1/4 Nothing happens, okay?
2/4 Oh, alright. Ternent says about
Sunday’s disappointing result, "When we achieved First Division status I knew
that somewhere along the line we'd get our backsides tanned from time to time and that's
happened today… But overall the players have done really, really well. It's just
today is a really bad day, mainly for the supporters. But the truth of the matter is that
we're a million miles away, financially, from Blackburn Rovers and that shows on the
football field. It's frustrating and embarrassing to lose by such a heavy score and
perhaps in the manner we did." He goes on, "It always disappoints me when I lose
football matches. But I've already told you, if I have Mini and you have a Ferrari there's
only one winner. There wasn't a great lot to choose between the two sides in the first
half I didn't think, apart from the two goals. Then in the second half when the third goal
went in, the players did remarkably well to keep it to five… If you go through that
side and the people who are on the line and who aren't even stripped you're talking an
awful lot of money, probably seven years of my budget. So it isn't a level playing field
sometimes." At least Andy Payton says he’ll stay. He comments, "I've got
two years of my contract left, which I'm definitely going to see out. I won't be going
anywhere, unless the club want me to leave, which I don't think they will. I want to get
another 24 for 100 goals, which is well possible in two years."
3/4 Graham Branch will be out for the rest of
the season with medial ligament damage to his knee. Apparently he could only run in
straight lines on Sunday, although I'm not sure he even did much of that. On a more
positive note, Lee Briscoe again returns from injury.
4/4 Burnley Reserves 2 Barnsley Reserves 3,
with their winner coming from a last minute Paul Crichton mistake after the team comes
back from 2-0 down. Shandran and Paul Barrett score our goals, while we finish the game
with ten men after John Williamson goes off injured with all subs having been used. Team:
Crichton, Leeson, Pilkington, Scott, Davis, Eves (Williamson 46), Bowden (Barrett 68),
Kevan, Shandran, Boardman, O'Neill (Leary 46).
5/4 Barry Kilby confirms that there will be
money available for squad strengthening in the summer, but stresses the need to stick to
the long term plan and live within our means. He also says that we shouldn’t get
"obsessed" with you know who.
6/4 Well. Burnley 3 Preston 0, which
looks like the Sky jinx well and truly broken. Scorers: Moore (3), Ball (45), Little (72).
Team: Michopoulos, Davis, Cox, West (Maylett 84), Smith, Ball, Cook, Weller, Little,
Taylor (Payton 76), Moore (Mullin 66). SNU: Crichton and Armstrong. Att: 16,591. Perhaps
our very own Jeppo, guesting on the box, is a lucky mascot. We stay 10th. So let's hear no
more about Sunday, shall we? Ternent consigns that to history, saying, "After the
defeat at Blackburn I thought the players responded brilliantly, and all credit to them.
But again they've done that on numerous occasions. I think the criticism hurt them and
rightly so… So you've got to say that the players showed fantastic character and
resilience to come back and beat an extremely good team which Preston are… At the
risk of boring folks, 58 points is no mean feat with seven games to play."
7/4 Clarets up and down the land spend Saturday
basking in the satisfaction of that win. However, Wimbledon rather cheekily win beat
Birmingham and steal our 10th spot, level on points but edging ahead by virtue of their
slightly better goal difference.
8/4 Chris Vinnicombe plays in an FA Cup semi
final for High Wycombe, but Liverpool predictably win.
9/4 The club advertise for a 'Full Time Football
Journalist' to help them run the website and programme properly.
10/4 We teach Wimbledon a lesson for daring to
go 10th by beating them. Wimbledon 0 Burnley 2. Scorers: Taylor (3), Moore (45).
Team: Michopoulos, West, Davis, Armstrong (Briscoe 46), Little (Payton 90), Weller, Ball,
Cook, Smith, Taylor, Moore (Mullin 82). SNU: Crichton and Maylett. Att: a paltry 6,132.
Yes, we go 10th. Injuries to Cox and Thomas see us down to the bare bones of the
squad, with Armstrong playing in central defence, and when he goes off with a head injury
he is replaced by Lee Briscoe, who plays alongside Steve Davis in a defence which also
includes Dean West and Paul Smith. Clean sheet? No problem! Wimbledon had previously gone
15 games undefeated. Ternent breaks his rule of not talking about the play offs, saying,
"We've got six points which takes us into the 60s. I think we need 74 points to get
in the play-offs, which means another four wins and a draw. We'll give it a crack and
we'll have a go. It's possible if you get a little rub of the green, but I'm down to 17
players. We'll give it our best and see where it takes us. We would like to get in the
play-offs. We would like to get a promotion. So would everybody. We started off with the
intention of staying in the division, that was our ambition when we started. Now the
situation has changed somewhat because we've established ourselves as a First Division
club and we will try our best." Before the game, we bump into Barry Kilby at Victoria
station and he joins us for a quick 'un before the match.
