2/3
Burnley manage a 1-1 draw at home to fellow play-off contenders Norwich, making it six games without a victory at the Turf. An early Gareth Taylor goal is cancelled out in the second half, and Burnley once more struggle to make an impression. We stay fifth.
In the programme, Barry Kilby appeals for an end to some booing from sections of Turf Moor: "The problem has been growing a bit since our bad run, but what we need is encouragement, not discouragement. I know there have been games where the crowd has made a real difference and they can do so again. We are all in this together. Our away support is superb, even in adversity, and is remarked upon from ground to ground. We just need some of that spirit from the fans at home."
Prescient thoughts, as it turns out, since the home team is once more the subject of some barracking from the home crowd. Stan reacts angrily, calling them a "mindless few" and charging that:
"The fans here have got champagne tastes on beer money. I was extremely disappointed with a section of the crowd. I have asked the crowd to get behind the lads and still there's a mindless few. This football club is fifth in the first division, that means in the top 25 in England. What more do you want? We are going for the play-offs and still they moan, still they boo. They pay their money and they are entitled to their opinion, but the booing has a completely adverse affect. These players have done magnificently and they got a draw today. We didn't lose did we? We have only lost once in the last seven matches but that's not good enough. I am completely naffed off with them although I couldn't give a monkey's if they have a go at me. I have lived in the town a long time and I know their mentality, it is the players I feel for. But this chairman came in and saved the club, turned it around, but it's the players I feel for. We've gone from the depths of despair to where we are now and still they are moaning, it is quite incredible."
While he was at it, Stan had a go at the state of the pitch too: "It is a difficult surface to play on. I have built up a passing side and now we need to do something about the pitch. I will have to take charge of that now, it is my department and I will get it right. We need a better surface to play on because Pele couldn't pass it on there."
Steve Davis, making his first start after four months out, also gave his reaction to the crowd, saying: "We do notice it and it is not fair. The new chairman came in and together with the manager they have picked the club off its knees. When I came back we were very close to going into the third division and now we are in a first division play-off position. It is very easy to lose sight of that. I think the supporters have got to realise that and accept we want success as much as them. We have a great away following but we want the supporters to get behind the team whether we are home or away. But we are determined not to let it affect us, we know what we want to achieve. I suppose it is a back handed compliment that we are booed if we don't beat Norwich City or Birmingham. It is not long ago that drawing with a first division side in the cup and getting a replay was a massive success. But we will keep pushing in the right direction with the ultimate goal promotion."
Gareth Taylor also made a point of supporting Ternent: "I can't thank the gaffer enough. I have never had a regular run at another club and hopefully I am repaying him. I got a bit of luck with my goal, as Crichts went down like an old woman and it bobbled in. It's nice to have got to 14 but there are still ten games to go and I want to get as many goals as possible. But that said I know that the team winning is paramount. We do understand the fans' frustrations but it is still disappointing. The players here are a great bunch and we are all in this together. If one is getting stick from the fans it affects us all. If the fans get behind us it makes a hell of a difference and gives us such a lift. Until Christmas we had a great home record and the pitch was in great condition, but it has deteriorated a bit. We just have to make the best of what we have got."
Our match report.
Burnley’s youth team played their opening fixture in the Merit League at Durham against Darlington, winning 2-1.
5/3 Burnley make the teletext headlines with a bid for Gazza! Walter Smith scotches the enquiry, maintaining that the Geordie poltroon will see out his contract at Everton.
In the evening, the Clarets go down to a terrible 0-1 defeat at second-bottom Walsall. Stan doesn’t dwell long on the game, and lays his cards on the table for the forthcoming game at Stockport:
"It was very disappointing, we didn't have one player who played to their usual standards. I am very frustrated. The goal was a foul but the ref didn't give it. But that is not to take away from Walsall and we were very poor. I will make no excuses and the players have not performed to their capabilities. They are fully aware of the situation and we will carry on from there. Stockport is a must win game for us now."
Our match report.
6/3 Coventry’s victory tonight pushes the Clarets down to sixth.
The reserve team is graced by Spanish defender Victor Mestre as Burnley overcome West Brom 3-1. Andy Payton makes his comeback and scores the first goal from a cross provided by Mestre. Although he started out at Real Madrid, Mestre has played most of his football elsewhere, at Espanyol, Bordeaux, Real Betis and Varzim of Portugal. The Clarets-Mad web site reports that he has also played in Spain for Alaves. Robbie Blake plays 90 much-needed minutes, as does Mark McGregor, looking for a start on Saturday at Stockport, given the suspension of Dean West. Mitchell Thomas and NTG also make appearances back from injury, Jeppo commenting on the latter that, "His kicking was good and it was lovely to see him back." Jeppo’s hard man image is in grave danger if he carries on using words like ‘lovely’. Burnley’s other goals were scored by Andrew Waine and Tony Ellis.
