Clarets’ Royal Cup Final win marked at Towneley Hall

Photo: David Hurst
Launch of a new exhibition commemorating Burnley FC's 1914 FA Cup win opened at Towneley Hall, Burnley Former Chairman of Burnley FC, Barry Kilby, with a replica of the cup — Photo: David Hurst Launch of a new exhibition commemorating Burnley FC's 1914 FA Cup win opened at Towneley Hall, Burnley Former Chairman of Burnley FC, Barry Kilby, with a replica of the cup

Winning the FA Cup ranks alongside just about every other achievement.

And that famous win in the “Royal Cup Final” is now being both remembered and celebrated at Towneley Hall in Burnley.

Later this month it will be 100 years since the Clarets claimed their first senior silver-ware.

A 1-0 win against Liverpool with legendary centre forward Bert Freeman netting the only goal of the game proved that a small-town club really could rub shoulders with big city neighbours.

To football historians it is a Cup Final of great interest.

It was the last of 25 to be played at the Crystal Palace grounds.

It was the first to ever be watched by a reigning monarch as King George V graced the day with his presence.

And it was the last before the First World War which cut short the lives or careers of so many great footballers.

To Burnley fans it is of great importance as it remains the only time that their club has ever lifted the famous old trophy.

There are many celebrations planned by the club to mark the centenary of the famous win.

And the first is the Towneley Hall exhibition entitled “They went to the Palace and shook hands with the King”.

The exhibition was launched on Sunday and is open to the public at usual Towneley Hall openings times.

Items on display have been drawn together from the club’s own archives, the Towneley Hall archives and the private collections of numerous Burnley fans around the country.

Relatives of some of those involved on that auspicious day – April 25th, 1914 – were present for the launch as were current and former club directors, former players Jimmy McIlroy and Jimmy Robson, the Mayor and Mayoress of Burnley Coun. and Mrs Frank Cant, and Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle.

Club historian Ray Simpson welcomed guests and explained something of the history of the day.

And former Burnley FC chairman Barry Kilby said: “Someone once said to me that Burnley was too small a place to be a big club but had too much history for it not to be, this exhibition proves that.”