LEYTON Orient may offer Colin Carr-Lawton a route back into the Football League.

Carr-Lawton is yet to get fixed up after being released by Burnley at the end of last season.

But Orient are interested in the 20-year-old striker and have invited him for a trial spell at Brisbane Road.

The Third Division club, who lost in last season's play-off final at Wembley, have been alerted to Carr-Lawton's goal-scoring potential and will run the rule over the player who came through the ranks at Turf Moor and made two starting appearances in the League last season.

"They phoned me and asked me if I would be up for it.

"I am looking forward to it and it sounds promising. It would be nice to get in there and I feel that I can do it," said Carr-Lawton, who will link up with the O's in the middle of next month when they are into their pre-season games.

A prolific scorer at reserve team level at Turf Moor, Carr-Lawton couldn't make the break into the senior set-up on a regular basis and suffered an unfortunate end to his Clarets career.

A loan move to Greek club Ethinikos intended to give him and Carl Smith some first-team football turned sour following the sacking of Howard Kendall.

The pair returned home following problems over payments to players, but the struggling Greek outfit held onto their registration so the duo were unable to turn out for Burnley again.

"It was disappointing not being able to play for two-and-half months. In fact my clearance only came through last week," Carr-Lawton added. And insult was added to injury when he was named as one of 12 players to be handed free transfers by Burnley boss Stan Ternent at the end of last season.

"I was disappointed considering at the start of the season I was involved with the first team," he said.

Scottish League club Berwick Rangers are also interested in Tyneside-based Carr-Lawton, if he fails to regain a place in the English game. Carr-Lawton's sidekick from the North-East, co-striker Kevin Henderson, has bounced back successfully from his Turf Moor departure by securing a two-year contract with Third Division Hartlepool United.

And Henderson kicks-off his new career when Hartlepool report for pre-season tomorrow at their training base just 30 minutes drive from Henderson's Northumberland home.

"I have been really impressed with them and I can't wait to get started," he said.

Burnley have landed their first live television date of the new season.

The Clarets home game against newly-promoted Scunthorpe United has been put back a day to Sunday, October 10 (kick-off 1.00) for coverage by Sky Television.

Burnley's Worthington Cup first round, first leg clash at Manchester City will take place on Wednesday, August 11 (kick-off 7.45).

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