Burnley Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Burnley, Lancashire. Founded on 18 May 1882, the club was one of the first to become professional (in 1883), putting pressure on the Football Association (FA) to permit payments to players. In 1885, the FA legalised professionalism, so the team entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1885–86, and were one of the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888–89. Burnley have played in all four professional divisions of English football from 1888 to the present day. The team have been champions of England twice, in 1920–21 and 1959–60, have won the FA Cup once, in 1913–14, and have won the FA Charity Shield twice, in 1960 and 1973. Burnley are one of only five teams to have won all four professional divisions of English football, along with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Preston North End, Sheffield United and Portsmouth. They were the second to achieve this by winning the Fourth Division in the 1991–92 season.

The record for most games played for the club is held by Jerry Dawson, who made 569 appearances between 1907 and 1928. George Beel scored 188 goals during his Burnley career and is the club's record goalscorer. Jimmy McIlroy made 51 appearances for Northern Ireland and so is the player who gained the most caps while with Burnley. The highest transfer fee paid by the club is the £16.1 million paid to FC Basel for Zeki Amdouni in 2023; the highest fees received are the £25 million paid by Everton and Newcastle United for Michael Keane and Chris Wood in 2017 and 2022 respectively. The highest attendance recorded at home ground Turf Moor was 54,775 for the visit of Huddersfield Town in a third round FA Cup match in 1924.

All records and statistics are correct as of the 2023–24 season.

Honours and achievements

Burnley won their first honour in 1883, when they won the Dr Dean's Cup, a knockout competition between amateur clubs in the Burnley area. The club turned professional by the end of 1883, and was one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888. Burnley reached their first major final in 1914, beating Liverpool 1–0 in the FA Cup final. Burnley have been champions of England two times, in 1920–21 and 1959–60, and have won the Charity Shield twice, in 1960 and 1973. The side have competed in one of the four professional levels of English football from 1888 to the present day. They were the second, and are one of only five teams to have won all four tiers, along with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Preston North End, Sheffield United and Portsmouth. Burnley's honours include the following:

League

First Division (Tier 1)

• Winners: 1920–21, 1959–60
• Runners–up: 1919–20, 1961–62

Second Division/Championship (Tier 2)

• Winners: 1897–98, 1972–73, 2015–16, 2022–23
• Promoted: 1912–13, 1946–47, 2013–14
• Play–off winners: 2008–09

Third Division/Second Division (Tier 3)

• Winners: 1981–82
• Promoted: 1999–2000
• Play–off winners: 1993–94

Fourth Division (Tier 4)

• Winners: 1991–92

Cup

FA Cup

• Winners: 1913–14
• Runners–up: 1946–47, 1961–62

FA Charity Shield

• Winners: 1960 (shared), 1973
• Runners–up: 1921

Texaco Cup

• Runners–up: 1973–74

Anglo-Scottish Cup

• Winners: 1978–79

Associate Members' Cup

• Runners–up: 1987–88

Budapest Cup

• Runners–up: 1914

Allison Trophy

• Winners: 1961, 1962

Regional

Lancashire Cup

• Winners (13): 1889–90, 1914–15, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1992–93, 2022–23
• Runners–up (13): 1899–1900, 1900–01, 1901–02, 1910–11, 1911–12, 1929–30, 1940–41, 1945–46, 1956–57, 1967–68, 1985–86, 2018–19, 2021–22

Dr Dean's Cup

• Winners: 1883

Hospital Cup

• Winners: 1883–84, 1887–88, 1889–90

East Lancashire Charity Cup

• Winners (14): 1892–93, 1893–94, 1898–99, 1904–05, 1905–06, 1906–07, 1907–08, 1911–12, 1914–15, 1919–20, 1920–21, 1921–22, 1923–24 (shared), 1927–28 (shared)
• Runners–up (7): 1890–91, 1901–02, 1910–11, 1922–23, 1925–26, 1926–27, 1928–29

Club records

Season records

• Most league wins in a season: 29 in 46 matches, Championship, 2022–23
• Fewest league wins in a season: 4 in 22 matches, Football League, 1889–90
• Most league draws in a season: 17 in 46 matches, Third Division, 1981–82
• Fewest league draws in a season: 3 in 22 matches, Football League, 1888–89 and 1890–91
• Most league defeats in a season: 24 in 38 matches, Premier League, 2009–10 and 2023–24
• Fewest league defeats in a season: 2 in 30 matches, Second Division, 1897–98

