Defender 67-72
5ft 9" 10st 10lbs
b.Glenboig, 17th October 1948
Debut v West Ham (a) 2/9/67

Career:
St Augustine`s School (Coatbridge)
Lanarkshire Schoolboys
UNITED am June 64, pro Oct 1965
Southampton June 1972
Preston North End Aug 73
Shamrock Rovers 81

Francis Burns was born at Glenboig, near Glasgow, and captained Scotland
Schoolboys on
three occasions. He joined United as a 15 year old in 1964 and made his
Reserve team debut in season 66-67. At this time he moved from half-back to
full-back where he settled in to become a Central League regular winning
Scottish Youth honours in the same season. He made a big impression in his
first season in Division One, appearing in 36 League matches at left-back
and winning a Scotland Under-23 cap. However, he lost out to the more
experienced Shay Brennan after playing in the first seven of United`s
European Cup ties and unluckily missed the glory of the 1968 Wembley final.

Ironically, for a cultured defender who prized his level of fitness,
cartilage injuries blighted his career at Old Trafford and probably
prevented him from adding to his solitary Scotland cap against Austria in
Vienna in Nov 69. In June 72 he was transferred to Southampton for 50.000
pounds, but he left after an injury-troubled season and a fourth knee
operation to join former team mate Bobby Charlton at Preston. In a long
spell at Deepdale he made 273 appearances, many in midfield, before winding
up his career in Eire with Shamrock Rovers.   

Appearances:
FL   111 - 6 g
FAC   11 - 0 g
FLC   10 - 0 g
EUR   10 - 1 g   Total: 142 apps  7 goals

Greetings to Manchester United Supporters "All Over The World".