still serving in India and Tommy Boyle troubled with
injuries, Thorpe enjoyed a prolonged run in the first team, and his international
selection was a clear testimony to the quality of the squad that had been assembled at
Turf Moor.
The two wins over Man U on November 8th and 15th
took Burnley to second place. The Burnley Express particularly enjoyed the initial
home win, as it ended United's unbeaten away record. The paper published a photo of the
team under the caption: "The Team which broke Manchester United's record".
Burnley line up minus Halley, Boyle and
Freeman to take on Man Utd, 8th November 1919
Back: Bates (trainer) Thorpe, Thompson, Smelt, Dawson, Jones, Watson, Boyle
Front: Kelly, Cragg, Nesbitt, Lindsay, Mosscrop
But disaster struck at Turf Moor the following Saturday, November 22nd,
when mid-table Bradford Park Avenue steamrollered the Clarets 6-2 with a brilliant display
of organised defending and swift counter-attacking football. This result prompted the
ever-keen amateur scribes of Turf Moor to once more put pen to paper. A supporter
identifying himself only as an occupant of 'Stand A' wrote:
I think the time has arrived when the directors should make an effort
towards strengthening the team. Supporters are getting weary of the team's displays at
home, and I am urging for an effort on the directors' part in securing capable players who
can really play the game. A little enterprise is all that is required. We have the nucleus
of a great team...
Another correspondent argued that:
Our forwards are poor, and in comparison to the Bradford forwards, very
poor. Along with many others, I would like to see our team win a few more matches at home,
and I think by strengthening the forwards they would do so. It looks very bad for a
first-class club to have to put the forwards in different positions instead of having
capable reserves for every position.
'Disappointed Supporter' voiced very much the same complaint:
If a player is injured, the whole forward line has to be upset owing to
insufficient men. Take Nesbitt, for instance, they are playing him in all positions. It
appears to me, if the half-backs fail, the team becomes helpless, as was the case on
Saturday.
It was true that Burnley had suffered from an inconsistent line-up.
Nineteen players had been used in the first thirteen games, and an unchanged team was a
rarity. Nonetheless, with Burnley sitting in second place in the First Division, John
Haworth and the directors could be forgiven for wondering what was needed to satisfy some
of the fans. Home form had indeed been unusually poor, but away form was spectacularly
good.
The following Saturday, November 29th, Burnley travelled to
Bradford for the return game with Park Avenue. It was a very different Burnley side to the
one that had been ravaged the week before. Tommy Boyle had recovered from injury and
George Halley had returned from his overseas duties. For the first time in four years, the
Clarets’ half-back line read once more: Halley, Boyle, Watson.
As if to emphasise their talismanic qualities, Halley, Boyle and Watson
helped Burnley to her sixth consecutive away victory (1-0) and, for only the second time
ever, the leadership of the First Division. In defence of the club's leaders, our familiar
friend 'Old Member' offered an optimistic assessment of the forward line:
It was with a certain amount of pride that I saw we had at last reached
the top of the League on Saturday, and the question is: Shall we keep it, or begin
gradually slipping down again? My own opinion is that we can keep it with a reshuffling of
the forwards.
Not without some insight, Old Member justified his preferred forward
line-up, which omitted Freeman in favour of Nesbitt. He finished his letter with a message
for those who thought that Burnley's home displays merited vocal disapproval:
And now a word to a very small section of the spectators. If you cannot
attend the matches without shouting insulting remarks to the players, you had better keep
away.
Another letter attempted to disarm the critics with good-humoured bombast:
Talk about new men being wanted! This is a false alarm, for they are
irresistible. The team are getting nicely into their winning stride - they've never really
been out of it. The away record bamboozles the disgusted critics; it shatters every shred
of their weak-kneed case; it points the warning finger at the rushing torrent of the
critics' groundless discontent; and one is afraid that these critics are supporters of the
Blackburn Rovers in disguise, who would like to see our men transferred to that club.
Unfortunately, Burnley’s leadership was over by the next Saturday
when they allowed a physical Oldham team to out-hustle them 1-0 at Boundary Park. This
game saw Burnley’s left-back Cliff Jones sent off for deliberately aiming a kick at
an Oldham player, and the return game the following Saturday was even wilder. In what
looked like calculated acts of retribution, both Tommy Boyle and Willie Watson broke
Oldham bones, reducing the Latics to nine men. Burnley were also awarded three penalties,
two of which were missed. Burnley eventually prevailed 2-1 thanks to a Willie Nesbitt
winner. Despite the robust nature of the game at this time, a sending off was rare and was
looked upon with some disapproval. Jones was banned for two months for his transgression,
and he would only play twice more for the first team during the season.
At this time it emerged that Tommy Boyle had received a letter offering
him £1000 for the team to throw the game at Bradford. The letter had been immediately
passed to the authorities, who established that the Bristol address from which the letter
had been sent was false, and the whole incident was passed off as a hoax. Rumours also
spread round the town that the club was scouting for new players with an increased
intensity, a convenient bit of gossip for a club under pressure from fans to buy some new
players. The Burnley Express disdainfully noted that: "From what I hear, the
purses of a Carnegie, Vanderbilt and a Rothschild would be needed to satisfy the demands
of some clubs."
After exerting their physical superiority over Oldham, Burnley continued
to make good progress in the league. Successive wins at Preston (1-0) and at home to
Middlesborough on Christmas Day (5-3) was followed on Boxing Day with a useful point at
Newcastle (0-0). Ominously, West Bromwich Albion hit the top of the table after thrashing
championship rivals Sunderland 4-0 on Boxing Day. The New Year saw the Clarets suffer a
second half blitz at Middlesborough, losing 0-4 after a scoreless first half. This defeat
appeared to put the Clarets on their heels. A couple of draws with Aston Villa represented
the only league points won during the whole of January.
In the First Round of the Cup, the Clarets had an unusual draw away at
Thorneycrofts FC, a shipyard team from Woolston, near Southampton. Their tiny ground was
deemed not to be suitable to host a First Division side, and so it was eventually agreed
to play the game at Fratton Park, Portsmouth. Without looking in danger of defeat, the
Clarets were unable to pierce the dockers' defence and had to be content with a 0-0 draw.
In the replay at Turf Moor on January 13th, Burnley easily prevailed 5-0.
