It's been in my mind for a few weeks now so I looked it up. We finished runners up to Luton Town in the old Division 4 in 1968. I remember it well. Let's hope we can go one better this time but I will settle for the same outcome if pushed.
Yes, I was there as well. Funny thing is that although the dynamic forward partnership of Barrie Thomas and John Evans had got the ball rolling we lost Thomas to injury earlier that season. Johnny Steele pulled off a great coup in landing Jimmy Robson, a player with First Division experience. His skill made a great contribution to our success, and let’s not forget Big Winnie’s goals from centre half.
Bryan "Pop" Robson was more associated with West Ham, Newcastle and Sunderland. Lots of goals for them. I thought Jimmy was out of our league at the time. Pop would have been like signing Bobby Charlton!
Always cracking games at Oakwell against Luton - seems to be traditional. I loved that Luton side with Bruce Rioch in it. Top class club at that time, which makes it all the bigger shame the way their owners took them out of the league in recent seasons. I really hope we go up together in May. With us top this time, obviously
We won promotion with a point away at Chester at their old Sealand Road ground. Winstanley got our goal from a corner in a 1-1 draw. I believe that Jimmy Robson scored the 100th goal in a Wembley cup final for Burnley in the 3-1 defeat to Tottenham in 1962. Another player who saw out at least a little of the twilight of his career at Oakwell and had the honour of scoring in a cup final was Joe Hayes (Manchester City). I remember him scoring a great 25yarder for the Reds in an evening game against Rochdale back in 1966. I think we won 5-0 that night. Hayes 2, Earnshaw 2 and Bettany were the scorers (just looked it up).
I remember that Rochdale match - seems like we always score a load against them, one notable exception being a dismal 0-3 capitulation in front of the YTV cameras during Allan Clarke's promotion season from the Fourth. Joe Hayes was one of a stream of former top players who played out the end of their careers in the lower leagues. He was a good, short-term acquisition for us. It was never disclosed at the time but I wonder how much of a cut in wages he would have taken to join us? We certainly had no money to splash around at that time.
Yeah but I was only 11 at the time and my peers were ribbing me that it was pop . Yeah I vaguely remember having a card or panini sticker with pop on and remember the claret and blue strip so over the years got mixed up with villa Burnley .and wham . Jimmy was a great signing I recollect but allas my memory isn’t that good from that time Johnny Steele did well for us in signings could spot a player and knew how to use him imo
Yes he was. An ex-England international with oodles of First Division experience, and it showed. These players only came along once in a blue moon and we were lucky to have him. He’s still working at Turf Moor and thriving apparently.
