Light at the end of the Tern-nel

BURNLEY'S shirt manufacturers might have run out of ink if the Football League's plan to introduce squad numbers had come into effect this season.

Tom Cowan and Paul Cook would have been wearing numbers 42 and 43 following their pre-deadline day signings and casual observers at Turf Moor might have thought they were watching American football.

There is, however, a serious point to this, which largely explains Burnley's trials and tribulations in a dramatic season.

Stan Ternent's use of so many players - John Williamson became number 44 - and the reasons for that are largely responsible for a campaign that looked destined to end in relegation before a dramatic recovery, from mid-March onwards, saw the Clarets finish as one of the form-sides of the division.

It's no coincidence that, since Ternent was able to call on a largely settled side, Burnley roared away from trouble on the back of an 11-match unbeaten run.

In that spell of five wins and six draws, Burnley used just 14 players in their starting line-ups, and two of those came back in after safety had been assured.

Only three players that started Ternent's first game in charge, a 2-1 win over Bristol Rovers, were in the 11 that ended the campaign in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Northampton. The seeds of doubt were sown last summer, although the blinkered optimism that marks the start of any season perhaps masked the problems to some of us.

The hard facts show that Burnley only escaped relegation on the last day of the previous season.

And from that side Gerry Harrison, Damian Matthew, Chris Woods and Jamie Hoyland had gone. And the luckless Paul Weller was destined to have no part to play this season.

Critically, Ternent's plans to rebuild in the summer were hamstrung by a lack of cash.

The club was still in a state of limbo off the pitch with the takeover saga dragging on and no money coming in from the ill-fated Peter Shackleton deal or from Ray Ingleby, whose buy-out package was not acceptable to the board.

I've no doubt that Ternent must have been expecting transfer funds to rebuild the side after he left First Division Bury to take on the challenge.

But, as Kevin Keegan once famously said, Ternent found "it wasn't like they said in the brochure."

Playing with the cards dealt him, the Burnley boss brought in a couple of free transfers and a loan goalkeeper and set sail with the remains of Chris Waddle's squad - until the ship hit the rocks against York City in the first of several dismal home defeats.

Exit Lee Howey, Steve Blatherwick, Mark Winstanley and Michael Williams and welcome more free transfers in Peter Swan, Gordon Armstrong and Brian Reid.

The injuries that also plagued Burnley's season began to bite and youngsters Matty Heywood, Chris Scott, Carl Smith and Brad Maylett - bright spots in the gloom - were pitched in. They all performed manfully but Ternent's post-match comment regarding sending "kids on men's errands" became a regular refrain as the Clarets, despite the goals of Andy Payton, struggled in the lower reaches of the table.

There were signs of hope - a run of one defeat in seven games lifted Burnley to 14th as Payton scored a brace in a home win over Wrexham at the end of October to register his 150th League goal of his career.

More significantly, Barry Kilby had made his welcome entry onto the scene to end the boardroom fiasco.

The Blackburn-based millionaire, who became chairman at the turn of the year, was to pump £3 million into the club to keep the bank happy and allow Ternent to bring in some of the players he desperately sought.

Paul Crichton and Ally Pickering started the trickle, which gained momentum around the turn of the year when Kilby's clout was really felt.

Ternent signed long-time target Steve Davis for a record £750,000 fee and Micky Mellon for just less than half that. Graham Branch also arrived from Stockport and the pre-Christmas gloom, which included an FA Cup exit to Darlington, began to lift.

But the Clarets couldn't win at home. And even though their away form was excellent, moving back up to 15th place at the end of January proved to be a false dawn, as four defeats in five games plunged the club towards crisis point.

Ternent, who had also paid £225,000 for Lenny Johnrose, offered Kilby the chance to replace him if he thought it best. Kilby didn't and the 6-0 drubbing by Manchester City proved to be a watershed as well as a landslide.

Cowan and Cook arrived as inspired signings and, despite a hiccup against Preston, the corner had been turned.

With Payton back in the scoring groove, Davis living up to his fee and Armstrong and Chris Brass able to play in their rightful positions Burnley were a team transformed.

A thrilling 4-3 win over Macclesfield ended the home hoodoo and four victories later the Clarets were safe.

So what of the future? Ternent has proved a lot of people wrong and developed the basis of a potentially successful side, although the futures of some key players, such as Tom Cowan, Ally Pickering and Paul Cook, are still to be determined.

And he is certain to strengthen in all departments over the summer. The manager's job has therefore only just started. But surely he has overcome the hardest part and long-awaited success at Turf Moor may be around the corner.

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