Historic name from the past aims to haunt Burnley

The former England youth international will be representing the non-league outfit when they attempt to pull off a giant-killing in the fifth round of the FA Cup on February 18th.

And although he has never visited the town before, Sam can trace his family back to the Haberghams who were prominent landowners in Burnley for centuries.

His father Richard, a retired PE teacher and keen genealogist, unearthed his Habergham lineage going back as far as the 11th Century and the tumultuous years following the Norman invasion.

Richard, who was born in Halifax but now lives in Norfolk, said: “I have always been interested in family history and the Haberghams were certainly a very prominent family in Burnley.

“Funnily enough, when the draw for the next round of the cup was being made, I turned to a friend and said Lincoln would get Burnley.

“When Burnley were the first name out I just knew what was coming next. I have been to the town a few times, most recently a few years ago when I visited the library to do some research.

“At one stage, the Haberghams were just as well-known in Burnley as the Towneleys and Shuttleworths. It’s an amazing quirk of fate that Sam will be playing.”

Richard traced his lineage back to Clayton Habergham, the brother of shamed John Habergham, who holds the unwelcome distinction of making the family bankrupt in the late 1600s.

And the current Habergham patriarch said he cannot wait to return to his ancestral home and cheer on Sam (24) who will he hoping to be picked as the team’s left-back.

Richard added: “Sam is an Arsenal fan so I think he was hoping to draw the Gunners. The Lincoln manager Danny Cowley has done a great job and although the Burnley match will be tough I think they’ll give a good account of themselves.”

Richard, who climbed Pendle Hill to mark his 40th birthday, is planning to walk from the grave of one of his ancestors in Soyland, West Yorkshire, to Burnley to celebrate his 70th birthday in July.

He added: “I’m hoping for a great match and for Sam to have a good game. I think this is the farthest that Lincoln City have reached in the FA Cup since 1902. It will be nice to have some national exposure.”

The game will be broadcast live on BT Sport with a 12-30pm kick-off.