FLAGS flew at half-mast at Turf Moor last night in memory of former wing-half Les Shannon, who died on Monday, aged 81.

Shannon, born in Liverpool, made 263 appearances for Burnley between 1949-1959, scoring 39 goals.

He also became a qualified coach at Burnley before moving to Everton as a coach, then Arsenal as assistant manager. He later managed Blackpool and Bury.

But he will always be remembered by Burnley fans as a classy wing-half who became the perfect foil for Jimmy McIlroy.

Shannon was spotted by Burnley scout Jack Butterfield playing for a Central League rep-resentative side against the Clarets at Turf Moor 1949.

He signed from Liverpool a few weeks later for £6,000.

Shannon struggled to make an impact initially, replacing Jackie Chew on the right wing for eight appearances in his first season.

His big break came in 1951 when Billy Morris retired, when he was able to establish himself as a first-team regular.

The following season, he was converted into an inside-forward, and linked up well with McIlroy to score 15 goals - his best season return as a player.

When Reg Atwell left in 1954, Shannon was moved to wing-half, and earned three call-ups to the England B side.

He played his last game for Burnley in 1958, aged 32. It was Harry Potts' first full season as a manager with the glory days just around the corner.

Shannon joined Everton in 1959 as a youth coach before moving to Arsenal to become Billy Wright's assistant.

In 1966, he was appointed Bury manager, and then replaced Stan Mortensen as Blackpool boss three years later, where he led them to promotion to the top flight.

He resigned the following season after the Seasiders struggled, and moved to Greece, where he managed and coached at PAOK Salonika, Iraklis and Olympiakos Piraeus.

He retired to his native Liverpool, where he was used as an advisor on the Channel Four TV football show The Manageress.

Funeral details will be released later this week.