Points

• Most points in a season:
  • Two points for a win: 62 in 42 matches, Second Division, 1972–73
  • Three points for a win: 101 in 46 matches, Championship, 2022–23
• Fewest points in a season:
  • Two points for a win: 13 in 22 matches, Football League, 1889–90
  • Three points for a win: 24 in 38 matches, Premier League, 2023–24

Goals

• Most league goals scored in a season: 102 in 42 matches, First Division, 1960–61
• Fewest league goals scored in a season: 28 in 38 matches, Premier League, 2014–15
• Most league goals conceded in a season: 108 in 42 matches, First Division, 1925–26
• Fewest league goals conceded in a season: 24 in 30 matches, Second Division, 1897–98

Clean sheets

• Most clean sheets in a season: 25 in 51 matches (19 in 42 Second Division games and 6 in 9 FA Cup matches), 1946–47

Match records

Firsts

• First recorded match: Burnley 4–0 Burnley Wanderers, friendly, 10 August 1882
• First match at Turf Moor: Burnley 3–6 Rawtenstall, 17 February 1883
• First FA Cup match: Darwen Old Wanderers 11–0 Burnley, first round, 17 October 1885
• First league match: Preston North End 5–2 Burnley, 8 September 1888
• First League Cup match: Cardiff City 0–4 Burnley, second round, 24 October 1960
• First European Cup match: Burnley 2–0 Stade de Reims, second round, 16 November 1960

Record wins

• Record win: Burnley 15–0 Haydock, Lancashire Cup, second round, 20 January 1890
• Record league win: Burnley 9–0 Darwen, Football League, 9 January 1892
• Record away win: Tananarive 1–14 Burnley, in Madagascar, friendly, 9 May 1954
• Record league away win: Birmingham 1–7 Burnley, First Division, 10 April 1926
• Record FA Cup win:
  • Burnley 9–0 Crystal Palace, second round, 10 February 1909
  • Burnley 9–0 New Brighton, fourth round, 26 January 1957
  • Penrith 0–9 Burnley, first round, 17 November 1984
• Record League Cup win: Burnley 6–0 Grimsby Town, second round, 10 September 1968
• Record European win: Burnley 5–0 Lausanne-Sports, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup second round, 25 October 1966

Record defeats

• Record defeat: Darwen Old Wanderers 11–0 Burnley, FA Cup first round, 17 October 1885
• Record league defeat:
  • Aston Villa 10–0 Burnley, First Division, 29 August 1925
  • Sheffield United 10–0 Burnley, First Division, 19 January 1929
• Record league home defeat:
  • Burnley 1–7 Blackburn Rovers, Football League, 3 November 1888
  • Burnley 0–6 Hereford United, Fourth Division, 24 January 1987
  • Burnley 0–6 Manchester City, Second Division (third tier), 9 March 1999
• Record League Cup defeat: Manchester City 5–0 Burnley, first round, 11 August 1999
• Record European defeat: Hamburger SV 4–1 Burnley, European Cup quarter-final, 15 March 1961

Streaks

• Longest winning streak (all competitions): 11 matches; 16 November 1912 to 18 January 1913, Second Division (10 matches) and FA Cup (one match)
• Longest winning streak at home (all competitions): 18 matches; 6 September 1920 to 2 April 1921, First Division (17 matches) and FA Cup (one match)
• Longest winning streak from home (all competitions): 7 matches; 12 October 1991 to 1 January 1992, Fourth Division (six matches) and FA Cup (one match)
• Longest unbeaten run (league): 30 matches; 6 September 1920 to 25 March 1921, First Division
• Longest unbeaten run at home (league): 34 matches; 1 April 1911 to 4 January 1913, Second Division
• Longest unbeaten run from home (league): 15 matches; 15 April 1972 to 6 January 1973, Second Division
• Longest drawing streak (league): 6 matches; 21 February to 28 March 1931, Second Division
• Longest losing streak (league): 8 matches;
  • 9 November 1889 to 22 February 1890, Football League
  • 16 March to 2 September 1895, First Division
  • 2 January to 25 February 1995, First Division (second tier)
• Longest streak without a win (league): 24 matches; 16 April to 17 November 1979, Second Division
• Longest scoring run (league): 31 matches; 16 August 2022 to 25 February 2023, Championship
• Longest non-scoring run (league): 6 matches;
  • 9 August to 7 September 1997, Second Division (third tier)
  • 23 December 2006 to 30 January 2007, Championship
  • 21 March to 2 May 2015, Premier League
• Longest streak without conceding a goal (league): 7 matches; 6 September to 4 October 1980, Third Division