7/3 The LET get some reaction from supporters on the conduct of the home crowd against Norwich and Stan’s subsequent reaction. Phil Miller from the Accrington Clarets says: "To be honest I would never boo the team whatever happens. I just don't think it is the right way to go. But people have got their opinions and they want to voice them. They have paid good money to watch the game and it is an individual decision how to react - although I don't like fans getting on players' backs. I understand the frustrations but it has been a great season so far. Expectation is so high because of the great start we had. I think some people have got to take a step back and look how far we have come. If you look at the sides at the top, they are bigger and stronger than us. We just need to turn the corner and get a run going to, get behind the team and keep us in the top six."
Paul Smith of the Boundary Clarets concurs: "Stan was 100 per cent right to have a go. We were playing Norwich who have been near the top all season. I looked at the end and I don't think Dean West and Steve Davis could believe the reaction. When we won 2-1 at Crewe, every single player came over including subs, but that does not happen at Turf because they don't get the support. I can't believe people are still booing Gareth Taylor. We know he is not the best with his feet but he has got 14 goals this season. With five home games left we need to get a bit of the spirit from away fans. If people are going to stand there booing they should not bother coming on. It is no surprise that we have got a better record away from home."
According to CISA’s Angus Williamson: "The fans feel very down because we were so far ahead at the turn of the year and everything has gone a bit pear-shaped. Ever since the Pompey game it feels like teams are coming to Turf with ten men behind the ball and we have not been able to break them down. That has led to frustration although from where I was high on the Longside towards the Beehole End it was not too bad. Generally fans are delighted with the progress and it is amazing we are still fifth. We have had problems with suspensions and injuries and it has been hard to keep a settled side. But whatever is happening on the pitch, and we don't all agree with what goes on, I would never condone booing."
Speculation links us with Nottingham Forest’s £3 million flop David Johnson, who Stan of course knows from his time at Bury. Forest, who are technically bankrupt, have to get him off the wage bill, and he is expected to go on a free.
8/3 Sam Ellis gives an upbeat assessment of Burnley’s position in the local media: "There are a lot of teams that would like to be where we are. We go out trying to win each game we play but we are still in pole position for the play-offs. We are in a good position and we will keep working hard, but the only games that are ‘must win’ are when if you don't it means you can't achieve anything. I have always thought it might go to the last game of the season and that is when you get ‘must win’ games. Everybody drops points but we prefer to concentrate on the fact that we have got 61 points which is not bad. Confidence comes from winning game and we now need to win a game, but the players are in good heart and if we can get a couple of breaks we will be okay again. Every team has a run when things don't go for it and we are going through patch where it is not going for us."
9/3 Thankfully, Burnley overcome Stockport 2-0 at Edgeley Park. Stan brings Mitchell Thomas back into the fold at left-back and gives Mark McGregor his first League start. After a goalless first half, the Clarets take command. Gareth Taylor opens the scoring in the 51st minute and, after Stockport are reduced to 10 men, Ian Cox blasts home the second from 20 yards. It’s not a vintage performance, but at this stage of the season the result is paramount.
Stan wasn’t exactly in a talkative mood, telling the press: "Our fate is in our own hands. We have got eight games to play, five of them at home against sides who, like us, have something to play for. The nearer you get to the finishing line you can get uneasy but it was a good hard-working performance."
On the team selection, Stan said: "It is a squad game. Alan Moore and Arthur Gnohere weren't injured, I just left them out. I picked the team I felt was right for the day. It is not a rotational system, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating."
Our match report.
Defeats for Norwich and Millwall and Birmingham’s draw helps the Clarets’ play-off cause, though we stay sixth. Preston’s 2-1 defeat of Rotherham lifts them to seventh, five points behind Burnley. The importance of next week’s fixture at Turf Moor couldn’t be more obvious.
The youth team lose 0-2 at Oldham, and include 16 year-old Londoner Gary Carter in their line-up. Burnley: James Salisbury; Andrew Leeson (Joel Pilkington 58), Gary Carter, Liam Eves (captain), Jonny Leary (Earl Davis 44); Steven Richardson, Sean Blakey (Mark Rasmussen 78), Richard Chaplow, Paul Scott; Damien Hindle, Paul Barrett. Subs not used: Andrew Waine, Matthew O’Neill.
11/3 The David Johnson speculation shifts up a gear as his agent, Philip Graham, confirms that Burnley have made an approach and that Johnson will definitely be allowed to leave the City Ground on a free transfer. Graham is quoted as saying: "The Burnley offer is something we are considering and expect a decision soon. He would prefer to go somewhere permanently rather than on loan. He could have stayed at Sheffield Wednesday on loan. He is a high earner and Forest are in financial trouble and are willing to let him go for free." Are we about to find out the real extent of the Board’s ambition?
Meanwhile, Stockport chairman Brendan Elwood once more underlines why his club are the laughing stock of the League, though Barry Kilby won’t be amused. Elwood goes to the press and reveals the contents of what would have been presumed a private conversation between himself and an unnamed Burnley director. Elwood ranted: "The Burnley directors said to me your fans are wonderful. We only have to have one bad game and they are screaming at us". Whilst we have to take anything this joker says with industrial quantities of salt, neither would it surprise many Burnley fans if this little vignette turned out to be true. It’s worrying that after a prolonged period when, by and large, the whole club was moving in the same direction, the divisive ‘them-and-us’ mentality so easily floats to the surface.
