Pint-Sized Burton-on-Trent Brews Up Its Fourth Football League Club

[Diego_Sideburns]

In 1871 Burton Wanderers and Burton Swifts were formed. Remarkably, both would become members of the Football League where they played each other for three brief seasons.

 

Burton Wanderers were elected to the League having won the Midland League in 1893-94 following in the footsteps of their neighbours, Burton Swifts who had been elected two years previously. Burton Wanderers inflicted Newcastle United’s worst ever defeat 9-0 in Division Two on 15th April 1895.

 

A contemporary report in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle Sports Edition included quotes about a match on February 8th 1896, when Newcastle United (6th) were due to play Burton Wanderers (2nd) at St James' Park in the League Division Two return fixture. About 7,000 people lined the barriers (about average for that time) waiting for the two teams to take the field. The game was advertised to start at 2.45pm and at the allotted time the Newcastle team began to warm-up, but the opposition failed to appear as only six Burton players had arrived; the others having missed their connection at Sheffield. The Newcastle players approached referee Mr Cowley claiming that the match should be awarded to Newcastle. However, although nothing was certain, it was believed that the rest of the team would arrive by 3.30pm and the decision was taken to delay the kick-off.

 

Shortly before 3.30pm the Newcastle players returned followed a couple of minutes later by eight of the Burton team (not including the keeper) and the match was on! The Burton captain lost the toss but Newcastle had the decency to kick up the hill in the first half.

Within minutes a long low shot by defender Graham found the net. At 3.45pm “the first of the missing lot, namely Watts, the regular goalkeeper, turned up and immediately took up his position under the crossbar, attired in ordinary long trousers and jersey". A couple of minutes later the remaining tawdry two arrived having kitted themselves out.

 

The Burton keeper in his ‘civvies’.

 

Thus United only had one goal for their early numerical advantage as they "had taken things easily" and only when the opposition was up to their full quota did their "tactics become more vigorous". [A far cry from the win-at-all-costs attitude of today’s Greedy League.]

 

Initially it was United who continued to dominate the game and kept Burton's custodian well occupied, but The Wanderers gradually worked their way back into the game as the "attack of the visitors became more spirited". They hit the bar and had another goal chalked out for offside.

 

"Remarkably fast play next became the rule, and the excitement grew in intensity as both sides pressed in turn" but their were no further goals in the first period. The players retired from the field and the visitors were "cordially applauded for their plucky stand under such unfortunate circumstances"

 

In the second half Watts now had his kit on, but United had both the incline and the wind in their favour and they laid siege to the Burton goal. Lennox soon scored a brace. The first a "flying kick banged into the net" the second following "a splendid piece of combined play" brought "to a magnificent conclusion by swinging the ball into the net".

There were more chances for both sides and United had a goal disallowed while Burton defender Hanford "elicited tremendous cheering" when he blocked an Aitken "stinger". United added a fourth just before the end; Graham scoring his second (his only goals of the season).

 

In 1897 both Burton Swifts and Burton Wanderers faced re-election and the Wanderers were voted out, their place being taken by Luton Town .

 

The club rejoined the Midland League but in 1901, they merged with Burton Swifts who were facing re-election once again. The new club, known as Burton United continued to play in the League for another six years before it too lost its place and went out of business.

 

Senior football in the brewing capital was represented by Burton Town but the club was wiped out during the War in 1940.

 

 

In 1950 Burton Albion was formed to fill the senior football void, and the club competed in the Birmingham League for the first eight years. Whilst league success was hard to come by, the club quickly made progress in cup competitions, winning the Birmingham Senior Cup in 1954 and the Staffordshire equivalent in 1956, That same season saw Albion hit the national sporting headlines when they reached the third round of the F.A. Cup only to lose 7-0 to Charlton Athletic at The Valley.

 

In 1958 the club not only moved leagues, they also moved grounds from Lloyd’s Foundry in Wellington Road to Eton Park, as Albion began to ply their trade in the Southern League. The club struggled although they did become the first side from outside the Premier Division to win the Southern League Cup when they beat the then mighty Weymouth 5-2 on aggregate in 1964. The manager at the time was Peter Taylor who went on to enjoy a very successful partnership with Brian Clough at both Derby County and Nottingham Forest.

 

The Brewers won promotion three times to the Premier Division but also suffered relegation the same number of times. The club enjoyed the skills of former Nottingham Forest and Manchester United winger Ian Storey-Moore in the mid-1970s and he returned in 1978 as player-manager overseeing the club’s move to the Northern Premier League in 1979, as the non-league world underwent significant change with the advent of the Alliance Premier League (now the Football Conference).

