I DIDN'T go to Norwich on Saturday. With less than 300 tickets available to Burnley supporters, not many Clarets did.

And to be honest, those who didn't undertake the epic trek to Norfolk should be grateful.

Not just because they avoided the soul-destroying 12-hour round trip to Norfolk and back. Not even because they avoided watching Burnley slip to defeat. But simply because the accommodation for away supporters was little short of atrocious.

With the Carrow Road club in the process of re-building one of their stands, it was always going to be the away fans that suffered. But on this occasion Norwich took it to another level.

On Saturday, Burnley's supporters were dumped by the side of the pitch. Two feet behind them was a building site. Two feet ahead of them was the Carrow Road playing surface.

Had the supporters been any closer to the action there was every chance they would have been attempting to tackle Peter Crouch or playing Delroy Facey through on goal.

Bolted onto a wooden fence which separated the building site from the pitch were the seats for which the travelling fans had shelled out £15.

Naturally, this section was roofless (that's "roofless" as opposed to "ruthless" -- an accurate assessment of Norwich City's pricing policy).

As if the situation wasn't bad enough, I understand that the club's stewards were less than sympathetic about the supporters' predicament, threatening to eject anyone who stood up rather than rest their posterior on the luxury seats provided.

It is scandalous that, a) Norwich are treating customers this way, and b) the Football League are unwilling or unable to do anything about it.

Away supporters being treated in such a shabby fashion is nothing new. But that doesn't mean it's all right. For every Hawthorns or Britannia Stadium there is a Carrow Road waiting round the corner.

Yet Saturday's inconvenience is nothing compared to the farcical situation surrounding the Clarets next away fixture.

On Saturday, September 27, Burnley are due to play Franchise FC, still ludicrously trading under the name of Wimbledon.

With less than a fortnight to go, it is still unclear as to whether the game will be played at Selhurst Park or Franchise's new home, the Milton Keynes Hockey Stadium.

Nor, given the uncertainty surrounding the venue, has there been any indication as to how many tickets are being allocated to those Burnley supporters wishing to travel.

The whole situation is ludicrous and is just another example of the kind of contempt with which away supporters are treated.

Meanwhile, after two away games on the spin, the Clarets have consecutive home games starting with tonight's clash against Nottingham Forest.

It is, of course, a game which will bring Gareth Taylor back to the Turf. The striker is sure to get a fully-deserved warm reception from the home supporters.

Let's hope he repays our hospitality by having a dreadful game.