CHAIRMAN Barry Kilby has given Steve Cotterill the go-ahead to ensure Burnley players are greeted by cheers not jeers at Turf Moor.

New boss Cotterill has expressed a wish to scrap the traditional tunnel entrance in the Cricket Field Stand that forces his players to enter and leave the field in front of vociferous away supporters.

Cotterill has suggested the Clarets should take to the field instead in the right hand corner of the James Hargreaves Stand, which is housed by far friendlier home fans.

And Kilby is happy to scrap a tradition that has existed at Turf Moor since the old Cricket Field Stand, currently sponsored by David Fishwick LDV Vans, was first built 35 years ago.

He said: "If Steve wants to change things, then that is something I would not object to.

"The problem is one that several managers have complained about now and it would be one easy solution."

Only a handful of football league grounds still have a players' tunnel situated directly behind one goal.

Many however do emerge from one corner, and that is a solution Cotterill believes would halt the psychological damage of his players receiving abuse on their trips to and from the dressing room.

He said: "I just don't like coming out to their supporters all the time and I don't like going in to them.

"Rather than the tunnel maybe we should be coming out at the corner, but the trouble is it's all added expense at the moment.

"In the meantime, we need our fans to be noisy because I think teams that come here have what I call the good stand to sing in.

"I don't know whether we need to change that somewhere along the line, because they seem to be very vocal in that stand.

"But it would certainly be nice in time to come out to our own supporters."

Another solution would be to rehouse Burnley fans at the tunnel end, with visiting supporters being seated elsewhere.

However, Kilby revealed that such a request had previously been refused on police grounds.

"It is a nightmare at the moment," the Clarets chairman admitted.

"Some of the away support we get at Turf Moor is negligible, but the segregation of supporters is something the police are very touchy about.

"At present, they have a 'perfect' system of doing that and they just won't play ball."