TUESDAY night's embarrassing debacle at the hands of Manchester City might have seemed like the absolute pits to the Turf Moor faithful.

But perhaps they should talk to Ronnie Jepson for a real account of life below the coal-face.

The larger-than-life Burnley striker spent six years as a miner before he broke into the big time.

Lady Thatcher might think it's appropriate that an ex-miner became a striker.

But he could certainly teach the Clarets playing staff a thing or two when it comes to rolling up your sleeves in a crisis.

Life down a pit was never a gruesome option to Jepson - he was merely following in his family's footsteps.

Born and bred in a village called Audley near Stoke-on-Trent, most young lads went down the mines after leaving school.

What it did teach him was the value of teamwork and collective responsibility.

It was a testing workplace where trust and reliance formed the bedrock.

"There were some great characters there and you were surrounded by people you could rely on," said Jepson.

"They wouldn't let you down.

"But then I had that throughout my upbringing because of where we came from.

"We didn't have much but what we did have we appreciated."

It's that type of work ethic the Clarets so desperately need now as they attempt to dig themselves out of a relegation hole getting deeper by the week.

So far, manager Stan Ternent has taken most of the flak, with fans calling for his head in the wake of the last two home thrashings. Another avalanche tomorrow against neighbours Preston North End may see him pay the ultimate price.

But Jepson believes it's time for the playing staff to start taking responsibility in a bid to halt the current slide.

"People look in life for other people to pull them through but sometimes you've got to stand up and be counted.

"When the crowd are on your back you've still got to be looking for the ball and wanting the ball rather than waiting for someone else to do it for you.

"It's got to be a joint effort.

"You can't keep passing the buck on to certain individuals.

"We've got the players at the club - they've all got the ability.

"It's just whether or not they've got the character to turn that ability into good performances."

In a League career spanning 10 years, he has built up a footballing reputation as a gladiator rather than a glamour-puss.

After spells in non-League with Nantwich Town and Newcastle Town, it was John Rudge who gave him his big chance at Port Vale.

Three seasons later, he moved on to Preston, scoring a hat-trick in 16 minutes on his home debut.....against Burnley.

But it was a bitter-sweet two years at Deepdale after that.

"I had a great rapport with the fans. They were magnificent," said Jepson.

"The club was going through a transitional period but I would have stayed longer had it not been for the artificial pitch. All the players hated it.

"If you slid on the floor it left your legs in bits and it took three days to recover after games because your joints took a real pounding.

"I felt sorry for defenders like Mick Flynn as well. They had all kinds of problems on it."

From there he moved on to Exeter, working under Alan Ball, and then on to Huddersfield Town, where he helped them to promotion and appeared in a play-off final.

Bury was his next port of call and in his two years at Gigg Lane the Shakers enjoyed back-to-back promotions under Stan Ternent.

But things haven't gone right for either man since they moved to Turf Moor.

Jepson, however, believes it is only a matter of time before Stan will turn things around.

And he'll do it his way.

"Stan and Sam Ellis take no prisoners when they take training because they'll tell it how it is.

"Whether a few people have found that hard to stand up to or not I don't know.

"But perhaps people have got away with a few things in the past they won't do with Stan and Sam.

"They make people earn their wages and they might upset one or two along the way.

"But you can have fun with them, you've just got to earn the right."

For the next eight weeks though it's down to the serious stuff of keeping Burnley in the Second Division.

Jepson would dearly love the chance to turn the tables on his old club tomorrow by scoring a hat-trick for the Clarets in the cauldron of a Lancashire derby.

But the Achilles tendon injury which has kept him out for much of this season is likely to rule him out again.

It's an injury that could have ended his career.

Jepson, however, is as hard as the stuff he used to mine and is aiming to play a crucial part in the relegation run in.

"It's the first time I've ever been in pot in my life and it's been very frustrating sitting on the sidelines.

"But it's one of those things you've just got to get on with in football.

"I'd love to play tomorrow but I've put so much work in to getting back it'd be a shame to spoil it now.

"It might be better to make sure I'm fit for the last eight or nine games."

So forget Andy Cole, Burnley's man of coal could be the one to fire the Clarets.

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