Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "arbroath"
Promotion with Blackpool - A life-saver at Burnley!
Ian Britton was born in Dundee on 19 May 1954. He began his football career as a midfield player with Scottish junior club Hillside Rangers before being spotted by Chelsea for whom he initially signed as a 17-year-old apprentice before signing as a professional in July 1971. He went on to play 279 League and Cup games, make 10 substitute appearances and score 34 goals for Chelsea where he had a reputation for 'a willingness to run for 90 minutes'.
After leaving Chelsea he joined Dundee United in August 1982 and he was a member of the Dundee United squad that won the Scottish League title for the only time in the club's history in 1982/83. He played two games for Arbroath at the start of the 1983/84 season and was signed by Blackpool in November 1983 on a month’s trial from Dundee United, who held his registration.
He made a modest first appearance for Blackpool in the Central League side against Port Vale reserves on 8 November 1983 when Blackpool lost 4-1. Then
on 12 November 1983 he made his first League appearance for Blackpool as a 55th-minute substitute against Doncaster Rovers when he replaced Billy Rodaway in a 2-1 defeat. After another Central League appearance, he made his first Blackpool start in the FA Cup first round tie against Gainsborough Trinity on 19 November 1983 when Blackpool won 2-0. And then the following week he made his first League start for Blackpool against Hereford United on 26 November 1983 when Blackpool won 2-1.
He had impressed in his short time at the club and Blackpool were keen to sign him full-time with manager Sam Ellis commenting, 'Ian has intimated that he would like to stay with us. The exact terms and offer will be finalised on Monday [5 December 1983] and hopefully he’ll sign a contract with us.' Fortunately Dundee United were willing to let him go and Blackpool signed him permanently for 'a small fee' in early December 1983.
He scored his first goals for Blackpool, two of them, in a 5-0 defeat of Aldershot on 2 January 1984 and he finished his goalscoring for the season with a hat-trick in a 4-0 victory over Halifax Town on 7 May 1984. In total he scored nine goals in his 29 League games, plus one as substitute, and he also played in five FA Cup ties and three Central League games in the 1983/84 season.
He was a regular choice in the 1984/85 season and he was an ever-present in the Fourth Division promotion side, playing in all 46 League games, scoring five goals. He also played one FA Cup tie, four League Cup ties, scoring one goal, three Lancashire Cup ties, two Associate Members’ Cup ties, scoring one goal, and four friendly games.
He was regularly the star man in the team and when Blackpool defeated Southend United 1-0 on 23 February 1985, the Gazette reported, 'It was only right that Ian Britton should score the winner. His poise and purpose was a constant shaft of light through a fog of muddled play, He popped up in the 50th minute to thread a left-foot shot past the Southend goalkeeper after efforts by Alex Dyer and Paul Stewart were beaten out. Thanks to Britton's promptings, Blackpool at least carved out some decent second-half chances.'
He played the first four League games of the following season before losing his place in the side. But he returned on and off during the remainder of the season and in all he played in 25 League games, plus making four substitute appearances, scoring one goal, one FA Cup tie, two League Cup ties, two Lancashire Cup ties, plus making one substitute appearance, 11 Central League games and one pre-season friendly game in the 1985/86 season.
As the 1986/87 was about to begin, Blackpool made the decision to loan him to Burnley for a month in August 1986 and on 22 September 1986 the club gave permission for him to stay at Burnley for a second month’s loan.
He was later transferred to Burnley on a permanent basis after his Blackpool career had encompassed 100 League games, plus five substitute appearances, scoring 15 goals, seven FA Cup ties, plus one substitute appearance, scoring one goal, four League Cup ties, scoring one goal, 14 Central League appearances, two Associate Members Cup ties, scoring one goal, two Lancashire League Cup ties, plus making one substitute appearance, and five friendly games. In all of his games he always gave 100 per cent and although his goalscoring was relatively modest, his approach play created many goals for the club.
And it was at Burnley that he wrote his name large in the annals of the history of Burnley Football Club when, on the final day of the season, he scored the goal that preserved their League status on 9 May 1987. His 48th-minute headed goal saw Orient defeated 2-1 and Burnley remained in The Football League by a single point. He went on to play 102 League games, make six substitute appearances and score 10 goals for Burnley up to the 1988/89 season, after which the club released him.
He had a short spell managing non-league Nelson in the mid-1990s and thereafter he continued to play football, turning out on occasions for the Chelsea Old Boys side, appearing for the team as late as 2008.
He continued to live in East Lancashire where he was the manager of the Seedhill Athletics and Fitness Centre operated by Pendle Leisure Trust and he was a regular attendee at Burnley games, often as a guest of honour.
