The story of Burnley’s 1960 title win, final day drama & celebration u-turn – as told by Clarets hero

The Clarets were the English champions, and Burnley had recently won the championship. However, the dressing room was devoid of champagne, and the field was devoid of carnival festivities.

In fact, it wasn’t until the bus ride home that the members of that illustrious Clarets class of 1960, who etched their names into the annals of history sixty years ago today, realized the extent of their success.

For a Burnley team that hadn’t won the league all season, a 2-1 victory on the final day at Maine Road on a Monday night had guaranteed the title.

And for the players, it was essentially just another game as the traveling fans started to celebrate. Nearly. “We just went off the field,” says Jimmy Robson, a former Burnley hero, of the event. “Man City put something on and we got a glass of champagne but there was nothing else on.”

“We got to Rawtenstall and people were crowding the streets, people were waving at the bus,” Robson recalled. “We were surprised but we realised what it meant them.”

Nevertheless, the bus said goodbye to some of the guys who lived along the way, including McIllory. A hurriedly planned town hall reception occurred as the remaining players arrived in Burnley, causing a transport u-turn.

“We dropped a few people off like Jimmy McIlroy and one or two others who lived up Manchester Road and then we got to the town hall and there was something on so we had to go back and pick them back up,” said Robson. In some ways, the story is appropriate for a Burnley celebration.

The Clarets were England’s top dogs until 1960, when they paraded a blow-up Championship trophy at Charlton and celebrated winning a second division title with a golf trophy in 1972.

After Chairman Bob Lord came in 1955, Burnley started to pose a danger to the prominent figures of the day. According to Robson, they had put together an incredible team of players and had finished seventh three times and sixth once in the four years preceding the title victory.

Read more on sportupdates.co.uk