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Date and Place of Birth 12th March 1926 - Liverpool died 2nd December 2007
Transfers to and from Burnley from Liverpool - November 1949 retired - May 1959
First and Last Burnley Games Blackpool (a) - 27th December 1949
Luton Town (h) - 20th September 1958
Other Clubs Liverpool |
Burnley Career Stats
| Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Others | Total | |||||
| apps | gls | apps | gls | apps | gls | apps | gls | apps | gls | |
| 1949/50 | 8 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 | 1 |
| 1951/52 | 30 | 9 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 34 | 11 |
| 1952/53 | 42 | 15 | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 46 | 16 |
| 1953/54 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 33 | 9 |
| 1954/55 | 42 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 43 | 1 |
| 1955/56 | 41 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 44 | 2 |
| 1956/57 | 26 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 27 | 2 |
| 1957/58 | 35 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 38 | 2 |
| 1958/59 | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 | - |
| Total | 262 | 39 | 19 | 5 | - | - | - | - | 281 | 44 |
Profile by Tony Scholes
I never saw Les Shannon play football, his career came to an end in 1959 before I'd taken my first steps on Turf Moor. His retirement came at the end of the 1958/59 season although he'd played his last game for in the previous November against Luton.
Just one year before we clinched the title, and had he been a couple of years younger he would, in all likelihood, have been a regular in the side that went on to become Champions of England.
Burnley signed him from his home town club of Liverpool in 1948 after he'd failed to win a regular place in the Anfield club's side. He'd starred in a representative match at Burnley and that convinced scout Jack Butterfield to recommend him.
It took him some time to win a place at Burnley too but once Billy Morris retired he became a regular and playing as an inside forward scored his fair share of goals. Even so, he eventually settled into a wing half position and was a permanent fixture in the side in that position. His form alerted the England selectors but he never made it past the England 'B' team, perhaps another Burnley player not to have won the recognition he deserved.
Sadly time caught up with him and after spending much of the 1958/59 season as reserve team captain he hung up his boots and took a coaching position at Everton. From there he moved on to Arsenal before becoming a manager in his own right, firstly with Bury and then with Blackpool.
The early seventies saw him move to Greece where he worked with a number of clubs before returning to England and scouting with Luton. Such was his experience in the game that he was enlisted by Channel 4 as a football advisor for the series The Manageress starring Cheri Lungi.
Luton was his last club and he now lives in Bedfordshire. He made an emotional visit to Turf Moor for the last game of the 2005/06 season, just past his 80th birthday, his first visit in many a year.
Les Shannon is my favourite Burnley player I never saw play for the simple reason that he scored our winning goal in a cup tie against Hartlepools United on the day I was born. Eventually at that 2006 game against Luton I was able to meet the man who celebrated my birth with that cup winning goal.
Les sadly passed away at the age of 81 on 2nd December 2007.