12/3 The rumours prove founded. We sign David Johnson on a month’s loan, and he is expected to go straight into the side in place of the suspended Gareth Taylor. With Paul Weller, Ian Moore, Brad Maylett and Robbie Blake, Johnson could complete one of the smallest attacking formations around. That said, one of the more encouraging recent performances came in the second half at Watford after the removal of Taylor, when Burnley started knocking it around to feet instead of aiming for the big man. We shall see.
Stan sounds quietly confident that Johnson will fit in: "I know David from our time together at Bury and I know what he can do," explained Ternent. "He will bring us pace and the ability to hold up the ball. He has done it at this level before and he has played in the Premiership so he is a no risk signing for me. He will give us competition for places and obviously, with Gareth out for two games, that is important."
Johnson himself attributed his move to an eagerness to work once more under Ternent: "I worked with him before at Bury. If Stan was at any club it would have been down to him that I would have joined. I wouldn't have come without him, I have so much respect for the man. When he asked if I would like to come to Burnley I jumped at the chance. His man management is second to none. At Forest we had Andy Gray and any players who have worked with him say the same. He puts a smile on your face. It's good to team up with the manager and the next month will be an exciting one for me and the club. It's a few years later and a different style of football, but it was excellent at Bury and I had a good time there. Mike Walsh brought me to Bury but he was not playing me. Stan told me I had to lose some weight and I came back for pre-season fit. He'll tell you before the game what he wants and then after the game if you have done it. But when you need a pat on the back he will give you it. This is a big chance for me. Forest had their reasons for getting me back and Wednesday could not afford me. These are very exciting times for Burnley, for the whole club. It is a big challenge for the players and it is ideal for me. Our fate is in our own hands and this is what it is all about. Sunday's match is a really big game for both teams but Burnley are in a position where teams have to come to take points from a game. My match fitness is quite good because Forest work a lot harder than any club I have known. They come in every Sunday but Stan has got a good workmanlike team and they work very hard so hard in training here."
Its hats off to Gareth Taylor, who has been called into the Welsh squad to face the Czech Republic at the Millennium Stadium on March 27. Getting a bit carried away, he enthuses, "I would love to be back there a few weeks later with Burnley in the play-offs. I will be able to tell the lads all about the stadium." Optimists, you’ve got to love ‘em, haven’t you?
Taylor adds: "I knew if I did get a recall it would mean that I had done my job for Burnley." On his suspension, he echoes the suspicions of many Clarets that he seems to get harsh treatment at the hands of referees: "I’ve never had ten bookings before and I can't believe some of them. My last one was when I was shoved against Norwich and before that I got done for tackling fresh air against Crystal Palace. To be honest I thought the time had run out when bookings would count but apparently that is not until April and that means people like Granty and Bally are walking a tightrope. We have had a difficult patch in terms of results but we had a big win at Stockport at the weekend because it was a difficult one for us."
Stan, a confirmed Taylor fan, gives his nod of approval: "I'm absolutely delighted for him, he deserves it. He has already scored 15 goals for us this season and it is great news for the club and for the player. You always stick up for your own but he has done well for me. Every player likes to have a run in the side and that has helped him."
The reserves go down 0-2 against Sheffield United, despite fielding Robbie Blake, Alan Moore, Lennie Johnrose, Andy Payton and Arthur Gnohere. Apparently, Cennamo was at fault for one of the goals whilst their keeper made a series of impressive stops. The team was: Cennamo; Leeson, E Davis, Gnohere, Williamson; Maylett, Johnrose (Waine 80), Pilkington, A Moore; Payton (Papadopoulos 46), Blake (Ellis 64). Subs not used: Salisbury, Rasmussen. Terry Pashley comments, "We did well to a certain point but did not offer a great threat on goal. But I have told the lads that they will get other chances this season to put that right because there are a lot of reserve games to play so we will have to keep playing the younger ones."
13/3 The Paul Gascoigne rumour moves up a notch as Walter Smith is sacked as manager of Everton. Gascoigne has been quoted in the Sun as saying he would move if Smith went in order to guarantee himself first team football. Unusually, Barry Kilby confirms that the club is definitely interested: "We will be renewing our interest in the light of the developments at Goodison and I think the manager's departure probably increases our chances". It’s not Stan’s style to be so open about transfers, and a cynic might suggest that it’s more to do with publicity and club morale. However, Burnley’s initial enquiry leaked and it could be that the chairman’s intervention is designed to keep Burnley’s bid ahead of the competition.
