# 1985–86 Burnley F.C. season

The 1985–86 season was Burnley's first season in the fourth tier of English football. They were initially managed by Martin Buchan until October 1985, when he was replaced by Tommy Cavanagh as manager.

## Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Division Four | Division Four | League Cup | League Cup | FA Cup | FA Cup | FL Trophy | FL Trophy |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | FW | ENG | Wayne Biggins | 14 | 5 | 12+0 | 4 | 2+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Brian Chippendale | 8 | 0 | 6+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Ray Deakin | 52 | 3 | 46+0 | 3 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Peter Devine | 41 | 4 | 31+6 | 2 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 2 | 1+1 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Neil Edwards | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Neil Grewcock | 44 | 7 | 36+2 | 7 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Peter Hampton | 44 | 1 | 39+1 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Peter Haddock | 7 | 0 | 7+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | GK | WAL | Phil Harrington | 2 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Darren Heesom | 28 | 1 | 23+2 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | DF | NIR | Jim Heggarty | 41 | 1 | 33+3 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Kevin Hird | 45 | 8 | 39+0 | 7 | 2+0 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Rick Holden | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Ashley Hoskin | 22 | 2 | 17+2 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Andy Kilner | 5 | 0 | 2+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Les Lawrence | 23 | 7 | 16+5 | 6 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 |
| | MF | ENG | Phil Malley | 49 | 3 | 43+0 | 2 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | GK | ENG | Joe Neenan | 42 | 0 | 36+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Vince Overson | 32 | 0 | 28+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Geoff Palmer | 14 | 0 | 11+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Derrick Parker | 21 | 6 | 19+0 | 5 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | GK | ENG | Dennis Peacock | 8 | 0 | 8+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Mark Rhodes | 4 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Andy Robinson | 5 | 1 | 5+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Alan Taylor | 51 | 21 | 44+1 | 16 | 2+0 | 3 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 2 |