The Second Round, played on January 31st, paired the Clarets
with Sunderland at Turf Moor. This was a huge Cup tie and attracted over 33,000 to Turf
Moor, but the game ended only in a 1-1 draw, with Bob Kelly scoring for Burnley. The
replay on the following Tuesday was lost 0-2, with Burnley not outplayed but unable to
finish their chances. This game marked the last appearance of Ronnie Sewell, the
goalkeeper who had won a Cup winners medal in 1914. Sewell was a highly rated custodian,
but, unable to displace Jerry Dawson, had made only 23 appearances in three and a half
seasons. An injury to Dawson before Christmas had given him the opportunity of staking a
claim to the green jersey. Sewell performed well and certainly could not be faulted for
the dip in Burnley's New Year form. When he learned that he had lost his place he
immediately asked for a transfer, and his time at Burnley was soured at the very last when
he was suspended for refusing to play for the reserves.
With Dawson back in goal, Burnley travelled to Manchester
City on 7th February, but were defeated 1-3. This setback looked to have put
paid to the Clarets' Championship ambitions as it left them five points behind leaders WBA
with two games fewer to play. But that week, John Haworth and the directors had been
putting the final touches to a burst of activity in the transfer market, and Saturday's Burnley
Express unveiled four new signings. All were forwards, with three representing the
first fruits of the Scottish scout.
It is uncertain whether the manager and directors expected all four
players to make the grade. Perhaps the idea was to pay small fees for good prospects in
the hope of nurturing a couple of future first team players, selling on the surplus to
cover the financial outlay. Another factor to consider was the terrible form of the
reserve team, whose record of nine consecutive defeats between November and January
suggested that reinforcements to the playing staff as a whole were desperately needed.
Once more, the pages of the Burnley Express had been filled with
the musings of disappointed and frustrated fans. Typical of the mood was this missive:
It is no use trying to make something out of nothing and run a cheap
team. It will not do today, and the sooner we get some good players the better for all
concerned. Trying local talent and novices at this time of year will not do. Of course, if
the directors are satisfied to just keep in the First Division and don't care for anything
else, they might be pleasing themselves, but how about the public generally who support
them? They keep paying their shillings and they have not been able to shout much yet at
Turf Moor.
I have seen every match played at Turf Moor this season, both first and
reserve, and we want some good players. It is no use messing about with £25 captures.
Take my advice, put the stuff down and get them bought. It pays best in the end. Consider
the public, and you will always find that they support you.
Whatever
the intention of such a categorical piece of business, John Haworth gave two of the four
new signings their debuts the following Saturday, February 14th, in the return
game with Manchester City at Turf Moor. Willie Gallocher and Lawrence Roberts, both signed
from the Glasgow Renton club, played in place of Cup winners Bert Freeman and Dick Lindley
(pictured right).
The new personnel failed to score, but the new signings appeared initially
to galvanise the players. Manchester City were dispatched 2-0, a scoreline that was
repeated in the following three games as Burnley defeated Sheffield Wednesday and then
Derby County twice in the space of four days. The Sheffield game had also served as a
benefit for both Tommy Boyle and Bert Freeman, and both men received £500.
Boyle's season had been fitful at best, troubled as he was with a series
of small but stubborn injuries. Bert Freeman, too, found himself an irregular feature of
the first team. Neither played in their benefit game. This period of the season also saw
the beginning of one Burnley career and the end of another. Leaving was Levy Thorpe, sold
to Blackburn Rovers for £2000 and honoured with an affectionate tribute in the Burnley
Express:
Levy Thorpe is a whole-hearted player and has done splendid service for
Burnley. All will wish him success at Ewood Park.
Taking Thorpe's place in the first team was young Alf Bassnet
(left), who had been one of John Haworth's early season signings. Also making a welcome
reappearance at the club was Cup Final full-back David Taylor, who had spent most of the
season convalescing in Scotland with heart trouble.
The four successive 2-0 wins during February had propelled
Burnley to within two points of WBA at the top of the league, although the Midlands club
still had two games in hand. The rest of the opposition had fallen behind. The
Championship was now between these two teams, and the next two League fixtures saw them
face each other in what had clearly become championship deciders. On March 6th,
West Brom came to the Turf after a week of special training in Rhyl. In an end-to-end
game, Tommy Boyle put Burnley 1-0 up, but West Brom came back strongly to take a 2-1 lead.
Bert Freeman, back in the starting line-up, equalised with six minutes remaining, but the
Clarets couldn't force the all-important winning goal. A consolation for the home side was
a record gate receipt of £1,962, a small part of which was paid by an 11 year-old Bob
Lord, his first ever game at Turf Moor. To stay even remotely in the Championship race,
however, the Clarets had to win at the Hawthorns the following Saturday. But after leading
the League for most of the season, the Baggies were in no mood to relinquish their
advantage, winning 4-1 in front of over 30,000 spectators.
With the Championship race all but over, John Haworth and the directors
immediately looked to rationalise the playing squad in preparation for the following
season. Recent Scottish recruits Gallocher, Roberts and Patrick O'Neill were released, and
Cup Final stars Dick Lindley and Ronnie Sewell were both sold, the former to Bradford City
and the latter to Blackburn Rovers for £1,600. Another Cup Finalist, Tom Bamford,
announced his retirement from football. As these players departed, John Haworth once more
reverted to the cheque-book for a high profile signing. Joe Anderson was centre-forward
for Clydebank, lying seventh in the Scottish League and in Anderson possessors of the
League's leading scorer. Anderson had netted 30 goals in 32 League appearances, and his
signature was secured for £2,000, exactly the same amount procured from Blackburn for
Levy Thorpe.
Anderson’s signature was not without significance. Burnley had not
only taken the trouble of employing a scout North of the border, but had signed four of
his recommendations – all unknown amateurs bought relatively cheaply. But it
didn’t take long for the management at Burnley to release these recruits and invest
in a proven goal-scorer. It seemed as if the experiment with the talent scout had not been
successful, and the club certainly couldn't wait for a new goal-scorer to develop
gradually in the reserves. Anderson's signing thus marked a return to the club's pre-war
policy of buying established names in central positions of the team. That said, another
signing - that of ex-England schoolboy captain Benny Cross from Cheshire League side
Runcorn - demonstrated that the club retained their willingness to invest in young talent.
Anderson went straight into the side to face Sunderland at Turf Moor on
March 20th. This day was reincarnate, marking both the end and the beginning of
something special at the club. At Turf Moor, Bert Freeman scored his 115th and
last goal
for Burnley as the Clarets earned a 2-1 victory. In Glasgow,
Bob Kelly won his first major honour, turning out for the English League against their
Scottish counterparts, the start of a series of international honours for Burnley's gifted
inside forward. However, Burnley's victory at home to Sunderland was won at a price.
