Claretsmuseum.com

Burnley had preceded the 1959/60 season with a number of
good solid finishes under new manager Harry Potts, they
had a team of quality players, from the likes of club captain
skills of Northern Ireland's Jimmy McIlroy, but the1959/60
season was to prove one that would live in the memory as
long as football is played in Burnley.

Seven wins in the first 10 games, marked Burnley as early
championship contenders, but it had been noted over the past
few years that the Clarets would always get themselves into a good
position, but fail to capitalise when it came to the crunch.

After five weeks injured with a muscle strain, Jimmy McIlroy played
in the away game at Highbury against Arsenal on December 12,
but after the game Jimmy McIlroy had suffered a re-occurrence of
his injury, and was set to miss the Christmas period, a difficult time
in the calender for any team, but now made especially tough
without their chief play maker.

The Boxing day fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford
represented one sch tough challenge, but Burnley triumphed on the
day 2-1, with Jimmy McIlroy's replacement Ian Lawson scoring.

For the return game back at Turf Moor 2 days later, Jimmy McIlroy
returned to the starting eleven, but he was not fit, and Manchester
United took advantage, and won 4-1.

After a 1-1 draw in the third round of the FA Cup away against
Lincoln, Burnley won the replay 2-0, with Jimmy McIlroy starting
and scoring, but his injury would continue to plague him, and he
was only used during key games.

A 2-1 Fourth round FA Cup replay win over Swansea Town at Turf
Moor, after a 0-0 draw at the Vetch Field, gave Burnley an away
draw against Bradford City, and were earned a 2-2 draw on an
almost unplayable pitch after being 2-0 down wit only ten minutes
remaining. Burnley won the replay 5-0, and qualified for the
Quarter-Finals for the 3rd time in 4 seasons.

After a 2-2 draw against Blackburn Rovers, when Burnley had
been 2-0 up, took the game into a replay, in which Blackburn won,
leaving Burnley to concentraite on the League.

The Clarets had been involved in a 3 way battle with
Wolverhampton Wanders
and Tottenham Hotspur.
On the 1st March 1960,
Burnley entertained
Tottenham, and in an
entertaining game, Burnley
won 2-0, but that joy was
short lived, when the Clarets
travelled to current League
Champions Wolves, and
were destroyed 6-1.

By the end of Easter,
Tottenham had fallen out of
the race for the
Championship, after they
lost two games in a row,
and upon their visit to
Wolves, they managed to
do Burnley a favour, by beating the League Champions in their
own backyard.

Burnley had five league games left, and four of them were away. On
Wolves last game of the season they thumped Chelsea 5-1,
Burnley drew at home against Fulham, but still had one game more
to play.

The League was finely poised, Wolves lead the way by one point,
having completed their fixture list, whilst Burnley simply needed to
beat Manchester City at Maine Road to win the League.

65,981 fans attended the game, which Burnley won 2-1 sending
many Clarets fans delirious, and handing Burnley only their second
League Championship.

*Goal Average applied instead of goal difference

	Team	Play ed	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
1	Burnley	42	24	7	11	85	61	55
2	Wolves	42	24	6	12	106	67	54
3	Tottenham	42	21	11	10	86	50	53
4	West Brom	42	19	11	12	83	57	49
5	Sheff Wed	42	19	11	12	80	59	49
6	Bolton	42	20	8	14	59	51	48
7	Man Utd	42	19	7	16	102	80	45
8	Newcastle	42	18	8	16	82	78	44
9	Preston NE	42	16	12	14	79	76	44
10	Fulham	42	17	10	15	73	80	44
11	Blackpool	42	14	10	17	59	71	40
12	Leicester City	42	13	13	16	66	75	39
13	Arsenal	42	15	9	18	68	80	39
14	West Ham	42	16	6	20	76	91	38
15	Everton	42	13	11	18	73	78	37
16	Man City	42	17	3	22	78	84	37
17	Blackburn R	42	16	5	21	60	70	37
18	Chelsea	42	14	9	19	76	91	37
19	Birmingham	42	13	10	19	63	80	36
20	Nottm Forest	42	13	9	20	50	74	35
21	Leeds Utd	42	12	10	20	65	92	34
22	Luton Town	42	9	12	21	50	73	30