AN EMOTIONAL farewell was given to a Clarets legend who became known as the man who scored the most important goal in the club’s history.

Fans lined the streets outside Turf Moor to pay tribute to 61-year-old Ian Britton who died after a battle with prostate cancer.

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The funeral cortege for the former midfielder passed the Turf on its final journey to Burnley Crematorium.

As the procession of cars travelled along Harry Potts Way, fans and club staff broke out into spontaneous clapping.

Mr Britton lost his battle with prostate cancer after being initially diagnosed in 2013.

The disease was found to have progressed to his bones and he died after a spell at Pendleside Hospice.

Clarets fan Sandra Conway, of Burnley, who made the special trip to Turf Moor to say farewell, said: “He was brilliant. He kept us in the league.

“Without him I don’t know how we would be.”

Fellow supporter Andy Harrison, 36, from the Park View Pub on Harry Potts Way, said: “Ian means a lot to us.

“He was the best player we ever had.

“The goal he scored against Orient in 1987 was the goal that kept us in the league. If that hadn’t had happened we wouldn’t have been able to survive as a club.”

Mr Britton went down in Burnley football history after he scored the most important goal in the history of the Clarets on the final day of the 1986/87 season, heading home a winner against Orient to preserve the club’s Football League status.

His goal laid the foundations for the Clarets’ recent success as defeat to Orient would have meant Burnley dropping into non-league and put the club’s future on the line.

He was born in Scotland but opted to stay in East Lancashire after his playing career ended playing for Sunday league teams.

His career began with Chelsea and he made his debut in 1972 going on to play more than 250 games for the Blues.

He returned to his home town to join Dundee United in 1982 then had a spell at Arbroath before joining Blackpool in 1983 and then Burnley in 1986.

Andy Short, 59, of Church Meadows, Colne, said: “It was the most important goal in the history of football scored anywhere in the world.

“Apart from being a brilliant guy who scored the goal he saved the club from oblivion.”

Mr Britton was a former manager of Nelson FC and of Seedhill Athletics Track in Nelson, in his later years.

Glen Roberts, 66, from Nelson, said: “He was just a good lad and he stuck around here and played for Nelson.

“My two sons played with him. They thought he was a good lad.”

Lancashire Schools football secretary Mike Timberlake, 66, from Cotton Tree, Colne, said: “He was just a nice lad and down to earth.”