And the Longside closed
Last updated : 28 October 2005 By Tony Scholes
 | David Eyres - two goals in the 3-1 win in 1994 |
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They were the visitors that day, in what was the last game ever played in front of the old terracing that had housed Burnley’s main vocal support for well over a quarter of a century, and fittingly it ended with a Burnley victory.
Hull were close to the relegation places, they were ultimately relegated, whilst the Clarets weren’t too much higher in the league and were to have a fight to stay up as the season unfolded. On that September day in 1995 we were clear favourites to win the game and did, although not as comfortably as we would have liked.
The Hull fans were housed in the Cricket Field Stand for the day as the Longside was handed over in its entirety to the Burnley fans and they witnessed a game that was hardly fitting for the occasion.
We won it 2-1, with Kurt Nogan the last Burnley player to score in front of the Longside. The other two goals were both scored by Hull. Paul Fewings got their goal whilst Neil Allison put through his own goal.
It concluded a run of three wins from our three meetings during the 1990s. We had played them in the first two seasons following promotion out of Division Four and picked up wins both times.
Both games were played in March and both ended in two goal wins, 2-0 in 1993 and 3-1 in 1994. Adrian Heath scored the first goal in the 1993 win with Steve Slawson, on loan from Notts County getting the second. A year later John Pender gave us the lead with David Eyres grabbing the other two, one of them from the penalty spot. That was a much needed win, coming a week after the 4-1 debacle at Hartlepool when both Pender and Heath were sent off.
We have to go back to 1980 for another win against them, this was also 2-0 and was the game when Phil Cavener famously kicked the flag instead of the ball when trying to take a corner. Kevin Young and Steve Taylor were the scorers that night.
Hull’s last win at Burnley was a controversial victory in 1984, and although the record books will say they beat us 2-0 they were certainly not celebrating at the end.
The game was played after the end of the season having been postponed previously because the Hull team failed to turn up, they were fined peanuts by the league for this. By the time they arrived at Burnley the rest of the fixtures had been completed and they knew a three goal victory would see them promoted, anything else and Sheffield United would go up with Oxford and Wimbledon.
They won 2-0 and finished level on points with Sheffield United, whose fans were on the Bee Hole End. Both clubs had a goal difference of 33 but it was the Blades who went up having scored more goals. By the time the Hull team came out of the dressing room their manager Colin Appleton had resigned and would be replaced by current Macclesfield boss Brian Horton.
I’m not expecting Peter Taylor to tender his resignation tonight, no matter what the score, but hopefully he’ll be leaving with a defeat.