YOUNG gun Chris Brass is Burnley Supporters Club Player of the Season for the 1996-97 campaign.

The Supporters Club announced today that the 21-year-old defender was their unaminous choice for the coveted prize.

Brass also collected the runners-up award for Young Player of the Year - won by Paul Smith.

Brass has risen through the ranks at Turf Moor and developed into one of the finest young prospects in the Nationwide League under Adrian Heath's regime.

He was called up as standby for the League team to face Italy's Serie B in Genoa earlier this year and has only recently signed a new Turf Moor deal.

His form this season has proved one of the major highlights of a campaign which saw Burnley narrowly miss out on a promotion play-off spot.

The delighted Clarets boss said: "It is a superb honour for Chris because he deserves it after all the effort and progress he has made this season."

Leading scorer Paul Barnes finished as runner-up to Brass. Barnes, though, will be presented with a special award to commemorate his five goals against Stockport County last October. The most promising Burnley teenager award was given to Colin Carr-Lawton while the Keith McNee Goal of the Season prize was Andy Cooke's overhead kick in the 5-0 win over Gillingham at Turf Moor in March.

Jimmy Mullen could be poised for a sudden return to English football - with relegated Rotherham United.

The ex-Clarets chief has emerged as one of three favourites to fill the vacant Millmoor post after the sacking of Danny Bergara - 48 hours after a 3-3 draw at Turf Moor.

Three surviving members of Burnley's 1947 FA Cup final team will be re-united on Saturday - 50 years after the Wembley showpiece.

Harold Mather, George Bray and Ray Harrison will join a host of former team-mates who were on the staff in 1947 for a celebratory luncheon at Turf Moor.

Former Clarets assistant John Ward saw his Bristol City side clinch a play-off place with a 2-0 win over Chesterfield last night.

One-time Turf Moor target Colin Murdock is having trials with Preston North End.

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