STAN Ternent is the overwhelming favourite among the Clarets supporters to succeed Chris Waddle as Burnley boss.

The Bury manager attracted 40 per cent of the vote in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's phone poll in which we asked the supporters to name their choice for the Turf Moor hot seat.

Ternent has all the credentials for the job, having lifted Bury from the foot of the Third Division to First Division safety on a limited budget.

And his likely favouritism for the post is endorsed by the supporters' vote.

Of the seven named men included in the poll, Macclesfield manager Sammy McIlroy was the second most popular choice to replace Waddle who left the club early last week.

The former Manchester United midfielder, who guided Macclesfield to promotion from Division Three in his first Football League campaign, won 12 per cent of the vote.

McIlroy has little to work with at Macclesfield and the potential and resources at Burnley would be attractive to him if he was offered the chance.

Close behind were ex-Burnley players Brian Flynn and Dave Merrington with Notts County boss Sam Allardyce claiming six per cent of the vote.

However, it remains to be seen if Allardyce is in the running as there has so far been no contact between Burnley and his club which would be necessary to secure his release.

Burnley's reserve team boss Gordon Cowans polled the same percentage as Clarets defender Jamie Hoyland and ex-Oldham boss Neil Warnock who looks an outside bet for the job. Of the other candidates suggested by the supporters there were seven former Burnley players or managers, headed by Jimmy Mullen and including Adrian Heath, David Eyres, Ron Futcher, Vince Overson, Martin Dobson and Brian Laws.

Experience is the key to the appointment, however, which makes those at the top end of the poll the most likely candidates.

And the Burnley board is working towards setting up interviews for next week to allow them to name their man the week after.

The appointment will be crucial as Burnley look to concentrate on the top rather than the bottom of the Second Division next season.

And director Bob Blakeborough confirmed: "We need to restore some stability to the club.

"There's never a good time for a manager to go irrespective of what circumstances the manager goes under.

"But it is out of season and before pre-season which does give us a bit of time which will hopefully enable us to make the right decision."

Meanwhile, Bristol City were today set to complete the signing of Gillingham striker Ade Akinbiyi for a reported fee of £1.2m. The deal could end any lingering plans newly promoted City may have had of a move for Burnley striker Andy Cooke.

City boss and former Burnley number two John Ward is a known admirer of the Clarets' frontman who finished the season as leading scorer with 20 goals.

He scored both the goals that beat Plymouth to keep Burnley up on the final day of the season and his reward for an outstanding campaign is the offer of a new three-year deal to replace his current contract which has 12 months to run.

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