Aug 27th: Protest at a player sale and a Wembley equaliser

[ClaretTony]

It's 27th August and this is a day when, among other games, we witnessed angry Burnley fans before, during and after a home game, kicked off a new era with a big defeat but then picked up a point from what was our first ever league game at Wembley.

Let's, as always, start at the beginning and the beginning today is 1949 when we took on Bolton at home. It was another good day for Burnley who had already won one and drawn one in the previous two games that season. Harry Potts gave us a first half lead but early in the second half Bolton equalised with a goal scored by Tom Woodward. No need to worry though, Jackie Chew scored within a minute to restore our lead and it was a lead we kept to the end, winning the game 2-1.

No such good fortune in 1955. Having won at White Hart Lane on opening day we had now lost two home games in the following week, first Blackpool and now Everton. Centre half Tommy Jones scored the goal in Everton's win, it came from the penalty spot in just the sixth minute. There was a familiar name in the Everton line up too, that of Harry Potts who I believe was making his final Turf Moor appearance.

It was a first defeat of the season in 1957 too when we travelled to Deepdale to take on Preston. We were a goal down at half time, predictably scored by Tom Finney, and on the hour that lead was doubled when Tommy Thompson netted for North End. Jimmy McIlroy pulled one back with a late penalty but it ended in a 2-1 defeat.

What we need now is a win and we got one on the road in 1960 when we travelled to Newcastle and won 1-0. We'd five north easterners in the team too at St. James' Park and one of them scored the goal. It came from Jimmy Robson five minutes from the end.

Another away game but this time a defeat at Chelsea in 1963. We went down 2-0. Terry Venables gave the home side an early lead from the penalty spot with Frank Blunstone adding a second just before the final whistle.

It's 1966 and when Burnley travelled home from the Hawthorns we were top of the league. We'd now played three, won three. This one was 2-1 on what was my first ever visit to West Brom. One of my all time favourite players scored the goals too. That was Brian O'Neil who scored in the second minute and then got the winner five minutes from time after West Brom had levelled.

We were at home in 1974 but I can only say it was a disturbing atmosphere at Turf Moor with the anger pointing at chairman Bob Lord. Other than the sale of McIlroy, I can't think of another player leaving that caused more disquiet among the fans that Martin Dobson. I can't recall whether the transfer to Everton had gone through or was about to, but everyone knew Dobbo had played his last game for us (that was until he returned five years later).

Geoff Nulty was also left out and would not start a first team game again for Burnley but Leighton James gave us the lead just before the hour from the penalty spot. That that didn't take away the anger and neither did late goals from Bill Garner and Ian Hutchinson that gave Chelsea a 2-1 win.

All those games had been in the First Division but that wasn't the case for those that follow and in a Second Division game in 1977 we were beaten 2-1 at Stoke. We were well beaten in truth but Marshall Burke scored a late consolation. That was played three, lost three and we were bottom of the league.

Let's welcome a new era in 1983, one that the Burnley fans welcomed with open arms and we travelled to Hull on a seriously hot day full of hope and confidence. New boss John Bond gave debuts to Roger Hansbury, Joe Gallagher, Tommy Hutchison and Kevin Reeves but we were 2-0 down in no time although Reeves quickly pulled one back. By half time we thought we were in with a chance but two second half goals gave Hull a big 4-1 win. Gallagher wouldn't play a league game again for Bond, no surprise, he wasn't fit.

Gary Rowell was a debutant at Rochdale in 1988 while Brian Miller also gave a first game to Brendan O'Connell who replaced Rowell during the second half. We were one up at half time; the goal scored by Paul Comstive. The second half got off to a start with two goals in the first two minutes. Andy Farrell scored and then Rochdale pulled one back but we won the game 2-1.

A couple of League Cup games now. We were off to Stockport in 1990 for a first leg tie and came home with a 2-0 win with goals from David Hamilton and Ron Futcher. A year later though there was no such fortune. This was a second leg against Wigan at home and we'd lost the away leg 3-1. We lost the second leg too, this time 3-2 with a Darren Patterson own goal and Steve Davis, with a superb free kick, getting our goals.

