THE Clarets will write another chapter in their brief but occasionally glorious European history this season to add to a story that began with a bang through Jimmy Robson 58 years ago.

The Europa League run of 2018/19 will only be Burnley’s third European campaign and the second qualifying round fixture will be just their seventh tie.

But in their two previous excursions into Europe they’ve enjoyed some memorable nights, downing French giants Stade Reims in the 1960/61 European Cup before the run to the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup quarter-finals in 1966/67 saw a famous win over Napoli.

It didn’t take the Clarets long to take a liking to European football. Reims arrived at Turf Moor with a mighty reputation, twice finalists in the first five years of the competition, but within a minute they were behind thanks to Robson.

It was an historic moment, but the 79-year-old makes it sound all so easy as he reminisces at Turf Moor.

“I was in the inside left position down at the Bee Hole End,” Robson remembers. “I was down there and I stuck it in the back of the net. It was as simple as that. It was a good start.”

It would get better midway through the half when Jimmy McIlroy made it 2-0, which is how it would end. It gave the Clarets something to hold on to in Paris and when a thrilling second led ended in a 3-2 defeat, with Robson and John Connelly scoring, they were through to the last eight.

“When we played Reims they had Raymond Kopa and Just Fontaine, but they didn’t play together thankfully, one played at Burnley and one played in France,” said Robson.

“Reims came at us (in France) and we were hanging on and then John Connelly scored one of the best goals that I’ve ever seen. John couldn’t defend so he was left up the field!

“He picked up the ball just inside our half and he just ran through the Reims defence and put the ball in the back of the net. It was unbelievable, it was a great goal.”

The game in Paris was also memorable for Burnley boss Harry Potts marching a Reims free-kick back, having become exasperated by their attempts to steal a few yards.

Robson said: “They kept throwing the ball about, gaining about 10 yards from free kicks.

“They were putting balls in to the box and we were having trouble clearing them. They kept doing this and Harry was stood on the touchline, they threw it forward in front of him and he ran on and kicked it 10 yards further back.

“The next thing we saw was Harry getting marched off by the French police and all the fans were climbing up the metal fences surrounding the pitch, trying to get over to have a go at Harry.

“Fortunately he was in the dressing room after but I’m not sure where he watched the game from.”

Having seen off one of Europe’s most fancied teams Hamburg lay in wait for the Clarets and confidence was high, despite the presence of Germany’s World Cup winning striker Uwe Seeler.

“They had a good side, but Reims were a better footballing team,” Robson said of the threat posed by Hamburg.

“Uwe Seeler threw himself about, there were diving headers and things like that.”

Again the Clarets won at Turf Moor, claiming a 3-1 success, with Robson on the scoresheet. But Hamburg’s late consolation would prove crucial as they won 4-1 back in Germany, with Seeler bagging a brace, and Robson believes it was a commitment to attack that cost the Clarets.

“It was a different style of football, we weren’t brought up on it, we played to score goals and that was the way it was,” he said.

“We went to Reims to score goals and we went to Hamburg to score goals and we left ourselves a bit open at the back.

“Gordon Harris scored away from home. I remember that because it was a good shot from about 20 yards out. That got us back in the game to make it 4-3 (to Burnley on aggregate) and then Jimmy McIlroy hit the post with a few minutes to go. That was it then - we were out.”

Hamburg would lose to Barcelona in the semi-finals, who in turn were beaten by Benfica in the final.

Asked if Burnley felt they could have been champions of Europe in 1961, Robson says: “You always think you have a chance, but you take one match at a time and see how it goes.

“We’d gone on tour one pre-season and we played Athletic Bilbao, we played seven matches, in France, Germany, a select German team that was close to the national team, we won four and drew three. That set us up in good stead.”

Although Burnley’s first taste of Europe wouldn’t end in triumph, Robson remembers the four games as some of the best nights of his career.

The trips to the continent were made easier by owner Bob Lord, who made sure his title-winning giants were well looked after.

“We stopped in one hotel, it wasn’t up to scratch, Bob immediately took us out and got us another hotel somewhere else and it was a much better hotel,” said Robson.

“He was good to the players, he travelled and he made sure we had the best, he wasn’t shy in spending his money to make sure we had the best.

“In Europe there was no expense spared, Bob looked after us, we had the best hotels, everything was spot on.”

In the modern game you can be sure everything will be spot again for the class of 2018/19 as they look to follow Robson, McIlroy, Connelly and co in penning a new chapter in Burnley’s European story.