Lalley's memories of Dave Burnside

Wolves' Sporting Star columnist John Lalley regales his memories of Dave Burnside after the former Molineux midfielder's sad passing.

Very sad to hear the news about the death of our former midfielder Dave Burnside coming as it does so close to the passing of Bobby Thomson, his colleague in the 1966/67 promotion-winning Wolves team.

Burnside played only forty odd games for Wolves, but his was a significant role in that successful campaign. It came as a major surprise when our manager Ronnie Allen recruited him from Crystal Palace in September 1966, even though they had played there together and at Albion previously.

Literally within hours of signing, Burnside was making his Molineux debut against his old team-mates scoring our goal in a 1-1 draw. The match programme became a collector's item with his name printed in the Palace line-up alongside Bobby Woodruff, another of our former players with West Country connections like Burnside.

He made an excellent contribution that season, playing twenty five games, usually vying for a place with Peter Knowles.

Back in the old First Division, Burnside started the season in the team scoring against his former Albion mates in the infamous 3-3 draw when goalkeeper Phil Parkes was sent off, before Knowles finally secured the position exclusively.

But his most famous game in a Wolves shirt took place thousands of miles away in the Los Angeles Olympic stadium in 1967, when Wolves beat Aberdeen 6-5 in the final of the USA Soccer League.

Burnside scored a hat-trick against a Dons side inspired by Frank Munro. Even now, over 40 years on, the match makes for pulsating viewing on DVD.

In fact, Wolves played Aberdeen three times on that American tour and I recall Munro telling me that during one of the games, Burnside irritated him so much that Frank swung a punch in his direction near to the official's bench by the touchline.

The trouble was that Burnside ducked and Frank's haymaker laid out John Ireland, the Wolves chairman instead! Thankfully the chairman held no grudges when Frank signed on the dotted line at Molineux a few months later.

Burnside was a skilful player and there was none of the idiotic rancour then that exists now because he had previously played for Albion, where he had first made his name performing acts of brilliant ball-juggling in front of the cameras as a half-time sideshow.

He gave the Wolves 100 per cent every time he pulled on a gold shirt and, like so many of his generation of players, invokes the most affectionate of memories for me recalling his patience and courtesy when signing autographs for snotty-nosed kids like me outside the old main entrance on the Waterloo Road.

Strange, only last week, I was recalling with a close pal a delightful goal he scored against Blackburn at the South Bank end in that superb Second Division season. Great memories, I promise you.

Burnside would have approved of the spirit we showed at Everton on Saturday. Regardless of the fitness levels of Michael Mancienne or Kevin Foley, it seems that Mick was fully intent in finally giving Ronald Zubar a shot at the Premier League.

The early season spiel from the club claiming that Zubar's faltering English had directly lead to a lack of match fitness strained credibility to its limits, but no matter. If his performance at Goodison is a benchmark for the future, then he could prove to be a genuine asset at this level.

Certainly Kevin Foley has faced no challenge to his position at right-back since his arrival at the club and his consistency has been admirable, but the Frenchman gives the manager an extra flexible option, whether it is in completion with Foley or in central defence, only time will tell.

Sure, it is just one game and Zubar will have to show us whether he can be consistent, but his contribution on Merseyside was the highlight of an excellent afternoon's work from the entire team.