The Longside Reference

I could start this review of the 2000/01 season with defeats to Blackburn, Preston and Bolton in three horrible weeks in December 2000 but that would be unfair, I could have started ranting about the derby at Ewood were after being herded like sheep into the ground we  witnessed a demolition that  in Burnley’s eyes was an annihilation,Yes it was that bad a 5 – 0 defeat to your most hated rivals that lives long in the memory, it took years to get over that, and if I had caught the B******d fan who taunted me, I would still be waiting for my release date.

But I am not going to relive the failures of this season, but the success of Stan’s third season in charge.

Burnley took the unique steps of not selling the club short when it came to Shirt advertisement, choosing instead not to bear a brand name, the rumour was at the time was Simonstone company Time computers were in talks but the green and blue slogan would have looked naff on the famous Claret and Blue, so no deal was struck.

Harry Potts who passed away in 1996 would be honoured in a unique way too, Supporters clubs met and worked out a way for the Great man to live long in the memory of the new younger fans who were flocking to the Turf, “The Harry Potts Longside” was mentioned, but it was decided that changing part of the famous Brunshaw Road to Harry Potts way would be the ideal way to celebrate the man who had an association with Burnley lasting over 43 years. Peter Pike Burnley’s long standing MP and Burnley fanatic would put this to the council, and he was successful, with Mrs Potts loaning Burnley her late husbands Burnley memorabilia to the club,which has been fittingly placed in the trophy cabinet, which is all still on show to this day.

Eleven Supporters Clubs would meet Burnley chairman Barry Kilby in August of 2000, the new relationship worked as 11,900 season tickets had been sold, Burnley’s crowds were reaching the same as the 1975 season when Burnley were in the top flight. Two men were behind this fantastic backing the team would receive, Chairman Kilby and Manager Ternent, two men who were born to be Clarets.

Modus enterprises were first on the scene the season previous when Brendan Flood sponsored games towards the end of the 99/00 season, and I assume would be on hand with the club announcing that the Cricket Club would be sold off to be relocated on Fulledge Rec,  strange indeed? The club also set out a statement for the rebuilding of the Cricket Field stand, incorporating erm, a Hotel!  The Cricket Club ground would be sold off for retail development?

Burnley also re-launched the web-site, with the help of NTL, and as Andrew Watson explained the money handed over to Burnley football club would be £100s of thousands.

Any way with the Fans flocking back and the finances looked the best for years without the sale of our most prized assets the future was truly looking good, not as good as those horrendous gold suits worn when the Golden Gamble was drawn at half time.

Stan brought in Lee Briscoe, Phil Gray and Kevin Ball before the season had started, Ball would become a legend for getting himself sent off for a tackle that would live long in my mind, when he took out Blackburn Born David Dunn by the kneecap in the first competitive derby since April 1983, Ball was so high, so hard, so late it almost started a riot on and off the pitch, but Blackburn with Walkers millions were too strong on that day winning 2-0 with Alan Mahon making his Rovers Debut.

With Burnley Buzzing Stan went out and bought Stockport flying forward Ian Moore for a cool £1mil the first one million pound signing in Burnley’s history, with Claret Hero Payton not being allowed to recapture his first two seasons goalscoring  feats spending over half the season benched , as Stan partnered Cooke, Gray, Moore, and toward the end of the season Gareth Taylor, but with only 21 starts, and a further 25 substitute appearances in both league and cup he would still become Burnley’s top goalscorer with 15 goals 9 of which coming in the league.

Burnley finished 7^th, 2 points behind WBA and with Blackburn going up 2^nd behind Kevin Keegan’s Fulham it was a great season, on the whole. Even the thought of Preston and Bolton fighting it out with Birmingham and West Brom for the play-off route to the Premiership, didn’t take away a fantastic season for the newly promoted Clarets.

Barry Kilby outlined the targets for Burnley after promotion and that was to become a top 40 team in England, Stan superseded that, Burnley were officially the 27^th best team in England.