New Burnley signing Marv: Faulty fax almost cost me my move

The 21-year-old drove from Bournemouth to Turf Moor in time to sign a three-and-a-half year deal on transfer deadline day, after Cherries chairman Eddie Mitchell accepted a bid for the midfielder, believed to be in the region of £350,000.

But there were fears Bartley would be making a swift return to the south coast because of a technological glitch.

The pacy, tough-tackling midfielder, only found out the following day that the Football League had given his move the go-ahead.

“I had a sleepless night,” admitted Bartley, who only heard of Burnley’s interest on Monday afternoon.

“The chairman rang me at about 4.30pm and said a bid had gone in but it was rejected, so basically I was on standby.

“He rang me later and said they’re getting closer so you might want to start making your way up.

“I must have left about 7 o’clock so it was about 10 o’clock when I got here. Then the fax machine broke so there was absolute panic to try to get it to go through in time.

“The first fax was sent at 10.55pm then it broke again, and then the rest (of the forms) went through at about eight minutes past 11.

“I was going to get on my facebook and send it across!

“The FA could obviously see what was happening and they were fine with it.

“But I didn’t know until the following day (that it had been accepted).

“I was actually told to start heading back to Bournemouth because they didn’t know if it was going to go through or not.

“We got 10 minutes down the road and they called me and said it had gone through so it was a relief.”

But Bartley, who made 130 appearances in three and a half years at Bournemouth, admitted he knows he must fight for a place in the first team after being reunited with former Cherries boss Eddie Howe.

“I’m looking forward to getting the first game out of the way, but obviously I’ve got to push my way into the squad first and then hopefully the team.

“Training was good and gave me a general feel for how things should be.

“I’m just going to see what happens really. The boys have done really well so it might be a bit harsh for me to come in and take someone’s place when they’ve performed so well. I’ll just bide me time and hopefully get the opportunity.”

Meanwhile, Bartley hit back at suggestions that he had three agents working on his transfer, after Bournemouth chairman Mitchell criticised the midfielder’s and the Clarets’ conduct.

“We are disappointed the player seems to have played such a big part in the negotiations. I’ve had three people on the telephone all claiming to be his agent. The Burnley chairman offered something and then changed his mind,” said Mitchell.

“It has been very disappointing the way people have conducted themselves. Coming in at such a late stage for a player who had a game tomorrow was below the belt. If he knew he was interested in him then he should have made enquiries earlier.

“I am disappointed, especially considering how close to the club the people who orchestrated it were. They know the situation and they know what a valuable member of the team he is. They also know how disruptive it can be having someone at the club who doesn’t want to be there just because they can see pound notes in their eyes.

“It didn’t come through the correct channels either and the person I believe to be his agent had to hear it from me first. That’s not how I like to do business.”

New Bournemouth boss Lee Bradbury added that the timing of the move had left them ‘in the lurch’.

But Bartley said: “There’s not three agents on my part.

“A couple of days running they (Bournemouth) have had a few things to say.

“That’s down to them. I walked away from that club with my head held high.

“I’ve done an awful lot there as some of the other boys have done. We won promotion and had wage deferrals and all that. We took all that on the chin.

“That just shows what happens in football. One minute you’re the hero and the next minute you’re the worst.

“But I’m big enough and ugly enough to take it.”