If you tolerate this...
The Observer recently ran a
feature on the bitterest rivalries in football. The usual suspects, City and United,
Tottenham and Arsenal and Newcastle and Sunderland where all there. Tucked away at the
bottom of the list were one pairing which may, to a national readership, have been a
surprising inclusion, Burnley and Blackburn Rovers.
The fact this traditional and historic rivalry,
which has not seen a competitive meeting between the two teams since 1983, is still
recognised to be one of the fiercest in the land comes as no surprise to those who hail
from the Claret and Blue end of the M65. As the song says ‘We hate Bastard
Rovers.’
Why does feeling run so deep?
Well, aside from the issue of local pride and
supremacy which is common to all near neighbours there is one element, which has only been
a factor in the last ten years, which has escalated the feeling of loathing towards the
blue and white shite - MONEY!
I didn’t grow up around Blackburn
supporters so I can’t comment on the schoolyard rivalry that existed then but my view
of them when I was younger was fairly ambivalent. The previous century aside they could
not match our achievements.
This all changed of course when Jersey-based
millionaire steel magnate Jack Walker decided to bankroll the Rovers.
To the rest of the football world this seemed
quite romantic. Founder members of the football league from the industrial north, won
nothing of note in living memory, rescued by a benevolent benefactor. It was around this
time that my feelings changed. I really began to hate them.
When they actually won the League this was
generally perceived to be a good thing because it broke the stranglehold of the so called
‘big clubs.’ Various acts of tubthumping followed with Jack Walker throwing his
weight behind the town’s attempt to be elevated to city status. Failure prompted a
concerted effort to lure the national football museum to East Lancashire however, the
authorities fearing a Stalinesque re-writing of the history books wisely opted for Preston
instead.
The consequences of their success were far
reaching and generally bad for football as a whole. The concept of ‘buying’ the
title was born. Consequently players assumed far greater bargaining power and whilst this
was no bad thing for the pros. themselves it did less wealthy clubs no favours at all.
The knock-on effect has been that most teams
have attempted to purchase instant success. The overseas players who have come in at the
top level have undoubtedly enhanced the quality of our game, however the effect this has
had on the development of young English talent is reflected in the current state of the
national team.
Roy Hodgson bemoaned the fact that the anonymous
Christian Dailly and the ineffective Nathan Blake set him back the best part of
£10,000,000. Well Roy if you’re looking for someone to blame try Kenny Dalglish. The
£5,000,000 he paid for Chris Sutton inflated subsequent transfer fees out of all
proportion. Ironic isn’t it that Rovers’ fans continue to berate Alan Shearer
for cashing-in on a big money move to Newcastle? Why do the words ‘pot’ and
‘kettle’ occur to me?
Nemesis arrived in the form of £7,000,000
striker Kevin Davies and his reputation as ‘the new Kevin Keegan’ his ability
however was more akin to ‘the old Kevin Francis’.
Amusing though it was to see Woy piss away
Jack’s millions the upshot was that teams like the Clarets were forced to shell out
£250,000 for the likes of Lee Howey who struggled to hold down a regular place in the
Pontins League.
Why then in view of this gaping void that now
exists between the two clubs should there be any rivalry at all?
Well, aside from the fact that last time we met
Clarets’ fans pre-empted Jack Walker by about ten years and started the demolition
work on the away end at Ewood Park, they are actually a bit jealous of us and still see us
as their main rivals.
Ridiculous?
Maybe, but there is plenty of evidence to
suggest that there might be some substance to this argument.
I don’t care what anybody says, we are
better supported than them and they know it. OK, so they might get around 25,000 for home
games but just imagine if the Clarets were in their position. The Turf would be sold out
every week. Whilst the Clarets flounder at the wrong end of division two, playing some
pretty dire football into the bargain, gates rarely fall below 10,000. Just prior to Jack
Walker’s arrival the Rovers were a fair to middling side in the division above and
playing in front of crowds of around 7,000. As we don’t get to play each other we can
only look for comparisons where we are both pitched against the same opposition in cup
competitions. Let’s take the 1992/1993 FA Cup. Burnley are drawn against Sheffield
United. Kick-off is held up for about 10 minutes as 9,000 travelling fans are crammed into
the away end. Despite taking a 2-0 lead the Clarets are held to a draw before losing the
replay.
Sheffield United progress and Rovers are the
subsequent visitors to Bramall Lane. I spoke to a Blades’ fan not long after this
encounter who remarked on the huge number of Rovers’ supporters who turned up
disguised as empty seats. In other words a piss-poor turnout.
Which brings us nicely onto Europe.
Some of the proudest moments in the history of
Burnley Football Club have been played out on the European stage. Not against, with
respect, Swedish insurance clerks but the top continental sides of the era; Reims,
Hamburg, Stuttgart, Eintracht Frankfurt and of course Napoli in the infamous ‘Battle
of Naples’. The Clarets held their own against one and all. Aside from the fact that
‘Rovers in Europe’ deserved a BAFTA for Best British Comedy their attitude to
European competition ought to be considered a national disgrace. Played out in front of a
half empty ground the pathetic attempts of their complacent ‘stars’ to overcome
Scandinavian part-timers were swept under the carpet by ‘Fat Jack’ with his
dismissive ‘We’re not bothered about Europe’ statement.
