Club historian Ray Simpson believes the Orient game could have been the best thing to happen to Burnley FC.

"I think the club would have gone out of business if we'd gone down," Simpson said.

"The gates were so poor they couldn't afford to pay players' wages as it was.

"They had huge overdrafts and the bank was threatening to call them in.

"So out of the league and the prospect of smaller gates and poorer opposition there would have been a gradual decline, even if they had carried on playing.

"With the number of supporters who came out on the last day, it was as though the public of Burnley had realised they had come close to losing something so precious.

"After we won, there was a new feeling of optimism and the supporters wanted to stick around to make sure it didn't happen again.

"During the last couple of months of the 1986-87 season, relegation had started to become a bit of a possibility, although I don't think the fans ever expected it to be so close.

"But then it got worse and worse. It dawned on people then that it was out of our hands and we had to rely on other clubs not winning."

He added: "The whole country had woken up to the fact that a founder member of the league, that had won the league and cup, was 90 minutes away from going out. It was fully expected that we would because we didn't expect the results to go our way."

Goals from Neil Grewcock and Ian Britton proved decisive as Burnley ran out 2-1 winners, the final result sending Lincoln down instead.

Simpson added: "Neil Grewcock scored just before half-time and the place erupted.

"When Ian Britton scored what was probably the only headed goal of his career to make it 2-0, the roof came off. But there were still about 40 minutes to go and when Orient scored after 56 minutes, you could have heard a pin drop.

"Orient brought a few supporters up but I can remember a deafening silence when their goal went in.

"After that, it was just a battle. Football went out of the window. We just concentrated on keeping the ball out again.

"There was an overwhelming feeling of relief. Everyone was on the pitch kissing the ground and the players got lost in a mass of bodies.

"Anyone who was around at the time knew it was the most important match they had ever witnessed, which is sad in a way because it was such a negative time for the club."