YESTERDM 6 TODtf THE CONTINENTAL CONNECTION THE welcome return of continental opposition to Turf Moor, inevitably recalls the great days of the sixties and the memorable European Campaigns, involving the Clarets. On 16th November 1960, Burnley entertained Rheims in the second round of the European Cup. Nearly 37,000 people saw Jimmy Robson score in the first minute when a long diagonal ball from Brian Miller was headed out by a defender straight to John Connelly who found Robson just inside the penalty area. In the 22nd minute the first stage of the job was complete when a shot from Jimmy Mcllroy hit a defender and left the keeper hopelessly wrong footed. Two weeks later 200 Burnley fans journeyed to Paris to see how the Clarets would fare holding on to a two-goal advantage. They joined 45,000 screaming Frenchmen in the Pare de Princes Stadium to see a fine display, mainly a rearguard action, inspired by goalkeeper Adam Blacklaw at the top of his form. After 32 minutes, the crowd were stunned when Jimmy Robson opened the scoring, seizing on a miss-hit shot from Brian Miller, to send the ball in off the cross-bar. Blacklaw earned his wages the hard way for the rest of the half, but 5 minutes into the second period was helpless when inside left Piantoni equalised from close in. Seven minutes later full back Rodzik collected a loose ball outside the penalty area and crashed an unstaoppable shot past Blacklaw to put the French side ahead on the night. Rheims were now controlling the game with some magnificent football, and it seemed only a matter of time before the next goal came. When it did, however, it was from the Clarets, to put the tie out of reach of the French champions. 75 minutes had elapsed when John Connelly picked the ball up in his own half and set off on a mazy run. Beating half the French team, Connelly staggered the Partisan crowd by slipping the ball home to give the Clarets a 4-2 advantage. Rodzik scored again for Rheims shortly afterwards, but Connelly's goal had knocked the stuffing out of them and Burnley held out to win 4-3 on aggregate. In the third round, Burnley were drawn against the West German champions, Hamburg, with the first leg at Turf Moor on 18th January 1961At half-time Burnley led 1-0 thanks to a goal from Brian Pilkington following a long throw from Walter Joyce. In the 60th minute Pilkington, playing his finest game for months, lit up the night sky with a right foot piledriver, that was still rising when it hit the top corner of the net, to put the Clarets further ahead. Jimmy Robson made it 3-0, when he slipped the ball over the line after a header from Ray Pointer was only parried by the keeper. It hardly seemed to matter when left-winger Dorfel pulled one back near the end, indeed some of the newspaper reports that followed already had the Clarets as good as in the semi-final. Hamburg had other ideas, however, when the second leg took place in the Volspark Stadium on 15th March 1961, in front of over 71,000 people. After only 8 minutes, a left-wing cross was whipped over by Dorfel and Sturmer dived full length to head past Blacklaw. 3 minutes before half time, the Germans drew level on aggregate when Uwe Seeler netted from close range. Half time brought some respite for Burnley, and, after a bright opening to the second half, Gordon Harris restored their overall lead with a 20 yard shot, after 55 minutes. The writing was on the wall, however, whe Hamburg scored twice more in the next 6 minutes. First Seeler fed Dorfel who powered a ferocious shot past Blacklaw, then Seeler himself crowned a fine display with the killer goal. Although Mcllroy hit a post near the end, Hamburg were well worth their win. The Clarets were disappointing up front but the real turning point was Seeler's mastery of Jimmy Adamson, who for once, was outclassed. By finishing third in the First Division in 1965/66, Burnley qualified for the European Fairs Cup along with runners-up Leeds United and League Cup winners West Bromwich Albion. The Clarets first mission was, once again, to West Germany to meet VFB Stuttgart in the Neckar Stadium. A massive crowd of over 70,000 saw Burnley take the lead in the 17th minute when Willie Irvine finished off a slick move involving Morgan, Harris and O'Neil down the left. Five minutes into the second half, winger Reiner broke into the Burnley penalty area and was fouled by Arthur Bellamy, Weiss then equalising from the spot. Near the end, Brian O'Neil was sent off after a clash with Stuttgart full back, Hoffman, which meant he missed the second leg. A week later, on 27th September 1966, the Clarets completed a professional job with goals from Ralph Coates and Andy Lochhead overcoming a disappointing Stuttgart side 2-0 on the night, 3-1 overall. In the Fairs Cup second round Burnley travelled to Switzerland to play Lausanne Sports, and, although going behind to an early goal, came back to win 3-1 with goals from Gordon Harris, Ralph Coates and Andy Lochhead, all headers. The second leg at Turf Moor on 25th October 1966, was something of a formality as a modest crowd of 18,000 saw a hat-trick from Andy Lochhead and a goal each from Willie Irvine and Brian O'Neil crush the hapless Swiss 5-0 on the night and 8-1 on aggregate. In the third round the Clarets were paired with S.C.C. Napoli, the first leg being at Turf Moor on 18th January 1967. Harry Thomson had replaced Adam Blacklaw in goal and the game got off to a stuttering start with 3 fouls in the first minute, all by Napoli players. The Italians were soon punished, however, when Ralph Coates poached the first goal after only 2 minutes, after a mistake by the keeper. After 21 minutes it was 2-0 when Les Latcham headed in from a free kick following the latest in a series of fouls. Nine minutes later, the referee, Mr Gardeszabal of Spain decided that an example needed to be set and dismissed Panzanato for yet another crude tackle. 6 minutes into the second half, Andy Lochhead hit the third goal with a shot from just inside the box that skidded over the wet turf and past the keeper. Much has been written about the second leg in the San Paulo Stadium in Naples on 8th February 1967. The match was memorable for all the wrong reasons with piayers being intimidated, substitutes being attacked and passions at their height on and off the field during what has been known ever since as "The Battle of Napels". Somewhat typically Harry Thomson closed his mind to all the violent scenes around him and played the game of his life to deny the Italians time and time again. Not for the first time, Thomson crowned a superlative display by saving a penalty, this time from Jose Altafini. The game finished goalless and, after a 3-0 aggregate win, the Clarets were drawn against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Quarter Final, the first leg in West Germany on 4th April 1967. After 36 minutes Friedrich opened the scoring with a spectacular overhead kick and, for a time, only Thomson kept the Clarets hopes alive with a string of fine saves. After half-time however, Burnley rallied and Brian Miller levelled the scores with a fine header after 52 minutes, and the game finished 1-1. The players and fans must have felt that the hard work had been done, all square with the home leg to come, but it was not to be. A fine all-round performance by the Germans at Turf Moor with a goal by Lotz after 33 minutes and the clincher from Huberts after 72 minutes gave them a well-deserved victory, in spite of a late effort by Brian Miller. A disappointing end then, something of an anti-climax, beaten at home in Europe for the first and only time. Two memorable series of matches nevertheless, it would be nice to think that regular European opposition at Turf Moor is not just wishful thinking. Complied by Ray Simpson Club Historian.

AJAX ARCHIEF

Programmaboekjes (vanaf 1934) | 1992 | | pagina 6