Turf hero Gazza's our golden boy!

Lifelong Clarets fans and season ticket holders Alan and Lilian Cox, of Waterbarn Street, Burnley, were planning a family party until the club's new signing was unveiled at the weekend.

Alan will now join the family and more than 20,000 fans for the game against Bradford at Turf Moor tonight, although Lilian will not be there.

She said: "We have seats in row P in the Bob Lord Stand and I just cannot climb the stairs.

"I have just had to have a chair lift installed at home."

She added: "It is a shame I'm missing out.

"It breaks my heart.

"I think it is brilliant that Gazza has come to Burnley.

"After seeing him on television he has still got the touch and should be a big boost to Burnley to stay in the play off position and have a chance of getting us into the Premiership."

Alan added: "I have been a regular Burnley fan since 1947 and together we used to go all over the country watching them.

"We have seen all the greats since the war and also been through the bad times when the club nearly went out of the league."

With Alan at the game tonight will be the couple's son Geoff, daughter Gillian Sturdy and their granddaughter Lindsay, 12.

Lilian said: "In the circumstances we had to change the day of the golden wedding celebration.

"Gillian especially is a Burnley fanatic and she would have been mortified to miss this match."

The couple will now have their party on Thursday, the day before their anniversary.

Alan, 77, was a tyre maker at the Michelin factory for 19 years up to his retirement and before that was a weaver and driver.

Lilian was an enrolled nurse in the then geriatric wards at Burnley General Hospital and at the former Victoria Hospital, Burnley.

They have four grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Club officials said it was great that the family were such keen Burnley supporters and that they would try to put a message about Alan and Lilian's golden wedding over the loudspeaker system.