The 2008-09 Season Story So Far

John Spicer and Gareth O’Connor were also released, with Spicer going to Doncaster.

Two players were given full time contracts, Alex MacDonald and Adam Kay, they will join Jay Rodriguez who has been offered and accepted a 2-year extension, and Owen Coyle also put Gabor Kiraly on the transfer list.

The summer was to be one of excitement, as Kyle Lafferty managed to leave Turf Moor, and sign for boyhood hero’s Rangers, a fee of approx £4mil including add ons, would be a new Record transfer fee received by Burnley.

New signings were a plenty as Owen Coyle moved fast with the Kyle money and the unspent fees of Wayne Thomas and Andy Gray. Martin Paterson was first through the door £1mil with add ons, if all these are activated it would make Martin Burnley’s record Signing.

Other signings is a man mountain of a Midfielder Kevin McDonald, signed from cash strapped Dundee for half a million, From across the city came in Christian Kalvenes who was planning to return to his native Norway a left back with enormous ability.

The most exciting signing in my view is Peruvian goalkeeper Diego Alonso Penny Valdes, he would eventually meet up with his new employers before Burnley’s third Pre- Season game up in Scotland and Queen of the South.

Also joining is a player who could be the kingpin of Burnley’s Midfield Remco Van Der Schaaf he was signed on a free after leaving his former club Vittesse Arnhem

Burnley’s trans- Atlantic travelling saw them play two games, against American U23 side Carolina Railhawks and Minnesota Thunder.

"Cary" as all the commentators called them, beat a very tired Burnley 2-1, Clark Carlisle went on record saying he lost a stone in weight with the heat and humidity in Carolina, in a Wednesday night game. Wade Elliot got his first goal of this new season with a 50 yard run helped by intelligent runs from Joey Gudjonsson and Jay Rodriguez, opening up a big gap for Wade to run and run eventually getting into the area and slotting the ball home. Kalvenes, Van Der Schaaf and Martin Paterson all made their Burnley debuts in the game.

The second game of the mini-tour against Minnesota Thunder saw Burnley victorious with goals in the last 15 minutes coming from Chris McCann, a header from an Alan Mahon corner. Burnley’s second came from a lung busting run and shot from former Burnley youth team player Alex McDonald who collected a pass inside his own half and ran into the Thunder penalty area, side-stepped a defender and let fly.

Minnesota’s mohican headed goalkeeper could do nothing but parry Alex’s shot straight to on rushing pair Steve Jones and Jay Rodriguez and just like at Wrexham a year previous Jay took the ball off Jones and slotted it into an unguarded net.

A fantastic tour with possibly some great allies being made in the American states, Burnley would leave the US of A with a party at "Brits" pub in Minnesota owned by, would you believe it Burnley fans.

On to Scotland, and with Penny having finally met up with his new teammates, he did not however make the squad, so the only goalkeeper available in America, would also take the gloves again in Scotland. Kiraly could not travel to the USA (visa problems), and Penny also had problems on that score, so it was ever dependable Brian Jensen who would start his third pre-season game, with Remco nursing a slight injury, and the unaccustomed Penny was left on the sidelines, with Coyle’s system of allowing a team to settle, and only using subs late in the game, the starting line up played the majority of the game, Kalvenes, McDonald and Paterson were the only new signings to start the game.

The score is the last thing on the managers mind in pre-season but a 1-1 draw was a very decent return, with Martin Paterson’s hard work and competitive edge showing signs of what a good front man he is, scoring Burnley’s goal five minutes before half time latching on to a through ball from Joey Gudjonsson and slotting home.

Longside poster Casper the Claret an Englishman in Jockland, wrote home about Clarke Carlisle, saying he was very impressive, and also singling out Robbie Blake for his all-round ability and guile, with the midfield Mc brothers looking the part.

The good news for The Longside sponsored Besart Berisha, was a cameo role in the last 21 minutes, his year long injury nightmare looks to be over, and hopefully we will see the player who took England apart over a year ago at Turf Moor