Left-winger Eddie Mosscrop was badly injured in a challenge that saw his Sunderland
aggressor sent off. His replacement for the next game was another youngster signed in the
close season, Walter Weaver, who would hold his place with a string of impressive
performances.
On April 3rd Joe Anderson scored his first Burnley goal in a
2-1 defeat of Arsenal, but the Scot made a much more spectacular mark a couple of weeks
later with a hat-trick in the 5-0 demolition of Everton, a result that confirmed Burnley's
final placing of second. The last few games of the season also saw the return to the first
team of David Taylor. The Clarets completed their fixtures on May 1st with a
2-1 defeat at Bradford City, a result that kept the Yorkshire team in the First Division.
There can be little doubt that the first full season of 'peace' football
was very satisfactory from the viewpoint of John Haworth. With the core of a side
developed some six years previously and with little additional outlay in the transfer
market, he had guided the Clarets to their highest ever placing in League football. The Burnley
Express warmly praised the efforts of the team:
The team has certainly done much better than the most sanguine
supporter of the club expected at the start, and every credit is due to the players.
Of more concern was the strength of the overall squad. The struggles of
the reserve team indicated that local talent offered little promise, and the amateur
players sent to Turf Moor from Scotland did not fare any better. But even in response to
these criticisms, the manager could point to three promising youngsters signed pre-season
and all established first-team players by the end of it. At right-back, Len Smelt had
given performances of steadiness and consistency. In the all-important half-back line, Alf
Basnett had shown such composure and maturity that the club had sold England reserve
half-back Levy Thorpe to Blackburn Rovers. Finally, on the left-wing, young Walt Weaver
had taken over Eddie Mosscrop's No.11 shirt and impressed everyone with his skill and
determination.
To crown everything was the emergence of Bob Kelly. His superb performance
for the English League had seen his swift promotion to the full England team, making his
debut on April 10th in the annual clash with Scotland. He scored twice in a
classic 5-4 win. The headline of that week's Athletic News read "The Greatness
of Kelly", whilst the Daily News singled out the Burnley man as the star performer:
England's strength was in attack, all five players were first class,
with Kelly touching greatness. The Burnley man has a turn of speed, an elusive swerve, and
perfect ball control, and England has not had a better inside-forward since Bloomer at his
best.
Off the field, Burnley posted a profit of £9,189 for the season, with the
wage bill amounting to £6,770. The club was healthy, but hungry for more silverware.
Furthermore, the legends of Turf Moor could not carry on forever. Rumours of Freeman's
retirement had been circulating for some time. Halley, Boyle and Watson were not yet ready
for retirement, but all were either approaching or past 30 years of age. For those players
who had seen four prime seasons of their career shorn off by the war, the desire to
realise the promise of this fine Turf Moor team was all the more urgent.
1920-21
The players returned for pre-season training on 3rd August 1920. Most
had immediately re-signed for the club, but one exception was winger Willie Nesbitt
(right). He held out for the maximum wage, newly increased to £9 per week. The club
responded by telling him that he would earn the maximum wage when he became a regular
first-team player. Given that Nesbitt had been with the club since 1912, had won an F.A.
Cup winners medal in 1914 and had played in 30 of the 42 League games of the previous
campaign, the club's reaction seems both harsh and ungrateful.
Unfortunately, this period of time was not characterised by particularly
good relations between players and clubs. By 1920, attendances at football matches were
huge and overwhelmingly working class, but the clubs themselves were controlled by middle
class men who were sceptical of any suggestion that the spectators should have some kind
of say in the running of the game. This attitude extended to the players, who enjoyed very
little freedom within the contracts that bound them to their clubs.
The new regulation that allowed a maximum weekly wage of £9 to be paid
all year round represented a doubling of the previous figure, and for many years the
maximum had been just £4. This parsimonious amount had long been resented by the players
and was the focus of much activism through the offices of the nascent Players' Union. A
central character in this political contest was intimately connected to Burnley. He was
Charles Sutcliffe, President of Burnley Football Club and a high-ranking Football League
official.
Sutcliffe would become the bête-noir noire of the activists of the
Players Union. Against demands for the abolition of the maximum wage and contract reform,
Sutcliffe played a game of verbal gymnastics and brinkmanship. Time and again, armed with
statistics and vague blueprints for reform, he thwarted the attempts of the players for
better terms. As early as 1908, Sutcliffe was writing to the Athletic News, attacking
Players' Union proposals for the abolition of the maximum wage, calling them, "the
outward and visible sign of their inward greed." The following year, in response to
an article by Billy Meredith in which he ruminated on the possibility of a strike if the
players’ demands were not met, Sutcliffe poured scorn on the agitators:
If William Meredith thinks the public are with the Players' Union he is
sadly mistaken. I come across very few who do not think footballers are amply paid at £4
per week and a £250 benefit after five years.
It was pronouncements like these, and his success in preventing reform of
any kind, that led to Sutcliffe being viewed as the very personification of the grasping
factory boss: devoted to profit and power, and wholly unconcerned with issues of welfare
or social justice. The presence and profile of Sutcliffe put the team manager at Burnley
in a delicate position. The team was chosen after deliberations between the manager and
the directors, with the latter usually having the final say in the event of any insoluble
disagreement. But the manager was the sole link between boardroom and pitch. If a decision
at boardroom level directly affected the players, it was the manager who had the job of
convincing the players that the decision was right and in their interests.
With the Players' Union actively recruiting and outspokenly critical of
Charles Sutcliffe, it would have been a difficult balancing act for the manager to weigh
his relationship with the players against his loyalty to the board which employed him.
John Haworth had demonstrated in his previous position at Accrington Stanley that he had
been willing to pay players well as a means of raising the profile and standards of a
club, but at Burnley he had to square these instincts with the more conservative outlook
of powerful figures like Sutcliffe and Chairman Windle.
It was the success of football after the end of the First World War that
forced the hand of the club owners. As an indication of how quickly and at what rate the
football industry was expanding, even Charles Sutcliffe himself, by this time President of
the Football League, conceded that the maximum wage of £4.50 per week could no longer be
sustained. In March 1920, he wrote:
The arguments for better wages are unanswerable. In view of the
decreased value of the pound, players must have more and in view of the increased
popularity of the game and increased gates, the bulk of the clubs can pay more.
