RIP Ray Pointer

It was with sadness that I read today of the death at 79 of Ray Pointer.

His name may be unfamiliar to you but I mention him in these pages because he was the first professional footballer I ever met when he paid a visit to our school. At the time his was a well known name as he played centre forward for Burnley who in May 1960 had clinched the English First Division title. His visit occurred because he was a native of nearby Cramlington and being an impressionable youngster I immediately adopted Burnley as my "second team" for a while.

Pointer scored a total of 133 goals in 270 appearances for Burnley (118 goals in 223 league appearances) and he went on to represent England on three occasions. Not long before his visit I had seen him playing for Burnley in the 1962 FA Cup final, though sadly they lost 3-1 to a Tottenham Hotspur side featuring the great Danny Blanchflower and Jimmy Greaves who both scored.

Pointer passed away earlier today at a care home in Blackpool.

RIP Ray, and thanks for making a bunch of school kids very happy.