IT is 43 years since Blackburn Rovers and Burnley last met in the top-flight, yet the events of that game still remain controversial to those who took part.

Harry Potts’ Burnley – on the way to a third-placed finish in the First Division – ran out 2-0 winners at Ewood Park in front of a crowd of 28,000 on January 1, 1966.

Willie Irvine and Gordon Harris scored the goals, and then came the controversy.

As Blackburn tried to force their way back into the game, Clarets winger Ralph Coates was subjected to some rather hefty challenges and responded with a piece of showboating, sitting on the ball to the amusement of the travelling fans but the anger of the opposition.

The physical battle continued and, minutes later, Burnley’s opposite winger Willie Morgan reacted rather differently by aiming a flying kick at Mike England.

It was the Clarets’ first sending off in 14 years.

Soon afterwards, a fan ran on to the pitch to confront Burnley goalkeeper Adam Blacklaw, who held the man before police stepped in to escort him away.

“We dominated that day,” remembers Coates, still regarded as one of the Clarets’ most legendary players.

“I caused them a lot of problems and they tried to kick me.

“Sitting on the ball was the only way to show I wasn’t going to let it bother me and try to calm things down.

“I don’t think we had a very helpful referee so I had to take it upon myself, and of course our fans loved that.

“A big percentage of these derby games is strength of character.

“Away from home you have to be able to deal with the crowd, put that to the back of your mind and concentrate on the football.

“I think that is something the current Burnley team have. Right through the team there are strong characters.

“You had to show you were not intimidated, but Willie Morgan did react.

“He went the other way.

“And when the fan came on and jumped on Adam Blacklaw, Adam just chucked him into the net.

“When Blacklaw later went and played for Blackburn, he was that fan’s favourite player!”

But Mike Ferguson, who played up front for a Rovers side managed by Jack Marshall that day, viewed events somewhat differently.

“Ralph sat on the ball in the middle of the second half and he was trying to be clever,” recalled Ferguson, who grew up in Burnley and still resides there now.

“But it was fortunate that it didn’t incite the crowd.

“It was a stupid thing to do.

“And the thing that upset us was that we didn’t think he was one of the better players in that Burnley team.

“From a footballer’s point of view, when you do things like that you don’t degrade the opposition, you degrade yourself.

“In those days, the fans from both teams could mix, but it has all changed now and I don’t know why.

“I think it is such a shame that the fans have to be ushered to the ground.

“We were always sick to lose to Burnley, but Tottenham and Burnley were the two best teams in the country so there was no disgrace losing to them.

“Now I think a lot of the fans do see it as embarrassing to lose to Burnley.

“But the players going out there next week have a responsibility not to incite the crowd by doing something stupid, pointing fingers in people’s faces or anything like that.

“Be passionate, but remember you’ve got a responsibility.”

Rovers had won 4-1 at Turf Moor earlier that season but eventually finished bottom of the First Division by 13 points.

The teams would not meet again until a 2-2 draw at Ewood in the Second Division in 1976.

Ferguson added: “I was a Burnley fan but it was fantastic for me to play against them for Blackburn.

“It wasn’t strange at all. I was playing against my hero, Jimmy McIlroy.

“As a youngster I had been with Burnley but they had so many good young players and it was so hard to break into the team there, that I made the move to Blackburn.

“I think Burnley will be up for this game and if Blackburn aren’t in the first 10 or 15 minutes they could get a real shock.

“But I just think the international break will play into Blackburn’s hands.

“When you’re doing well like Burnley have been doing, particularly when you’ve just been promoted, you really don’t want a break.”