Taffy

[durhamclaret]

RIP Super Taff thanks for the memories

[IanMcL]

The saddest of news. Just 4 months older than me.

I first saw a very young spindly lad in an FA Cup match, one evening in Oxford. He grew into a superstar.

Thank you for those wonderful moments.

[IanMcL]

Another thread already 'Taffy'

[Sozturf7]

Wizard he was.

[BurnleyFC]

This is awful news. What a wonderful player he was for our football club.

RIP, Leighton.

[Pearcey]

Sad news. RIP, Leighton.

[CrosspoolClarets]

My condolences to all his family, friends and those affected on here. RIP.

Will always remember he played in my first ever game, a fixture against a London team that had some importance riding on it if I recall, in May 1987.

[randomclaret2]

Very Sad News.RIP Sir.

[Rowls]

Very sad day.

RIP

[Carlos the Great]

Rip a true claret legend .:: an amazing player who was fantastic to watch .: I was only a kid when he played for us but remember him like it was yesterday

[Casper2]

RIP Super Taff

[Claretmisterg]

Very sorry to hear the news. RIP Leighton.

[strayclaret]

Can still see him dancing down that left wing. If I were to name the best Burnley team l have seen he’d be in it.
RIP Taffy

[Clovius Boofus]

Such sad news. My deepest sympathies to his family.

[clitheroeclaret3]

Loved watching proper wingers, super Taff was one of the best. News came as as a shock, RIP Leighton

[Wokingclaret]

The light that shone in the 87 season, Wembley in the Sherpa Van and whenever he played thereafter.

I was lucky to see him quite a few times in Dobbo's Bury promotion team.

Fantastic winger left foot/right foot, could score a few, head a ball and take penalties.

RIP Leighton

[Buxtonclaret]

R.I.P Taffy
This is just so incredibly sad.
One of the best wingers I've ever seen in a Burnley shirt.

Sincere condolences to family & friends.

[warksclaret]

How sad-been following the clarets since 1960 and in my 3 favourite ever players

I watched him in a League Cup mid week game at Coventry. He had yet to break into the team, and for some reason Paul Fletcher had an issue getting to Coventry and his mum drove him there in a Mini. He was sensational that night and we won. No one in the Coventry team could get near him. His career took off from there

[nil_desperandum]

Very sad news.
Definitely one of our very best in my lifetime, and a great servant to the club.
RIP Taffy.

[THEWELLERNUT70]

RIP Taffy an absolute Clarets legend

I was fortunate enough to have him ref our pupils v teachers game when we left Ivy Bank and he also allowed me to absolutely leather one or two of the teachers ( firm but fair ) and waved play on with a smile on his face xx

[ClaretTony]

Well this was hard and I really wasn't sure what to write but I've got something online now.


https://www.uptheclarets.com/leighton-taffy-james

[Poulton-le-Claret]

Never had the pleasure of seeing him play live, but the stories tell you what a legend he was.

RIP Taffy

[The Hung Juror]

Very sad news.

I remember him destroying Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park in the FA Cup, one of my first away games all those years ago.

I also remember him when we were at Nelson & Colne College and used to go in the Kings Head in Colne for lunch and a sneaky beer at lunchtime. He was often in there with a lady friend.

Always came over as a lovely guy.

RIP Taffy.

[CoolClaret]

Well this was hard and I really wasn't sure what to write but I've got something online now.


https://www.uptheclarets.com/leighton-taffy-james

Great words Tony - really is a sad day.

[ClaretTony]

Great words Tony - really is a sad day.

Thanks, I appreciate that. I didn't know what to write really and found it really hard. He really was special both as a footballer and a person.

[levraiclaret]

How sad-been following the clarets since 1960 and in my 3 favourite ever players

I watched him in a League Cup mid week game at Coventry. He had yet to break into the team, and for some reason Paul Fletcher had an issue getting to Coventry and his mum drove him there in a Mini. He was sensational that night and we won. No one in the Coventry team could get near him. His career took off from there

Oops

[Conroysleftfoot]

Great words Tony - really is a sad day.