This small minded attitude which goes a long way
to explaining why Rovers are not taken seriously anywhere outside of their own back yard.
One season wonders at a time when TV really began to take hold, the majority of youngsters
bowed to peer pressure and gravitated towards the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and
Manchester United.
A recent survey of Premier League clubs
established that of the twenty teams concerned Rovers had the lowest proportion of support
outside of their own recognised catchment area.
Whilst the feature in the Burnley programme
‘Clarets World-Wide’ sees regular shots from the Nou Camp or the Sidney Opera
House I guess the Rovers equivalent would be a couple of holiday snaps taken in Morecambe.
I can’t say whether people from Blackburn
have a tendency to stay put which is not demonstrated in the rest of the country. Certain
of the Rovers’ recent foreign signings have found the place none to, shall we say,
aesthetically pleasing.
All I can say is that having lived in Cambridge
for a number of years I know about ten Clarets who live in the area: students; university
employees; a doctor; a lorry driver; an opera singing librarian and a baker from Todmorden
to name but a few.
Whilst I admit that I don’t actively seek
them out I don’t know anyone who is either from Blackburn or prepared to admit to
supporting the Rovers. A theory as to why they don’t migrate has been suggested to me
but it’s best not explored here.
The fact remains that Burnley were a major force
in English football for the best part of the 1960s. This created a lasting impression
which is still evidenced today.
For instance, who can the Rovers boast as
‘celebrity’ fans? No doubt there are some but I couldn’t name them.
Certainly not the press officer to Margaret Thatcher, Bernard Ingham or the present day
incumbent of that same hot-seat, Alistair Campbell.
Apparently a conversation between Campbell and
another Claret, the then editor of the Sun, Stuart Higgins, secured the support of Rupert
Murdoch’s rag in the crucial run-in to the 1997 election campaign. Indeed one can
only hope that the next time the Cabinet get together for an impromptu 5-a-side ‘Big
Al’ kicks that ‘cheap little man’ (Norman Fowler, February ‘99) Jack
Straw up in the air for thinking he could win over the blue and white faithful by his
petty refusal to pardon the Pendle Witches.
Influence at the BBC extends not only to
programme controller Peter Salmon but the more visible talents of weatherman John Kettley.
The latter usually manages to get Burnley on the map, literally, giving the casual
observer the impression that the East Lancashire town enjoys the same status as London,
Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
The fact that Burnley remains in the
consciousness of influential figures in broadcasting and entertainment is evidenced by
characters associated with and references to the place.
Who can forget that subliminal episode of the
‘Likely Lads’ where Bob and Terry spend the day trying to avoid finding out the
score of a European game to be shown on TV later that evening? Wasn’t it the
hairdresser, an ex-Burnley trialist, who was intent on giving the game away? Compare and
contrast with the BBC’s ‘Eskimo Day’ where the embodiment of a Blackburn
supporter is...........Maureen Lipman! The Likely Lads - up there with the best of them in
the 1960s and 70s, faded away since then but what fantastic memories!
Maureen Lipman - unremarkable character-actress
propelled to fame and fortune by her rich husband writing leading roles for her in his
screenplays. Makes you think doesn’t it?
Burnley itself was the setting for the early
1980s cult flick ‘Zoom’ the film which launched Clive Owen’s acting career
furthermore Fred Dibnah recently completed filming a documentary focusing on the textile
trade as part of Britain’s industrial heritage. The town has also featured in the BBC
productions ‘Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit’ and ‘All Quiet On The Preston
Front’ in which the character ‘Hodge’ was often seen sporting the claret
and blue.
Post-punk rock gurus ‘The Fall’
fronted by eccentric genius Mark E. Smith chose the Turf as the location to film their
‘Kicker Conspiracy’ video. Whilst the Salford band were only visitors, Burnley
itself has spawned the seminal ‘Not Sensibles’ the sublime ‘Milltown
Brothers’ and of course has strong representation in the ranks of
‘Chumbawumba’ and the ‘Beautiful South.’
Suffice to say that aside from one hit wonder
punk band ‘The Stiffs’ Blackburn’s sole contribution to contemporary music
was John Lennon’s reference to the fact that at some point in the late 1960s there
were 4,000 holes in the road!
Doesn’t that say it all?
Until recently there seemed a distinct
possibility that even the current injustice reflected in our respective league positions
would be rectified. Under the stewardship of ‘Woy of the Wovers’ Blackburn
appeared to be heading back to where they belong. I’m sure I speak for all Burnley
fans when I say that his sacking was shameful and that on the day of his departure the
switchboard at Ewood was jammed by angry Clarets mortified by his dismissal.
Unless our ‘Kidd for England’ campaign
gathers momentum it appears that we have still got something of a wait before we can
translate our superiority in every other into a victory on the pitch.
Now that really would make headlines in the
Observer.
Jez Wilson
February-March 1999
