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1959/60 Series - Part One
By TheLongside.co.uk March 10 2006
Welcome to a fantastic new feature. The Longside takes you back to the Championship season of 59/60 in the first in the series of Glory Days...

 1959/60 - Game 1, Leeds United (A)

  

So here we are, a new season with high expectations, having finished in 7th place in the 1958/59 season and reaching the 6th round of the F.A. Cup, being beaten in a replay by Aston Villa. The Clarets supporters were looking forward to the new season and hoping beyond hope that this was going to be an improvement on the last. Little did they know at this point what was in store.
 
On the Monday before, the Clarets had crushed Glentoran in a friendly in Ireland by 8 goals to 1, so expectations were doubly high going into the first League game of the season; Saturday 22nd August 1959, the Clarets away to Leeds United, led by a new manager, Mr Jack Taylor. This was Taylor's first league match in charge of the mighty Leeds after joining them in the early summer.
 
The crowd: 20,233
 
The Teams:
 
Leeds United - Burgin, Ashall, Hair, McConnell, Charlton, Cush, Humphries, Revie, Shackleton, Crowe, Meek.
 
Burnley - Blacklaw, Angus, Cummings, Seith, Miller, Adamson, Connelly, McIlroy, Pointer, Robson, Pilkington.
 
The Referee - Mr.R.T.E. Langdale from Darlington
The Linesmen - Mr.R.A.Bedford and Mr.J.Bruce
 
This Leeds team included two players who were destined to go on to bigger things, Don Revie and Jack Charlton. Also included was a certain Alan Shackleton who two seasons prior had himself been playing for the Clarets.
 
The game was played in scorching conditions as at the time the country was in the midst of a heatwave. Burnley were playing by far the better football in the first half with Jimmy McIlroy and Tommy Cummings having cracking games, but it was the diminutive Brian Pilkington that gave the Clarets the lead. With the Clarets getting stronger by the minute it was John Connelly who netted next. After having his first shot stopped by the keeper he crashed home the rebound with the Clarets going in at half time 2-0 to the good.
 
In the 2nd half Bobby Seith gave away a penalty when he brought down Meek in the area. Cush slotted home beyond the flailing Blacklaw. Back came Burnley and very quickly restored the two goal advantage when Pointer scored. As both teams tired in the heat, Jack Charlton unchallenged scored to pull another goal back for Leeds. Final score 3-2 to the Clarets.
 
The programme consisted of 16 pages costing 4d. The teams were as published, and flicking through the pages the content was the usual managers notes, fixtures, British Rail day returns and adverts for beer as was normal in this era naming four different beers. These were Tetley, Hammonds, Bentley's Yorkshire Brewery and Melbourne Ales. Other adverts were of local companies, with one advert telling us that John Waddington's were the finest playing cards.
 
Note in the programme below that it mentions Leeds playing in Blue and Gold. Interestingly it was a few years later when Don Revie became the manager of Leeds United that he insisted their colours were changed to all white, his reason being that he wanted the team to play like Real Madrid, but on this first day of the 1959/60 season it was Burnley not Leeds who were worthy of that distinction. 
 
 
Next Review: Burnley v Everton

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