FORGOTTEN man Bobby Seith could now be honoured by Burnley - 40 years after he helped the Clarets win the Football League.

Seith didn't receive a championship medal, despite playing in 27 of Burnley's 42 League games when they won the title for the last time in 1959/60.

He was transferred to Dundee at the end of the season after an apparent fall-out with Burnley chairman Bob Lord and wasn't awarded the medal he was due.

And according to football historian Ian Ross, Seith is the only player in the League's history who was eligible for a championship medal but didn't receive one.

Ross said: "Unfortunately Robert fell out with the Burnley chairman Bob Lord and was transferred to Dundee.

"It is up to the club to apply for additional medals and in this case the club opted not to do so.

"It is a private matter between Burnley FC and Mr Seith as to why he was transferred but it seems extremely petty to deny this man his well-earned medal."

However, the Clarets may now be ready to make amends with chairman Barry Kilby pledging to try and rectify the situation.

"We will have a look into it and see what we can do. I go back a long way and although I don't remember him playing I certainly remember the name," he said.

The Clarets have been asked to help out by the PFA, after Ross wrote to its chief executive, Gordon Taylor, hoping that Seith could be presented with a medal.

And the Football League may now get involved to ensure that Seith gets his just desserts. "From a Football League point of view we would await with interest any correspondence from Burnley or the PFA and we would like to think we would view it sympathetically," confirmed the League's director of communications Peter Rowe.

If the facts are confirmed to the League, then the matter will be passed on to its management committee to decide whether Seith will be awarded his medal.

The Scot, who came through the ranks at Turf Moor after joining the club in 1949, made his debut for Burnley in 1953 and made 238 League and Cup appearances before moving to Dens Park.

A wing-half, Seith, who is now 67, at least gained some compensation when he won a Scottish League Championship medal two years after his switch to Dundee, where he now lives.

And he enjoyed a successful career in Scotland, coaching at Dundee and Rangers and then managing the Scotland youth team and Hearts after a spell back in Lancashire as manager of Preston North End.

Meanwhile, it's business as usual in the Turf Moor boardroom despite Ray Ingleby's operating problems in the United States.

A firm of American lawyers has filed a law suit against New York-based Caribiner, of which Ingleby is the former chairman and current non-executive vice-chairman, accusing the company of mis-leading investors.

The matter was discussed with Ingleby at a meeting of the Burnley board last night, of which Ingleby is a member.

But Kilby said today he didn't anticipate any knock-on effect for the football club and was looking forward to Ingleby's continued involvement with the Clarets.

"It seems these things go out like confetti over there. It's his own affair and I can't see any fall-out for Burnley," added the chairman.

Potential Burnley transfer target John Mullin is reportedly wanted by Millwall, as is his former Sunderland team-mate Martin Smith, another to be linked with a possible summer move to Turf Moor.

Former Clarets loan keeper Mark Grew has been appointed as assistant manager to Brian Horton at Port Vale.

Boundary Clarets are holding their AGM at the Rose and Thistle next Tuesday night, start 8pm, when Burnley midfielder Paul Weller and general manager Andrew Watson will be guests. All current and new members are asked to attend.

Former Burnley and Blackburn Rovers secretary John Howarth, who left Turf Moor last year, has been appointed as the new secretary at Bramall Lane, where he will link up again with ex-Clarets manager Adrian Heath.

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