## Matches
### Football League Division Four
#### Results

| Date | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
| 17 August 1985 | Northampton Town (H) | 3–2 | Hird 12', Biggins (2) 28', 44' | 4,279 |
| 23 August 1985 | Stockport County (H) | 0–1 | | 3,909 |
| 26 August 1985 | Port Vale (H) | 1–2 | Taylor 23' | 3,995 |
| 31 August 1985 | Aldershot (A) | 2–0 | Taylor (2) 62', 68' | 1,744 |
| 7 September 1985 | Hartlepool United (H) | 2–0 | Biggins 37', Heggarty 89' | 3,175 |
| 14 September 1985 | Hereford United (A) | 2–2 | Malley 18', Hird 65' (pen.) | 3,411 |
| 17 September 1985 | Preston North End (A) | 0–1 | | 5,585 |
| 21 September 1985 | Rochdale (H) | 1–0 | Biggins 1' | 4,241 |
| 28 September 1985 | Peterborough United (A) | 0–0 | | 3,700 |
| 1 October 1985 | Colchester United (H) | 0–2 | | 3,424 |
| 5 October 1985 | Chester City (A) | 0–4 | | 2,974 |
| 12 October 1985 | Swindon Town (H) | 0–2 | | 3,022 |
| 19 October 1985 | Crewe Alexandra (A) | 1–3 | Taylor 48' | 1,998 |
| 22 October 1985 | Torquay United (H) | 3–0 | Hird 14' (pen.), Taylor (2) 31', 88' | 2,295 |
| 26 October 1985 | Halifax Town (A) | 2–2 | Parker 19', Grewcock 86' | 2,334 |
| 2 November 1985 | Southend United (H) | 1–3 | Robinson 44' | 2,673 |
| 5 November 1985 | Mansfield Town (H) | 2–1 | Taylor 44', Hird 67' | 2,020 |
| 9 November 1985 | Cambridge United (A) | 4–0 | Hird 1', Parker 28', Devine 29', Taylor 35' | 1,917 |
| 23 November 1985 | Exeter City (H) | 3–1 | McNichol 14' (o.g.), Hird (2) 50' (pen.), 81' (pen.) | 2,893 |
| 30 November 1985 | Scunthorpe United (A) | 1–1 | Hoskin 8' | 2,001 |
| 14 December 1985 | Orient (H) | 1–0 | Taylor 23' | 3,007 |
| 20 December 1985 | Stockport County (A) | 1–1 | Heesom 79' | 3,472 |
| 26 December 1985 | Tranmere Rovers (A) | 1–2 | Taylor 44' | 3,188 |
| 1 January 1986 | Wrexham (H) | 5–2 | Taylor 27', Deakin 32', Grewcock 50', Parker (2) 58', 75' | 4,106 |
| 3 January 1986 | Southend United (A) | 3–2 | Taylor (2) 65', 77', Deakin 66' | 2,619 |
| 18 January 1986 | Northampton Town (A) | 0–2 | | 3,095 |
| 25 January 1986 | Hereford United (H) | 3–2 | Taylor (2) 5', 56', Lawrence 72' | 3,936 |
| 1 February 1986 | Hartlepool United (A) | 1–3 | Lawrence 56' | 3,359 |
| 4 February 1986 | Torquay United (A) | 0–2 | | 1,335 |
| 24 February 1986 | Port Vale (A) | 1–1 | Lawrence 86' | 3,030 |
| 1 March 1986 | Peterborough United (H) | 1–1 | Paris 50' (o.g.) | 2,676 |
| 8 March 1986 | Chester City (H) | 1–0 | Lawrence 70' | 3,742 |
| 11 March 1986 | Aldershot (H) | 1–2 | Grewcock 19' | 2,675 |
| 15 March 1986 | Swindon Town (A) | 1–3 | Lawrence 44' | 7,311 |
| 18 March 1986 | Rochdale (A) | 0–1 | | 2,406 |
| 22 March 1986 | Halifax Town (H) | 1–3 | Hampton 15' | 3,326 |
| 29 March 1986 | Wrexham (A) | 1–0 | Hoskin 41' | 2,057 |
| 31 March 1986 | Tranmere Rovers (H) | 3–1 | Grewcock (2) 34', 89', Malley 67' | 3,132 |
| 5 April 1986 | Mansfield Town (A) | 0–0 | | 3,678 |
| 12 April 1986 | Cambridge United (H) | 1–1 | Grewcock 87' | 2,796 |
| 15 April 1986 | Crewe Alexandra (H) | 0–1 | | 1,988 |
| 19 April 1986 | Exeter City (A) | 2–0 | Taylor 20', Parker 47' | 2,019 |
| 22 April 1986 | Preston North End (H) | 1–1 | Deakin 49' | 3,835 |
| 26 April 1986 | Scunthorpe United (H) | 1–2 | Grewcock 20' | 2,542 |
| 3 May 1986 | Orient (A) | 0–3 | | 1,995 |
| 6 May 1986 | Colchester United (A) | 2–2 | Lawrence 62', Devine 89' | 2,726 |

### Final league position

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 12 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 54 | 61 | −7 | 63 | |
| 13 | Wrexham | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 68 | 80 | −12 | 60 | Welsh Cup Winners, qualified for the 1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup First round |
| 14 | Burnley | 46 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 60 | 65 | −5 | 59 | |
| 15 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 50 | 55 | −5 | 59 | |
| 16 | Aldershot | 46 | 17 | 7 | 22 | 66 | 74 | −8 | 58 | |
* ↑ Wrexham won the 1986 Welsh Cup and thus claimed a place in the 1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup, Welsh clubs still being allowed to compete in UEFA's competitions.

### FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
| 16 November 1985 | Round 1 | Nuneaton Borough (A) | 3–2 | Malley 15', Devine (2) 44', 89' | 4,500 |
| 7 December 1985 | Round 2 | Rotherham United (A) | 1–4 | Parker 47' | 4,264 |

### League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
| 20 August 1985 | Round 1 First leg | Bury (H) | 2–1 | Taylor 10', Biggins 82' | 3,303 |
| 3 September 1985 | Round 1 Second leg | Bury (A) | 3–5 | Taylor (2) 25', 85', Hird 40' | 3,762 |

### Football League Trophy

| Date | Round | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
| 21 January 1986 | Group Stage | Chesterfield (A) | 2–1 | Lawrence 25', Taylor 46' | 1,053 |
| 13 March 1986 | Group Stage | Darlington (H) | 1–1 | Taylor 13' | 1,138 |