Interview
Trevor Meredith, far left, toasts the Championship that his goal brought to Turf Moor
Trevor Meredith, far left, toasts the Championship that his goal brought to Turf Moor
When did you join Burnley?
I joined Burnley after National Service in 1957.
So you came to the club just at the time they were developing the Championship winning side?
Just at that time the players were coming through to replace the older team, yes.
And were you local to Burnley?
No, I lived in Shropshire and was in the Forces - National Service - when I was recommended to the club. I was playing for Kidderminster Harriers.
How did you fare as a First Division professional?
I wasn't a regular first-teamer - I came in when John Connelly was injured during the Championship winning season.
What can you remember about Maine Road?
The main thing was the crowd coming into the stadium. The game just went so quickly. We scored - both goals were scored - quite early in the first half and then it was just a matter of holding on, watching the clock tick down. I was on the right wing, Brian Pilkington was on the left.
Did it look at any point that Burnley might miss out?
It did over that week and the previous weekend - there were a few hiccups, but actually at Man City we seemed fairly strong and quite positive about the game.
Did you go on to play in the following couple of seasons?
Well I did, but then John Connelly came in after injury, so I was only in and out of the team. There weren't any substitutes then, and it wasn't really a matter of being in a squad either - you were either in the team or not. So then, I think maybe after a couple of seasons, I was transferred to Shrewsbury.
What was it like being with, what was at the time, one of the biggest clubs in the country?
Oh it was absolutely brilliant, superb family atmosphere and they just looked after us - first class travel, first class hotels. The whole club was just a happy club. It was brilliant.
And what day-to-day role did Bob Lord have at this time? Did you see him very often?
He was in and out of the club occasionally. We didn't see much of him apart from match days.
How did you find Harry Potts as a manager?
He very rarely blew up. He just handled things nicely. A very very positive and happy sort of fellow, he'd encourage you rather than blow his top if things went wrong. He was really good.
Was this in line with the "family club" set-up?
Yes, because players that came to the club stayed with the club; it wasn't until maybe a decade later that players started going out to bring income into the club. At that stage players who came into the club tended to stay.
So they hadn't yet become the 'selling to survive' club?
No, it wasn't a business as such then.
Did you find yourself a bit of a celebrity being the man who had scored the Championship-winning goal?
Er....yes! In a way it was a bit embarrassing, because I'd only come into the team for about seven or eight games at the end. But yes....it was a bit embarrassing in a way.
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