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It's just three seasons since Sunderland were last here but it's a lot longer since a Sunderland side came and lost at Turf Moor. You have to go back to our promotion clinching 2-0 win in April 1973 when current chief exec Paul Fletcher scored both goals.
Since that date, over 36 years ago, we haven't beaten Sunderland home or away in the league with the only success coming in an FA Cup 4th round replay in 1979.
It's a total of 14 league games without a win and it's certainly one of those runs that needs breaking.
We go into the game on the back of the two heavy defeats at Chelsea and Liverpool where were easily beaten on both occasions. But neither of those games or results should affect the confidence gained from the two home wins so far this season. Now's the time to make it three.
Sunderland have undergone some changes since the end of last season. Having kept them up, manager Ricky Sbragia stood down and was replaced by Steve Bruce who left Wigan for the Stadium of Light.
With a change of ownership putting the club in American hands, far better hands I believe than those on the end of the arms of either Tom Hicks or George Gillett, the Wearside club are looking to make their mark in the top half of the Premier League this season.
Steve Bruce has made a number of changes to the squad since his appointment and has spent over £30 million in the transfer market, the sort of money we can't even dream of spending.
To make way for the new boys no fewer than 19 players have left since the end of last season with another seven currently out on loan at other clubs.
Bruce's new signings started with Fraizer Campbell from Manchester United, although he came close to leaving them for Hull before the transfer window closed. He followed that up with the capture of Marseille midfielder Lorik Cana who is proving a big hit with the fans at the Stadium of Light.
Since then he's added Spurs striker Darren Bent, the one who wasn't as good as Sandra Redknapp according to his Spurs boss, midfielder Lee Cattermole from Wigan and the most recent was Hull central defender Michael Turner. They also have John Mensah on loan from Lyon whilst Bruce has also captured Paraguayan defender Paulo Da Silva.
They've suffered two defeats to Stoke and Chelsea but have beaten our closest rivals Bolton and Blackburn as well as Hull, and they come into the game in seventh place with that three point advantage over the Clarets.
Sunderland could be without Lee Cattermole who is struggling with a heel injury, and a similar problem is likely to keep goalkeeper Marton Fulop out of the reckoning. The good news is that Scotland international keeper Craig Gordon has suffered no reaction after returning last week and should continue in goal.
Former Burnley loan player Phil Bardsley had to be substituted last week but should be fit whilst George McCartney could return from injury. McCartney has played at Turf Moor previously for Sunderland but we can assure him that Ade Akinbiyi will not be on the bench for the Clarets this time.
Sunderland's team that beat Hull last week was: Craig Gordon, Phil Bardsley, Anton Ferdinand, Michael Turner, Kieran Richardson, Lorik Cana, Lee Cattermole, Steed Malbranque, Andy Reid, Darren Bent, Fraizer Campbell. Subs: Trevor Carson, John Mensah, Daryl Murphy, Nyron Nosworthy, Jordan Henderson, Paulo Da Silva, Kenwyne Jones.
Owen Coyle hasn't made a change to the Burnley line up since Andre Bikey came in for Christian Kalvenes ahead of the Manchester United game, and in the five Premier League games this season only four different players have been substituted.
He's stuck with the same players but perhaps tomorrow is the time when he will make a couple of changes to the starting line up to give some players a break after the two tough away games.
It's difficult to determine just who might get the nod should there be changes but Joey Gudjonsson, Chris Eagles and David Nugent could be the favourites.
Certainly captain Steven Caldwell won't be back against his former club. His selection for his country was a massive boost for him that's turned horribly wrong. The injury he sustained as Scotland got hammered just ahead of the season has kept him on the sidelines since and although he's joined in with some of the training he's not ready for a return.
Last week's team was: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Bikey, Stephen Jordan, Graham Alexander, Steven Fletcher, Wade Elliott, Chris McCann, Robbie Blake, Martin Paterson. Subs: Diego Penny, Joey Gudjonsson, Kevin McDonald, Chris Eagles, Fernando Guerrero, Steven Thompson, David Nugent.
It was December 2006 the last time Sunderland visited Turf Moor with Burnley two games into what was to become an 18 game run in the Championship without a win. We'd drawn at Ipswich through a late home equaliser and lost at Coventry to a shocking penalty decision.
Everything looked fine in the first home game without Andy Gray when Kyle Lafferty scored twice to put us 2-0 up and in command. But when Roy Keane brought on Graham Kavanagh just past the hour we took off Wade Elliott with John Spicer coming on.
That led to manager Steve Cotterill getting the blame when we had to settle for a point with Sunderland scoring with two strikes from Grant Leadbitter and David Connolly, the second coming in stoppage time.
The teams were;
Burnley: Danny Coyne, Wayne Thomas, Michael Duff, John McGreal, Chris McCann, Wade Elliott (John Spicer 66), Alan Mahon, Micah Hyde, Steve Jones, Gifton Noel-Williams (Graham Branch 90), Kyle Lafferty. Subs not used: Frank Sinclair, Steve Foster, Brian Jensen.
RK Sunderland: Darren Ward, Dean Whitehead, Stephen Caldwell, Stanislav Varga, Danny Collins, Stephen Elliott, Dwight Yorke (Liam Miller 62), Grant Leadbitter, Ross Wallace (Graham Kavanagh 62), David Connolly, Darryl Murphy (Tobias Hysen 74). Subs not used: Marton Fulop, Lewin Nyatanga.
It's back to the 1969/70 season for our last meeting in the top flight, played on the 16th August 1969. We'd started the season with a 0-0 draw at newly promoted Derby but suffered a 4-0 midweek defeat at home to Spurs so went into this game still looking for our first goal of the season.
It came via Frank Casper after just 8 minutes and Frank added a second midway through the half. Steve Kindon scored right on half time to give us a 3-0 lead with no further goals after the break.
The Burnley team was: Peter Mellor, Mick Docherty, Les Latcham, Brian O'Neil, Colin Waldron, Sam Todd, Dave Thomas (Geoff Nulty), Ralph Coates, Frank Casper, Eric Probert, Steve Kindon.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1994/95 | 1 | a | 0-0 | 17,700 | . |
| . | . | h | 1-1 | 15,121 | Eyres(pen) |
2003/04 | 1 | a | 1-1 | 29,852 | I Moore |
| . | . | h | 1-2 | 18,852 | Little |
2004/05 | C | a | 1-2 | 27,102 | Branch |
| . | . | h | 0-2 | 12,103 | . |
2006/07 | C | h | 2-2 | 14,798 | Lafferty(2) |
| . | . | a | 2-3 | 44,448 | Gray(pen) Elliott |