It was no fun at Oldham in 1994. We went down to a 3-0 defeat at Boundary Park. Not only that we had goalkeeper Marlon Beresford sent off which saw Wayne Russell make a debut as a substitute. It was a day when Gerry Harrison also made his Burnley bow.

Adrian Heath's season suffered a setback in 1996. After successive victories, we were beaten 3-1 at home by Shrewsbury with Andy Cooke getting our goal. A 100% start came to an end too in 2001. This time we'd won the first three but Manchester City came to the Turf on Bank Holiday Monday in front of the ITV Digital cameras and beat us 4-2. Shaun Goater, who else, scored the opener but we were level through Davis . Then Gordon Armstrong was harshly sent off for a handball by referee Clive Wilkes but it was still 1-1 at half time. Then Paulo Wanchope restored City's lead with Lee Briscoe immediately equalising, but, surprise, surprise, Goater completed his hat trick and we were beaten.

We might have won the first three games, prior to that defeat, in 2001 but we went to Reading a year later having lost the first three and things were no better at the Madejski Stadium as we fell to a 3-0 defeat. We held on until just after half time but then fell behind to a Jamie Cureton goal. Reading added two more in the final three minutes, the first from Martin Butler which was followed by Cureton's second. Overall, we were absolutely shocking.

This was the night that Stan Ternent's galloping horse arrived. After the game he said: "I am going to have to have a chat with the chairman and see where we go from here. Tonight I was embarrassed to be their gaffer because that performance is a reflection on me.

"What I have said in the dressing room will remain in the dressing room but that performance was from about five years ago. When we lost against Fulham I said that was not my team but this one is so I will have to look at things very closely. The players are just not putting out what they are capable of doing for whatever reason. Maybe it is because they have heard the same voice for too long.

"I have never walked away from anything in my life but I need to sleep on it and have a good chat with the chairman. Everyone knows the players are not performing, a blind man on a galloping horse can see that. All I know is that I am responsible for the football club. I am the custodian of the club for a period of time like people before me and like people will be in the future. I have got to have a hard look between my ears because the most important thing is Burnley Football Club, not Stan Ternent A lot of people have spent a lot of money to come down here and watch that and I am embarrassed."

We conceded two next time out on this day, three years later in 2005, but did get a point from a 2-2 home draw against Derby but it was a controversial afternoon. We were 1-0 behind at half time with a goal scored by Inigo Idiakez but we started the second half on fire and went in front with both Ade Akinbiyi and Gifton Noel-Williams scoring. Then came the controversy. Wayne Thomas and Grzegorz Rasiak challenged for a ball and the Derby player went down disgracefully holding his face where there had been no contact. Step in shocking referee Graham Laws who ridiculously sent off Thomas. Gifton was quickly sacrificed with new loan signing Keith Lowe coming on. No surprise then that it was Rasiak who equalised in the seventh minute of eleven added on because of an injury to Marc Edworthy.

It was Derby again in 2011, but this time at Pride Park and this time it was our day. We were the better team here, no mistake about that, and led 1-0 with a Charlie Austin goal just after the start of the second half. With around twenty minutes to go, Theo Robinson, who this week signed for Port Vale, equalised but Austin got his second almost immediately to give us a fully deserved 2-1 win.

We used to win League Cup games in 2013. We'd already beaten York and in the second round it was a home tie against Preston with Alex Cisak in goal due to Tom Heaton's nonsensical red card at Brighton on the previous Saturday. Cisak had little to do and we won 2-0 with first half goals from Kieran Trippier and Danny Ings.

Newly promoted, a win against Liverpool in the previous game, we travelled to Stamford Bridge believing we could get something against Chelsea in the first away game of the season. We did, we got a 3-0 beating. with the goals coming from Eden Hazard, Willian and Victor Moses.

A year later we were back in London, at Wembley of all places for a league game. We did well enough in a goalless first half but fell behind early in the second when Dele Alli scored following a corner. Sean Dyche definitely got his substitutions right in this game and in the closing twenty minutes or so we gave it a really good go. It looked to be one of those days when we just couldn't get an equaliser. Hugo Lloris made two excellent saves but in the second minute of stoppage time Chris Wood, making his league debut as a substitute, got on the end of a delightful through ball from Robbie Brady to place his shot past Lloris into the bottom corner to give us a point from a 1-1 draw.