 

Moore was succeeded by another player-manager, Neil Warnock who, although not managing to win a league title, did bring silverware to Eton Park in the shape of the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup, beating Macclesfield Town in the Final at Maine Road, Manchester in April 1983.

 

Albion again hit the national headlines In 1985 when they lost in the third round of the F.A. Cup to Leicester City. A 6-1 defeat (including a hat-trick for Gary Lineker) was due in part to the fact that Albion goalkeeper, Paul Evans, was hit by a missile thrown from the crowd. After a Football Association review, the game was replayed behind closed doors at Highfield Road, Coventry with Albion losing 1-0.

 

Two years later, Albion now managed by Warnock's assistant, Brian Fidler reached Wembley in the F.A. Trophy Final. A goalless draw with Conference side Kidderminster Harriers was followed by a replay at The Hawthorns, West Bromwich, where 15,685 (West Brom's largest crowd of the season!) saw the Brewers go down 2-1 with midfielder Paul Bancroft missing a late penalty.

 

For the 1987/88 season Albion reverted to the Southern League. Managers came and went but none could deliver the long-awaited first league championship the club craved. Former Everton and Derby defender John Barton delivered a cup double (Southern League Cup and Birmingham Senior Cup) in 1997, but he left the club in September 1998 to be replaced the following month by the most famous manager in the club's history.

Nigel Clough arrived at Eton Park to cut his managerial teeth with former Forest colleague Gary Crosby as his assistant. Together they began to realise the undoubted potential of the club, finishing runners-up in successive seasons and delivering the Southern League Cup again in 2000.

 

Another geographical alignment of the feeder leagues saw Albion return to the Northern Premier (UniBond) League in 2001 but this time it was only a one season stay as Clough's team swept all before them winning the first league championship in the club’s 52 year history. A league record number of points was gained, over 100 goals scored and just 30 conceded as Albion at last achieved their goal of Conference football. There was even time for a run to the F.A. Trophy semi-finals, where eventual winners Yeovil Town crushed dreams of an incredible double.

 

After three years in the Conference, including that epic F.A. Cup-tie and replay against Latics, the Brewers moved to the Pirelli Stadium in July 2005. The first two seasons in Albion's new home were short on excitement. After a thrilling 0-0 draw against Manchester United in the FA Cup third round, the Brewers earned a dream trip to Old Trafford, after which the team kicked on to earn a best-ever Conference finish (9th), only to better that the following season with a 6th place finish, and then the play-offs in the 2007/08 season before losing to Cambridge 4-3 on aggregate.

 

The Brewers are currently playing in their third ground in the club’s 59 year history. The move to the purpose-built Pirelli Stadium has seen the club go from strength to strength over the last two seasons. The proceeds of the F.A. Cup run, with that trip to Old Trafford, brought forward the five-year plan by four years. The £7.2m state of the art ground is sited on the land formerly occupied by the sports and social facilities of the Italian tyre giants. A 300-seater function room (The Albion Suite) plus numerous other executive rooms and facilities offered the club a fantastic opportunity to move forward and provide the infrastructure to challenge successfully in the Football Conference. The site will also see a full-size training pitch and pub/restaurant/accommodation facilities once phase two of the scheme is completed in the near future.

 

The club has been using the training facilities at the Football Association’s National Football Centre at Byrkley Lodge, Rangemore, on the outskirts of Burton, which is awaiting completion.

 

The ground has already been selected to host various representative fixtures. The 1st Qualifying Round of the UEFA under 19s women’s European Championships has already taken place at the Pirelli, enjoying a record crowd for an international at that level when England played Scotland.

 

The stadium has also hosted an England Semi-Professional International against Holland and a UEFA under 19 men’s international. The Conference have played the Northern Division Play-Off Final at Burton for the last two seasons as the stadium’s reputation grows in non-league circles.

 

As the club entered its sixth season in the Premier non-league competition in August 2008, the Brewers soon became serious promotion contenders. When Nigel Clough took up an irresistible offer to manage Derby County in January 2009 he left Burton Albion on top of the Blue Square Premier League.

 

The club was left in the safe hands of former Derby County legend Roy McFarland. Roy (Brian Clough’s “best ever signing”), who was handed the task of steering Albion through to the end of the season in a caretaker capacity. Along the way the club achieved the record for the most consecutive victories in the Conference. In addition the club’s Youths and Reserves have won their respective leagues.

 

After much wobbling in recent weeks, the 19 point lead dwindled to just three with one game to play.

