By Longsider
September 18 2004

Burnley were founded in 1882 as one of the Founder Members of the football league, since then they have won every major trophy except the League Cup. Their pre-war honours included a second division title in the 1897-1898 season and the F.A. Cup in 1914.



After the war they went on to conquer the first division with an unbeaten run of thirty games, this record still remains today. Then came the Second World War and the prospect of second division football, until they were promoted back to the top flight and following that was their first Wembley cup final, against Charlton, which they lost 1-0.



By the 1950’s Burnley had adopted the famous claret and blue, and these colours took them through to the title once again it the 1958-1960 season. In 1962 they came back once again unsuccessfully from Wembley, this time Tottenham Hotspur were the victors 3-1.



Then in 1960 The Clarets went into Europe, beating Reims, the French champions but then going out to Hamburg. But it 1965-1966 Burnley were in the Inter- Cities Fairs Cup, or the U. E. F. A. Cup, as it is now known. They defeated Stuttgart and Lausanne of Germany and Switzerland respectably. Then the Clarets went on with their cup giant killing against Naples before losing to Eintracht Frankfurt at the Turf Moor replay.



By 1983-1984 Burnley were at the bottom of the fourth division and facing automatic relegation to the Vauxhall conference. After another 2 years they were rock bottom, then came the infamous ‘Orient Game. The Clarets went in having to win to stay up, they eventually won 2-1 to sent Lincoln City down to the Vauxhall Conference. Then Burnley went to the Sherpa Van Trophy Final, they lost this match 2-0 to Wolves’ but now B. F. C. were on the up. In ’92 The Clarets became the second team to win all four divisions, going straight through to the new first division via-Wembley playoffs, they lasted only one season but in 1999-200, the millennium season they were back! They now had a 22,619 capacity stadium with under soil heating. They finished 7th place in the first division three times in a row with a new manager in the form on Stan Ternent and a new chairman Barry Kilby. In 2002-2003 they advanced to the quarter final of the F. A. Cup, overcoming notably Fulham 3-0, before going out to Watford. Ternent was sacked at the end of the 2003/2004 season and new manager Steve Cotterill took over. Cotterill is one of the new breed of managers in the game and has had previous management experience at Sligo Rovers, Cheltenham and Stoke.