I feel almost embarrassed every time I think of my introduction to Leicester City. The date was November 7, 1957, and the ground was Turf Moor. I was Burnley's inside-left against Leicester and I contributed a hat-trick to an overwhelming 7-3 victory for the Lancashire club! Not the sort of first impression calculated to impress one's future employers. Or is it?

I remember the occasion vividly for, after all, it was my fast League hat-trick. Not that Leicester folk are giving me a chance to forget it! Mind you, I'm not claiming the major share of credit for that great win. Jimmy McIlroy, who scored two goals that day, was in fine form. And when Jimmy is in form anything is liable to happen. At that time I had no thoughts of leaving Burnley. Everything in the garden was lovely. That's not difficult to understand because Burnley is my home town and, like hundreds of other boys born there, to play for the Turf Moor club was the ultimate ambition. The club meant everything to me.

I was among the lucky ones. After playing for Rosegrove Secondary Modem School and Lancashire Schoolboys, I joined the Turf Moor ground staff as soon as I left school. It took me two-years to graduate from the 'B' team to the senior side and on my seventeenth birthday I proudly signed professional forms. That same season I was thrust into First Division football. Not as an inside-forward, however, but on the left-wing, the position in which I had mostly played up to that time. I made my debut against Manchester United, and to top everything I had the great Johnny Carey marking me. The result was a 1-1 draw, and I'm told I didn't do too badly.

Alan Brown took over as Burnley's manager at about this time and he made a suggestion that was to play a big part in my football career. Mr Brown had seen me play at inside-forward once or twice while a schoolboy and he suggested that I try this position again. I agreed readily, and I don't think I've ever looked back. But it was not until about two years after my debut that I gained a regular first team place with Burnley. And when I did, it was at.inside-forward.

I held on to my first team place for the best part of four seasons and also managed to win an England under-23 cap against France. This was the period in which I scored that hat-trick! Burnley then signed Jimmy Robson, a very clever player indeed, however, and my senior appearances became fewer. But still I had no thought of leaving Burnley. I was at Turf Moor, altogether, for nine years, seven of them as a professional. And they were seven good, happy years. One aspect of my time there that I particularly enjoyed was the foreign tours. While with Burnley I travelled to France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland, places that I would not otherwise have been able to visit. These trips abroad are among football's many perks.

Leicester then made an inquiry about me and although Burnley's answer was "No" I began, for the first time, to think about a move. It wasn't that I was unhappy. Far from it. But I wasn't getting regular first team football and I began to think that perhaps a move would be the best thing. Leicester again approached Burnley, this time the answer was "Yes" and so on June 13, 1959, I changed clubs. And let me say straight away I've never regretted it. It's a club which looks after its players.

Back to Jimmy McIlroy for the moment. Jimmy, in my opinion, is the greatest inside-forward in the four home countries. He is everything an inside-forward should be. I've played alongside him many, many times and I've yet to see his equal. Jimmy never seems to be pushing himself but he has a very deceptive stride and when he is in full cry he's as fast as anyone. Watch how he reads a game, he never misses a trick.

Like many other players who have spent the best part of their life playing football I should like to remain in the game when I eventually hang up my boots. There's no such thing as a 'Soccer Slave' -particularly if you're at the top. There's no better life and I, for one, hope to remain in it as a manager or coach.

Before my playing days are over, however, I should like to see one or two alterations to the way the League programme is organised in this country. The only way to get good football is to play on a good

surface. You only get an apology for football on some of the quagmires we have to put up with between November and February. How the League will get over this ever present difficulty - as get over it they eventually must - I just don't know. Perhaps they'll have a mid-winter break of, say, a couple of months and lengthen the season.

Back to Index page	Forward to next article

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws