In Burnley we trust

In Burnley we trust


Rob Murphy, one of the few Burnley FC fans in Mayo, is enjoying his team’s return to the top flight in England.

Rob Murphy

SO, we’re twelfth in the Premier League after a 1-0 victory over Manchester United. Oh, happy days! What a night on Wednesday. I was crouched in front of my laptop watching grainy pictures from Justin.tv. I heard the Robbie Blake wonder goal and the penalty save from the mighty ‘Beast’ (Brian Jenson) on BBC Five Live but caught the second half on my laptop.
Special stuff, and all done without an Arab millionaire or a big spending local businessman (are you listening Blackburn fans?) anywhere to be seen. Just hard working footballers with the most honest down-to-earth manager and committed chairman you are ever likely to come across.
It’s Everton on Sunday, Hartlepool away on Tuesday, then it’s off to Liverpool and Chelsea. Cloud nine is a few thousand feet below most Burnley fans at the moment!
Yes, Hartlepool. League Cup. Second round. It’s kind of like the young lad who moves to the big city for a new career. Fancy flat, nice car, new wardrobe but one Friday night his buddies from back home come up for a night of drunken shenanigans. The shirt will be un-tucked, the accent will return, and the cheap Dutch beer will replace the fancy German stuff with the specially designed glasses.
That’s what the trip to Hartlepool will be like for Burnley fans next Tuesday night. Even the fans are celebrities these days. Football Focus, Sky News, ITN, BBC North West (with Alastair Campbell presenting a tour of his favourite club) have all been in the town this past week.
Considering the size of the place, there is a 50/50 chance of being on TV if you happen to be wearing the jersey and, trust me, a lot of people are wearing the jersey these days. They sold 4,000 in the last week. Last year it took the whole season to sell 4,000.
That Hartlepool game will be a break from this new glamour and glitz world the fans of Burnley now live in. If I were based in the town I would have booked my place on the supporters’ bus within minutes of the draw. Hartlepool away for a healthy dose of reality. No harm they’ll say, ‘keep your feet on ground’. [Note ‘the’ is religiously abandoned in every sentence in that part of the world].
All jokes aside, Burnley fans aren’t completely losing the run of themselves, at least I don’t think they are. I’m certainly not. A total of 43 teams have played in the Premier League since 1992. We are just one of those, so getting here once, while amazing, isn’t exactly Herculean (beating the champions on the other hand…).
If you asked a Burnley fan at the best of times if he thinks the club belongs among the top 43 in the country, he would adamantly say ‘yes’.
Why? Well they are one of only 23 football clubs in England to have actually won the championship. In fact, Burnley have won it twice. The last time being 50 years ago this season. Joining them on two titles are Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively, and sitting just above them with one more are Leeds and Chelsea. Wednesday’s victory over United came in the 119th meeting between the sides. You get the point.
Some people will dismiss all that but I raise it merely to emphasise why, amid all the excitement and drama of this emotional rollercoaster, there is a deep-rooted belief among Burnley fans that their proud little club belongs among the elite. Making the top tier for one season should only be the beginning. It may well end in relegation, but respectability, financial stability and a long-term goal is vital.

Bolton were promoted and relegated again before returning and establishing themselves and that should be Burnley’s target. If they can do it without the relegation, well, happy days!
If not, then the target is to make sure it is all part of a bigger picture of long-term progress leading to a permanent return to the top table alongside and, hopefully above, the hated Rovers! In Barry Kilby and Owen Coyle we trust.