The clubs had begun to earn huge amounts of money from the multitudes that
were now expected to pay at least a shilling to stand on the open terraces. As well as a
wage increase to £9 per week throughout the year, bonuses of £2 per win and £1 per draw
were also introduced. Well-established first team players of First Division clubs could
look forward to a weekly wage packet of around £10 per week, and in general the players
were satisfied with this, although contract reform remained off the agenda. It needs to be
noted though that the maximum wage was not mandatory, even within successful First
Division clubs, as Willie Nesbitt could testify.
On Saturday August 21st 1920, an estimated 10,000 crowd turned
out to watch the final pre-season practice match at Turf Moor between Burnley's first team
and a reserve XI. With the cash from 2,000 season tickets in the bank, John Haworth and
Chairman Windle had sought to shore up the strength of the squad through the signing of
several new players, and this was reflected in a tight and competitive game in which the
reserves had held their own for long periods. The watching Burnley Express journalist
was impressed:
The reserves played a plucky and determined game against their more
experienced colleagues, and, considering the class they were up against, did very well,
both in midfield and in front of goal. It is quite possible that the Clarets will face
inferior teams in the League tournament. One thing seems apparent from the practice games
- that there will be better men at call to fill gaps in the first team. Of the Clarets,
little need be said beyond the fact that they appeared in splendid form and ready for the
opening of the season.
The journalist seemed keen
to address one of the main disputes of the previous season - that of the quality of the
reserve players ready to step into the first team should they be required. The eleven men
selected for the first team in that final practice match were the eleven who took to the
field at 6pm on Saturday August 28th for the opening game of the season, played
at that late hour due to a cricket game on the adjacent ground. Jerry Dawson was in goal;
the full-backs were Len Smelt (pictured left) and David Taylor; the half-back line of
Halley, Boyle and Watson was restored, and the front five were Freeman, Kelly, Anderson,
Lindsay and Mosscrop. The Clarets faced Bradford City, who included Dick Lindley in their
line-up.
An expectant 30,000 crowd greeted their heroes, but Burnley were caught
cold and found themselves 0-4 down at half-time. Their second-half performance was
slightly better, but all the Clarets could manage was a late goal from centre-forward Joe
Anderson. The 1-4 defeat was a terrible disappointment for all concerned, and Burnley
travelled to newly promoted Huddersfield two days later without Boyle, who had been
injured in the opening game. John Haworth and the directors also decided that Jerry Dawson
did not deserve to keep his place, and handed Birchenough his debut. Doubts remained about
the new reserve keeper who had been the subject of much hilarity when, during one of the
pre-season practice matches, he had kicked a clearance against a defender and seen the
ball rebound into the goal. Birchenough avoided any such calamity at Leeds Road, but the
Clarets still went down 0-1.
The following Saturday, September 4th, saw Burnley back in
Yorkshire for the return game with Bradford. Trailing 0-1, Burnley were awarded a penalty,
but George Halley saw his effort saved by the Bradford keeper. Despite strenuous efforts,
the Clarets couldn't get back in the game and eventually lost 0-2. The season, anticipated
like no other, had begun disastrously. After three games, a pointless Burnley propped up
the First Division.
Something had to be done. With the return game against Huddersfield on the
Monday afternoon, crucial and difficult decisions had to be made over the remainder of the
weekend. John Haworth and the directors did not shirk from them. Burnley had only scored
one goal in three games, and so it was the forward line that received the most radical
attention. Joe Anderson was now the club's first choice centre-forward, but room had also
been made for Bert Freeman. The legendary striker had been employed both on the wing and
in the inside-right position, but in neither position had the experiment worked. Burnley
needed their forward positions filled by specialists. Bert Freeman was told that he would
be dropped from the team. Although he was now well and truly a veteran, Freeman's pride
was strong and he was bitterly disappointed at his demotion. His contribution to the
recovery of the club in the immediate years before the war was invaluable, but now he had
to step aside for a younger and faster man. He took the decision with the utmost
professionalism, and accepted his position in the reserves.
With the difficult question of Freeman's position resolved, Willie Nesbitt
returned on the right, and young Benny Cross made his debut at inside-left, replacing John
Lindsay. Cross, an acquisition from non-league Runcorn, had impressed in the reserves.
Another youngster, Walter Weaver, retained his place on the left-wing. For Cross and
Weaver it was a chance to renew acquaintance, having played together in an accomplished
1912 Birkenhead Schoolboys team. The forward line-up was completed with the formidable
pairing of Joe Anderson in the centre and Bob Kelly at inside-right. Tommy Boyle returned
from injury and Jerry Dawson was reinstated.
Such is the unpredictability of football that this could have been the
first of a number of reshuffles as the management sought to find the right combination. As
it turned out, this reorganisation of the team was inspired. On September 6th,
in front of 30,000 spectators, the Clarets defeated Huddersfield 3-0, with Boyle, Nesbitt
and Kelly registering their first goals of the season. The reality of the game was that
Burnley should have won by a cricket score as they tore apart the Huddersfield defence
time and again. The Burnley Express was particularly excited about the displays of
the newcomers:
Both Weaver and Cross gave promise of even better things in the future.
Some people of my acquaintance think Cross will develop into something approaching another
Teddy Hodgson.
On the Saturday, Middlesborough arrived at Turf Moor and led 1-0 at
half-time, but two second half goals from Anderson
and Cross secured Burnley another two points. A
goalless draw in the return seven days later underlined the recovery of Burnley's
defensive solidity. Next up were Chelsea, who, like Burnley, had celebrated their highest
ever League placing the previous season when they finished third. A close game was
expected, but the Clarets ran out easy 4-0 winners against injury-weakened opposition.
This win lifted Burnley to 10th, a comfortable mid-table position and a
significant improvement after what had been their worst start to a League campaign for
nearly thirty years.
The return game in London a week later, October 2nd, was a
closer affair. Joe Anderson's third goal of the season secured another point in a 1-1 draw
in front of 45,000 spectators. Struggling Bradford Park Avenue provided the next
opposition, and Burnley took full advantage with back-to-back wins, 3-1 at Bradford and
1-0 at Turf Moor.
Another big London fixture awaited the Clarets the following Saturday at
Tottenham, then the division's in-form team. Spurs had been the leading lights of Southern
English football ever since lifting the F.A. Cup as a Southern League side, becoming the
first non-leaguers to win the Cup. This achievement supplied much grist to the mill of
those who complained that the Football League was essentially a Northern cartel that
excluded many stronger Southern teams. It was true that Tottenham were a far bigger club
than many of the Northern town teams who enjoyed Football League status, and they paid
much higher wages too. The demands of large city clubs like Spurs, Chelsea, Bristol City
and Arsenal proved irresistible, and they all gradually won Football League status in the
years surrounding the turn of the century.
