Fan's Eye View, with Stephen Cummings

APPARENTLY there has been a gap between the end of last season and the beginning of this.

Well, you could have fooled this correspondent.

Traditionally a time when the Turf Moor football factory shuts down for a couple of months, this summer has seen production go into frenzied overdrive.

One mysterious managerial departure followed by one miraculous managerial arrival, the rejection of two potential big money takeover bids, bizarre goings-on in the transfer market and the resurgence of the supporters' wrath towards the board, have all combined to produce the most frantic close season in the club's history.

There are two ways of interpreting events of the past few weeks. Looking at the situation in a positive light, the appointment of Chris Waddle as player-manager is clearly a major coup. Similarly, there is much to be said for having a current England coach as assistant boss. And that the board have made the best part of £750,000 available for Waddle to play the transfer market, is a move also to be applauded.

However, now the initial euphoria has subsided a little, it is perhaps time for some probing questions to be levelled at those who enjoy most power at Turf Moor. Because to a cynical mind, it might appear that once again the Burnley board have emerged relatively unscathed from a potential disaster. The messy valediction of Adrian Heath raised the hackles of many a Claret. Yet the board made no attempt to retain the services of the popular young manager. Heath would probably have gone to Goodison come hell or high water, yet that would be to miss the point. He was never invited to stay on.

Nor did the board follow the lead of their Sheffield United counterparts, who shouted from the rooftops, demanding substantial compensation for the loss of Howard Kendall. Why?

Equally intriguing is the mystery of the Turf Moor transfer fund. Heath was frustrated in his attempts to purchase players, due to a supposed lack of money. However, Waddle has been allowed to spend relatively freely. What happened between Heath's departure and Waddle's arrival to conjure up almost £750,000?

And what of Waddle's appointment itself? In interviews he has suggested he approached the club asking to become manager, rather than vice versa! I imagine the board could scarcely believe their good fortune.

It may well be that there are reasonable answers to all these questions, but in maintaining their trademark silence, the board merely invite supporters to reach their own conclusions.

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