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It took an extra-time goal by Villa to settle the tie after Burnley's equaliser just two minutes from time. Heskey (yet again scoring against Burnley) put them ahead but then Carlisle rose superbly to head home - delirium in the away end for the justly deserved leveller. Downing with a 25-yarder got the winner. He was given so much time and room to manouevre across the field, he probably had time to make a pot of tea, before turning to send a world class strike into the far corner. After that it was the Brad Friedel show - 40 next birthday.
"Football can be so cruel," said manager Laws afterwards. "On any other night we would have won that game." On this particular night Villa won because the big guns Heskey and Downing were brought on as subs and scored the goals. Houllier could give himself a pat on the back, but it was a game that left fans asking, "What do Burnley have to do to win?" Burnley had rasping shots, headers cleared off the line, were denied a clear penalty and forced super-saves from old man Friedel. Wade Elliott was clean through on goal, at pace, but was pushed over in the D. The Villa player was shown the red card. From the free kick Friedel made a stunning save. This was not Burnley's night.
Laugh of the week was the proposed takeover of Blackburn Rovers by an Indian chicken firm. This is not Ali Syed, the billionaire with a trail of unpaid UK debts, who expressed interest some weeks ago but Venky's, specialists in chicken nuggets, chicken meatballs, kebabs, Vienna sausages of all things, and pet foods. The club caterers (and cat) were said to be delighted at the deal and looked forward to a whole new range of culinary delights. The main stadium restaurant will be renamed 'A Taste of India'. There were rumours of a name change from Ewood to Bollewood, or possibly The Ewood Pakora Stadium. Alas, Big Sam would only receive a poultry £5million for team building. A Venky spokesman said there would be no big signings but they would be looking at loans from other Prem clubs. Rumours suggest that on hearing this Big Sam choked on his Tandoori Chicken. With the Yanks at Anfield, it would be Cowboys versus Indians when the two teams next met. They announced that they were not aiming for top four places but simply somewhere around 10th to 12th. So that's alright then. However, they would certainly aim to win the Fowl Play League.
Clearly the Indians saw investment in Blackburn Rovers as a commercial ploy to cash in on the growing Indian interest in the game and make a few rupees. But, somebody should tell the Venky's that the Asian population in these parts is more Pakistani than Indian. And from what I've heard there's no love lost between them.
Away with the Rooneys: Wayne and Colleen jetted off to Dubai for some bonding. Whilst the UK wilted under the onslaught of cuts, slashes, economies and savings, our handsome couple besported themselves in the luxury hotel and pool, guzzling champagne, dining finely and running up a bill into the thousands. The Press had a field-day with close-up pictures and minute by minute accounts of silences, rows, make-ups, cuddles and restaurant quarrels and broken glasses. Don't tell me the plan wasn't for Rooney to sidle over to Man City: it was all quietly planned, the money had been agreed, the signing on bonuses sorted. But then when all hell broke loose and the young man gets death threats, the gangs of hoodies outside his house, and sees the furore, and realises he can never set foot anywhere in Manchester again safely, he thinks hmmm I haven't really thought this out have I; I'm a celebrity get me out of here, where's Stretford's phone number?
Whilst we sat in beautiful sunshine in Hornsea on the seafront, the point at QPR made it five League away draws and a position just outside the top six. In truth it was a damned good point with those of us who are glass half-full expecting a nil return from the two games at QPR and Norwich. With a bug laying several players low it was even more creditable. Grant took over from Jensen, Alexander and Duff were back in. Eagles was taken off seemingly to protect him from being eventually sent off. Funny how things work out with the restored Alexander being on hand to smack the penalty home after Marney was upended. Loftus Road has become a good place for Burnley in recent seasons. By all accounts from the travelling faithful this was a game where every player was on top form; there were several choices for MOTM, although Carlisle sounded to be magnificent, and it was game that Burnley could have won. Unfortunately that phrase had been heard before after other games.
If this away point was a pleasant surprise, then the culling of the once ten-strong board of directors was another one. Out went Sullivan, Duckworth, Turkington and Hobbs; leaving a board of five now that John Banaszkiewicz has joined the Turf Moor boardroom. Five is far more manageable than ten and decision making (in theory) becomes easier.
