OWEN Coyle says Burnley’s much admired team spirit may be more important than ever if the Clarets are to survive in the Premier League next season.

Coyle felt that the close-knit nature of his squad played a key part in Burnley’s promotion to the top flight and hopes to retain that togetherness during 2009/10.

But the Clarets, who will find out their fixtures when they are officially announced tomorrow at 10am, know they will have their work cut out against clubs with greater financial clout.

That could mean times of adversity during the season and Coyle believes it will be in those periods, rather than in a promotion season when results were largely going well, that Burnley’s team spirit will be tested most.

But he points to the example of the first two league games of the 2008/09 campaign - when the Clarets lost 4-1 at Sheffield Wednesday and then 3-0 at home to Ipswich Town - as evidence that his players do have what it takes in terms of character.

“I know it’s easy to bandy these words about but we are very much in it together and we’ve shown that,” he said.

“You need to be there every day to see how we go about it. There’s a real sense of community.

“That will see us through or certainly help us next year, there’s no doubt about that.

"When things go against you, that’s when you see the spirit.

“It’s easy, it really is, when you’re winning and things are going well to come in and talk about team spirit and camaraderie.

“But I said it at the start of the season when we went to Sheffield Wednesday and we were 1-0 down after 12 seconds.

“Then we lost our home game the next week 3-0. We didn’t play badly but just everything went against us.

“I still saw the same togetherness on that training ground and that’s how we were able to turn it around.

“I think that’s going to be important to us next season, there’s no doubt about it.”