Hardcover with dust jacket 208 pages
A Century of Claret and Blue Heroes
Burnley Football Club stands as one of the true cornerstones of English football, its history steeped in both triumph and adversity. As a founding member of the Football League in 1888, Burnley quickly established itself as a formidable force, winning the League Championship twice, in 1920-21 and again in 1959-60, and winning the FA Cup in 1913-14. Even though these achievements are impressive, they only provide a partial picture. The club has weathered darker days too, most notably in the 1986-87 season, when relegation from the very league it helped to create was only narrowly avoided. Yet, despite these challenges, Burnley has always managed to retain its sense of identity, drawing strength from its loyal supporters in the town and surrounding areas.
Central to Burnley’s legacy are the players who have graced the Turf Moor pitch. The Legends of Burnley gathers together the stories of a hundred such players—men who, in their ways, made a lasting contribution to the club’s history. Some, like Brian Miller and George Bray, devoted their entire careers to Burnley, becoming fixtures both on and off the pitch. Others, such as Ian Wright, may have only worn claret and blue for a short time but still managed to etch their names into the fans’ memories.
The book also pays tribute to stalwarts of past eras—Jerry Dawson, Tommy Boyle, and Billy Watson, who were pivotal during the club’s golden years surrounding the First World War. The post-war period and the swinging sixties saw the emergence of talents like Jimmy McIlroy, Jimmy Adamson, John Connelly, and Adam Blacklaw, as Burnley briefly recaptured their place among the elite of English football. Moving forward, Andy Payton and Glen Little continued to excite and inspire, while managers such as Stan Ternent and Steve Cotterill upheld the club’s traditions and competitive spirit.
Each profile is meticulously researched, offering insights not just into the players’ achievements at Burnley but also their journeys before and after their time at Turf Moor—and, where relevant, glimpses into life beyond football. The result is an intimate tapestry of the club’s history, woven together by the men who shaped it. For supporters, both old and new, The Legends of Burnley is more than just a collection of biographies—it is a celebration of a club that, regardless of the odds, continues to play with heart and pride at the centre of its community.
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Publisher: Breedon Books Publishing Co Ltd
Published: October 1, 2025
Price: £7.99
Paperback: 208 pages
ISBN-10: 1859835384
ISBN-13: 978-1859835388
Dimensions: 177 x 244 (mm)
NEW - MINT - PRISTINE - NEVER BEEN OPENED