Although Tottenham had always struggled in the First Division, they
attracted huge crowds and generally received a favourable press. This was especially
evident after the Clarets went down there on October 23rd and defeated the
Londoners 2-1 with an impressive display of fierce defending and counter-attacking. The
Clarets had been reduced to ten 
men after only 20
minutes when left-back David Taylor was injured in the play that led to Spurs taking the
lead. The rest of the first half had been a grim defensive struggle, with right winger
Willie Nesbitt playing back in defence. Early in the second half, Joe Anderson (pictured
left) turned the game on its head, slamming in two brilliant individual efforts in the
space of three minutes. Burnley held on for an unlikely 2-1 victory, sending 45,000 North
Londoners home in a dark mood.
The reaction of Fleet Street was typical, the Daily
Mail whining that:
There was clear evidence at the start that the only hope of the
Lancashire team was to prevent their opponents playing in their usual clever style. It
meant, of course, the spoiling of the match, but evidently that did not matter so long as
the points were won. Burnley, often by methods that were open to question, went out to
"spoil" Tottenham most thoroughly. They also spoilt the match.
To prove that their victory had been no miscarriage of justice, the
Clarets completed the double over Spurs the following week with a 2-0 victory at Turf Moor
in front of 36,000 fans. This game saw the return of Bob Kelly and Cliff Jones to the
line-up. Kelly had been on England duty the previous week, and had again enhanced his
reputation with a goal in England's 2-0 defeat of Ireland. In an altogether different
situation was Cliff Jones, who had lost his place in the team after being sent off in a
famously bad-tempered game at Oldham the previous season. David Taylor's injury gave him a
welcome opportunity to re-establish himself in the left-back position.
The Burnley Express had wasted no time in pouring scorn on the
posturing of the Daily Mail and the rest of the London press, writing on the eve of the
return game with Spurs that:
The easy manner with which they have accounted for other teams led the
Spurs followers to expect a repetition of previous successes. Burnley, however, brought
the Rooster off his perch. The Spurs received a rude shock, and their supporters - aye,
and the Pressmen too - were evidently totally unprepared for the result.
Some of the Press representatives, while describing the game as the
poorest from a scientific point of view for some time, admitted that under the
circumstances Burnley deserved their victory, but blame Boyle principally for the tactics
employed. Well, that's all in and part of the game. If a side fails to put their opponents
off their game, they must prepare themselves for defeat.
Burnley's 2-0 win over Spurs was their fourth victory in succession,
following their previous double over Bradford Park Avenue. Now playing with real
confidence, the Clarets repeated the trick home and away against the then League leaders
Newcastle United. On November 6th, in front of a 50,000 crowd at St. James'
Park, goals from Boyle and Kelly gave Burnley a 2-1 win, Newcastle's first home defeat of
the season and Burnley's tenth game without defeat. This was bettered a week later at Turf
Moor when the Clarets prevailed 3-1, with Boyle and Kelly again scoring in front of nearly
39,000 fans.
The home victory over Newcastle was tinged with tragedy when
a charabanc on its way to Turf Moor overturned at Blacko. Five occupants were killed and a
dozen more injured, some seriously. The charabanc had been chartered by some Grassington
Clarets, and the Burnley Express pointed out that Burnley were now attracting
supporters from all around Lancashire and West Yorkshire as a result of their attacking
play. Crowd congestion at the Newcastle game had seen home season ticket holders unable to
reach their seats, an occurrence that led to more than one irate letter to the Burnley
Express. The local paper was now convinced that the Clarets were serious title
contenders and was in raptures over the Clarets' defeat of Newcastle, a sixth straight
victory that lifted Burnley to second in the table:
In a phrase, Burnley, who rose to a great occasion, were better in both
attack and defence. The forwards have never done better, while Anderson, besides working
hard and bustling the backs, gave some excellent passes to the wings. The play was kept
open and the forwards were a constant source of danger. The Newcastle centre line was
quite unequal to the task of stopping them. The whole of the Burnley men gave of their
best, and Newcastle are not likely in a hurry to forget their visit to the town on the
Brun.
The following Saturday, November 20th, Burnley travelled to
Sheepfoot Lane to take on Oldham, lying second-bottom of the division. The Clarets were
2-0 up and seemingly cruising, but some unusually poor defending let Oldham back in the
game. Burnley ended up hanging on for a 2-2 draw. Newcastle's 1-0 defeat of Liverpool on
the same day saw Burnley's point lift them to the top of the table, but they had a point
to prove to the Latics. Burnley crushed them 7-1 at Turf Moor in the return game. This was
some performance by the Clarets. Bob Kelly scored four, Benny Cross two and Tommy Boyle
had the distinction of scoring at both ends, as he deflected a wayward shot past Dawson to
register Oldham's sole effort as well as heading Burnley's third goal from a corner. The Sporting
Chronicle was hugely impressed by Burnley's performance:
Burnley have never had the honour of winning the League championship,
but they evidently mean to make a big effort this season. And on the form they are showing
it will take a lot to cut them out. Every goal that Burnley scored was the outcome of
perfect football, and football played at a pace that completely bewildered the opposition.
The Burnley News concurred:
Not many times in the life of a football supporter is it permitted to
watch football such as that of Saturday. Saturday's display will live in history - not
merely for the glut of goals, but for all the glorious football that the team showed.
"I have been following football for 38 years," said a well-known Burnley man at
the close, "but I never saw such wonderful football in the whole course of my life as
I saw in the first 15 minutes of the game today."
On the back of this display, a Clarets team brimming with confidence
went head to head with their championship rivals Liverpool. The first game at Anfield was
drawn 0-0, with the Clarets on the back foot for most of the game and thankful for a
superb display from the defensive half of the team. Liverpool visited Turf Moor the next
Saturday, December 11th, and again the ground struggled to hold the multitude
that wanted to see the game. The attendance was officially just short of 36,000. A
competitive first half was drawing to a close when Walt Weaver (left), in full stride, met
a parry from the Liverpool keeper and gleefully sent a screamer just under the crossbar.
Liverpool fought hard and created the occasional chance, leaving the result in doubt until
the final whistle, but most observers believed that Burnley deserved their 1-0 victory.
The Sporting Chronicle had again been at Turf Moor for the game, and its reporter
was sure that Burnley thoroughly justified their position at the head the table:
Liverpool are no mean side. They rank with the very best, and they gave
of their best in this battle with the clever and hardy North East Lancashire combination.
