STAN Ternent today agreed to be manager of Burnley - returning to the club he joined as a schoolboy in 1961.

Ternent formally resigned as Bury's boss this morning before accepting the Turf Moor post.

His first appointment at Burnley will be to make his No 2 at Gigg Lane Sam Ellis assistant manager.

He said: "Managing Burnley Football Club is something I have always wanted to do. I feel the time is now right for me to take on this enormous challenge and I hope my experience will be of benefit to the club.

"At Bury, I feel I took the club as far as I could on the resources that were available.

"While Burnley are in Division Two I know, as well as everyone else, that they have fantastic support and fantastic potential."

Chairman Frank Teasdale was due to announce the two appointments on Clubcall late today and hold a Press conference at Turf Moor tomorrow.

However, director Clive Holt confirmed that the board was delighted to have reached a satisfactory conclusion in their chase to replace Chris Waddle.

"We feel we have got the right man. Stan's record in recent seasons has been excellent. He has achieved things on a budget which have been tremendous and hopefully having a little bit more clout he will be able to do even better," said Holt.

Burnley captain Neil Moore is delighted that the uncertainty is over and is looking forward to working with Ternent.

Moore said: "Now we know what we are coming back to. It's clear in everybody's minds and we have just got to impress the new manager. "When you don't know what you are coming back to it's all up in the air. But now we can relax a bit more and look forward to coming back."

The central defender is optimistic that Ternent's experience and success at Bury can rub off at Turf Moor and added: "The nucleus of the squad is there from last year.

"I know we finished fifth from bottom but we have got some good players. I hope he gives the lads a chance from last year and the team probably needs strengthening in a couple of areas which is up to the manager."

The board's decision is also likely to be welcomed by the fans who made him their number one choice in an Lancashire Evening Telegraph readers' poll.

Boundary Clarets spokesman Paul Smith has welcomed Ternent on board although claimed any appointment should have waited until the takeover had been ironed out.

"I hope he does well provided they get the board sorted out. Obviously Stan knows what the position the club is in and is aware of the contracts situation.

"He will be a popular choice with the fans and I hope he can do the same for us as he has at Bury. He will probably be on the same budget until the takeover is sorted out."

It is understood that Bury may claim compensation for the loss of their managerial team even though Ternent was working without a contract. The former Blackpool and Hull boss cleared his desk at Gigg Lane yesterday.

On Saturday night he was given a tremendous reception at Turf Moor when he presented the prizes to the Burnley Sunday League in the Centre Spot - which was a pre-arranged engagement.

Since joining Bury three and a half years ago Ternent, 52 later this month, has taken the Shakers from second from bottom in the Third Division to mid-table in the First Division, picking up the Division Two championship along the way.

Sunderland-born Ternent, who lives in the Burnley area, first joined the Clarets as an apprentice the year after they won the First Division championship.

He was discovered in the North East by scout Jack Hixon who later went on to launch Alan Shearer's career.

A tenacious inside forward and wing half Ternent moved to Carlisle in 1968 where as captain he guided them into the old First Division for the first time in their history.

After moving to Sunderland in 1974 injury cut short his playing career and manager Bob Stokoe immediately appointed him to the coaching staff.

He remained a coach at Roker under Jimmy Adamson before Stokoe made him his assistant manager at Blackpool in 1978.

Ternent was just 33 when he replaced Stokoe as Bloomfield Road boss in 1979 and his first signings were former Burnley favourites Paul Fletcher and Peter Noble. During the Eighties Ternent worked as first team coach at Leeds - again under Adamson - assistant manager to Terry Dolan at Bradford City, and No 2 to Steve Coppell at Crystal Palace.

In 1989 he was took up the manager's post at Hull City in the former Division One where he took Mick Docherty from Burnley as his assistant.

Ternent later moved to Stamford Bridge in the first season of the Premier League where as first team coach to Ian Porterfield he helped Chelsea finish in the top seven.

While at Bury Ternent signed former Clarets Adrian Randall and Peter Swan and snapped up midfielder Mark Patterson when his move to Turf Moor from Sheffield United fell through last season.

He is a keen admirer of the Turf Moor strikeforce of Andy Cooke and Andy Payton, who he sold to Middlesbrough during his time at Hull.

Ellis, the new No 2 at Turf Moor, has managed both Bury and Blackpool and is a former first team coach at Maine Road.

Manchester-born Ellis, who lives in the Blackpool area, had a playing career at Sheffield Wednesday, Mansfield, Lincoln and Watford.

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