Ha ha says he, remembering the staff of six he had in his little school and the two awkward buggers forever grumbling and moaning. I once bent down behind the staffroom door eavesdropping through the keyhole. Suddenly the door opened and one of them stood glowering at me. It was one of those awkward, embarrassing moments that needs a rapid solution: "Hmmm just checking the doorhandle… definitely needs a bit of oil," I said quick as a flash and returned a couple of minutes later with the WD40.
Sadly, Ronnie Clayton of Blackburn Rovers passed away. He was to Rovers and the town of Blackburn what Jimmy Mac is to the Clarets and town of Burnley - an icon. He played in Jimmy Mac's era, and opposed him many times. One of the games that sticks in the mind is the FA Cup game at Turf Moor just about 50 years ago when Burnley took a 3-0 lead but then with just 20 minutes to go Blackburn began to get themselves back in the game. It ended 3-3 with Burnley at panic stations and if the game had lasted another 5 minutes Blackburn would in all probability have scored a fourth. Jimmy Mac and those of us who were there still remember the penalty the referee awarded when the ball bounced up and hit Alex Elder on the arm; with neither ball nor Elder going anywhere special. It made the score 3-1 and from then on Rovers led by Clayton fought like tigers and sensed that Burnley were now vulnerable and all over the place. Burnley lost the replay.
Who is to say they would not have done the double that season if the referee had used his common sense and not made a knee-jerk decision. To this day Jimmy Mac still thinks the ref awarded it because he felt sorry for Rovers and probably thought it wouldn't affect the final result. Mrs T often wonders how I can remember things like that from 50 years ago and not the phone messages for her that came yesterday.
Clayton was a one-club man, made 665 appearances for Rovers and was an England international. Players like him played in mudbaths for half the season and on ice rinks in winter. The maximum wage was £20 a week until 1961 and he continued at Blackburn until 1969 after making his debut in 1951.
And John Benson passed away on Saturday, October 30th. He was assistant to John Bond (which I realise will gain him few brownie points in Burnley) when he was manager at Turf Moor. Following Bond's dismissal Benson was then manager during season 1984/85 at the end of which Burnley were relegated. Relegation was then the beginning of the 4th Division wilderness years. It was a season during which Burnley, other than Tommy Hutchison, Derek Scott, Mike Phelan and Vince Overson, had a collection of very average players and by November of that season, with declining gate-receipts, a dwindling budget. Several of John Bond's 'big names' had departed quickly. Billy Hamilton was sold and then Brian Flynn. On top of that it was a time of boardroom acrimony. The whole thing was a recipe for disaster and John Benson carried the can. At the time, he was pilloried, but history and the recollections of then director Derek Gill suggest that there was little he could have done to stop the rot.
Derek Gill remembers him as being very fair-minded, positive, popular with the players and generous to others. He was realistic enough to realise (and discuss with Gill) that the obvious candidate for the job when Bond left was Martin Dobson (then at Bury) but it was not to be. Benson took on the job knowing that he was on a hiding to nothing.
"John Benson was a man out of the top drawer and I knew that whatever job he was given he would do to the best of his ability," said Derek Gill.
Benson would preferred to have stayed as a Number 2 to any new man the board brought in, but circumstances thrust him into the job almost at the last minute. Board room manoeuvrings made his job even more difficult.
"Benson worked extremely hard," wrote Derek Gill in his diaries, "And of the four managers with whom I had experience spent by far the most time with the reserve team players and went so far as to register himself as a player with the Central League and turned out on the field on numerous occasions when he felt he could be of most use and encouragement to the youngsters and trialists. Score him where you will as manager, but I tell you; he considered being manager of Burnley to be a great honour and he gave it his very best shot from the first day. In between playing with the reserves and his first team duties, he rarely missed an opportunity to get out and about to look for free transfers or bargains and I would defy anyone to work harder. A very good number 2, I would conclude for John Benson, but it was his misfortune to be thrown in at the deep end of a club in paralysed turmoil."
Meanwhile: Cardiff City top and Burnley 8th with 21 points, one point below top six; Crystal Palace bottom. Bolton Wanderers just 3 points above Premiership bottom three.