After a long illness with prostate cancer, he died on 31 March 2016. His funeral in Burnley was attended by his former Chelsea team-mates Ray Wilkins and Clive Walker, along with many other former players who wanted to pay their tributes to a player who had made over 500 appearances during his stellar career.
After leaving Chelsea he joined Dundee United in August 1982 and he was a member of the Dundee United squad that won the Scottish League title for the only time in the club's history in 1982/83. He played two games for Arbroath at the start of the 1983/84 season and was signed by Blackpool in November 1983 on a month’s trial from Dundee United, who held his registration.
He made a modest first appearance for Blackpool in the Central League side against Port Vale reserves on 8 November 1983 when Blackpool lost 4-1. Then
on 12 November 1983 he made his first League appearance for Blackpool as a 55th-minute substitute against Doncaster Rovers when he replaced Billy Rodaway in a 2-1 defeat. After another Central League appearance, he made his first Blackpool start in the FA Cup first round tie against Gainsborough Trinity on 19 November 1983 when Blackpool won 2-0. And then the following week he made his first League start for Blackpool against Hereford United on 26 November 1983 when Blackpool won 2-1.
He had impressed in his short time at the club and Blackpool were keen to sign him full-time with manager Sam Ellis commenting, 'Ian has intimated that he would like to stay with us. The exact terms and offer will be finalised on Monday [5 December 1983] and hopefully he’ll sign a contract with us.' Fortunately Dundee United were willing to let him go and Blackpool signed him permanently for 'a small fee' in early December 1983.
He scored his first goals for Blackpool, two of them, in a 5-0 defeat of Aldershot on 2 January 1984 and he finished his goalscoring for the season with a hat-trick in a 4-0 victory over Halifax Town on 7 May 1984. In total he scored nine goals in his 29 League games, plus one as substitute, and he also played in five FA Cup ties and three Central League games in the 1983/84 season.
He was a regular choice in the 1984/85 season and he was an ever-present in the Fourth Division promotion side, playing in all 46 League games, scoring five goals. He also played one FA Cup tie, four League Cup ties, scoring one goal, three Lancashire Cup ties, two Associate Members’ Cup ties, scoring one goal, and four friendly games.
He was regularly the star man in the team and when Blackpool defeated Southend United 1-0 on 23 February 1985, the Gazette reported, 'It was only right that Ian Britton should score the winner. His poise and purpose was a constant shaft of light through a fog of muddled play, He popped up in the 50th minute to thread a left-foot shot past the Southend goalkeeper after efforts by Alex Dyer and Paul Stewart were beaten out. Thanks to Britton's promptings, Blackpool at least carved out some decent second-half chances.'
He played the first four League games of the following season before losing his place in the side. But he returned on and off during the remainder of the season and in all he played in 25 League games, plus making four substitute appearances, scoring one goal, one FA Cup tie, two League Cup ties, two Lancashire Cup ties, plus making one substitute appearance, 11 Central League games and one pre-season friendly game in the 1985/86 season.
As the 1986/87 was about to begin, Blackpool made the decision to loan him to Burnley for a month in August 1986 and on 22 September 1986 the club gave permission for him to stay at Burnley for a second month’s loan.
He was later transferred to Burnley on a permanent basis after his Blackpool career had encompassed 100 League games, plus five substitute appearances, scoring 15 goals, seven FA Cup ties, plus one substitute appearance, scoring one goal, four League Cup ties, scoring one goal, 14 Central League appearances, two Associate Members Cup ties, scoring one goal, two Lancashire League Cup ties, plus making one substitute appearance, and five friendly games. In all of his games he always gave 100 per cent and although his goalscoring was relatively modest, his approach play created many goals for the club.
And it was at Burnley that he wrote his name large in the annals of the history of Burnley Football Club when, on the final day of the season, he scored the goal that preserved their League status on 9 May 1987. His 48th-minute headed goal saw Orient defeated 2-1 and Burnley remained in The Football League by a single point. He went on to play 102 League games, make six substitute appearances and score 10 goals for Burnley up to the 1988/89 season, after which the club released him.
He had a short spell managing non-league Nelson in the mid-1990s and thereafter he continued to play football, turning out on occasions for the Chelsea Old Boys side, appearing for the team as late as 2008.
He continued to live in East Lancashire where he was the manager of the Seedhill Athletics and Fitness Centre operated by Pendle Leisure Trust and he was a regular attendee at Burnley games, often as a guest of honour.
After a long illness with prostate cancer, he died on 31 March 2016. His funeral in Burnley was attended by his former Chelsea team-mates Ray Wilkins and Clive Walker, along with many other former players who wanted to pay their tributes to a player who had made over 500 appearances during his stellar career.
