WELL, at least the claret and blue half of East Lancashire can relax.

Last weekend's victory over championship winners Fulham finally put to bed the niggling doubts and insecurities which had played on the minds of the Burnley faithful for the last seven days or so following our victory over Stoke.

50 points will probably be enough for survival this term. But as Clarets fans everywhere will admit, there's nothing to beat that feeling of being mathematically safe.

And, to be fair, given Burnley's form over recent weeks, it's no more than they deserve. This has been a traumatic campaign for everybody involved with the club. The fog of uncertainty has been everywhere around Turf Moor this season - in the Board Room, on the terraces and on the pitch.

And given the massive upheaval the whole club has undergone over the past nine months or so, survival has to be viewed as a commendable achievement.

A number of people have emerged from this troubled season with an enormous amount of credit.

Step forward, Barry Kilby. Now here is something of an oddity - a chairman of Burnley Football Club for whom the supporters have nothing but praise. This has nothing to do with luck, and everything to do with the fact that he has an impeccable record since taking charge.

His list of achievements in just four months makes for encouraging reading: the incorporation of Ray Ingleby onto the board, the appointment of a general manager, his awareness of the importance of the fans' opinion, and his refusal to panic in the face of a crisis. (Oh yes, and wasn't there something about him tossing a few million into the club)?

Well done also to Stan Ternent. It's been a rocky ride since he took charge - rockier than even he expected. But through it all he stuck to his guns, shouted down his critics and vowed to turn it around. Next season will be the acid test, but over the past couple of months in a run of 10 games undefeated, the boss has been as good as his word.

How many Burnley fans for example want this season to end now?

And finally, a special thank you to Andy Payton. For the second season in succession the Padiham predator has fired the Clarets to safety. Next season, let's hope we are all thanking Andy Payton for his goals for a much happier reason.

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