Great credit must go to our manager

Clarets chairman Barry Kilby is set to report an annual loss of over £2.5m to shareholders for the financial year ending May 2003, attributed almost entirely to the fall off in revenue from television rights and Football League income.

But upbeat Kilby, whose pre-AGM statement reveals an exact shortfall of £2,594,000, is confident the worst is over and that the club will prosper again under the managerial leadership of Ternent and his backroom team.

Kilby's statement reads: "Last season the club finished 16th in the First Division, falling back from the previous season's seventh place.

"In the light of the financial restraints imposed on the club by the significant reduction in television revenues, this was a reasonable performance and kept our hard-won First Division status safely intact.

"The season was given excitement and spice by excellent performances in both the Worthington Cup and FA Cup.

"Two Premiership clubs were beaten in these cup runs and we reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in over 20 years.

"Great credit must go to our manager, Stan Ternent, and all his staff in marshalling our playing resources so well under the financial circumstances the club were forced to operate."

The huge losses will not come as a great surprise to anyone who has closely followed the fortunes of the Clarets.

A summer clear-out saw an entire squad of players offloaded to help stem the cash crisis, while many of those remaining continue to draw salaries negotiated while the club was receiving cash from the doomed ITV Digital deal.

Match income for the inclusive period plummeted from £7.6m to £5.75m, to mirror a decrease in turnover from almost £11.2m to just over £9.4m.

Kilby added: "The main causes of reduction in turnover, compared with last year, are the lower television and Football League pool income of £2.5m and lower match day ticket sales of £300,000.

"The strain on the club's cashflow was dealt with by long-term loans from the Board of Directors and a deferral of capital repayments from some of the club's long-term creditors.

"It is anticipated that the club will suffer a similar negative cash flow next year before the company's contractual costs can be brought into line with our reduced income."

That statement is backed up by the fact season ticket sales have plummeted by around 2,500 this season to complete the gloomy picture.

But as the Lancashire Evening Telegraph exclusively revealed a fortnight ago, Kilby is set to ask shareholders to consider a major money-making venture at the AGM, on Monday, December 22.

Kilby, who has already injected more than £3m of his own money into the club, wants to 'buy' the Turf Moor Leisure Centre in the form of a £925,000 loan.

The proposal would see the land and buildings - currently owned by Burnley Football Club - sold to Kilby's company, with a clause enabling the club to buy back the land and buildings for the sale price plus inflation at any time within two years of the sale.

That would generate crucial revenue to hopefully keep losses in the current financial year to a minimum.

BURNLEY physio Nicky Reid found himself the centre of attention with the media earlier this week.

Radio and written press were keen to hear Reid's memories of his time with Manchester City ahead of today's derby clash with biter rivals United.

And Nicky didn't disappoint as he recalled a lifetime of watching City - including the memory of being a ballboy back in 1974 on the day Denis Law's back-heel famously condemned the Reds to relegation.

Reid, who went on to make more than 300 appearances in a decade at Maine Road, said: "I've always been a fanatical City supporter, but I've never been anti-United - unless they're playing City, of course!

"In fact, I was also a ball boy when they clinched promotion the following year!"

The former City star has also found he cannot escape the historic piece of footage that shows him as a defender trailing in the wake of Ricky Villa as the Argentinian weaved his way through the defence to score a spectacular solo goal for Spurs in the 1981 FA Cup Final.

Reid laughed: "I still get endless stick about that goal from the kids here at Burnley, but I'm not guilty!

"If they actually get hold of the video they'll see me arriving in the picture just as Villa stabs in the goal.

"In derby games, however, I'm one of the few players to score an own goal and concede a penalty, so you could say my memories are not the best.

"Most of the derbies I played in were tense, edgy games when the pre-match hype outshone the action. But they were always a tremendous experience."

Mo provides good cover for Clarets

EVER wondered why Mo Camara,, covers up his left arm with a white bandage?

Given the fashion disaster that is Arthur Gnohere's whiter-than-white wristbands, I thought it was time to get to the heart of the matter.

Sadly, I discovered Mo's arm-warmer is not a superstition, a lucky omen or even the latest line in designer gear. He simply wears the dressing to cover an old war wound on his elbow!

Neil's a gag man

NEIL Warnock was in typically defiant mood following last weekend's Turf Moor defeat, singing like a canary about how unlucky his side were.

However, he denied his Sheffield United players the same privilege, gagging every single one of them from uttering a single word to the waiting hacks as they boarded their coach.

Or is that Colin?

SPEAKING of Warnock - a fellow hack let slip that one of his nicknames within the game is Colin. Which means absolutely nothing unless you are good at solving anagrams and delete the the afore-mentioned five letters from his full name!

Liversedge is laid low

THANKFULLY the flu bug that swept the Turf Moor dressing room has now abated following a bout of jabs.

Well, almost, since the latest to go down with the bug is none other than physio Ian Liversedge.

Still, at least it will keep the lads out of the treatment room!

How I helped the new kid settle in

PULLING up outside Turf Moor on Thursday lunchtime, I noticed a fresh-faced yougster looking looking a little confused as he wandered up and down Brunshaw Road.

After pointing the way forward to main reception, I assured Blackburn defender Jay McEveley he'll quickly find his way around.

My only worry is, I didn't show him the players entrance further down the road!

No choke for Stan

You might think Stan Ternent would be quaking in his boots at the latest crackpot idea from UEFA's men in suits.

Clearly having far too much time on their hands between European draws, chief executive Gerhard Eigner has revealed that smoking will be banned within technical areas from the start of next season.

The move is being implemented to improve footballl's image, particularly at young people, and Stan's surprise reaction this week was to welcome the idea wholeheartedly.

Footnote: Stan recently gave up smoking!