Flynn: Brian

1977-1982 (Player Details)

Midfield

Born: Port Talbot: 12-10-1955

Debut v Norwich City (h): 05-11-1977

5’31/2” 9st (1978)

#61 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

Flynn played for the Neath and Wales schools and trained with Cardiff City, before joining Burnley in 1970, turning professional in October 1972. He made his Burnley debut on 2nd February 1974 in a 1-1 draw with rsenal at Highbury. At Turf Moor he won Under-Twenty-Three honours and became established on the international scene, making his debut as a substitute in the European Qualifying Competition in a 5-0 win over Luxembourg at Swansea on 20th November 1974. He actually scored at international level, in a 2-2 draw with Scotland at Cardiff on 17th May 1975, before opening his account in the Football League. Burnley were struggling and had to sell their quality players to survive. After hey had been relegated from Division One in 1976, he joined Leeds in November 1977 for £175,000 and won thirty-two caps whilst at Elland Road. While Flynn was one of the smallest players ever to play for Leeds, or indeed in the Football League, his appetite for work was remarkable and his midfield partnership with Tony Currie was one of the best of the post-Revie era. Neat control, hard work and passing ability put him amongst the best midfielders of his day. In total he won sixty-six caps and captained his country. He also represented Wales at School, Youth and Under-Twenty-Three levels. He was loaned to Burnley in March 1982 and rejoined them permanently eight months later for £60,000, making eighty-two appearances and scoring eleven goals in his second spell at Turf Moor. He then played for Cardiff City, who he joined for £15,000 in November 1984, making thirty-two League appearances, before moving to Doncaster Rovers in November 1985. He played twenty-seven times in the League but he left for Bury, in July 1986, and made nineteen League appearances. He moved across the Irish Sea to Limerick where he also coached in January 1987 but returned to Doncaster Rovers as a non-contract player in August 1987, scoring once in twenty-four League games. He next joined Wrexham in November 1989 and he continued to play for them until 1993 as player-manager. He scored five goals in one hundred League appearances as a player. Flynn had been given the caretaker-manager’s job in November 1989 and a month later was given the job on a permanent basis. After Wrexham finished bottom of the League under his stewardship in 1990, he rebuilt the side and Wrexham finished runners-up in the new Division Three and won promotion to Division Two in 1992-93. He was linked with the Welsh Manager’s position but he remained at Wrexham. A run to the FA Cup quarter finals followed in 1996-97, but the Welsh Dragons never mounted a serious challenge for promotion to Division One and by the time Flynn's reign ended in October 2000 they were heading for relegation. A year after leaving Wrexham, Flynn made his comeback to the game by accepting the manager's job at Swansea City. The Swans were bottom of the league for much of the 2002-03 season and also on the verge of going out of business completely, just over twenty years after they had finished sixth in the old First Division. However, Flynn turned the club around and victory on the final day of the season ensured their safety. Brian Flynn left Swansea City midway through the 2003-04 season. He became the Welsh Under-Twenty-One and Under-Nineteen coach, a position he still holds and was Welsh caretaker manager for two games in September 2010. One of Turf Moor's favourite sons of recent years, Brian Flynn still lives in the Burnley area and has kept his home there since his playing career at Burnley began.