ON principle, I did not travel to Selhurst Park on Sunday. I don't know anyone who did.

Charles Koppell's ludicrous decision to relocate to Milton Keynes even more outrageously backed by the Football League almost destroyed Wimbledon and left a bad taste in the mouths of football supporters everywhere.

Imagine, for example, Barry Kilby moving us to Stoke.

Fortunately, Koppell could not break the spirit and resolve of the hard core supporters and AFC Wimbledon are alive and well, albeit seven divisions lower than the team which many supporters have come to refer to as Franchise FC.

So it was that most Burnley supporters missed Steve Davis's last ever appearance for the Clarets. Which was a tremendous shame as most fans would have liked to have shown their appreciation to the player.

Did I say player? Make that "legend". In his two spells at the club, the man who Stan Ternent referred to as "the skip" was rarely anything less than excellent.

He was, in fact, everything that you would want a Burnley player to be. First and foremost, as his nickname suggests, he was a leader.

You always sensed that the captain's armband meant something to him.

He was tough, both mentally and physically. He was certainly not one to be intimidated by big names or big games, always backing himself against his opponent and, more often than not, coming out on top.

Only a lack of pace prevented Steve from plying his trade in the top flight. Yet he compensated for that with his ability to be in the right place at the right time, along with his knack of timing his tackles to perfection.

For his great defensive work, his headed goals from corners and his exciting surges out of defence with consumate ease, he will be missed.

The appearance of Davis' name alongside 12 others on the unretained list merely serves to underline the financial predicament of the club. Only Diallo and Branch find themselves fortunate enough to be offered new, although in all likelihood reduced, contracts.

Given that the club's most recent figures put total wages and salaries at a whopping £7.5 million a year, it is clear that the wage bill needs not so much trimming as slashing this summer.

It seems unlikely that the release of the 13 players will substantially reduce the wage bill, particularly as many of them will need replacing, albeit on lesser money.

In which case the club may try and shift its high earners. By Barry Kilby's own admission, Glen Little costs the club £100,000 over an eight week period (or around £12,500 per week).

Couple this information with the fact that Glen has, by all accounts, been very impressive at Reading, who can clearly afford his wages, and you can draw your own conclusions as to where the next cost cutting might take place.