Burnley Football Club, an English association football club based in Burnley, Lancashire, was founded on 18 May 1882 as Burnley Rovers.[a] The suffix "Rovers" was soon dropped, and the club was simply known as "Burnley Football Club" at the time of its first recorded match on 10 August 1882.[3] For the first six years of its existence, there was no league football, so matches were arranged on an ad hoc basis, supplemented by cup competitions organised at local and national level.[4] The club won its first trophy in 1883: the Dr Dean's Cup, a knockout competition between amateur clubs in the local area.[5] Burnley turned professional at the end of 1883, first entered the FA Cup in the 1885–86 season, and were one of the 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888.[6] The team have played in the top four tiers of English football from 1888 to the present day.[7]
As of the end of the 2023–24 season, the team have spent 60 seasons in the top division of English football, 47 in the second, 11 in the third, and 7 in the fourth.[7] The table details their achievements in domestic and international competitions, and records their top goalscorer and average home league attendance, for each completed season.
^The Burnley Advertiser reported on 26 September 1874 that a rugby football team named "The Burnley Rovers Football Club" had "just been formed", already having 35 members.[1] On 18 May 1882, Burnley Rovers voted for a shift to association football.[2]
^Beginning with the 1925–26 season, the FA Cup was structured so that the third round proper contained 64 teams. Before that date, the structure had varied, so rounds are not directly comparable to the round of the same name after 1925. For example, in 1888–89, Burnley's first season in the Football League, there were only three rounds proper before the semi-final, as compared with the current six.[13]
^League matches only (including Football League and Premier League, but excluding test matches and play-offs). Sourced from Simpson (2007), The Clarets Chronicles up to and including the 2006–07 season, and from European Football Statistics and ESPN thereafter.[17][18]
^Burnley's first appearance in the FA Cup. They fielded their reserve side, as most professionals were prohibited entry due to rules of the Football Association (FA) that year. Rules stated that professionals could only play in the FA Cup and County FA competitions if they had been born, or had resided for a minimum of two years, within six miles of their club's ground. The reserve side lost 11–0 to Darwen Old Wanderers, a club record defeat.[20]
^For unclear reasons, both Burnley and opponents Astley Bridge withdrew from the competition after the first replay.[21]
^The first of Place's two goals in the FA Cup first round tie against Astley Bridge, a 3–3 draw on 23 October 1886, was the club's first goal in national competitive football.
^Burnley was one of 12 founding member clubs of the Football League in 1888; the world's first league football competition.[15]
^There was no automatic relegation from the Football League until 1987.[15] The bottom four clubs in the League, together with candidates from outside the League, applied for re-election. Each current League club had a vote. Burnley were re-elected.[22]
^ abThere was no automatic relegation from the Football League until 1987.[15] The bottom three clubs in the League, together with candidates from outside the League, applied for re-election. Each current League club had a vote. Burnley were re-elected.[23]
^The Football League expanded its membership at the end of this season by forming a Second Division.[15]
^For finishing in 16th place, Burnley had to play test matches against Newton Heath and Notts County from the Second Division in order to stay up. They only gained three points from four matches and were relegated to Division Two.[24]
^Although Burnley finished first in the league, the club had to play test matches against the two bottom clubs from Division One. The final test match left Burnley and Stoke involved needing a draw to both win promotion; the game finished 0–0. The Football League decided to expand each division by two places, and from then on the League adopted promotion and relegation directly dependent on league position (two up, two down).[15]
^Burnley reached the quarter-finals, in which they were eliminated by Manchester United in a replay. Burnley had led 1–0 in the original match on a snowy Turf Moor pitch (the club's home ground), when the game was abandoned after 72 minutes.[25]
^Excluding two goals in the FA Cup first round against Leeds City, which was abandoned after 50 minutes due to snow. The match was later replayed in full and Freeman scored once.[27]
^The club played 144 games in regional league and cup football between 1915 and 1919. Guest players were permitted, and results and records from this period are not included in official statistics.[28]
^Beel's 35 goals in the league is a club record.[29]
^When the Second World War began in 1939, the 1939–40 Football League season was abandoned with two matches played.[30]
^The club played 215 games in regional league and cup football between 1939 and 1946. Guest players were permitted, and results and records from this period are not included in official statistics.[31]
^This was the only full season played in the wartime Football League North and South regionalised competitions. These leagues included Football League First and Second Division clubs divided geographically, playing each other home and away. Burnley finished in 16th place (of 22 clubs) in the Northern section.[32]
^From the first round proper to the sixth round of the 1945–46 FA Cup, matches were played over two legs.[33]
^Excluding two goals in the FA Cup third round against Bury, which was abandoned after 65 minutes due to fog. The match was later replayed in full, but McKay did not score again.[34]
^Until 1993, in the event of a draw, the Charity Shield would be shared between the two competing teams, with each team having possession of the trophy for six months. Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers drew 2–2.[36][37]
^Robson's 37 goals in all competitions is a club record.
^Burnley chose to not participate in the competition again until 1965–66, as they had other priorities.[38]
^Excluding one league goal against Sunderland; the match was abandoned at half-time due to snow. The game was later replayed in full, but Casper did not score again.[39]
^Wolverhampton Wanderers defeated Burnley 2–0. The match was attended by 80,841 people, a record for a tie between two teams from English football's fourth tier.[43]
^Excluding one league goal against Aldershot, who folded during the season and were obliged to resign from the Football League–their record was expunged.[45]
^The club played Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-finals, and the score was 4–4 on aggregate. Burnley would have progressed to the final on away goals (1–4 away, 3–0 at home) but according to League Cup rules at the time, away goals only came into play after extra time.[50] Burnley were eliminated after two Tottenham goals in the last two minutes of extra time.[51] The League Cup abolished the extra time and away goals rules from the 2018–19 edition.[52]
^Gray moved from Brentford to Burnley early in the season. In the Championship, he had scored two goals for Brentford and 23 for Burnley, taking his tally to 25.[53]
^The club appeared in a major European competition for the first time in 51 years, courtesy of a 7th place finish in the 2017–18 season.[54] Burnley beat Aberdeen of Scotland and İstanbul Başakşehir of Turkey in the second qualifying round and third qualifying round, respectively. Greek club Olympiacos were the opponents in the play-off round, but Burnley were eliminated 4–2 on aggregate.[55]
^The 2019–20 season was interrupted for three months because of the COVID-19 pandemic before being completed behind closed doors;[56] the average attendance only covers those matches played with spectators present.
^"The FA Cup Past Results". The Football Association. Retrieved 7 May 2018. Individual seasons accessed via dropdown menu.
^Rundle, Richard. "1888–89 FA Cup". Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020 and "1925–26 FA Cup". Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2020.