Aston Villa former left winger, Harry Burrows, has just departed leaving sweet memories for the club.
Aston Villa have just lost another legendary player. After the passing of the former goalkeeper, Jimmy Rimmer a few weeks ago, now it is Harry Burrows, the former left winger in the 1960s. The club made an official statement as reported in avfc.co.uk.
“Aston Villa is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former player and 1961 League Cup winner Harry Burrows, who has died at the age of 85.The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Harry’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”
Burrows first joined Villa at the age of 15 as an amateur player. He then was signed part time in March 1958 and made his debut in the 1959/60 season against Hull City when Villa was still in the second tier under Joe Mercer.
He then started to play regularly in the following season as a left winger. His stellar season was in the 1962/63 when he bagged 22 goals and 11 assists in 49 games in all competitions. Burrows became the club’s top scorer too in that season and in the previous one with 19 goals and four assists.
Overall the winger who then moved to Stoke City following the disagreement with Dick Taylor’ policy on the new signings made 181 appearances with 73 goals for Villa. He contributed heavily when The Lions won League Cup in 1961 and the finalist in 1963.
The winger who was widely known as ‘The Blast” due to his cannonball shot scored some memorable goals in The Clarets and Blue. The most famous one was probably when he netted one of the goal in EFL League Cup final 1961 against Rotherham. Two years later, he provided two assists in the first leg of EFL League Cup semifinal against Sunderland on the road. The game ended in a 3-1 win.
Burrows also scored one and set up once when Villa beat Chelsea 3-1 on matchday two in the 1961/62 season. He also did the same when his team thumped Arsenal 3-1 in September 1962. The winger who excelled at penalties bagged his only hattrick as Villa crushed Blackpool 4-0 away from home in the 1963/64 campaign.
Meanwhile, his memorable contribution in a derby against Birmingham City was in the 1962/63 campaign. Once again, Burrows notched up one and provided one assist in a 4-0 win at Villa Park.
During his stint there, Villa’s best finish was in seventh place. It was in the 1961/62 season. The Lions mainly were stuck in the mid table and lower table to avoid relegation.
The Haydock-born winger was only capped once for England U23 and never had a chance to play in the continental competitions in his career. Nevertheless, he is one of the Villa’s prolific winger in the past with his famous powerful strike.
His ex-teammate in Stoke City shared his memory on him as reported in the official club sites.
“He was a terrific footballer with a cannonball shot – it was once measured as the hardest shot in the game.”
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