But that best was not good enough to conquer the Turf Moor men. Burnley are the cocks of
the walk, and they are in every way worthy of the proud position they hold. A team that
can take four points out of Newcastle United and three out of Liverpool and a team that
can run through a period of three months without a defeat as they have done are entitled
to the leadership.
A routine 2-0 defeat of Preston at Turf Moor was the hors d'oeuvre
to a stunning 6-0 Christmas Day thrashing of Sheffield United, undefeated at Turf Moor for
20 years. Joe Anderson, the scorer of both goals against Preston, helped himself to
another four against the Blades, with Kelly and Cross scoring the other two. A huge crowd
of 60,000 saw the return on the 27th, where a Bob Kelly goal gave Burnley a
point in a 1-1 draw. The Clarets were now beginning to dominate the League table, standing
four points clear of Bolton with a game in hand.
Three
Lancashire derbies now faced Burnley in the League, with a New Year's Day visit to Preston
the first engagement. At this point, Burnley had gone 18 games undefeated and were closing
in on Preston's First Division record of 22. As much as they might try, Preston could do
nothing to halt Burnley's momentum. Goals from Cross, Anderson and Kelly saw Burnley
comfortably home 3-0.
The next ties were the eagerly awaited
East Lancashire derbies against the enemy from Ewood. Burnley had home advantage first and
made it count with a resounding 4-1 win in front of 41,534 fans, a new attendance record
for Turf Moor. The game was marred by an injury to Burnley's young left winger Walt
Weaver. He missed the return seven days later. Eddie Mosscrop's recall was the first
change in the Burnley starting line-up
for
thirteen games, a sequence reaching back to the end of October. Such consistency was a
misfortune for the players who found themselves on the fringes of the team. These included
such established names as Bert Freeman, John Lindsay and the aforementioned Mosscrop.
David Taylor could not win his place back after his injury at Spurs, and young Alf
Bassnet, so impressive in the first team the previous season, could not get a game.
Normally, a senior reserve team player could expect a chance to play in the first team at
some point. Injuries or lack of form would usually provide an opening, but such
opportunities were rare in this particular season. By the turn of the New Year, just
twelve players had been used with any regularity.
Eddie Mosscrop celebrated his return to the first team with a goal in the
return clash with Blackburn at Ewood Park. The Clarets controlled this game from start to
finish, silencing the home support in a 43,000 crowd, and eventually winning 3-1. To be
sure, it was a great time to be a Claret - top of the League with a 21 game unbeaten run,
with League doubles over Blackburn and Preston already secured.
The following week saw the Clarets in the Second Round of the F.A. Cup.
The First Round, played the week after the win at Preston, witnessed another superb team
performance at Second Division Leicester City, where Burnley won 7-3. As on Christmas Day,
Joe Anderson scored four with Bob Kelly and Benny Cross (pictured left, with Anderson)
sharing a goal apiece. This display prompted an Athletic News scribe to tip Burnley
for the League and Cup double. The Second Round provided an intriguing tie at Queens Park
Rangers, who were going well in the newly formed Third Division South. Two goals apiece
from Anderson and Kelly saw the Clarets through in front of an impressive 41,000 crowd,
but the 4-2 victory was slightly spoiled by injuries to Cross and the recalled Weaver.
For the next League game, at home to F.A. Cup holders Aston Villa on
February 5th, Eddie Mosscrop once more came in for Weaver, and John Lindsay
made only his fifth appearance of the season in place of Benny Cross. A victory would
equal Preston's record of 22 League games without defeat, though doubts may have been
heightened somewhat with the absence of Tommy Boyle. His reserve team counterpart Thomas
Brophy made his debut in the No.5 shirt.
Burnley confounded the doubters with what was probably the finest display
of the entire season. In front of 40,000 spectators they routed Villa 7-1 with a brilliant
second half display, having led only 2-1 at the break. Joe Anderson scored five of the
seven goals. This time the national press could not deny the brilliance of the Clarets.
The Daily News, who had criticised Burnley's performance at Spurs, gave the Clarets
their due this time:
Their footwork was bewilderingly clever. The forwards and wing
half-backs had their opponents rushing aimlessly about chasing the ball which they kept on
the ground all the time and passed and side-tapped with unerring precision.
The Sporting Chronicle also commented on the quality of
Burnley's football:
Burnley were a revelation in the second-half. Their footwork was so
bewildering, precise and endowed with remarkable pace, and their finishing so deadly, that
the Villa could do little else but look on in astonishment.
The Athletic News pointed out that had Kelly scored his usual
quota, the score would have been even heavier:
I have seen Burnley several times this season, but never have they
reached quite the same plane of absolute perfection, especially in front of goal, as they
did on this occasion. Allowing for the fact that these supreme occasions when nothing can
go wrong happens to many good teams, Burnley's performance was extraordinary, for things
did go wrong for them. For example, Kelly did not get a goal, yet he shot as well as
anyone on the field, including Anderson with all his five goals.
The reputation of John Haworth's Burnley was now close to its zenith.
Left-back Cliff Jones was chosen to represent England in a representative match, and the
club and its players were the recipients of many admiring reviews in the press. A Daily
Sketch journalist wrote:
I came across (England captain) Bob Crompton at Burnley during
the weekend. He is looking very fit and has a great opinion of the Burnley team. Who
hasn't?
Anderson's five goals against the Villa brought his League total up to 20,
and counting Cup-ties and friendly matches during the season, his aggregate is now 33.
This is a truly wonderful record. No one need be surprised if the Burnley centre-forward
plays for Scotland this season. The Scottish selectors have been to watch him and I can
tell you they were very much impressed.
In the Sunday Express, the QPR captain, Archie Mitchell,
testified to the greatness of Kelly's play:
I am generally able to size up what an inside forward will do, and I
lay my plans accordingly. Kelly did not do what I expected him to do. He was always doing
something new, and doing it in so many different ways. I have played for many years and in
all sorts of football, and Kelly is unquestionably the finest forward I have ever been up
against.
The midweek return game with Villa was something of an
anti-climax, with neither side able to score, but Burnley cared little as they celebrated
a new Football League record of 23 consecutive First Division games without defeat. An
unwell George Halley had battled through the ninety minutes, and was soon after confined
to his bed after doctors diagnosed pneumonia. Burnley's unbeaten run came under real
pressure the following Saturday, February 12th, at home to Derby County. The
Rams missed a penalty and had a goal disallowed with the score at 0-0, but Burnley
squeaked home 2-1 thanks to goals from Lindsay and Anderson. The Derby team won few
friends as they openly targeted Joe Anderson, hacking him three times to the ground before
he was poleaxed in the 28th minute and taken off with a fractured cheekbone.
