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Micky Burns

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Mickey Burns
Personal information
Full name Michael Edward Burns[1]
Date of birth (1946-12-21) 21 December 1946 (age 77)
Place of birth Preston, England
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1964–1965 Preston North End 0 (0)
1965–1969 Skelmersdale United ? (?)
1969–1974 Blackpool 179 (53)
1974–1978 Newcastle United 145 (39)
1978 Cardiff City 6 (0)
1978–1981 Middlesbrough 61 (24)
Total 391 (116)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Michael Edward Burns (born 21 December 1946) is an English former professional footballer.

Career

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A former England amateur international, Burns was signed to Blackpool from the very successful amateur side Skelmersdale United in 1969 by Les Shannon. Burns gained a teaching degree from the De La Salle College of Education at Hopwood Hall in Middleton, Greater Manchester. He was a striker with pace and could score goals. Indeed, he was the Seasiders' top scorer in three of his five seasons at Bloomfield Road.

He scored on his league debut, on 9 August 1969, in a 2–1 home win over Portsmouth, and helped the Tangerines to win promotion back to Division One.

On 10 June 1972, Burns scored four goals in a Blackpool's 10–0 win over Lanerossi Vicenza in the Anglo-Italian Cup, en route to an unsuccessful defence of their title in the final against Roma.[2] He had scored the extra-time winner in the previous year's final that brought the cup to his home county of Lancashire.

He was unpopular with a section of the home fans, who regarded his playing style as too individualistic,[3] and in the summer of 1974, he asked for a transfer. Newcastle United came in for his services for a £166,000 fee.[3]

It was with the Magpies that he played in the 1976 League Cup final in which they lost to Manchester City.

After four years at St James' Park, Burns had a short spell at Cardiff City as a player-coach but he never settled at the club and was allowed to return to the North East to close out his career with Middlesbrough.

Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame

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Burns was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield in April 2006.[4] Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Burns is in the 1970s.[5]

Post-retirement

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Upon retiring, Burns joined Middlesbrough's coaching staff. He later became the PFA's education officer, a post he left in 2003.[6]

Honours

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Blackpool

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "Micky Burns". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  2. ^ 1972 Anglo-Italian Cup Final – RSSSF.com
  3. ^ a b Gillatt, Peter (30 November 2009). Blackpool FC On This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year. Pitch Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-905411-50-4.
  4. ^ Singleton, Steve, ed. (2007). Legends: The great players of Blackpool FC (1st ed.). Blackpool: Blackpool Gazette. pp. 78–81. ISBN 978-1-84547-182-8.
  5. ^ "The Hall of Fame – 1970's". Blackpool Supporters Association. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  6. ^ "Caught in Time: Blackpool win promotion to the First Division, 1970" – TimesOnline[dead link]
  7. ^ Rory Mitchinson (16 May 2022). "Joelinton scoops Newcastle United Player of the Year award". Newcastle United F.C. Retrieved 19 October 2023.

Further reading

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