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REMEMBERING KEN BURTON
David Tilley11 Jun 2017 - 20:46
A CHAMPION OF YOUTH FOOTBALL IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE AND BEYOND
"He led a team which included Ray Wilkins, Glen Hoddle, Bryan Robson, Peter Barnes and Alan Curbishley".
Over the weekend the England Under-20 team showed up the senior side by winning the Under-20 World Cup. This has, rightly, been called the country's biggest football success since 1966. But back in 1975 the England youth team did win the European Youth Championship - led by former Corby Town manager Ken Burton.
As a player Ken was a wing half or inside forward who made his senior debut for Rushden Town in the United Counties League at the age of just 14. He joined Stewarts & Lloyds in 1946 and made his first appearance for the Corby side at inside right away to Wisbech Town on the opening day of 1946/47. Englishman Ken also appeared in what was known as the "international half back line" alongside Scottish centre half John Bell and Welsh wing half Glyn Probert and represented Northamptonshire at both schoolboy and youth level.
In 1947 he joined the Leicester City groundstaff and played for their 'A' team in 1947/48 whilst also captaining the county youth side. He then had a spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers before injury and national service duty interrupted his football career. It was during his time in the Royal Artillery that Ken first became interested in coaching and although he subsequently turned out for Kettering Town, Symingtons and British Timken after returning to civvies he gave up playing at the age of 26 to concentrate on coaching.
From 1956 to 1964 he was trainer/coach at Kettering Town and in 1966 he turned down the opportunity to join Everton - who by coincidence had four players in this year's England Under-20 squad - as assistant coach under Harry Catterick, being content in his dual role of both the England amateur side and the football team at Cambridge University.
In April, 1968 Ken took over as manager of Rothwell Town and aided by Bev Iromonger - still a regular visitor to Steel Park to this day - he revitalised the club. Under the Burton-Ironmonger partnership Rothwell were U.C.L runners up in 1969/70 and 1970/71, Knock-Out Cup winners in 1970/71 and 1971/72 and Northants Senior Cup runners up in 1971/72.
Those successes did not go unnoticed at Occupation Road and in June, 1972 Ken was appointed manager of Corby Town, to be swiftly followed by Bev Ironmonger and most of his young Rothwell squad. The Steelmen won the pre-season Golden Wonder Trophy by beating German twin town Velbert in late July and although the Southern League campaign which followed was an up and down affair Corby did finish in a respectable seventh position. The Anglia Floodlit Trophy was then won in October, 1973 but the 1973/74 season was generally a battle to avoid relegation and bankruptcy and when Ken's two-year contract expired in May, 1974 he declined to renew it.
For a time Ken concentrated all his efforts on his sports shop in Kettering but before long he was back in the game as coach to the England youth team. And so it was that he led a team which included Ray Wilkins, Glen Hoddle, Bryan Robson, Peter Barnes and Alan Curbishley to that victory in the European Youth Championship in 1975.
In January, 1978 Brian Clough and Peter Taylor joined Burton as joint managers of the youth team but this was little more than an attempt by the F.A to appease Clough after overlooking him for the full England job and within a year Ken, who felt that his position had been undermined, had resigned from his post.
From then on he channelled all his efforts into encouraging local youngsters via his involvement with the Weetabix Youth League and always being available to give help and advice to anyone who asked for it.
And so it was that in August, 1985 the local football fraternity was shocked to hear the news that Ken Burton had collapsed and died whilst playing squash at the age of just 55.
As a player Ken was a wing half or inside forward who made his senior debut for Rushden Town in the United Counties League at the age of just 14. He joined Stewarts & Lloyds in 1946 and made his first appearance for the Corby side at inside right away to Wisbech Town on the opening day of 1946/47. Englishman Ken also appeared in what was known as the "international half back line" alongside Scottish centre half John Bell and Welsh wing half Glyn Probert and represented Northamptonshire at both schoolboy and youth level.
In 1947 he joined the Leicester City groundstaff and played for their 'A' team in 1947/48 whilst also captaining the county youth side. He then had a spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers before injury and national service duty interrupted his football career. It was during his time in the Royal Artillery that Ken first became interested in coaching and although he subsequently turned out for Kettering Town, Symingtons and British Timken after returning to civvies he gave up playing at the age of 26 to concentrate on coaching.
From 1956 to 1964 he was trainer/coach at Kettering Town and in 1966 he turned down the opportunity to join Everton - who by coincidence had four players in this year's England Under-20 squad - as assistant coach under Harry Catterick, being content in his dual role of both the England amateur side and the football team at Cambridge University.
In April, 1968 Ken took over as manager of Rothwell Town and aided by Bev Iromonger - still a regular visitor to Steel Park to this day - he revitalised the club. Under the Burton-Ironmonger partnership Rothwell were U.C.L runners up in 1969/70 and 1970/71, Knock-Out Cup winners in 1970/71 and 1971/72 and Northants Senior Cup runners up in 1971/72.
Those successes did not go unnoticed at Occupation Road and in June, 1972 Ken was appointed manager of Corby Town, to be swiftly followed by Bev Ironmonger and most of his young Rothwell squad. The Steelmen won the pre-season Golden Wonder Trophy by beating German twin town Velbert in late July and although the Southern League campaign which followed was an up and down affair Corby did finish in a respectable seventh position. The Anglia Floodlit Trophy was then won in October, 1973 but the 1973/74 season was generally a battle to avoid relegation and bankruptcy and when Ken's two-year contract expired in May, 1974 he declined to renew it.
For a time Ken concentrated all his efforts on his sports shop in Kettering but before long he was back in the game as coach to the England youth team. And so it was that he led a team which included Ray Wilkins, Glen Hoddle, Bryan Robson, Peter Barnes and Alan Curbishley to that victory in the European Youth Championship in 1975.
In January, 1978 Brian Clough and Peter Taylor joined Burton as joint managers of the youth team but this was little more than an attempt by the F.A to appease Clough after overlooking him for the full England job and within a year Ken, who felt that his position had been undermined, had resigned from his post.
From then on he channelled all his efforts into encouraging local youngsters via his involvement with the Weetabix Youth League and always being available to give help and advice to anyone who asked for it.
And so it was that in August, 1985 the local football fraternity was shocked to hear the news that Ken Burton had collapsed and died whilst playing squash at the age of just 55.
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