On February 19th, the League was once more put on hold as the
Clarets chased F.A. Cup glory. They had been drawn away at Second Division strugglers Hull
City, a team in a very similar position to their First Round victims Leicester. Perhaps
underestimating their opponents, Burnley took to the field with an odd line-up. George
Halley's pneumonia kept him out of the side, but his replacement was right winger Willie
Nesbitt. Nesbitt had played in this defensive position when Burnley had been reduced to
ten men at Spurs earlier in the season, but the Clarets had two excellent reserve
defenders in Alf Bassnet and Thomas Brophy, neither of whom were called up. John Lindsay
was dropped for Walt Weaver, and Bert Freeman, who had not figured in the first team since
September 4th, played in place of the injured Joe Anderson.
In front of a huge Boothferry Park crowd, Hull succeeded in breaking the
fluency of the Burnley game with a non-stop, heel-snapping performance. The Clarets badly
missed Anderson, as Freeman struggled to make an impression. With only two recognised
half-backs, Burnley were often outplayed in midfield. It was a typical Cup occasion - the
inspired underdogs meeting the below par luminaries. By the end of the game, the Tigers
were 3-0 up and Burnley were well and truly beaten. The result caused a national
sensation, with even the local Burnley papers admitting that the Clarets deserved nothing
from the game. The Bradford Observer summed up the game thus:
There were extenuating circumstances, as is usually the case. Anderson
and Halley were notable absentees, and both were badly missed. Freeman, who was
resurrected for the purpose of leading the Burnley attack, proved unequal to the task.
While the visitors' attack was in the ascendancy in the first half, the movements were not
finished off. A lucky goal came the way of Hull City, and thenceforth the exuberance of
the home players scattered the Burnley science to the winds.
The Burnley Express pithily noted that Hull's style of play
"resembled that of Burnley before their rise in the football world," and made
note of the comment of a Burnley director the night before the game to a Hull journalist:
The League is what we want to make sure of. The Cup can take care of
itself. It will be a wonderful performance if we won the two, but I do not expect we shall
get the Cup. The League for us. From now to the end of the season every game is a Cup-tie,
and teams are extra keen to get us down.
Out of the Cup, the Clarets had just fifteen remaining League fixtures
to negotiate, and they had little time to recover after the Hull debacle. The return trip
to Derby County was on the Wednesday afternoon, and the management team returned Nesbitt
to his preferred position, handing the No.4 jersey to reserve half-back Alf Bassnet. Joe
Anderson was still missing, but Freeman was dropped and young reserve striker George
Douglas was given his debut. A much more coherent Burnley side held Derby to a goalless
draw, though the Burnley goal had some fortunate escapes. There was no room for
complacency on the Saturday as high-flying Bolton Wanderers came to Turf Moor. With the
return of Joe Anderson, Burnley were back to something like their old selves. Though
Bolton held a 1-0 half time lead, the Clarets pegged them back with three second-half
goals to send the Burnley contingent of a huge 42,653 crowd home happy. 
The following Saturday, March 6th, saw special trains laid on
to take the Burnley fans to Bolton for the return game. A mighty throng of 57,000 - easily
a new ground record - assembled at Burnden Park. A Joe Anderson strike put Burnley one up,
but the Clarets came under sustained, heavy pressure. Jerry Dawson and Len Smelt were
outstanding in defence but couldn't prevent a Bolton equaliser. The 1-1 draw represented
Burnley's third consecutive away point, and maintained their lead at the top of the
League.
Mid-table Arsenal were next at Turf Moor, and a penalty converted by
Willie Watson was enough for Burnley to collect another two points. This 1-0 home win was
supplemented by another away draw at Highbury, but by this time the season was taking its
toll on the core of players who had been virtually ever-present since August. Watson was
said to be exhausted, and Anderson was still suffering from the injury sustained against
Derby, so much so that it was reported he couldn't head the ball. George Halley was making
only a slow recovery from pneumonia, and it was fortunate that Alf Bassnett was such a
reliable deputy.
On March 25th - Good Friday - Burnley entertained Manchester
United in front of a full house of 40,000 at Turf Moor. A Benny Cross goal gave Burnley
the points, and the Clarets were now eight points clear of second-placed Liverpool.
Furthermore, they had now completed thirty League games without defeat, a magnificent
achievement. With nine fixtures left, the championship was in sight. Easter Saturday saw
the Clarets travel to Maine Road to take on the blue half of Manchester. The official
attendance of 42,000 was supplemented by crowded housetops and people squatting
precariously on stand roofs. In front of this throng it was not to be Burnley's day. Tommy
Boyle missed a penalty and young Alf Bassnet was twice elbowed into unconsciousness. Man
City eventually ran out 3-0 winners and Burnley's great unbeaten run had ended.
Just two days later the Clarets returned to Manchester and put in a
magnificent performance to defeat United 3-0. On a mud heap of an Old Trafford pitch, Bob
Kelly was in a class of his own. The Burnley News described Kelly and the move that
led to the first goal like this:
Kelly took matters into his own hands and thrilled the crowd with his
stupendous individualism. Swerving, writhing, wriggling through obstacles, jumping over
extended feet, and carrying the ball with him all the time, he electrified the crowd by
some of the most magnificent runs it has ever been their lot to see. Not once or twice,
but a host of times he broke away like a fox with the hounds screaming in full cry behind
him, and the crowd hugged themselves in ecstasy, and the cry of "He's off again"
could be clearly heard. Wildly fascinated, the crowd waited for these exciting runs. They
commenced towards the close of the first half. Just one minute was wanted till half-time,
and then Kelly set off again. He worked right away from his own position to the left,
dodging and dribbling cleverly, and avoiding the defence until he was well within the
penalty area, and an almost certain scorer. And then Silcock kicked his legs from under
him. Referee! Spot! BOYLE! Goal!!!
Joe Anderson and Kelly himself completed the scoring. On April 2nd,
Burnley completed a gruelling Easter schedule of four games in nine days with their fourth
and final clash with a Manchester team. City were the visitors to Turf Moor and,
naturally, Burnley had a small score to settle. A rare Willie Nesbitt goal equalised a
City opener, and Joe Anderson's 24th League goal of the season secured
Burnley’s 17th successive home win in the League, and a measure of revenge
for the Good Friday defeat.
