The 1993/94 season would see the arrival of the "Tin Man", Ted McMinn a magical winger signed in the March 94 from Birmingham City, Walters son Warren Joined from Plymouth (who he would score against in the Play-off semi final). We also acquired a "Rooster" in the shape of Kevin Russell, Burnley and Jimmy Mullen were building a team of speed and finesse.

When Burnley beat Bradford in mid October, they would not fall out of the top 10 all season, we would finish the season on 73 points, 12 behind Plymouth Argyle and Stockport County.

While we finished 12 points behind 3rd placed Plymouth, that is who we would play in the 2 legged play-offs, a goalless draw at home to the Pilgrims, left Plymouth chairman shooting his mouth off to the press, insinuating that the hard work was done and Plymouth were going to Wembley! Just the motivation Jimmy Mullen needed to raise the Clarets for this game.

Jimmy posted up the Plymouth Chairman's comments on the Away team dressing room down at Home Park, and the players didn't disappoint. Plymouth scored early but Two goals from Super Johnny Francis and the other from Pilgrims old boy Joyce and they were out, all that was left in their changing room after the game were empty champagne bottles and a Plymouth newspaper.

Stockport County who also finished 12 points above Burnley, and a team who Burnley failed to beat in both game that season, were all that stood in the way of Captain John Pender and the thirty nine steps to Promotion.

Here are the games......

1st Leg Burnley v Plymouth Argyle

Burnley 0 - 0 Plymouth Argyle

Att: 18, 794

Teams

Burnley:  Marlon Beresford, Gary Parkinson, Les Thompson, Steve Davis, John Pender, Warren Joyce, Ted McMinn, John Deary, Adrian Heath, John Francis, David Eyres.

Subs.. David Williams(not used), Andy Farrell(not used), Graham Lancashire(for Ted McMinn 51mins)

Plymouth Argyle: Alan Nicholls, Mark Patterson, Keith Hill, Adrian Burrows(sent off 50 Min's), Andy Comyn, Steve McCall, Martin Barlow, Steve Castle, Richard Landon, Dwight Marshall, Paul Dalton.

Subs.. Ray Newland(not used), Wayne Burnett(for Landon 59mins), Kevin Nugent(for Marshall 83mins).

18,794 were at Turf Moor for this dire game, with a total of just 3 goal attempts on target for both sides(2 attempts for Burnley). Plymouth came to Burnley with one thing on their mind, a goal less draw! and they got it.Burrows, Hill, Castle and Barlow all received yellow cards for fouls while Adrian Burrows received a second yellow (for a hand ball offence) and was subserviently sent off on 50 minutes.

Burnley went into the second leg as out and out underdogs, as Plymouth like Stockport County had finished the league season 12 point in front of Burnley.

 2nd Leg Plymouth Argyle v Burnley

Plymouth 1 - 3 Burnley

Goals: Marshall(Plymouth)15, John Francis(Burnley)29 & 31, Warren Joyce 81.

Att: 17,515 
 

Teams

Plymouth Argyle: Alan Nicholls, Mark Patterson, Steve McCall, Keith Hill, Andy Comyn, Wayne Burnett, Martin Barlow, Steve Castle, Richard Landon, Dwight Marshall, Paul Dalton.

Subs...Ray Newland, Naylor(on for Burnett 31mins), Nugent(on for Landon 57 Min's).

Burnley: Marlon Beresford, Gary Parkinson, Les Thompson, Steve Davis, John Pender, Warren Joyce, Ted McMinn, John Deary, Adrian Heath, John Francis, David Eyres.

Subs.. David Williams, Farrell(on fro Joyce 90mins), Nathan Peel(on for Francis 60mins).

