Not Such A Grand Finale


By Dave Thomas
May 10 2011

     “Failure” is not my word. It was Barry Kilby’s word at the AGM. Not to reach the top six would be a failure, he said.  So “failure” it is then. The early season hype of a push for a return to the Premiership was exactly that – hype.  All of us surely look back on this as a wasted season when an injection of £16million parachute money achieved little of note.

The sub-title of the newest Burnley book “Success and Failure at Burnley Football Club” became even more appropriate. It was a season of successes and failures. Alas the failures outweighed the successes. Had it been the other way round we’d have been in the top six. And not just results, amongst the players from week to week there were successes and failures. Arguments took place all season as to the merits of Wallace, Cort and Iwelumo, not to mention Bikey and Carlisle at centre-back. Eagles too provoked argument. On form he was unplayable but off form there were games when nothing went right.  Overall, did he flatter to deceive or was he the key player? Was Wembley hero Elliot a spent force? Have we seen the last of the unique Graham Alexander as a player? Questions, questions, questions to keep Eddie Howe busy all summer.


     The failure at Elland Road was dismal said reports. Yet before that there was a success at Derby that had us purring. Just where did this inconsistency come from? It was there all season and it made no difference whether it was Laws or Howe in control. The first half Burnley performance in the final game at home to Cardiff had Phil Thompson on SKY reaching for his book of superlatives. He settled for describing Burnley as looking like Brazil (the other pundits sniggered). Of course it ended 1 – 1 with a last minute Bellamy equaliser; another case of let-down once again.  Another last-minute surrender of two points. How many times did it happen during the season; enough to throw away the final place in the top six is the answer to that one.

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