16/3 This morning’s press runs with the line that Gascoigne has definitely joined Burnley on loan till the end of the season. Football Focus interviews Graham Sharp at Goodison Park, and the ex-Everton striker confirms the news. The programme also interviews Preston’s chairman live from Deepdale, and Mark Lawrenson makes the suggestion that the Nob Enders should go for Stan Ternent as Moyes’ replacement. Despite speculation that Gascoigne will start against Preston on Sunday, Barry Kilby is quoted on Teletext that Gazza will debut on Wednesday against Bradford at Turf Moor. It’s another audacious move by the Kilby-Ternent team, but questions will be raised about Gascoigne’s fitness. Isn’t the First Division supposed to be faster and harder, with less time on the ball?
The youth team defeat Bradford City 2-1 away from home, Damian Hindle scoring both for the Clarets. This is an encouraging performance, with a couple of glowing reviews appearing on the internet. Is the youth set-up showing the first signs of a long overdue revival?
17/3 Burnley overcome Preston 2-1 at Turf Moor, our first home League win of 2002. Ian Moore scores after 5 minutes, taking advantage of a mistake by Preston custodian Lucas. David Johnson, on his Burnley debut, steers home the second. Burnley create a hatful of chances in a tour-de-force first-half performance, but fail to take further advantage. Beresford, who maintains his place in the face of competition from Michopoulos, saves superbly before tricky Scots winger Iain Anderson nets for Preston in the 84th minute. Despite a few hairy moments, Burnley hang on. And there was a streaker! Bertie Bee shows the stewards how it should be done with a hilarious British bulldog style tackle and throw. This is a vital win for the Clarets. Not only does it open an 8 point gap over Preston, but weekend defeats for Millwall and Coventry mean the three points lifts Burnley to fourth with a game in hand. A victory at home to Bradford on Wednesday will place Burnley securely in a play-off position. The debut of Paul Gascoigne, who was introduced to the crowd before tonight’s game, will ensure a sell-out in the home stands.
Our match report.
18/3 Paul Gascoigne makes his first detailed pronouncements on his move to Burnley:
"People forget that I know what the first division is like because I have been there before with Middlesbrough. I know all about it and we got promotion when I was there and this is a really good challenge for me. Burnley is desperate to get into the Premier League and they have done well so far. You can see that the team spirit is definitely there and they are definitely up for the challenge. They have got players that can play and they have got hard workers with great determination. People like Bally and Mitchell Thomas were class out there and they are even older than me!
"I spoke to Glen Roeder, Ian Wright, Chris Waddle and Andy Townsend. They are four internationals. They all regard Stan very highly and I already agree with everything they said. He is mad, he is a Geordie, so I know that he is passionate about the game, and the lads here have already said so much about him. We have had some laughs in the last couple of days and I think it will be close to see who has a heart attack first.
"The way the lads played tonight, we will get there. I hope that I will play on Wednesday night, but it is up to the manager if he wants to change a winning team. I have got plenty to offer and this is a new challenge I am really looking forward to. Wednesday night can't come quickly enough for me. I am here until the end of the season and if I do well I will definitely speak to the manager at the end of the season. I am very pleased with the win but I am not surprised. When I was looking in the dressing room and when they scored and everyone leapt off the bench, you could see the spirit is fantastic. I can't wait to get down to training.
"The fans here are fantastic, they deserve to be in the Premier League. Last couple of days I have been here and trained with the lads and I feel fit. I had a full game at Middlesbrough last week and I think I have plenty to offer. I have two ambitions for this season. First I want to get Burnley into the Premier League, secondly I want Everton to stay up."
Stan is his usual pragmatic self: "We have done the double over Preston and we are making progress. I enjoy winning any game but it was nice to beat Preston because they have done well and are a very good side. If we get into the play-offs that gives us a second opportunity to get into the Premiership."
David Johnson seems unfazed by Gazzamania: "Paul Gascoigne can take all the limelight. I have come here to try and earn a contract and obviously I would like to stay. My main reason for coming here was because of the manager. I guess it was a dream debut because everything went really well, and in the first half we really took the game to them. We had our game plan to get between the two centre halves and it worked, we could have been 4-0 up. The atmosphere was brilliant from start to finish and I really enjoyed it. It was an excellent game and the onus was on them because they were behind us, they had to come here and win. I had not played since Sheffield Wednesday ten days ago so I got a bit of cramp in both legs. But there was no point in carrying on with the good players we have got on the bench. Now we need to get four more wins to make certain of getting into the play-offs. There is no outstanding team up there at the moment so anyone could do it."
Some others gave their opinions on Gascoigne’s arrival. Ex-Claret Mike Phelan said: "I think he will be a very big plus for Burnley. He really is a very nice man. I was in international squads with him and although he has had a lot of ups and downs, he has still had a great career. The deal is very similar to the one that Stan did to bring Ian Wright here, but Gazza is a different talent altogether to what Wrighty was. This move could lead to many good things. Burnley have got seven games left and one thing is certain, with Gazza around it won't be dull. Then, if everything goes well, there could be three more games to play in the play-offs. Gazza really is a terrific talent and he has real longevity, he has just kept going and proved a few critics wrong along the way. Maybe he is just being realistic, thought about what he is doing at the moment and decided the time was right to drop a division. Let's hope he gets the chance to pay for Burnley in the top flight next season."
