Turf Beat

Forget Becks! Payts is legend in Far East

DAVID Beckham may have gone down a storm in China - but incredibly in one tiny corner of the country he has a rival for popularity in Clarets legend Andy Payton!

That corner is classroom 216, teaching building three at the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, where former Lancashire Evening Telegraph Clarets reporter Matt Horn is now a journalism lecturer.

Matt explained: "When I first came out to China in May, my students were very keen to have a look at some of the work I had done and the only article I had brought out was the exclusive story about Andy retiring.

"To put him into context for a group of 20-year-olds who only ever see Premiership football, I referred to him as the 'Becks of Burnley' due to his popularity with the home fans.

"I told them he was a local lad who had gone on to do great things for his club after being rejected as a teenager, and the article was duly passed around the class and read with great interest."

Matt recently returned to these shores on a break and relayed the news of Payton's rise to prominence in the Far East.

But incredibly, when he returned for another year of teaching a couple of weeks ago he discovered the passion for Payts has now reached cult proportions.

While most of the new, footy-mad students quizzed Matt on Beckham, Sir Alex Ferguson, Real Madrid and Manchester United, those he had previously taught were desperate to know what had happened to the Padiham Predator.

As a result the name of Stalybridge Celtic - who Payts briefly joined in the summer - became known in China, quite possibly for the first time ever.

Even better, one youngster lay claim to being Andy's biggest fan with a unique show of devotion.

Matt explained: "The students had responded to my pleas to adopt an English name as it was really hard for me to try to pronounce and remember their Chinese ones.

"I might have expected someone to choose the name Andy, but when one lad in a football shirt stood up and introduced himself as 'Payton' I knew he had made it big in the Far East as well as East Lancashire!"

I'm sure Payts needn't fear a mob of baying fans if he ever visits China, but it is heart-warming to know his efforts for the Clarets have been recognized by at least a few football fans on the other side of the world!

Maybe now, we should think about raising some funds for Stan by following Man United's lead and opening an official club store in Guangdong?

Here comes the bride ... but what's the score?

I ALMOST forgot what it was like to be a supporter until last weekend. Situations beyond my control meant I was forced to miss the trip to Stoke to attend a friend's wedding in the middle of what appeared to be a barren, phone mast free, 2,000-acre estate in deepest Lincolnshire.

A lack of any meaningful signal meant that my efforts to smuggle a mobile phone into the wedding ceremony for the 3pm 'kick-off' proved pointless.

That left only one option. A solo champagne reception in one corner of the car park where the signal stretched to one bar and news was finally relayed that David May had struck.

Said routine was then repeated at regular intervals during the day and evening to glean titbits of information from the Britannia Stadium, followed by Macedonia v England and Italy v Wales.

Not that we went without the odd help from hotel staff. To the utter indignation of our other halves, the posh nosh took second place to the waiter delivering it with several scoreflashes from Macedonia.

Suffice to say, it was my female friend's bright idea to get married during the football season, and she got her comeuppance when the bride's father opened his speech with the words: "Ladies and Gentlemen - at half-time it's Macedonia 1, England 0."

Her Liverpool-loving husband went one better, beginning his speech by offering heartfelt thanks to the FA Premier League for handing the Reds a free weekend! Who said romance was dead?

Soccer schools coming to an area near you

THE club have announced more of their soccer schools around the county as follows:

Keighley & Skipton area -- Ermysteads GS, October 27, 28, (11am to 2.30pm) cost £18, ages six to 14 years, indoor and outdoor; South Craven HS Oct 29, 30 (11am to 2.30pm) £18, six to 14 years, indoor; South Craven HS, Nov 22, 23; (11am to 2.30pm) £24, six to 14 years, indoor; Ermysteads GS (Dec 29, 30) 11am to 2.30pm, £24, six to 14 years, indoor.

Nelson, Colne and Barnoldswick areas: Trawden PS, Nov 5, 6, 7 (10am to 2pm), £27, six to 14 years, indoor; West Craven Leisure Centre, Dec 22, 23, 29, 30 (10am to 2pm) £24, six to 14 years, indoor.

Burnley and Padiham areas: St Peter's Primary, Simonstone, Oct 27, 28 (10am to 2pm) £14, six to 14 years, outdoor; Turf Moor Leisure Centre, Nov 3, 4, 5 (9am to 3pm) £27, six to 14 years, indoor; Turf Moor Leisure Centre, Nov 6, 7 (10am to 3pm) £18, six to 14 years, indoor; Turf Moor Leisure Centre, Dec 22, 23 (10am to 3pm) £24, six to 14 years, indoor; Turf Moor Leisure Centre, Dec 29, 30 (10am to 3pm) £24, six to 14 years, indoor; Turf Moor Leisure Centre, January 2, 2004 (10am to 3pm) £15, six to 14 years, indoor.

Hyndburn & Ribble Valley: Rhyddings HS, Oct 28, 29, 30 (10am to 2pm) £27, six to 14 years, indoor; Rhyddings HS, Dec 22, 23 (10am to 2pm) £24, six to 14 years, indoor; Rhyddings HS, Dec 29, 30 (10am to 2pm) £24, six to 14 years, indoor; Rhyddings HS, Jan 2, 2004 (10am to 2pm) £15, six to 14 years, indoor.

Fans' bid to give racism the boot

BURNLEY fans have joined forces with the excellent 'Kick It Out' anti-racism campaign to host a five-a-side tournament in the Football Club Leisure Centre next month.

Members of the 'When the Ball Moves' fanzine have helped organise the event, which is open to all members of the public and takes place on Sunday, October 26 from 10am.

Entry cost is £5 per team and details can either be left with Linda at the Leisure Centre on 01282 700081, or mailed by cheque to Mr M Barnes, 41 Bates St, Sheffield, S10 1NP.

Martin Barnes can be contacted for further details on 07760 165014 and all monies raised will go directly towards anti-racism charities and good causes.

Psychic Stan takes glance into future

STAN Ternent. Thursday pm. "I would like to keep all my loan signings, but I haven't got a crystal ball."

League Managers Association Panel statement. Friday am. "Burnley's display against Stoke City last weekend has been nominated as the Scottish Life International Performance of the Week.

"Stan Ternent will receive the award, which comes in the form of a crystal football, on Friday morning."

Now that's spooky!

It's all in a name

GRAHAM Branch is racking up new nicknames faster than Speedy Gonzales riding Neil Hodgson's Ducati.

No sooner has the Clarets captain had to get used to 'Skip' and, as regular readers will know, 'The Cat', than Branch has become the subject of dressing room wags hailing him as 'Giggsy'.

The tongue-in-cheek remark follows Branch's new role on the left of midfield in last Saturday's brilliant 2-1 win at Stoke.

What a team!

SPEAKING of the Stoke victory, the 'Performance of the Week Award' wasn't the only accolade heading Burnley's way. Five players also made the Nationwide First Division Team of the Week, so step forward Andy Todd, David May, Mo Camara, Gareth Farrelly and Robbie Blake.

Third time lucky?

SHOULD the Clarets win a penalty at Norwich this afternoon, expect Robbie Blake to step forward and try to end his spot kick hell.

Blake has failed twice in succession from the spot since taking over from Gareth Taylor - at home to Crewe and during the penalty shoot out against Chesterfield.

But he revealed: "The lads are giving me a bit of stick but I'm still going to be on them. People miss them and it's how you react. You have to be strong and confident when you take the next one."