Star names from the football and fashion worlds were flocking to Burnley but one absentee was Clarets' boss Harry Potts who had made his way to Leipzig for the Fairs Cup quarter final draw.
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Germany next for Burnley
Feature by Tony Scholes
Updated Thursday, 1st March 2007
Back home Scottish winger Willie Morgan was preparing for the opening of his new shop on Keirby Walk called 'Willie Morgan's Super Teek' and it was going to be one big event. The Mayor Ald J E Parkinson had been invited but this was an all star guest list including Liverpool pop group Gerry & The Pacemakers who were appearing at Rosegrove Cabaret Club.
The Burnley players were to be there in force alongside international names such as Denis Law, George Best, Pat Crerand (all from Manchester United), Manchester City's Mike Summerbee and England World Cup winner Alan Ball.
The shop would stock clothes from top designers and the men weren't left out either with the very latest in cardigans, jumpers and slacks.
Over in Leipzig there were strong suggestions that the draw could be seeded to keep clubs from the same country apart. If that was the case, it would ensure Burnley would avoid either Leeds or West Brom should the latter win through.
In the end it was a straight draw. Leeds and West Brom were paired and the Clarets got the toughest draw possible - Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt - with the first leg to be played at the Wald Stadion in Frankfurt.
The full draw was:
Lokomotiv Leipzig or Benfica v Kilmarnock
Juventus or Dundee United v Dinamo Zagreb
Bologna or West Bromwich Albion v Leeds United
Eintracht Frankfurt v Burnley
Juventus or Dundee United v Dinamo Zagreb
Bologna or West Bromwich Albion v Leeds United
Eintracht Frankfurt v Burnley
How tough was the draw? Eintracht had been one of the top three clubs in West Germany for the previous seven years, and they were well known in England following their part in the wonderful European Cup Final against Real Madrid in 1960. They had beaten Rangers that season during the European Cup run by an aggregate score of 12-4.
At the time of the draw they were second in the Bundesliga and just three points behind leaders Brunswick and had just beaten one of the top sides in Europe Ferencvaros to win through to this tie. They clinched that tie against the Hungarians, who included the brilliant Florian Albert, after a sensational 4-1 win in the home leg.
Prior to the Ferencvaros tie they had overcome Drumcondra from the League of Ireland and Hvidovre Copenhagen, and in all of those games they had line up: Peter Gunther, Friedel Lutz, Luther Schamer, Fahrudin Jusufi, Dieter Lindner, Peter Blusch, Jurgen Grabowski, Ernst Abbe, Jurgen Freidrich, Wilhelm Huberts, Wolfgang Solz.
Youngster Ernst Abbe was the goalscoring sensation in the side, managed by Hungarian Elek Scwartz the former Benfica boss, and they would prove difficult opponents for the Clarets. A win against Eintracht though would surely put us amongst the favourites for the competition. We would have some time to wait with a deadline of 21st April for the ties to be played.
On the draw, Chief Coach Jimmy Adamson said: "After our experiences in Naples we need fear no side but this will be a hard match - in fact the most difficult yet in the competition. We've played several other leading West German sides in recent years and if Eintracht are typical they will be tough, skilful, disciplined and honest players, and that kind are always strong opposition.
"The fact that they are second in the Bundesliga speaks for itself, but we are confident, especially as we will be at home second, a definite advantage. I would say this is the most attractive draw we could have had, after Benfica. Eintracht are well remembered for their performance in the European Cup."