I was just about to post the same. Summed it up well Tony.

[Jel]

Really sad about this, apart from being a fantastic footballer, in the late 80s I spent quite a few nights out drinking with him. He really was a good laugh.

[Lip]

R.I.P. Taffy a great player who terrorised some great full backs.

[fidelcastro]

Such sad news.

I'm too young to remember him in his prime, so I only remember him from his final spell with us, but just about everyone older than me would tell me just how good he was a few years prior.

I remember him too from his Friday night radio Lancashire programme with Gary Higson, where he was often outspoken, but also informative and witty.

Here's an obituary from the BBC. I'd not seen that photo before. Leighton being fouled by Peter Shilton with (the late) Emlyn Hughes looking on.

RIP Taffy.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51960881

[Blue Skies]

So many memories. Different stages of his career. Taking the hard man Tommy Smith on and making him look foolish in his first spell. Crossing to Hankin 1 0. Part of the team that outclassed Celtic. He left his best till last before '"game management" was invented. Commentator in the Orient game - "throw in to Burnley and Leighton James is moving at the speed of a glacier to take it" At Wembley v Wolves nearly dragged us back into the game frightening the Wolves defence who were half his age. Super super talent.

[pureclaret]

So sad to lose a legend like him , I knew him as a fan watching him play, as the brother in law of a family friend, as a friend of my family , he atteneded my wedding along side another claret Billy O'Rourke who was also a close family friend.
I can think of calling at his home after match's and if we had won he would be the best host ever handing out drinks and saying how well hed played, if we had lost hed barley look up only to nod and point to a can as he sulked about what he could have done. I can rember going out for drinks with him and Billy and the insite into games he had played in and what he had done well or not was enlightening
Rest In peace Leyton

[Flixtonclaret1]

Privileged to say I saw him play for Burnley on all his spells with the club. Blimey it don’t half make you feel old when this generation of clarets are sadly passing.

RIP Taffy.

[ecc]

Dreadful news.

One of our best players in the last 50 years.

I saw him during his first spell. As I recall it, he wasn't given a warm welcome upon returning to TM with Derby.

I recall returning to Nelson on Friday 8 September 1978 to read he'd resigned. We played West Ham the following day. Tony will know whether or not he played in that game. Back then news was slow so I'm not sure if he'd signed on the Thursday or not. I remember being delighted to learn he'd come back.

And I last saw him play in February 1980 when we beat Fulham.

The latter memories are embedded in my memory as I used to stay with my Grandma when returning to Pendle.

I was in Nelson in February 1980 with my Dad as my Grandma had passed away. Despite our great sadness we just had to go to TM.

Leighton James was a winger and a damn good one. Everybody loves wingers and he's one of our best ever.

Crying as I type this.

RIP Taffy

[Life of Riley]

Dreadful news. Met him when I was about 18 and he used to call at my parents house every now and again for a social call. He would often talk about the previous game and couldn’t understand why the opposition side didn’t double up on him! However he was a great player and good bloke. To his credit he even called on my mother years after he had moved away from the Burnley area.
Good memories.

[ClaretTony]

I recall returning to Nelson on Friday 8 September 1978 to read he'd resigned. We played West Ham the following day. Tony will know whether or not he played in that game.

He didn't - I thought he'd signed on the day of the West Ham game. That second debut came a week later at, of all places, given who we play tomorrow, Bramall Lane, the day Alex Sabella murdered us and we were 3-0 down after 19 minutes and lost 4-0.

[beddie]

Very sad to hear this news. Like a good number of us seniors I had the pleasure of watching Taffy from his early days and again on his return some years later. A wonderful footballer, on his day he could put a full back on his backside time and time again. We’ll always remember him as the “Welsh Wizard”. Thanks Taffy for some wonderful memories, R.I.P.