 

Then today, with Nigel Clough spectating, it looked as though the Brewers had gone for a Burton by failing to get at least a point at Torquay, but Cambridge United could only draw at home to Altrincham. Therefore, by two points, the Brewers had won the Blue Square Premier League Championship, and with it a place in the Football League, 102 years after their predecessors, Burton United, lost their League status.

 

By the way Nigel Clough left early so that the media would focus their attention on Roy McFarland - Nigel is a chip off the old block!

 

Remarkably all this has been achieved by a part-time playing squad at a Club working within its budget and free from debt.

 

Long before the formation of Burton Albion the town had been accustomed to league football and now Burtonians are looking forward with great excitement to the Brewers becoming the town’s fourth football league club, which must be a record for a town of its size.

 

How ironic that Burton Wanderers were voted out of the Football League and replaced by Luton Town. Now Burton Albion is about to take Luton Town’s League place, due to a mathematical calculation resulting from a vote by the Football League.

Edited April 27, 2009 by Diego_Sideburns

[IsleOfWightBlue]

Great bit of club history.....But I bet there were times today when you had run out of finger and toes nails, your pulse was 100 over and your bood pressure was so high your skin was begining to melt....

 

Good job you had that 19 point lead because I think you would have struggled to make it through the playoffs....

[Diego_Sideburns]

Great bit of club history.....But I bet there were times today when you had run out of finger and toes nails, your pulse was 100 over and your bood pressure was so high your skin was begining to melt....

 

Good job you had that 19 point lead because I think you would have struggled to make it through the playoffs....

 

Agreed 100%!

[ThaiLatic]

"Albion again hit the national headlines In 1985 when they lost in the third round of the F.A. Cup to Leicester City. A 6-1 defeat (including a hat-trick for Gary Lineker) was due in part to the fact that Albion goalkeeper, Paul Evans, was hit by a missile thrown from the crowd. After a Football Association review, the game was replayed behind closed doors at Highfield Road, Coventry with Albion losing 1-0."

 

 

One of my claims to fame is that I was at that replayed match. I had a friend who worked for the Burton Mail at the time and he got me, and another mate (who'd been at the first game) in. It was a midweek afternoon kick off, if I remember rightly. The fact that it was played behind closed doors didn't really affect Burton as they were getting very small crowds in those days ; )

 

Wasn't the original tie played at the Baseball Ground?

[Diego_Sideburns]

Wasn't the original tie played at the Baseball Ground?

 

Correct.

 

 

It was a potential powder keg as Albion and Leicester fans probably numbered about 10,000 each, with the remainder of the 22,000 crowd being made up by Derby fans hoping to see their rivals Leicester beaten.

 

Gary Lineker fired Leicester into the lead after 16 minutes, but the mighty Brewers sparked hopes of a major upset seven minutes later, David Vaughan's shot bobbling on the frozen Baseball Ground pitch and under keeper Ian Andrews to send the Albion fans into ecstasy.

 

Whether it was because of Derby elements in the Leicester section of the ground, or because they didn't like being scored against by a non-league team, the City fans started a riot and Albion keeper Paul Evans at the Osmaston End goal behind which they were massed, ended up with a piece of wooden seat raining down on his head from a great height, and was out of action for several minutes for treatment, as the police tried to quell the disturbances.

 

Evans later claimed that the biggest day of his career had been ruined, as he spent the rest of the game in a daze. Whether because of this incident or not, Leicester went on to put another five past the Brewers keeper, Lineker netting a hat-trick. But that was not the end of the story. The national press, eager as ever for a good hooligan story, fuelled a campaign to have the match replayed, as the scores had been level when Evans had been hit, and the incident had had an adverse affect on his performance.

 

The Albion Chairman at the time was Bill Royal (sat next to 'Colin' on the programme cover) who, like me, worked for the Council. He was busy giving interviews on a daily basis. The FA agreed that the match should be replayed, citing as precedent a recent European match between Celtic and Rapid Vienna which had been replayed due to a similar incident. So, Albion could have another crack at causing an upset. Unfortunately, no fans (other than you and your mate) would be able to witness it, the match played on a frostbound Friday afternoon in Coventry. In the event Albion went down by a single Paul Ramsey goal - a more fitting scoreline, but a bizarre end to an epic Cup run.

 

Is this ThaiLatic or a ballboy?

Edited April 27, 2009 by Diego_Sideburns

[Guest sheridans_world]

Albion reverted back

 

**SHUDDER**

 

 

Good article though.