Burnley after going a goal down on 15 Min's, went to frustrate Plymouth by stopping them playing there normal passing game, Peter Shilton's side were baffled by Burnleys energy and tremendous work ethic. John Francis would be the hero for Burnley but Plymouth's chairman would be the villain, after newspaper reports in Peter Shilton's Autobiography it states "Burnley had stayed overnight, On the morning of the game , Jimmy Mullen had bought a copy of the local newspaper and he had read the article suggesting his side were not much of a team and that or Plymouth to beat them would not be much of an achievement. Jimmy had pinned the article up in the away dressing room." Shilton went on and said"Jimmy told me that when his players read it, they were determined to prove that they were a good team"

Every player in a Claret shirt could claim to be man of the match, Beresford through to Eyres, but the Burnley Express gave the acclaim to Steve Davis. After that early goal by Marshall, kick started Burnley and speedster John Francis who latched on to Adrian Heath's through balls to find the net twice, before running himself into the ground and to be replaced on 60 minutes by local lad Nathan Peel. Another kick in the Argyle teeth was the the final goal, old boy Warren Joyce who left Home Park in the previous summer, bundled the ball over the line to make it 3-1 to Burnley.

Jimmy Mullen and Burnley were there, at Wembley.

Second Division Play off Final

Burnley 2 - 1 Stockport County

Goals: Beaumont(Stockport)2, Eyres(Burnley)29, Parkinson(Burnley)66.

Att: 44,806

Teams

Burnley: Marlon Beresford, Gary Parkinson, Les Thompson, Steve Davis, John Pender, Warren Joyce, Ted McMinn, Adrian Heath, John Francis, David Eyres.

Subs.. David Williams(not used), Andy Farrell(on for Francis 15 Min's), Graham Lancashire (not used)

Stockport County: John Keeley, Lee Todd, Micheal Wallace(sent off 14mins), Sean Connelly, Micheal Flynn, Bill Williams, Jim Gannon, Ward, Kevin Francis, Chris Beaumont(sent off 60mins), David Frain.

Subs.. Ian Ironside(not used), Dave Miller(on for Gannon 81mins), Andy Preece(on for Williams 60mins).

Stockport County, who's fans hate Burnley for reasons unknown, as Burnley don't give a monkeys about this strange little side from the banks of the Mersey. But with a little history which goes back just a decade when Burnley's and Stockport's hooligans clashed, this was a day where Burnley went to enjoy, and a minority of Stockport's hate filled fans went for trouble(or so it seemed).

Stockport's players got revved up so much that two saw red, Wallace for a disgusting spit in the face of Burnley wing man McMinn, and Stockport goalscorer Beaumont for an off the ball stamp on Burnley pie man Les Thompson. John Francis left the pitch early on as he collided with Stockport keeper Keeley and damaged knee ligaments, this after Burnley allowed Beaumont to get in a near post header that beat Beresford and sneak in, just like at Plymouth, Burnley had to do this the hard way.

But with Andy Farrell coming on (the only player to play at Wembley twice for Burnley), Burnley started to press and a final statistics of 8 goals attempts on target to Stockport's 1, mirrored that. With Farrell slotted in in the left Midfield spot ,David Eyres joined Heath up front, and 15 minutes later scored with a great curling shot from the edge of the area, 1-1 and Burnley were the only team that would win this game.

Beaumont's moment of madness on sixty minutes, left the nine Stockport players on the huge Wembley pitch with too much to do, 6 minutes later the game was won a bobbling ball on the edge of the Stockport area was struck (not very sweetly) by Gary Parkinson, and the game was won.

With Stockport tired, Steve Davis picked the ball up on the edge of his own penalty area, and ran right at the Stockport County' entire team, eventually reaching Stockport's six yard box, but with the keeper rounded miss-kicking, the ball went out for a throw in, it would have been the Claret goal of the century reminiscent of Ashly Hoskins effort at the Vetch Field, Swansea years earlier

 While on approx seventy minutes Stockport's little bunch of nutters, who indiscrimately in the corner of the great empty space of wembley (their 8 thousand of so fans looked lost), started fighting amongst themselves, much to the amusement to the 35 or so thousand Clarets who were still celebrating Parkinsons goal.

It wasnt a classic but it was a victory, Burnley Were Back....