Proving travels can bring joy - and farewell to Billy, the Ginger Pele
AT last, a point on the road, and gained in some style at Manchester City last Saturday.
Leading by two goals until a couple of minutes before half time, Burnley were well worth their lead, playing some fine football.
When it evaporated as City turned on the style of their own, that sinking feeling re-emerged but this time the Clarets were equal to the task, rallied, and with a swift move of their own David Nugent and Steven Fletcher set up big Kevin McDonald's equaliser.
Both sides received praise for their brand of attacking football and brickbats for their defending, but there's no doubt Owen Coyle was by far the happier of the two managers at the final whistle.
This match proved Burnley can get something on the road as they won't counter much stronger opposition than a team containing the likes of Tevez and Adebayor.
And with the Fletcher and McDonald goals complementing Graham Alexander's penalty, Burnley proved they have goals in them, from more than one quarter, with Robbie Blake, Wade Elliott, Andre Bikey, Chris Eagles and David Nugent also making the Premiership scoresheet.
So often teams which gain promotion from the Championship struggle to get goals.
Although Burnley have not got the best defensive record (but hats off to Tyrone Mears, in superb form), this gives fans hope the Clarets can keep the points ticking over, and stay in the top flight.
- SHORTLY after the City result was celebrated, fans were greeted with news of the death of another member of the Burnley family, Billy Ingham.
Dubbed the Ginger Pele following his wonder goal against Chelsea in April 1977, he lost his fight for life at the age of just 57.
Apparently Billy had been seriously ill for over a year, but most supporters weren't aware of that and like many of them this week I feel part of my youth has gone, as Ingham was a key part of the team through the 1970s, when I first watched them.
Ironically in the run-up to this year's Championship Play-off final at Wembley, and in the first Premier League campaign for 33 years, Oddie's bakery, which has a branch in Todmorden, began selling specially iced "Ginger Pele" gingerbread men in honour of him, with a display describing the goal which got him the nickname.
I wrote about Billy in Clarets Corner several years ago at a time when the Clarets seemed to be stagnating. He wasn't the best player to play for Burnley, although it's important to remember he played 77 top flight games for the Clarets and contrary to memory by no means all of them as sub, but he never gave less than his very best.
At the time I was writing Burnley needed 100 per cent men like him - Billy filled in at full back and occasionally up front as well as his preferred midfield role, doing so always solidly if not always spectacularly.
That wonder goal against Chelsea is proof he was occasionally capable of the spectacular too.
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Weather for Halifax
Thursday 09 February 2012
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