The end of Burnley’s unbeaten run was the signal for the local and
national press to herald the achievement of the Clarets. The championship had yet to be
secured, but few doubted that the title was on its maiden voyage to Turf Moor. It had been
a record-breaking season from the very first. One of the worst starts ever left the
Clarets bottom, but from this position they reached the top of the League without losing a
game, the first club at that time to achieve this. The thirty match unbeaten run eclipsed
the previous First Division mark of 22, achieved by both Preston and Sheffield United, and
also surpassed the League record of 28 undefeated games put together in the Second
Division by Liverpool. A proud Burnley Express editorial saluted the team:
To play matches every week, and sometimes more than one match per week,
without losing a game in the League tournament for nearly seven months is the best
possible proof that the team is composed of the finest players of the day, and every
individual member who has participated in these historic games may well feel proud of the
distinction they have helped to gain for both the club and the town.
The Burnley News reflected the sense of fulfilment around Turf
Moor that a fine set of players had at last received the honour they deserved:
So an end has been put to Burnley’s record-breaking run. But do we
mind? Not a bit of it! We have been partners with the greatest team that ever was. We know
full well that never in our time will such a thing be accomplished again, and we like to
think that we live in an age that will be remembered when we personally are forgotten.
Chairman Harry Windle was interviewed in the Burnley Express,
where he gave fulsome praise to all concerned, and thought that the degree to which they
had been able to maintain a settled line-up had been important. In doing this, he conceded
that perhaps a bit of luck had gone Burnley’s way:
In record breaking of the kind indulged in by Burnley, a team must have
luck on their side. It would be impossible to have such a splendid run of success without
a virtual immunity from severe injuries. For instance, we were blessed with a run of
thirteen games without having to make a change through a serious injury.
Windle also paid tribute to the supporters, recognising that their
enthusiasm helped the players. He also revealed that the club had one more record in their
sights – the highest points total for a season, held at that time by West Brom whose
total of 60 had been achieved just the previous season:
The aim of the Burnley players in this season of records is to beat the
Albion’s record of points. I sincerely hope they will realise both ambitions – a
record number of points and the Championship. They have deserved it for their meritorious
work.
C.E. Sutcliffe, Burnley’s president and Football League big
cheese attended the club’s AGM, where he took the opportunity to add his own voice to
the multitudes who were lauding the club’s achievements:
I want to move that this meeting of shareholders expresses to Captain
Boyle and the players who have been under him and alongside him their warmest appreciation
and congratulations. I have mentioned Boyle because I think this season he has excelled
himself. But if I mention him alone by name, it is only to say that those who have been
associated with him have been worthy of the positions they have held in the team. I a sure
that every man has had his heart in every game, and whilst it must have been a tremendous
strain upon them, they have gone through that remarkable strain, extending over such a
long period, not only with distinct credit and merit to themselves, but to the pride and
satisfaction and joy of every one of us.
Windle’s point about the settled team was reinforced the next game,
when Burnley met West Brom, the team they were about to dethrone as League Champions. Bob
Kelly was on England duty and young John Lane, a January signing, made his debut.
Kelly’s absence was keenly felt as the Clarets went down 0-2 at the Hawthorns, and in
the return a week later it took a last minute Kelly equaliser to save a point in a 1-1
draw.
With four games remaining, Burnley needed just one more point for the
title, and the visit to Goodison Park on April 23rd provided it. Benny
Cross’ 13th goal of the season clinched a point and Burnley were Football
League Champions for the first time ever. The return game at home to Everton was also
drawn 1-1, and the season concluded with two games against Sunderland. An away defeat
(0-1) and a home draw (2-2) against the Wearsiders meant that Burnley had failed to win
any of their last six games. After a season in which Burnley had sprinted away and
maintained their pace for so long, they limped over the line and just failed to surpass
the record total of points for a league season. But this mattered little to the thousands
of Clarets who had turned up for the celebratory final game. The Championship trophy was
paraded around the field at the head of an Army band. Upon the final whistle, thousands of
fans poured onto the Turf Moor pitch to witness the presentation of the League
Championship trophy to captain Tommy Boyle (below).
The team had won the League with a core of just fifteen players, and they
all were presented with medals, as were John Haworth and trainer Charlie Bates. Billy
Watson had played in every first team game, 62 in total when F.A. Cup and Lancashire Cup
games were included. Goalscoring responsibilities had fallen mainly on three pairs of
shoulders. Joe Anderson finished with 25 league goals and 6 more from just two F.A. Cup
ties. Bob Kelly’s goal in the final game at home to Sunderland took him to 20 league
goals, and he was closely followed by the other inside-forward Benny Cross, who scored
fourteen. Tommy Boyle weighed in with seven from centre half-back, and right winger Willie
Nesbitt contributed with five. Defensively the Clarets were miserly, conceding just 36
goals. Jerry Dawson played in 39 of the 42 league games and kept 15 clean sheets.
There was some good fortune for the players with regard to their
financial reward. The imposition of an above-board bonus system, with all Football League
first team players
entitled to £2 for a win and £1
for a draw, meant that most of the first team players had earned good wages for virtually
the whole season. Accounts revealed that the club had paid around £650 in bonuses through
the season, but this did not prevent the board from revealing a handsome profit of
£13,040 for the 1920-21 season alone.
The club, generous to a fault, treated the players and officials to a
celebratory day out in Morecambe, but there are no references to be found about any
celebratory dinners in which the players were usually given their chance to air their
thoughts and views. It seems that, with the Championship long anticipated and with plenty
of printer’s ink already expended on the commemoration of the unbeaten run, the town
was suffering from praise fatigue.
The last word on the season must go to Billy Meredith, a distinguished
maverick during his playing days, and just as individual as a football pundit. In a March
edition of the Topical Times, in which he was writing about the selection of the England
team, he put forward a typically radical viewpoint that illustrated the supremacy of
Burnley in 1920-21:
My plan would be to pick a team whose members knew each other’s
games through and through. In other words, why not let Burnley represent England? Only
Anderson would be left out on account of his nationality.
At last, Burnley had fulfilled the promise that had been demonstrably
apparent both prior to and after the outbreak of war. Moreover, this great team had
rewritten the record books in a way that has never been equalled since. With such honours
and prestige well earned and enjoyed, where did John Haworth and his players go from here?
There was precious little time to reflect. Just eleven weeks later, the squad reassembled
at Turf Moor to plot and prepare their defence of the League title. Only two teams had
ever won the League in consecutive seasons, and none had done so in the modern era of a
38-game season. Burnley would not relinquish their title lightly, and season 1921-22 was
to see the Clarets stand toe to toe with their opponents in another attempt to prove that
they were the best team in the land.
Phil Whalley
March 2001
Quietly Making History
