Cummings and Goings with Stephen Cummings

LAST weekend, one Sunday newspaper ran an article about the worst football stadia in Britain - it's okay, we didn't warrant a mention.

One of the main complaints centred around a lack of atmosphere inside the grounds and to be fair, it's an accusation which could be justifiably levelled at Turf Moor.

It's been this way for some time now.

Many, this hack included, would argue that the atmosphere died during the summer of 1995, or perhaps more accurately, it was bulldozed. The destruction of the Longside terrace, driven by the necessity to come in line with the Taylor Report and the introduction of all-seater stadia, irrevocably altered the Turf Moor ambience for the worse.

Gone were the days of thousands of like-minded, passionate Claret souls crammed into one section of the ground bouncing up and down, singing and chanting and generally injecting some spirit to proceedings. It was ill-lit, cramped and dangerous. I loved it. We all did.

In its place we got plastic seats. And it's not the same.

There's something about sitting down at a football ground that just doesn't feel right. It's like being back at school.

You have to sit down and stay sat down or you'll get a telling off - or worse.

Or, as Burnley fans put it to their silent Wigan counterparts at the JJB, "it's just like being in church."

In Burnley's defence, the club have attempted to remedy the malaise. But if anything, their efforts have made for a worse atmosphere.

Pre-match, we had Jeff Brown. The guy is clearly passionate about the club and revels in his role. But the crowd's indifference towards him speaks volumes.

Each Burnley goal is now greeted by a blast of the Proclaimers hit '500 Miles'. Message to the powers that be: Thanks, but we don't need prompting, we are aware that something significant has occurred.

The latest idea is to introduce a singing section. Sorry guys, but it ain't gonna work. The point is that atmosphere is organic. You can't manufacture it.

Sadly, the only thing that gets the crowd worked up these days is a string of appalling refereeing decisions against us.

The solution? Maybe there isn't one.

In closing, hearty congratulations to Richard Chaplow who won the game for England's Under 20s with a magnificent 20-yard strike against Holland. It is simultaneously heartening and disturbing to see him progressing so well.

Heartening, because we are all proud and pleased for Chappy and want him to do well.

Disturbing, because the more progress he makes the keener will be the interest from other clubs.

Let's enjoy him while we've still got him and hope that no one is sufficiently interested to put a bid in when the transfer window reopens in January.