[evensteadiereddie]

So hard to take this one, he was one of my heroes as a teenager.
Thanks for all the great memories, Taffy, and for all that you did for this wonderful club of ours.
God bless

[ecc]

He didn't - I thought he'd signed on the day of the West Ham game. That second debut came a week later at, of all places, given who we play tomorrow, Bramall Lane, the day Alex Sabella murdered us and we were 3-0 down after 19 minutes and lost 4-0.

I may well be wrong but I seem to recall it being in the LET which I bought on arriving in Nelson. Whatever. He'd returned. And I was happy. Which I most certainly am not right now.

[Bin Ont Turf]

Not really a shock but it's an incredibly sad day.

My absolute favourite in Claret.

Peace be with you Leighton James. Our Taffy.

[ecc]

Burnley 4 Villa 1 1972

What a team we had.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edPH4HvWu_0

[sjb]

Today had been a great day. I retired from work after 44 years. Then this news. My favourite ever Claret and someone I knew well has gone. R.IP. Leighton. The day has lost its lustre.

[NL Claret]

Started watching the Clarets as a young lad in the late 70s / early 80s so have some memories of that spell of Leighton’s career. Bury based btw, my dad used to take us to Gigg Lane when Dobson was manager, Taffy was a fans favourite and played a big part in their promotion that season 1984.

Me and my dad started watching Burnley again in 87 to see James’s 3rd spell which might have ended with a game at Wembley , v Wolves. Also remember that season the Bolton fans throwing bananas at George oghani and a Taffy picked one up and ate it.

My bro played cricket against Taffy and said he was a good competitor.

My best memory is playing for Bury Grammar up at Habergaham, mid 80s , we’d played them off the park first half, 3 up , as full back I’d noticed this bloke turn up on touch line midway first half. At half time he went over to the habergham lads, bollocked them and gave them some advice , I think we hung on for a win or a draw. As I’d swapped wings I then realised it was Leighton James giving the team talk.

RIP Taff

[ecc]

Today had been a great day. I retired from work after 44 years. Then this news. My favourite ever Claret and someone I knew well has gone. R.IP. Leighton. The day has lost its lustre.

Hello sjb,

I do genuinely feel for you. The personal memories hurt right now.

I'm in tears.

I wish you well for your retirement.

[Bosscat]

Just seen this ... Sad news indeed ... RIP Taffy thoughts with his family and friends

[Lord_Bob]

Met him once when I was at Nelson and Cole College. Adamson used to bring the team into the gym there every once in a while to have some fun, I think. they usually played badminton. We were showering and getting ready for class after our gym class while they were in the changing room getting ready to go into the gym. Conversation went something like this:

Us: Who you playing this weekend Taffy?

Taffy: No idea - we let them worry about us.

A comment that, to me, seems to epitomize Taffy (and that team).

RIP Legend.

[Hbclaret007]

Perhaps the best player I was lucky enough to see for Burnley. A very sad day. Rest in peace super taff.

[JJames82]

Another thread already 'Taffy'

Sorry if my choice (as his daughter!) of a new thread (considering the last one was locked due to unwarranted speculation about his health) announcing the death of my dad, who as a former BFC player loved my many, irritates you, but your comment “another thread already” is unnecessary and quite frankly, hurtful at a very difficult time for his family.

If I have misunderstood your comment then I apologise but as I’m sure you can imagine, emotions are quite fraught this evening.

[scouseclaret]

My first Burnley hero. Sad day….

[ClaretLoup]

He was an amazing player. Skilful and fearless. Back in those days full backs would dish it out to wingers but I never saw him flinch.

He also had a great career with Swansea, securing two promotions to the top flight.

Consider also he won 54 caps for Wales and scored 10 goals, two vs England including a winner at Wembley.

RIP Taffy, thanks for all those great memories.