HE may not be 26 until next month but Paul Weller has been around long enough to have charted the fall and rise of Burnley.

Weller was a young professional at Turf Moor when the Clarets last played in the First Division for one season under Jimmy Mullen.

His first-team debut followed instant relegation and under Mullen, Adrian Heath and then Chris Waddle, with political and financial difficulties rumbling on in the background, Burnley couldn't plot their way back.

As the boardroom struggles reached a peak the Clarets were just one defeat away from Division Three before Waddle left.

There wasn't an instant cure but once Barry Kilby arrived to give new manager Stan Ternent some money to spend Burnley haven't looked back.

And despite the current run of results Weller -- enjoying his own resurgence after serious illness -- believes that upward curve is being maintained.

"Since I've been here this is the best the club has been," he said.

"When we got to the First Division last time I wasn't really part of it. I was still a young lad learning the game but it now it's so different. It's settled.

"We've had a bit of a bad run but any team can do that and it's not as though we have been playing badly or getting hammered.

"It seems to be very stable with the new chairman and money coming in."

Amid the search for some improved results it's easy to forget that Burnley still occupy tenth place in Division One -- their highest League position bar the heady days of pre-Christmas since September, 1982.

And Weller believes that fact shouldn't be lost amongst the club's recent history.

"It's hard on the supporters when we're losing games. They are frustrated because we had such a good start and it's easy to say 'what's going on?'

"We've had a slump but anyone can do that and if they take a step back they can see where we've come from when Stan Ternent took over and the change-around there's been, from the brink of relegation to where we are now," he said.

Burnley can't, of course, use the past as a reason for failing to progress even further in the future.

But Weller feels from within that the club is ready to move on in the short and longer term.

"Speaking for myself, I'm sure the next win is just around the corner. If you play badly you start to wonder where it's coming from but we haven't done that.

"We've just got to keep plugging away. We've got a nice game at Grimsby on Saturday and hopefuly we'll get three points.

"At the moment we are in the top ten and if we stay there it's been a great season. Each year we just want to build on that and look to get into the top six.

"We've got a great ground and we've got everything to be a top First Division side and then to start pushing for the Premiership.

"We have got the fan-base to prove that and the backing of the board. Obviously there are clubs that can spend more than us but there are some who can't spend as much, like Crewe and even QPR."

Weller himself looks comfortable in Division One and his link-up wth Glen Little in last Saturday's home defeat by Crystal Palace was one of Burnley's highlights.

He believes his game has improved and thinks that the Clarets will benefit from this season's experiences, with a couple of new signings added to the mix.

He added: "I think the gaffer is building for next season now and I think he's looking to bring in a few younger players, although we've needed to the older players and their experience and they've been marvellous for us.

"It's a big thing playing in Division One. It's completely different when you're going to games at Colchester and you know it's going to be a battle.

"It still is a battle but you know you're going to be up against quality players and that makes you better. Our standard is going up and we are playing it around a lot more.

"I hope that will make us better next season. Playing in this division can't make you worse, unless you're getting hammered. We are still progressing."

And Weller hopes that progress will one day lead right to the top.

"It's definitely something every player would like to achieve, to say you've played in the Premiership. And Burnley are capable of doing that," he said. IN PART FOUR TOMORROW: THE FANS' VIEWS