11/4 Oldham Reserves 0 Burnley Reserves 3.
Traillist Mark Rasmussen, about whom nothing is known, plays and scores, with Andrew
Leeson and John Williamson getting the others. Williamson, formerly a defender, plays up
front. Team: Salisbury, Leeson, Pilkington, Scott, Davies, Boardman, Waine, Kevan,
Williamson, Devenney, Rasmussen (Barratt 70). Shandran doesn't play, with it being
suggested that he might figure in the first team. Matt Heywood scores Swindon's winning
goal at Brentford, and is praised lavishly by their manager Andy King, who says, "He
has been magnificent since he arrived. Matt is an outstanding performer." There's
also a rather satisfying away win for ten man Fulham.
12/4 New Ethnic Minorities Development Officer
Dino Maamria says, "We've got to get more ethnic minority people involved with the
football club. We want to encourage them to come to the club. You don't see many ethnic
minority people coming to games, which is sad. We need to get more of them involved with
the football club and take it from there. We have a big Asian base and that's why we need
to do something about it sooner rather than later… We have got to get more of them
interested in football and believing in themselves and if I see any talent I can bring
that to the centre of excellence." It's been a long time coming, but at last the
message seems to have got home.
13/4 Gareth Taylor confirms that he expects to
re-sign for a third month after the Brum game. Burnley win something called the Scottish
Mutual Performance of the Week Award, in recoginition of our two wins against Preston and
Wimbledon.
14/4 Burnley 1 West Brom 1, in a curious
re-enactment of the away game. Scorers: Little (47) / Taylor (84). Team: Michopoulos,
Davis, Armstrong (Thomas 54), West, Smith, Ball, Cook (Briscoe 65), Weller, Little (Mullin
78), Taylor, Moore. SNU: Crichton and Payton. Att: 18,199. Ternent, although miffed that
we don’t get a penalty, comments, "We were rather disappointed because I thought
we were the better side and we did enough to win, but we didn't get the break But I
thought it was a fantastic game of football and my lads played extremely well… I
sometimes wonder if they realise how good they are." He adds, "I think the
players have been a credit to themselves and to the football club, this late in the
season, because we've moved the goalposts again and we're trying to get into the top
six." We spoil things a bit by going 9th. Is this allowed? At least we still have a
negative goal difference.
16/4 Wahey! Norwich 2 Burnley 3. Scorers:
Ball (23), Taylor (48), Moore (62) / Notman (13), Roberts (38 pen). Team: Michopoulos,
Davis, Armstrong, West, Smith (Briscoe 46), Ball, Cook (Thomas 48), Weller, Little,
Taylor, Moore (Payton 85). SNU: Crichton and Mullin. Att: 17,507. We come back from 1-0
and 2-1 down to beat Delia's darlings. (Despite the fact that the saintly Delia is said to
have taken a close grip on catering at Carrow Road, the vegetarian option consists of a
packet of salt and vinegar crisps! Hmm, must have missed that episode of how to cook.)
Ternent is happy to talk about the play-offs, commenting, "I think we've got a chance
if we can get 74, 75 points. There's no pressure on the players. They have done extremely
well this season. I'm not really that interested in the other results. If we can get 74,
75 points and we don't get in we'll be rather disappointed." He goes on, "The
lads have played well all season. There have been one or two games where the players
haven't done themselves justice but overall they've done fantastically well. And if they
play at that rate of knots and play like that if someone beats them then it's a good side.
I'm never surprised with our lot because they just keep doing it and they're a fantastic
set of players. All-in-all it's been a pretty good Easter." It certainly was for the
merry band of London Clarets staying in Norwich for the 25th anniversary celebration
weekender, at least if the way I felt like on Tuesday morning is anything to go by.
Congratulations to one and all for managing to leave the Fat Cat eventually. Current
Norwich manager (they get through about three a season) Nigel Worthington pays us a pretty
hefty compliment, commenting, "We have to take the attributes that have got them up
there for us next season. If you look at Burnley there's not much between us but they are
a lot of points and places ahead of us." We go, by the way, 8th.
