Former
Burnley and Chelsea midfielder Ian Britton has died at the age of 61 after a
long illness.
Britton is revered by Clarets fans for scoring the decisive goal in a 2-1
win over Leyton Orient in 1987 which preserved their Football League status.
Born in Dundee, Britton moved to Chelsea, where he made his league debut, in
December 1972 and played alongside the likes of Ray Wilkins and Garry
Stanley as Eddie McCreadie's team won promotion back to the top flight in
1977.
After 289 appearances, he left Chelsea in 1982 before going on to help
Dundee United win their only top-flight Scottish league title.
A short stint at Arbroath was followed by a move to Blackpool where he
stayed for three years. Burnley were in the Fourth Division when Britton
signed in 1986 - the first season automatic promotion from the Conference
was introduced.
He initially joined the side on loan, but the deal was soon made permanent
and he spent three years at Turf Moor.
Britton's impact at the club was enormous, scoring what proved to be the
winning header against Orient in the final game of the season in 1987, which
kept the club in the Football League.
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