Craig Hignett, a team mate of Gascoigne’s at Middlesbrough, also defends the new recruit: "He was different class as a fella, he would do anything for you. He is one of the friendliest players I have ever met. When he comes into a club it can't help but give everyone a massive lift as well as increasing the profile of the club. And I think he is still a great player and he had some good performances in the FA Cup. He is more than capable of playing the Premier League and his target will be to get Burnley there. There are no worries about his ability, it is just a case of whether he can keep himself fit. It has been a stop start season for him and he just wants to play regularly. He will just keep getting better with a good run of games. He certainly helped us end up getting promotion and I know he will want to do the same at Burnley."
Jimmy McIlroy offers his opinion on Gascoigne: "I think he could prove to be a far greater signing that Ian Wright. Looking back at his time, his biggest contribution was bringing in the crowds and creating a great atmosphere. Gascoigne can do all of that but I think he will also produce some great moments on the pitch. When I first saw Paul play he was 19 or 20 years old. That day I felt certain that he had the ability to be the number one player in world football. To me he was the finest English midfielder since Johnny Haynes and praise does not come higher than that. Everyone knows that he never fulfilled his potential because of his lifestyle but just the same, he still has tremendous skills. He is a really talented player and I feel sure he still has the feel and touch he always had."
Jimmy Mac’s comments are arguably a little harsh on Ian Wright, whose commitment and ever-keen finishing skills conjured more than the odd point from seemingly lost situations at Gillingham and Oxford, and at home to Notts County. Wright also came with high fitness levels and the same infectious fun that Gascoigne will do doubt bring to Gawthorpe.
But on the whole its another highly imaginative signing that has dramatically ended a period of stasis in which the team’s progress had stagnated. To their credit, Stan and the Board have demonstrated that, in the face of accusations to the contrary, they are not happy to see the team fall limply into mid-table. To the critics who charged that caution was endangering the chances of promotion, the riposte has been rapid and emphatic. On paper, this is now the strongest Burnley squad for 30 years, one which can now boast quality in depth. Take a look at our midfield options. Blake, Gascoigne, Little, Weller, Cook and Alan Moore make up a tasty roster whose creative qualities cannot be questioned. Ball, Briscoe and Grant can provide the workrate and brio. In this company, Johnrose and Branch may struggle to get a game, though the latter’s ability with the left peg is still a scarce resource. As an attacking force we can play with wide men on both wings, or through the middle. In Ian Moore and Johnson we have the pace to exploit a slow defence, and in Taylor the height to threaten.
The question now is whether Stan can knit the new recruits into the fabric of what has been a small but cohesive squad. New and high profile recruits can upset the social rhythms of an established group, and to the public world Stan seems to come from the old school with this side of team management.
20/3 The day of the Bradford game, and Stan courts the media. Inevitably, the topic at the head of the agenda is the debut of Paul Gascoigne: "He is a natural athlete and Paul's in great shape. He's one of the best footballers this country has ever produced and has probably been one of the world's greatest players. We had Ian Wright, one of the best goalscorers this country has ever known. Now we have Paul Gascoigne. I have had a feel of the buzz around the place and it has given everyone a massive lift. It is not a financial gamble from our point of view because Paul is not on massive wages, that couldn't be further from the truth. Paul's come here to play football and the financial implications aren't of great importance to him. He wanted to come here and play football week in and week out and that is what he will do. If he wants one more season he will do, but Paul will govern the situation, let's cross that bridge when we come to it. If he likes it here and all the rest of it why not?
"This is without doubt my most difficult selection of the season. It has taken me the best part of four seasons to get a squad this strong. As we get Gareth Taylor back from suspension and lads back from injury like Steve Davis, Graham Branch, Gordon Armstrong and Lennie Johnrose, we have got a very strong squad. It is always a sign of the strength of a team if you have got a lot of very good players who are not even stripped. That is a terrific situation for a manager. We work all the time through pre-season and then through the season itself and when we do get a break everyone is off. But the fitness levels are always good. Paul Weller was going to have a knee operation but that has been put back because he has seemed to be okay. It does swell up and needs an ice pack but we will see if there is any more reaction. David Johnson is also okay after his debut, he is a strong lad.
"Apart from Wolves and Man City you have got Birmingham, Burnley, Coventry, Millwall and West Brom going for it. But there are still 21 points left to go for, and that's a lot so someone could still come out of the pack. It's our aim to win every game, so we finish in the play-offs at worst. We've got to keep plugging away because we know 67 points is not enough at the moment."
Burnley struggle to a 1-1 draw. David Johnson once again finds the net – a promising start at the Turf for him – but he and Gascoigne fade in the second-half. Bradford equalise with 12 minutes remaining and finish the stronger side.
Gazza comments: "I am looking forward to the play-offs because the team is definitely good enough. But it has now got to be wins all the way if it is going to be automatic. We are really upset we let the points slip. With three points we would have been comfortable in the play-offs. I feel alright considering I have only played one game in five weeks. I was not getting the pace because it was very, very quick, but I will adjust to that. I like it when the game is tight around me. I like to get on the ball and put Johnno and the other fella through. They make some fantastic runs. I really enjoyed playing with them."