17/4 And back down to 9th thanks to a rare win
for Watford, who inch above us with a slightly better goal difference. Rotherham
Reserves 2 Burnley Reserves 2, coming back from 2-0 down with goals from Johns
Boardman and Williamson. Team: Salisbury, Leeson, Pilkington, Scott, Davis, Boardman,
Williamson, McStea, Shandran (Waine), Devenney, Maylett. The club announce that the final
game of the season, at home to Watford, will be a 'kid a quid' day, to celebrate our
success at adjusting to life in the first division. They'll even allow balloons in.
19/4 It’s confirmed that four reserve
players are to be released, being John Boardman, Michael Devenney, Alex Kevan and Chris
Scott. The club is currently trying to find them new homes. Scott, of course, played a
number of first team games at rightback in the 1998/99 crisis season, getting booked in
most of them and trying his best. We wish them all well. Ternent says he won’t be
leaving in the summer: "I have no intention of stepping down." Sounds fairly
unequivocal. Ternent adds that he’s surprised no one has tried to sign Glen Little.
And that’s the way we like it. Barry Kilby says that Stan will have some summer money
to spend, and that the wage budget can increase a little. The main target seems to be
Gareth Taylor. Idle speculation says that Taylor could get a recall up for Wales. With the
manager they have, he should refuse.
20/4 Ian Cox surprisingly retires from
international football to concentrate on his Burnley career. Ternent says, "I am
delighted that Ian has selected club over country. He is an integral part of my squad and
an excellent footballer." Curious. The club announce that eleven supporters arrested
after the home game against Blackburn have been given life bans from Turf Moor. Season
ticket sales are said to be busy.
21/4 Burnley 0 Birmingham 0. Team: Michopoulos,
Davis, Armstrong (Cox 78), West (Payton 78), Thomas, Ball, Briscoe (Maylett 66), Weller,
Little, Moore, Taylor. SNU: Crichton and Mullin. Att: 17,057, with the lack of away
support being a real disappointment. Ternent comments, "I thought the players played
really well. Who would have thought that a year ago Birmingham would have been on the
ropes, hanging on and glad of a point against Burnley? And I thought the crowd were
magnificent as well, right behind them, and it's just a pity that we couldn't give them
the goal they wanted." We climb back to 8th. The maximum number of points we can now
finish on is 75, and due to our slightly inferior goal difference, if West Brom or
Birmingham win one more game, we cannot catch them whatever we do. Chris Brass tucks a
penalty away for York, his first goal since he scored his only Burnley goal, against York,
while Paul Barnes scores again for Nuneaton Borough, who say they want to keep him.
22/4 Preston win against Watford, which means it
will take them too just one more win to put them out of our reach
23/4 it's reported that Gareth Taylor's loan
spell has been extended for a third month, which will see him through to the end of the
season. One of Teamtalk’s less believable rumours says that Hearts may be looking to
sign Gordon Armstrong in the summer. The reserve team's game away to Birmingham is again
rescheduled.
24/4 Burnley 2 Tranmere 1. Scorers: Roberts (og
22), Mullin (53) / Yates (20). Team: Michopoulos, Davis, Armstrong, West (Cook 46),
Thomas, Briscoe, Ball, Weller (Maylett 62), Little, Mullin (Payton 84), Moore. SNU:
Crichton and Cox. Att: 13,717. Ternent says, "We'll give it a spin and it keeps the
kettle boiling, and the sides who are in fourth, fifth and sixth will be looking over
their shoulders because we are on a charge, the lads are up for it and they are playing
extremely well." Taylor doesn't play. It emerges that Man City didn't agree to a
third month's loan after all, so he goes back and Johnny Mullin starts the game in his
place - and naturally enough scores the winner. It appears that City has asked us for a
fee just to take Taylor on loan for a third month, with more payable if we made the
play-offs and promotion. Makes you glad they're going down, really. Ternent comments,
"I hoped to extend his loan but I couldn't do that. Manchester City asked me for a
fee and the fee was exhorbitant, in my view, for three games. I hope to have Gareth as a
permanent player next season. I need to speak to him and his agent but I'm extremely
disappointed that I couldn't do it." Speculation has the fee in the £35,000 region.
