RIP Frank Burrows

[Portchesterblue2]

https://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/202 ... k-burrows/

Thoughts with his family and friends

[Betelgeuse]

Great shame, I remember that promotion winning season and the final game at Northampton. Waiting at the end then everyone going mental. Driving down the A34 with 6 people stuffed inside my Morris 1300 and passing beer around...happy days. He gave us a great team.

RIP Frank.

[pompeygunner]

Great shame, I remember that promotion winning season and the final game at Northampton. Waiting at the end then everyone going mental. Driving down the A34 with 6 people stuffed inside my Morris 1300 and passing beer around...happy days. He gave us a great team.

RIP Frank.

Seconded. Many people's 1st taste of success with Pompey. Northampton-what a day-still my favourite ever away day. Such fond memories of that season.
RIP Frank Burrows.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

damn. He was the manager when I first started supporting the team. RIP

[Dinksy]

An honest bloke who didn't suffer fools kindly but one who you could always depend upon. And a true Scot not given to sentimentalism.....
After that win at Northampton and promotion confirmed, fans chanted for him to appear in the directors box with the celebrating players. The crowd erupted when he appeared....but then he mysteriously disappeared just as quickly. Asked by Radio Solent later was it a case of the emotion of the occasion getting to him? He answered "No, it was a case of me remembering that I left my wallet back in the changing room."

[Blue Walter]

That's sad news about Frank Burrows. He was one of Pompey's greatest managers of all time because he was the right man at the time. It was a different era and a different game back then and he fitted our needs at that time. As already been said he was a passionate man and I remember him being moved by the fans reaction to our success.

Two things that I always remember about him when talking about the club. We played Bournemouth one Friday night at the old Dean Court, which was supposed to only hold about 12000. This particular night they closed the gates with, officially reported, 15000 inside. Three quarters of the ground was taken up by Pompey fans and the Chimes were ringing out. Not like they are now but in the old way it used to be sung. It sounded simply awesome and it made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. We had Kieth Viney sent off very early on and we lost 2-1 with Derek Showers scoring both their goals. Asked about the game on the radio he simply said that he had never heard anything like those Chimes. He said that he was choked that he couldn't give us the win that 'awesome' sound deserved because it made 'the hair stand up on back of my neck'. Derek Showers signed for us a couple of weeks later saying he would walk to Fratton Park to have the chance of playing in 'that atmosphere'. The other thing that stands out for me about Frank was when he got into trouble for saying a certain player was a 'pain in the ****' live on the radio. Very much unheard of language on media back then.

Great bloke and a real football man rest in peace.

[WJDPFC]

RIP Frank. 'One Frankie Burrows........' ! When asked a year or so ago for my favourite moments supporting Pompey, that game at Northampton was in my top three along with the likes of the Wembley FA Cup win and that Milan game at Fratton. When asked to name my top three Pompey managers, Frank Burrows again made it on to my list. While I live, Frank will always remain in my heart as I am sure he will for many older Pompey fans and he will always be a great part of the Pompey Story.
My sincere condolences to his family.

[uspompeyfan]

Prayers for his family at this time.

I will join the list of those at Northampton that day. I had taken a friend of mine (Liverpool fan, sadly) who, when Liverpool scored on the radio cheered...followed by everyone else, thinking Peterboro had scored against Bradford City. I promply claimed ignorance of knowing him when the info was ill-founded.....

That pitch invasion followed by the few minutes of waiting until the three-sided ground erupted. Pompey graffiti was still on the town center walls a few years later when I was at college there.

Happy Days, given to us by a proper lower league gaffer.


On another memory, after I had passed trials with Bristol Rovers, I failed when I tried at Pompey (hoping to make an official decision with my supported team). I got to the final stages and Frank Burrows was in attendance with other coaches. He shook my hand and thanked me for my time but I wouldn't make it as a pro. I then told him I had passed my trials with Bristol Rovers and they were a couple of leagues better - he simply replied good luck with that, I'm sure you'll do well with them, but we play actual football here, with a grin...... it was said in jest but he was also right....I wasn't good enough.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

On another memory, after I had passed trials with Bristol Rovers, I failed when I tried at Pompey (hoping to make an official decision with my supported team). I got to the final stages and Frank Burrows was in attendance with other coaches. He shook my hand and thanked me for my time but I wouldn't make it as a pro. I then told him I had passed my trials with Bristol Rovers and they were a couple of leagues better - he simply replied good luck with that, I'm sure you'll do well with them, but we play actual football here, with a grin...... it was said in jest but he was also right....I wasn't good enough.

Dont feel bad mate. At least you were good enough to get to the point where you were rejected by Frank Burrows.
Most of us didnt get that far. I blame the PE teacher at school. I kept telling him I was a midfield general and he kept playing me at left back