This year is the 50th anniversary of Burnley winning the First Division title. Every day this week we’ll be talking to some of the players who were involved in that great 1960 side. In the first part, Jimmy Robson talks about his memories.

JIMMY Robson became the first Burnley player for more than 30 years to score more than five in a game when Nottingham Forest were thrashed 8-0 at Turf Moor.

But the prolific striker puts the class of 1959/60's success down to teamwork - not individual glory - and sharing out the goals.

“John Connelly finished with 20, Ray Pointer got 19 and I had 18, but we never bothered who scored, as long as someone did,” said the modest Geordie, insisting there was no in-house competition to finish top of the shots.

“We had goals from all areas of the pitch.”

Keeping their feet on the ground was a key factor in clinching the title too.

“We were just ordinary people - five Geordies, two Irishmen, three Lancashire lads and one Scotsman - there were no egos,” continued Robson.

There were no nerves either. Even though by the time they played Manchester City in their last game, when everyone else’s season had finished, they had to win to be crowned champions.

“Even on the day of the Manchester City game, although we knew we had to win to be champions, there was no pressure, and there were no nerves.

“If anyone was going to be nervous it would be me, because I always doubted my own ability, but I felt fine.

“We just went out there and treated it as a normal game.

“It was significant that even after we'd won it there were no laps of honour. We shook hands with the opposition, walked off the pitch and Harry shook hands with everyone when we got into the dressing room.

“That was as exciting as it got!”

City supplied the champagne in their Maine Road boardroom - a glass each for the new champions of England. But it wasn’t until the bus journey home that the Burnley boys realised the impact of what they’d achieved.

“People were lining the streets from Rawtenstall all the way through to Burnley,” Robson recalled.

“They should have been in bed because it was late on a Monday night and they’d be in work the next day.

“But they were standing outside their houses and cheering and waving.

“It was midnight by the time we got back. We’d dropped a couple of the players off at the top of Manchester Road, but when we got to the Town Hall someone had made arrangements for us to go to Nelson Golf Club for a bit of a celebration, so the other two had to be picked up, and we all went there.”

Many of the players Robson partied with that night he had grown up with in football.

The Pelton-born inside forward arrived at Turf Moor when he was just 15, John Angus was the same age, Adam Blacklaw and John Connelly, who he remains close friends with, were slightly older, Brian Miller, who was already at the club when Robson arrived, was 17.

It was on an end of season tour to Europe in 1957 that they knew they were capable of making a name for themselves.

“We played seven games against some good teams, like Rheims, Athletic Bilbao and the West German national team, who we beat 4-0,” Robson, now 71, recalled.

Topping off the 1956/57 season by staying unbeaten gave a good indication of what they were capable of, and they kicked on following the arrival of Ray Pointer and the appointment of Harry Potts the season after, finishing a creditable sixth.

Robson credits Potts with continuing the good work that former boss Alan Brown had started, and building on it.

“Alan put the team together, but Harry tweaked it,” he said.

“Alan was a disciplinarian. What he said went, and he had a tough approach.”

Potts, on the other hand, was like one of the boys.

“Harry was very enthusiastic and positive in everything he did.

“He loved his five-a-sides, as long as he could play.

“He always made sure that there was an odd number so he could join in.

“But his enthusiasm bubbled over.”

And Robson believed he established a balance in the side that ultimately set them apart from nearest challengers Wolves and Spurs.

“Jimmy McIlroy was the best player Burnley’s ever had as far as I’m concerned, but our team had a bit of everything,” he said.

“Adam was very quick and sharp and we relied on his reactions. He was a good shot-stopper.

“The two fullbacks - John Angus and Alex Elder - were both good defenders and used the ball well.

“Tommy Cummings was very experienced, quick and good in the air.

“Brian Miller and Jimmy Adamson were the two defensive wing halves. Jimmy was a good captain and a good tactician, and Brian had a great left foot. He could score you goals from 30 yards.

“John Connelly on the right wing was very difficult to stop. He could come inside or go outside and supply crosses or get goals.

“Pilky (Brian Pilkington) was quick and another who could go inside or outside and got a lot of balls into the box.

“Ray was the type of striker that central defenders didn’t like to play against because he ran all over the place and tired them out.

“They would rather have a battle in those days.”

Of himself, modest Robson says: “With playing when everyone else was palying and no exposure like the way matches are covered today, if I missed a sitter I used to go home and think I was the only one that had missed a chance like that.

“But I see much worse these days.”