Taming of Shrews

A nail-biting, energy-sapping, whiteknuckle rollercoaster ride to the very edge of a football nervous breakdown.

Not since Clarets fans suffered the season from hell - when Football League status was saved on the final day of the season nearly a decade ago - has this grand old club courted and captured so many unwanted headlines.

Maybe Leyton Orient and that infamous Saturday in May, 1987 will never be matched for high drama.

But, believe you me, the script writers have done over-time since last summer.

They have stretched the narrative to breaking point and not a single word was left on the editor's spike.

We've had the lot, haven't we? From the first whistle to the last.

Sackings, boardroom unrest, bulldozers on the terraces, fan demonstrations, press bans, and new stands rising from the ashes.

In fact, enough political intrigue and international incident to keep the United Nations and the House of Commons in business until the year 2000.

But just cast your mind back to those early days of spring for a moment.

Because when Adrian Heath walked through the revolving doors and straight into Jimmy Mullen's smoking shoes in March, he knew he had a mighty task on his hands to keep HMS Claret afloat.

The ship was listing badly. Confidence was ebbing to at all-time low, and he had just 16 games to get it right - slap-bang in the eye of a Turf Moor storm. Five out of those first six fixtures were on foreign soil - and against the cream of the Second Division crop to boot.

After a few hiccups, a couple of major malfunctions and a monster basement scrap deep in the bottom six, they waved Hull, Swansea and Brighton a fond farewell.

Slowly, but surely, Heath's message was transmitted to his players. Now the real work starts in earnest.

After a winter of discontent, the club sliding from championship favourites to relegation fodder, Heath is now charged with the mighty task of relaunching the claret and blue machine.

He knows it will not be an easy job.

It will have its pitfalls. But, just like Peter Reid who arrived at Turf Moor exactly a year ago with Sunderland dangling one foot in Division Two, he has the ability and nouse to make it happen.

Reid has worked a minor miracle at Roker Park and guided Sunderland back to the Premiership.

Heath, while realistic about the job in hand, would love to follow his old Evertonian pal by delivering success to Burnley.

So when he reflected on the most hectic six weeks of his short managerial life today, he was not in the mood to pull any punches.

Listen to these words and take heart for next season Burnley fans.

"There is everything to play for because this year was NOT acceptable to anybody.

"Least of all the supporters, the directors and myself. We'll be striving for that over the summer and I want to bring in at least FOUR quality players. There are always going to be big expectations at Burnley. Quite rightly so as well.

"Obviously I can't promise the fans results, championships or promotions. But what I can certainly promise them is that we will be a lot more competitive next year.

"We will be a little bit sharper and a little bit fitter. Most of all we will have more of a desire to do well. I am determined to bring success to this club."

Burnley's desire illuminated this typical, gloomy, end of season encounter against a mediocre Shrewsbury Town.

With only pride and the odd new contract at stake, it was all pretty pedestrian stuff.

The 2-0 win at Wrexham a week earlier had removed the shackles from Burnley's play.

The Clarets were bright and inventive in the first half and the excellent 9,000 plus crowd - a remarkable attendance for such a low-key fixture - were encouraged by what they saw.

David Eyres and Liam Robinson - both enjoying a new lease of life under Heath's managerial style - combined well to create several chances of note.

And it was an accurate Eyres centre on quarter of an hour which left Robinson to head straight into the path of the grateful Paul Weller.

He was on hand - just six yards out - to guide the ball home for his first senior goal in a Burnley shirt.

An Eyres corner led to Peter Swan planting a header onto the crossbar, before Shrewsbury drew level. Ian Stevens had crashed a golden opportunity against the sidenetting just minutes earlier.

But this time he made no mistake - expertly heading Darren Currie's cross home in front of an unguarded goal.

It was a poor goal to concede on Burnley's part, although they had lost that extra height and dominance with the loss of Peter Swan minutes earlier.

The biggest cheer of the day was reserved for the arrival of player-manager Adrian Heath, Swan's replacement, with Gary Parkinson moving into the centre of defence.

And, while Shrewsbury could have nicked the points, Ian Stevens's shot superbly blocked by Beresford, Burnley signed off on a winning note.

The arrival of winger Paul Smith opened up the left flank and Shrewsbury were in trouble.

It was a peach of a goal which delivered Burnley victory. Mark Winstanley began the move, delivering a sweet ball to the feet of Smith.

He whipped in a centre and there was Winstanley to crash home a powerhouse header.

Victory marked only Burnley's third win at Turf Moor in 1996. A desperately poor return.

Yet, in the bleak and unforgiving campaign of 95/96, we have to be thankful for small mercies.

One thing is for sure, there will be changes aplenty in the summer.

And it could be a vastly different line-up which emerges when the curtain cal goes up for the start of the Second DIvision campaign on August 17. FANS HERO WORSHIP: Steve Thompson is mobbed by fans during a pitch invasion

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