REVITALISED Clarets midfielder Paul Weller admits his season is just starting.

But he hopes to make up for lost time by forcing his way back into the Burnley side on a regular basis and helping the Clarets up to Division One.

"This is where it starts for me and I've just got to wait for my chance because the other players are doing so well.

"I've just got to wait for my break and as soon I get it hopefully take it. I want to be involved as often as I can and to get promotion," said Weller, who has successfully completed his recovery from the three bouts of stomach surgery that kept him sidelined for over a year.

The 24-year-old recently started his first game in 16 months in the Auto Windscreens Shield at Wigan.

And he stepped up his comeback over the Christmas holiday games by returning to the Second Division fray with impressive substitute appearances against both Bury and Oxford United.

Against Oxford on Tuesday, Weller played the full second half and laid on the crucial second goal for Andy Payton.

"I got involved at Bury as well and each game's getting better for me. I'm getting the feel of it and I'm not as nervous as I was," he said.

"The gaffer's believing in me and I've just got to take each opportunity as it comes.

"My fitness is good. It's good in the way that I can play reserve games all the time but no matter how many reserve games you play it's first-team games that you need.

"The gaffer has given me 20 or 30 minutes and then half a game on Tuesday and I'm gradually getting there. I'm feeling stronger and stronger each game." The versatile Weller has figured in attacking midfield roles when coming on in each of the last two games.

And his role in Payton's second equaliser set up a crucial victory which lifted Burnley up to fifth place in the table.

"That was very important," Weller added.

"The manager said forget about the Bury game. He said it was a one-off and it doesn't mean we are a bad team all of a sudden, and we showed that again on Tuesday by coming from behind to win."

The long-serving Weller has been given a warm welcome back by the Burnley faithful.

And manager Stan Ternent is also pleased to have him back as an active member of his squad.

"Paul's coming on nicely now. He's been through a lot but he's a tough cookie and an extremely good footballer," said Ternent.

Meanwhile, Clarets chairman Barry Kilby was delighted with the size of the crowd for the game against Oxford.

The Bank Holiday fixture attracted a season's best gate of 14,218, swelled by the appearance of Jimmy McIlroy and the rest of the 1960 Championship-winning squad.

And Kilby, hoping to hang on to some of the non-regulars, said: "I was delighted with that attendance. They only brought around 200 so we were about 40 per cent up on our home support."

One disappointing note, however, was a fifth booking of the season for Micky Mellon, who, along with Steve Davis, will now miss the game at Chesterfield on Saturday, January 15.

Although Burnley have sold out their allocation of 4,000 tickets for the FA Cup tie at Coventry City on Saturday week, there are still some executive packages available for away fans. For further details, contact Alison at Turf Moor on 01282 70007.

Boundary Clarets are putting on an extra coach for the Notts County game on Monday, January 3, 2000, which will leave Duke Bar at 8.45am. For further details, contact: Paul on 01282 832100 (daytime); or 01282 705425 (evening).

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.