Attendances

• Highest attendance in a match involving Burnley: 100,000; versus Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in the 1962 FA Cup Final
• Highest home attendance: 54,775; versus Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup third round on 23 February 1924
• Lowest home attendance: 400; versus Barnsley and Gainsborough Trinity in the Second Division on 30 March 1901 and 8 March 1902, respectively
• Highest home attendance in a league match: 52,869; versus Blackpool in the First Division on 11 October 1947
• Highest average home attendance: 33,621; in the First Division in 1947–48
• Lowest average home attendance: 1,500; in the Second Division in 1902–03

Managerial records

• First full-time manager: Harry Bradshaw; August 1894 to June 1899
• Longest serving manager (time and games): Harry Potts; 728 competitive matches, February 1958 to February 1970 and February 1977 to October 1979
• First manager from outside England: Frank Hill; Scottish, managed the club for 266 competitive matches from October 1948 to August 1954
• Most wins: Harry Potts; 314 competitive matches (from 728)
• Highest win percentage (excluding caretaker managers): Cliff Britton; 49.00%, 49 competitive matches won from 100
• Lowest win percentage (excluding caretaker managers): Joe Brown; 22.64%, 12 competitive matches won from 53

Player records

Award winners

• FWA Footballer of the Year
  • Jimmy Adamson – 1961–62
• First tier top goal scorer
  • Willie Irvine – 1965–66

Appearances

• Youngest first-team player: Tommy Lawton; 16 years, 174 days (against Doncaster Rovers, Second Division, 28 March 1936)
• Oldest first-team player: Len Smelt; 41 years, 132 days (against Arsenal, First Division, 18 April 1925)
• Most consecutive league appearances: 203 – Jimmy Strong, 31 August 1946 – 23 March 1951

Most appearances

Competitive first-team appearances only; substitute appearances appear in parentheses; they are in addition to the figures before the brackets and are not included within them.

 ¤ —Played their full career at Burnley

No.	Name	Nation	Years	League	FA Cup	League Cup	Other	Total
1	Jerry Dawson	England	1907–1929 ¤	522 (0)	46 (0)	0 (0)	1 (0)	569 (0)
2	Alan Stevenson	England	1972–1983	438 (0)	33 (0)	36 (0)	36 (0)	543 (0)
3	John Angus	England	1955–1972 ¤	438 (1)	45 (0)	25 (0)	12 (0)	520 (1)
4=	Jimmy McIlroy	Northern Ireland	1950–1963	439 (0)	50 (0)	3 (0)	5 (0)	497 (0)
4=	Martin Dobson	England	1967–1974 1979–1984	406 (4)	31 (0)	34 (0)	22 (0)	493 (4)
6	Jimmy Adamson	England	1947–1964 ¤	426 (0)	52 (0)	3 (0)	5 (0)	486 (0)
7	Tommy Cummings	England	1947–1963	434 (0)	38 (0)	6 (0)	1 (0)	479 (0)
8	Brian Miller	England	1954–1967 ¤	379 (0)	50 (0)	13 (0)	13 (0)	455 (0)
9	Fred Barron	England	1898–1911	400 (0)	23 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	423 (0)
10	Leighton James	Wales	1970–1975 1978–1980 1986–1989	331 (5)	17 (0)	22 (0)	23 (1)	393 (6)

