Dan Friel

Who is Dan Friel?

Daniel Friel was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a centre half. He started his career in his native Scotland with Vale of Leven before moving to England to join Accrington in 1883. Later that year, Friel was signed by nearby Burnley and he made his debut for the club in the friendly match against Witton on 10 November 1883. However, the game was abandoned at half-time after the visitors refused to play in the heavy rain despite being a goal ahead. Friel scored his first goals for Burnley in the 5–0 win against Eagley two weeks later. Over the following seasons, he became an integral member of the Burnley team and was part of the side that won the Hospital Cup in 1884 and 1886. In the 1886 final, he netted the second goal in a 2–0 win over local rivals Padiham.

Friel scored the only hat-trick of his Burnley career on 29 November 1885 as Derby Midland were beaten 8–0 at Turf Moor. In May 1886, he was selected to represent a Burnley District select team in a match against Padiham to raise funds for the local hospital.