Burton's playing career started as an Arsenal apprentice where he captained the 1971 FA Youth Cup winning team.
He subsequently held the positions of Youth Team manager, Assistant Manager under Joe Kinnear (during which time the club achieved 3 top ten finishes in the Premier League and reached both the League Cup and FA Cup semi-finals), Technical Director and Academy Director at the club before he was temporarily charged with managing the first team after the Norwegian Egil Olsen's dismissal with only two games remaining of the club's 1999–2000 Premiership campaign, given the task of keeping Wimbledon in the Premier League.
A defeat at Southampton on the final day of the season, and a shock 1–0 win at Valley Parade for Bradford meant that Wimbledon's fight against relegation was lost.
Wimbledon achieved respectable top-ten finishes in both of their first two seasons outside the top flight since 1985–86, playing a short passing game, rather than the long-ball the Dons were well known for, but never really made a serious promotion challenge.
[2] During transfer negotiations in the 2008–2009 season, Burton also advised that Ramsey join Arsenal, citing the similarity between the player and the club's overall style of play.
[4] Following his leave from Cardiff City, Burton joined West Bromwich Albion as first team coach until the end of the season, on 7 December 2011.