Goalscorers

• Most goals in a season in all competitions: 37 goals;
  • Jimmy Robson (25 in the First Division, five in the FA Cup, four in the League Cup, and three in the European Cup), 1960–61
  • Willie Irvine (29 in the First Division, five in the FA Cup, and three in the League Cup), 1965–66
• Most league goals in a season: George Beel – 35, First Division, 1927–28
• Most goals in a league match: Louis Page – 6, versus Birmingham away (First Division, 10 April 1926)
• Most consecutive matches scored in: 8 – Ray Pointer (First Division and FA Cup, 29 November 1958 to 14 January 1959) and Charlie Austin (Championship and League Cup, 15 September 2012 to 23 October 2012)
• Most seasons as top goalscorer: George Beel – 6, 1923–24, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1931–32
• Most goals on debut: Ian Lawson – 4, versus Chesterfield (FA Cup third round, 5 January 1957)
• First goal in the FA Cup: Walter Place, versus Astley Bridge away (first round, 23 October 1886)
• First goal in league football: Pat Gallocher (21st minute), versus Preston North End away (Football League, 8 September 1888)
• First hat-trick (league): William Tait, versus Bolton Wanderers away (Football League, 15 September 1888)
• Most hat-tricks: George Beel – 11, between 1923 and 1931
• Fastest hat-trick: Louis Page – 3 minutes, versus Birmingham away (First Division, 10 April 1926)

Overall scorers

Competitive first-team matches only; appearances including substitute appearances appear in parentheses and italics.

No.	Name	Nation	Years	League	FA Cup	League Cup	Other	Total
1	George Beel	England	1923–1932	179 (316)	9 (21)	0 (0)	0 (0)	188 (337)
2	Ray Pointer	England	1957–1965	118 (223)	12 (35)	2 (7)	0 (5)	132 (270)
3	Jimmy McIlroy	Northern Ireland	1950–1963	116 (439)	13 (50)	1 (3)	1 (5)	131 (497)
4	Andy Lochhead	Scotland	1958–1968	101 (226)	12 (19)	9 (15)	6 (6)	128 (266)
5=	Bert Freeman	England	1911–1921	103 (166)	12 (23)	0 (0)	0 (0)	115 (189)
5=	Louis Page	England	1925–1932	111 (248)	4 (11)	0 (0)	0 (0)	115 (259)
7	John Connelly	England	1956–1964	85 (215)	15 (38)	2 (7)	2 (5)	104 (265)
8	Jimmy Robson	England	1956–1965	79 (202)	14 (29)	4 (6)	3 (5)	100 (242)
9=	Willie Irvine	Northern Ireland	1960–1968	78 (126)	9 (10)	8 (9)	2 (3)	97 (148)
9=	Bob Kelly	England	1913–1925	88 (277)	9 (21)	0 (0)	0 (1)	97 (299)

Internationals

• First capped player: Jack Yates; for England against Ireland on 2 March 1889
• First international goalscorer: Jack Yates; for England against Ireland on 2 March 1889 (three goals)
• Most capped player while at Burnley: Jimmy McIlroy; 51 appearances for Northern Ireland
• Most capped player for England while at Burnley: Bob Kelly; 11 caps
• First player to appear in the World Cup Finals: Jock Aird; for Scotland against Austria in Zürich on 16 June 1954
• First player to appear in the World Cup Finals for England: Colin McDonald; against the Soviet Union in Gothenburg on 8 June 1958
• Most World Cup Finals appearances: Jimmy McIlroy and Billy Hamilton; both five appearances for Northern Ireland in 1958 and 1982, respectively

Transfers

Record transfer fees paid

No.	Name	Fee	Paid to	Date	Ref.
1	Zeki Amdouni	£16.1m	Basel	19 July 2023
2=	Chris Wood	£15m	Leeds United	21 August 2017
2=	Ben Gibson	£15m	Middlesbrough	5 August 2018
2=	James Trafford	£15m	Manchester City	20 July 2023
5	Aaron Ramsey	£14m	Aston Villa	22 August 2023

Record transfer fees received

No.	Name	Fee	Paid by	Date	Ref.
1=	Chris Wood	£25m	Newcastle United	13 January 2022
1=	Michael Keane	£25m	Everton	3 July 2017
3	Nathan Collins	£20.5m	Wolverhampton Wanderers	12 July 2022
4	Dwight McNeil	£20m	Everton	28 July 2022
5	Andre Gray	£18.5m	Watford	10 August 2017

• When Bob Kelly moved from Burnley to Sunderland for £6,500 in 1925 (equivalent to £470,000 in 2024), he broke the world transfer record.