Stan remains incandescent about the denial of a penalty in the 13th minute, when Johnson was upended in the process of converting an excellent low cross from Ian Moore (AKA "the other fella"): "How that's not a penalty I will never know. If that's not a penalty I don't know what is. It is ridiculous. My players work hard for nine months and they don't get a bang to rights penalty. These are important decisions that can turn the game. It is not an excuse, it is just a fact. You get in trouble if you criticise referees but he was bang out of order. He is responsible to those players out there. How can 20 odd thousand people see it and he didn't? It is ridiculous."
After calming down, Stan reflected: "It has been a good few days work because we have taken seven points out of nine and I am pretty happy with that because we didn't play as well as we can. We have got six games to go and are in a really good position. We have got a lot of players out but we will definitely be there or thereabouts."
Our match report.
Mike Ticher (founder of When Saturday Comes but now just a mere columnist for the Guardian) deigns to mention the Clarets in his Premiership-fixated rag, but only to make a tired joke about Paul Gascoigne’s weight. I thought clichéd and lazy football journalism was the reason you started WSC, Mike?
22/3 In the run-up to the Sheffield Utd game, Stan can’t resist having a go at his old foe Neil Warnock, commenting on Warnock’s reaction to the already-infamous abandoned game against West Brom: "He says he’s been treated like Osama bin Laden, but if he gets off he should be renamed Harry Houdini." Hmm, not very subtle Stan, and is this wise? We all know that Warnock’s a nutter, so why give him further ammunition to wind his team up?
I receive a letter from Adrian Bell, a London-based Sheffield Utd fan, whose book Fever Hitch I have just purchased. He writes: "Don’t let anyone tell you that the West Brom game was a disgrace. One of the best 82 minutes of entertainment I EVER saw, and never believe everything an ex-pig like Megson says." Apparently, both sets of Sheffield football fans refer to the other as pigs, which I find rather quaint.
In the afternoon, the youth team defeat Carlisle United 4-2 at Gawthorpe, after being 1-2 down at half time. This makes it three wins out of four for the young Clarets. Scorers were Damien Hindle, Liam Eves, Richard Chaplow and John Alexander. The latter is a 15 year-old triallist who has just been ‘released’ from Newcastle United. Presumably this means Newcastle have not offered him an apprenticeship.
Coach Terry Pashley said: "Damien Hindle kept us in the game with a goal after 30 minutes and their second came against the run of play, so I was confident we could turn things around. We played extremely well in the second half. We scored three times but it could have been more. John Alexander played at centre forward alongside Damien and I was pleased that he got his goal. I have seen him playing in his own age group and it was a big step up for a youngster to suddenly be playing at under-19 level. He really stuck at it as I played him for just an hour because it was hard for him physically. But having seen him in action it will help us to make a decision on whether to take him on for next year."
23/3 Oh dear. The Clarets go down to one of their heaviest defeats of the season, 0-3, at Bramall Lane. Two goals from the Blades’ teenage midfielder Phil Jagielka and a stunning strike from Laurent D'Jaffo means that Burnley are well and truly defeated. Gareth Taylor hit the bar and the Clarets looked as though they might get back into it for a while at 0-2, but their poor performance deserved nothing on the day. We stay fourth. Stan went with a 4-3-3, with Gascoigne one of a three-man midfield, but we were over-run from the start and never managed to establish supply lines to the striking trio of Gareth Taylor, Ian Moore and David Johnson. Why does Stan keep experimenting with three strikers? It used to work a treat in the Second when we were going for a win, but has it ever worked against a good First Division side?
Stan comments: "It is a disappointing result. We have played a lot better than that but they scored two fantastic goals. The second goal was top class. We didn't play very well by our standards, we started off not very well. I was quite pleased to be just 1-0 down at half-time and in he second half we had quite a few chances but it just didn't go in for us. Mooro got a bit of a strain today and Ian Cox injured his thigh. But Jonno looked lively, Kevin Ball did well and we had a few good performances. We are still up there and we have got to look on the positive side. We have got to take it on the chin because if anyone had said at the start of the season that we'd have 68 points from 41 games, we would have taken it. No one said it would be easy and you have to expect setbacks but at the end of the season I still believe we will be in the play-offs. We didn't play well by our standards but we will get back to it on the training ground. We have still got everything to play for and we have got to be positive. We are very disappointed to lose but we have will be positive. After we have played all 46 matches, then we will see. Whatever we do the players have been a credit to Burnley and to themselves. We have had a setback and that has not happened too many times this season."
Our match report.
24/3 Not for the first time, the damage of a defeat is minimised by results elsewhere. Millwall go down to a 0-1 defeat at the hands of a very hard-working Gillingham side. Our play-off rivals Birmingham and Coventry take points off each other with a 1-1 draw. With five games to go, Burnley are four points ahead of seventh place.
25/3 West Brom close the gap on second-placed Wolves to three points with a 4-1 demolition of Crewe at Gresty Road.
