CHRIS Waddle may have had a difficult spell as manager at Burnley but he is still determined to get back on to the managerial merry-go-round.

And he has admitted that his successor at Burnley has helped to convince him not to give up on his dream of becoming a boss.

"I have spoken to Stan Ternent a number of times and he has told me that I was unlucky and that I must not give up," he said. "I really appreciate that.

"When I left Burnley I was obviously disappointed because it was a setback but I went to Sheffield Wednesday and really enjoyed a couple of years as the reserve team manager there. But there was a change of manager so I left and I have been looking to get back into football ever since.

"When Terry Yorath left I did apply for the job but having not heard from them I guessed I wouldn't get it and I wish Chris Turner all the best."

But Waddle admitted that being a big name can be a hindrance as much as a help as there is an increase in any expectation.

"Those expectations are a lot higher," he confessed. "You are expected to be an immediate success but you have to give yourself a chance, you need a little bit of time.

"I have a lot of belief in my own ability and five years on I think I am ready for another opportunity. I am a lot older and a lot wiser and if the chance was to come I would love to grasp it.

"I miss the day to day involvement in football and I hope to end up as a manager again. But I think you see that the managerial world is like a merry-go-round and it is a case of trying to get back on to it."

There were plenty of lessons to learn from his year in charge at Turf Moor, taking over from Adrian Heath in the summer of 1997 before leaving a year later after a season of struggle.

"There is no doubt that I had had problems upstairs," he said. "There were problems in house at Turf Moor and I think that Stan found that when he first came to the club. That is why they started off at the bottom.

"But Barry Kilby has come in as the chairman and done a marvellous job and Stan has done a great job on the pitch."

For the moment, Waddle is enjoying his work in the media and this week he was at Wigan on Tuesday night for Radio Five Live and the day after he was back at Turf Moor for the clash between Burnley and another of his former clubs Spurs on duty with Sky TV.

It just whetted his appetite to get back into the game.

He will keep watching and waiting for an opportunity to put into practice the lessons he learned during his time at Turf Moor.

Windy City can't stop chairman

Clarets chairman Barry Kilby was "gutted" when he realised he would miss the big game against Spurs in the Worthington Cup but the wonders of mobile phone ensured he kept in touch.

Business commitments meant he had to be in Chicago and the match kicked off in the middle of the working day.

His wife Sonya explained: "Barry said he would ring me every 15 minutes but I rang him when Tottenham scored.

"He kept in touch and then when Robbie scored I rang him again. We were still talking on the phone when Steve Davis headed the second so I ended up commentating on it - so John Motson had better watch out.

"He then said he would phone me every 15 minutes again but my mobile kept going about every three. It was really tense but he was delighted when he called me on the final whistle.

Special Branch

IT must have sounded like music to Graham Branch's ears on Wednesday night when some fans in the James Hargreaves Stand started singing "Branchy for England".

All too often the versatile player has been singled out by the boo-boys at turf Moor, a fact not lost on manager Stan Ternent.

But on Wednesday night, a match full of heroes, he deserved his recognition for the work he put in keeping the dangerous Simon Davies quiet.

Not only that, he managed to have an impact going forward, not least with a fine cross for Gareth Taylor.

It was one of the best night's for Burnley in years and one of the best for Branch ever.

He will be determined to build on it but he will also be hoping that keeper Marlon Beresford stays fit in games as, with Nik Michopoulos on loan and Gordon Armstrong injured, he is the man with the gloves at the ready.

Ronnie relief

BURNLEY'S reserves will return to action on Wednesday night and manager Ronnie Jepson admitted: "In a way we have been lucky to have had so few games."

The Clarets have played just one in the past seven weeks, a 1-0 win on a terrible night at Oldham but Jepson explained: "We have had a lot of illness and injury around the place and so we would have been struggling to get a team together.

"But now everyone is coming back, everything is looking more promising and we will be looking forward to playing Barnsley at Turf Moor on Wednesday.

"The young lads have been working hard in training and they will be ready. But as always the first team comes first and we will be doing our bit to help the gaffer."

Stan sees double

BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent is used to being without both Gareth Taylor and Dimitri Papadopoulos but there are a couple of differences to their call-ups for internationals on November 20.

The first is the fact that both men will be available for the match against Rotherham the previous Saturday whereas in the past he has had to plan without them.

And the second is that Papadopoulos is not on Under-21 duty but joining up with the senior Greek international side for the first time.

Kettley has a stormer

REGULAR readers of this column will know that John Kettley avidly follows the Clarets via the LET popular website at www.thisislancashire.co.uk.

Further proof came on Thursday morning as he bantered with a colleague who is a Spurs fan by pointing out that "Waddle said it would be no doddle for Hoddle - and he was right."

That story was in the LET on the night of the game and how right the former Burnley boss was.

Claret trip

THE Claret and Blues Supporters Club is taking transport to Rotherham on Saturday November 16.

They are picking up at the Trafalgar in Nelson at 10.35, Queensgate 10.45, Park View 10.55, Bull and Butcher 11.05 and Rawtenstall 11.15.

There will be a stop on the way and for travel and ticket information ring Steve on 07989 476790 (daytime) or Dave on 01282 454669 (evening).

Cost to members is £9.50, for non-members it is £11.50.