We storm to 7th with 69 points, and the goal difference down to a mere -4. Ex Claret John
Gayle scores Torquay's winner against Darlington to move them off the bottom of the
league, and Barnes scores another for Nuneaton.
25/4 Burnley Reserves 2 Port Vale Reserves 1,
with goals from Joel Pilkington and the soon to be released Michael Devenney. Team:
Salisbury, Scott, Leeson, Davis, Boardman, Pilkington, Waine, Bowden, Devenney,
Williamson, Barratt (O'Neill 46). We are 'linked' with Brentford's 22 year-old midfielder
Martin Rowlands.
26/4 Birmingham Reserves 2 Burnley Reserves 1.
Andrew Waine scores ours, while John Williamson is sent off for a second booking late in
the game. Still, at least the match takes place. Speaking in the Lancashire Evening
Telegraph, Gareth Taylor says, "I have enjoyed my time there and it's just
disappointing that I couldn't carry it on… I have spoken to the gaffer and I will be
speaking to him again in the summer. I get on great with the lads and if everything is
right I can't see any reason why I won't sign… I think next season is going to be a
huge one. If they don't get promoted this time that will be the aim. The lads can do it.
They deserve success. They are a great bunch and the gaffer has got his mind on it…
That spirit has been a massive part of why I have enjoyed it so much. They have a
never-say-die attitude that has pulled them through." He hopes to get to our game at
Sheffield United to lend support. He'll be there, alright, as a last minute deal is
subsequently done with Man City and he joins us on a third month's loan. It's thought City
didn't get much more than we originally offered.
27/4 A meeting between Burnley FC and
supporters' clubs representatives takes place. Ahead of Saturday's game, both Little and
Weller are struggling with injuries.
28/4 Oh well. Sheffield Utd 2 Burnley 0.
Scorers: Ndlovu (21), Asaba (90).Team: Michopoulos, Davis, Armstrong, Thomas, Briscoe
(West 59), Ball, Mullin, Cook (Smith 77), Maylett (Payton 63), Taylor, Moore. SNU:
Crichton and Cox. Att: 20,013. Little and Weller's absence leaves us without enough of a
team, while Kevin Ball is sent of for a second booking that should have been his first
close to the end, and is therefore likely to miss the opening game of next season. We stay
7th, but with one game left to play we can no longer make the play offs.
Ternent renews an old argument with Sheff U Neil Warnock after the match, seething,
"At half-time Neil Warnock sent someone down the corridor listening behind our
dressing room door to my half-time team-talk. That's cheating. That is the lowest of the
low. If that's the sort of lengths that managers have to go to to win football matches I'd
rather be cutting my grass. I need to say that and that is wrong. I'll be writing a letter
to the FA and to the Football League and reporting him for that because that is not in the
true spirit of the game in my book. And if I was chairman of a football club he wouldn't
be working for me, I can assure you of that." Warlock replies, "Stan says a lot
when he's not in a very good mood." Ternent also thanks the supporters, saying,
"Unfortunately we couldn't go and applaud them because the Sheffield fans came onto
the pitch, which is understandable, but next week the last game of the season is at home
and we can show our appreciation after the game. We become a little bit blase about it
because they come all the time but I think a special mention for the supporters. Our
supporters have been fantastic all season. They are an integral part of our team and even
on Saturday when we were losing they knew that the players had given them their all and I
think they appreciated that." Looking to the future, Ternent confirms, "We could
just do with strengthing the squad a bit more with a little more strength in depth. If I
can afford to then I shall try and do that. I need to bring two or three players in if I
possibly can." Alan Lee scores a goal of some significance, grabbing the last minute
winner that gives Rotherham automatic promotion. Barnes scores for Nuneaton again, while
Gray Parkinson gets an own goal for Blackpool.
30/4 Preston Reserves 1 Burnley Reserves 1.
Keeper James Salisbury is sent off for a disputed foul in the area. Sub goalie Andy
Paxton's first act is to save a penalty, but Nob End score from the rebound. John
Williamson scores our goal, and Chris Scott is subbed with a head injury. Team: Salisbury,
Leeson, Pilkington, Scott (Eves 25), E Davis, Boardman, Waine, Bowden, Hindle (Paxton 58),
Williamson, Devenny. SNU: Barratt, Fogarty, O'Neill. The PFA Division One team of the year
is unveiled, but there are no Burnley players in it. Ex Claret Steve Blatherwick, now with
cheating Chesterfield, makes the Third Division list.