26/3 Stan suggests that the Clarets take on Bury in an attempt to raise money for the latter, who have gone into administration, though will now see out the remainder of the season.
27/3 Ian Cox is out for three weeks with a severe thigh strain, but the club announce that they are intending to extend Marlon Beresford’s loan from Middlesbrough for another month. Reserve team striker Tony Shandran, after an unproductive loan spell at St Patricks, joins Conference side Stalybridge Celtic, who are facing relegation to the Unibond League. Shandran, always a highly rated youngster but now worryingly finding it difficult to break into the first team at Burnley, is expected to go straight into the Stalybridge team, who face a daunting trip to Yeovil on Saturday.
Hats off to Gareth Taylor, who wins his eighth cap for Wales, coming on as a sub at the Millennium Stadium for John Hartson in the 73rd minute. The Welsh restricted the Czech Republic to a 0-0 draw.
A very strong reserve team win 2-0 at Port Vale, with Tony Ellis scoring the second after an own goal had opened the Clarets’ account. The game allowed a number of senior players a run out. Full team: Michopoulos, McGregor, Armstrong, Davis, Gnohere, Johnrose, Little, Cook, Ellis, Blake (Payton 46), Maylett. Subs: Cennamo, Williamson, Pilkington.
28/3 The focus of much media attention is the placing into administration of ITV Digital. This is hardly a surprising move, since the woes of the channel have been well documented now for a number of months. But the reaction of the League clubs suggests that they expected the owners – Granada and Carlton – to continue to bail out the channel, despite estimated losses of £1 million per day. These two media organisations are undeniably big hitters who arguably have the financial muscle to sustain such losses, but their move makes sound financial sense for them and their shareholders. Doubts also emerge about the strength of the Football League’s position if it intends to sue to force the media companies to honour their commitments to the clubs. It emerges that the final contract that underlined all the arrangements made between the Football League and Granada/Carlton was never signed, despite this task being delegated to a small committee of League chairmen and administrators. Media speculation is that around 30 clubs would face almost immediate bankruptcy if ITV Digital decided to withhold further TV money.
Barry Kilby is none too impressed: "The current crisis that is engulfing ITV Digital is being closely monitored by everyone at Turf Moor as well as all other clubs across the country. Granada and Carlton are up and down like a couple of Del boys, denying responsibility. But the League's contention is that they are bound together with ITV Digital and the shareholders have guaranteed the contract so it falls back on them. But by the company going into administration, it gives us some time to resolve some issues and find out who is responsible for what. A contract is a contract and the TV companies can't fob us off. After all, isn't Granada alone worth something like £8billion?
"We do our budgets looking two or three years ahead, taking into account revenue streams. We apply our costs accordingly. This season we have been operating to a strict budget and our revenue will actually exceed our costs but the television money represents about 30 per cent of our income, £3 million of £10 million. You can't just do deals from season to season, but what we have been extremely mindful of is that the current TV deal ends in 2004. We have been aware that it is unlikely to be as good as next time. We have already budgeted for next season on the understanding that the next instalment of the television money would be received in the first week of September, but whatever happens I don't think we will get our money in September. For now, I am sure the League will fight for every last penny that is owed to the clubs."
Although nothing is confirmed officially, it is thought that the improved deals for Glen Little and Arthur Gnohere, plus the £1 million fee for Robbie Blake, have been budgeted for in expectation of £3 million TV money for season 2002-03, with a £1.9 million instalment due in September this year.
Barry’s parting shot – "Let’s just hope we get into the Premier League" – is rather worrying. Though there are some hefty personal fortunes among those on the Board, whether they will be prepared to cough up to fill in a hole left by a TV company is another matter. Furthermore, the chairman’s contention that the League clubs stand united against the efforts by ITV Digital to renegotiate the TV contract is questioned by the national media. Reports in the Guardian indicate that some chairmen from lower League clubs are taking the position that some money is better than nothing at all, which is a very real scenario if Granada / Carlton decide to pull the plug altogether on their venture. Viewing figures have been laughably low and the considered view from within the media industry is that ITV Digital’s football strategy is not only unsustainable, but is virtually dead in the water. Faced with the possibility of no future television money, it’s not surprising that some chairmen are breaking rank and admitting that a much reduced income might be the sensible and pragmatic solution. If the Football League take ITV Digital to court, the only winners are the lawyers, who, rest assured, will make sure the whole saga is drawn out into months and probably years.
On a brighter economic note, the market for football memorabilia continues to thrive. On the day that a national newspaper revealed that Steve Hodge keeps his Maradona shirt (worn in the ‘Hand of God’ game and worth an estimated £120,000) in a bank vault, a Burnley shirt won by Jimmy Mac in a 1961 European Cup tie against Rheims goes for £3,400. Jimmy had swapped the shirt with Raymond Kopa, the French international striker, after the game, and it was Kopa who put the shirt up for auction along with a cigarette box presented to him to commemorate the Turf Moor leg. The fag container went for £430.
