NEIL Warnock would relish the opportunity to take charge of Burnley following the departure of Chris Waddle, writes PETE OLIVER.
And the much-travelled manager, who left Oldham at the end of the season because of his own personal ambitions, has the kind of promotion pedigree which appeals to the Turf Moor board.
Burnley have also made contact with Nigel Spackman who is looking for a return to management after leaving Sheffield United earlier this season.
The former Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder had guided the Blades into the play-off zone but left Bramall Lane after a bust-up with the board and has been interviewed for the vacancy at Norwich City.
However, he may not have the experience Burnley are looking for and his credentials do not match those of Warnock.
Warnock has achieved four promotions in the last seven years, two with Notts County and one apiece with Huddersfield and Plymouth.
He left Oldham because he is hungry for more success and did not believe the hard-up Boundary Park club could provide the resources for him to launch another promotion campaign. But Turf Moor would be a different prospect altogether and he made no secret of his admiration for the club and supporters.
"The Burnley job is second to none," said Warnock, speaking from Cornwall where he is enjoying a break before deciding on his next move.
"And the fans are right up there with the best. I am not going to rush into anything but I have always felt it was a top job.
"I have always kept an eye on Burnley since we played them when I first came into the League as a manager with Scarborough and had two terrific games against them.
"In fact I can go back a lot further than that and remember when I was a kid, and a Sheffield United fan, seeing Ray Pointer score against us!"
Warnock intends to get back into football and I believe he sees Burnley as the ideal club to help him notch yet another promotion success.
He certainly has the kind of experience needed at Turf Moor and would grab the opportunity if he was to be approached. Given his present position, there would also be no strings attached with regard to compensation. The fact that he is readily available could be to his advantage, as it would be for leading candidate Stan Ternent who is working without a contract at Bury.
However, I believe Burnley are prepared to approach other clubs regarding in-work managers and Port Vale's long-serving boss John Rudge has also come under consideration.
Rudge has taken Vale from the basement division to Division One in his 14 years at the club and his knowledge of the Football League must be second to none.
Former Burnley midfielder Steve Thompson is another to express his interest in the post after being asked to put his name forward by a number of Clarets' followers - although his break into management is likely to have to come elsewhere.
"I've had a few phone calls from Burnley people asking if I would be interested and I would have to say 'Yes'," said Thompson.
"It's something I want to get into and it's a great honour even to be mentioned.
"I know a lot of the players and I have played under different managers and got experience from them."
Thompson, keen to move into coaching and management as his playing days draw to a close, moved to Rotherham after leaving Turf Moor last season but retains a fondness for the club.
"It's about time they got someone at the club who has got Burnley at heart," he added.
And it emerged today that Sammy McIlroy - another name in the Turf Moor frame - has yet to sign a new contract at Macclesfield Town due to a creditors' bill believed to be approaching £500,000.
Since the suicide of former chairman Arthur Jones nearly 18 months ago, the newly-promoted Cheshire club have been locked in complicated legal discussions with the creditors of his bankrupt business.
McIlroy reckons the fear of that bill is stopping major investors coming into the club to fund next season's Second Division campaign just 12 months after becoming a Football League club.
McIlroy said: "The club have to sort this out for us to go forward. But I still have one year left on my current contract and expect to lead the club into next season."
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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