Burnley Appoint Ex-Wanderer

Coyle Manages Clarets
By Mark Heys
November 23 2007

The last time Owen Coyle was in Lancashire he was starring for Bolton Wanderers in the Premiership against Queens Park Rangers in 1995 but now the former Trotters favourite takes up a new challenge as the new manager of Championship side Burnley.

The Clarets have agreed a compensation package with St Johnstone and Coyle is now the Burnley manager in succession to the recently departed Steve Cotterill who left Turf Moor earlier in the month.

Wanderers fans know Owen well from the "White Hot" days when he helped the club to defeat the likes of Everton, Arsenal and Aston Villa despite still being a lower league club.

Not only that he helped the club to important victories despite being in the shadow of the McGinlay/Walker partnership, most notably Gretna when he saved the club from FA Cup embarrasment in 1993.

His finest hour for Bolton came in 1995 when his headed goal brought the Trotters back into the Play Off Final against Reading with just fifteen minutes to go.

What looked like a mere consolation proved to be the first of four goals which secured the Wanderers place in the Premier League for the first time in their history.

Chants of "Owen Coyle, Owen Coyle, Owen, Owen Coyle"  maybe consigned to the Bolton record books but the former Ireland international still lives large in the hearts of most Trotters fans.

WALKING DOWN THE MANNY ROAD WOULD LIKE TO WISH OWEN WELL AT BURNLEY