29/3 Preparations for the Wolves game are disrupted by the recall of Marlon Beresford to Middlesborough, who have lost the services of Mark Schwartzer. Nik Michopoulos, having come through the reserve game at Port Vale on Wednesday unscathed, is ready to renew his first team place.
With Turf Moor rapidly approaching sell-out status, Stan actually sounds enthusiastic during his Friday interview: "I think Easter Saturday will be a fantastic afternoon. Wolves are in an automatic promotion spot and we have been in the top six all season so we are two of the best teams in the division. It would be a real shame if we let it slip at this stage but I am convinced we will get the points we need. A couple of wins should be enough to get us to the play-offs. They are all massive games now and the Wolves game is no bigger than the last one at Sheffield or the next one at Portsmouth.
"I will be looking to use my whole squad and my next two team selections will probably reflect that. With Steve Davis it is touch and go so we will have to wait and see, but Gordon Armstrong, Lennie Johnrose and a few others had a run out with the reserves so it is only Graham Branch and Coxy who are definitely out. Tony Grant has got a little knock on his knee and he is another we will look at. Robbie Blake played for the reserves again and he will definitely be in the squad.
"This is a fresh match and a fresh challenge. I went with three up at Sheffield and it didn't work, but we have regrouped this week, done some good training, but got some rest in as well. The atmosphere will be great, two of the best sides in the division are playing and there is an awful lot at stake."
30/3 Burnley suffer their second successive defeat, going down 2-3 in front of nearly 22,000 fans. The game was packed with incident and spectacularly entertaining as a result, but this is little consolation. This time, results go against the Clarets, as play-off rivals Millwall, Norwich and Preston all win. We remain fourth, but now have precious little room for further slip-ups of this nature. The League table is ridiculously tight.
The result today could have been different if Gareth Taylor’s 8th minute effort had been allowed, but the referee blew for a foul on the goalkeeper. From this promising start, Burnley crumbled in the face of a Wolves onslaught that bore them three goals before the interval. It was Molineux all over again as the Clarets went in 0-3 down, but the introduction of Little for Gascoigne saw the Clarets raise their game considerably. A 47th minute goal from Ian Moore invited thoughts of an unlikely recovery, but the sending-off of Alan Moore on the hour hampered the Clarets in their efforts to pull the game round. David Johnson netted a second in the 85th minute, but Wolves held on for the victory.
Stan was not happy at the referee, Barry Knight, who does have something of a reputation as a liberal waver of the coloured cards: "I've just watched the video and Gareth Taylor's was a perfectly good goal and their first was offside. I can't see what is wrong with Gareth's and I don't know who disallowed it, but by his performance today, it must have been the referee."
David Jones, the Wolves manager, also thought that Taylor might have been unlucky to see his effort disallowed. Of Alan Moore’s sending off, Stan said: "He went up for a header and the referee didn't look bothered until their player started talking. Alan hadn't been booked or spoken to and he just waved his red card. Referees are like God, they aren't always right, but they're never wrong. A professional sport is being run by amateur people. I don't want to talk about the referee too much because I haven't got enough money.
"The first two goals were really sloppy and came from us giving possession away. We were off the pace in the first half but the second half was much better. I thought the substitutions would benefit the team and that's how it proved. We actually had a lot of chances, but we shouldn't need to score three or four goals to get a point at home. We were playing for pride in the second half and we were much better. Let's hope we play like that from the start. We'll go off down south now and crack on again on Monday and if we can take the second half performance into the game, I still say we'll be in the top half dozen. I'm convinced that we'll get the points. When and how I'm not quite sure, but we'll get a couple of wins, or enough points to get us in those play-offs, which is our immediate objective. We passed the 50-point mark some time ago, we've been in the top half-dozen all year, and that's where, at worst, we want to finish."
Our match report.
Stan’s comments about taking the second-half performance into the game on Monday merely mirrors the thoughts of many Clarets that Glen Little ought to be given the nod over Paul Gascoigne, who has struggled terribly during the last two games to make an impact for the Clarets.
The Burnley youth team won 2-0 at Shrewsbury with goals from Paul Barrett and Matt O’Neill. The young Clarets lined up: Salisbury, Leeson, Pilkington, Richardson, Leary, Eves, Waine, Chaplow, Hindle, Barrett, O’Neill. Subs: Davis, Rasmussen, Scott, Blakey.
Youth team coach Terry Pashley said: "There was nothing in the first half really, and if I’m being honest, they perhaps shaded it. We looked a little bit tired and it was 0-0 at half time. But in the second half we came out and kept the ball, passed it well and created chances. Paul Barrett got the first and Matty O’Neill got the second. We had a couple of half chances after that. We played a mixture of the younger lads and the more experienced players, and one or two of the lads were played out of position. Some of the lads didn’t play in the reserves on Wednesday so they needed a game."
Phil Whalley
March 2002
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The following sources of information are kindly acknowledged: Clarets-mad.co.uk, Lancashire Evening Telegraph, Burnleyfootballclub.com, Ceefax, Independent on Sunday, Guardian, Team Talk.