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The rumours seem to have been instigated by the Daily Mail, who have on three occasions printed stories which paint an increasingly bleak picture of the Turf Moor balance sheet. The claim that Burnley could be in administration by October has gained credibility, and the news the club cannot afford to run it’s scouting network, as well as the club’s constant talk of cutting playing costs, can only have strengthened it further.
Yet – and this may just be optimism talking – an objective look at the club’s financial background makes it difficult to understand how Burnley could be teetering on the brink. The club has modest debts, dwarfed by a considerable number other first division clubs, and broke even last year; other first division clubs racked up large debts. Percentage of turnover spent on wages is considered one of the most reliable indicators of financial stability, and Burnley came well down that list. Other articles on Clarets Mad show that, in basic terms, the club has made great strides already to cater for the loss of ITV money. Moreover, if the club had been desperate for money, then it would have cashed in on Glen Little a month ago – instead of holding out for over two million, it would have lowered the asking price to the 1.5 million several clubs were willing to pay. When all these things are put together, it is not immediately clear how administration could even be considered a possibility.
But the club has been disconcertingly quiet about all these rumours. Anyone who was prepared to ring up the club and ask them if the rumours had any truth in them would have got a resounding ‘no’ for an answer. Yet the club were embarrassingly slow to respond publicly, and when Andrew Watson was interviewed, his answer was littered with phrases like ‘creditors’, and ‘buying time’ – hardly the most convincing of denials. Meanwhile, the club will continue to be perceived as a club in crisis until either the Chief Executive or Chairman make it absolutely clear that Burnley will not be going to the wall.
At a time when any investment would be welcome – whether at boardroom level or merely sponsorship – concerns for the future do not make Burnley the most enticing of prospects, whilst clubs will assume when the transfer window re-opens at Christmas that Burnley’s saleable assets are available at a bargain basement price, making it impossible for the club to gain a satisfactory price for the players in the event that we do want to sell. At present, half the first team squad are not sponsored. Few companies will put their name to a losing cause.
There is no doubting that there is some sort of hole in the finances, which means that the club needs all the supporters to rally round and give the club their full support.
Last season, when performances were good and the future looked bright, the one constant disappointment was the level of attendances. The reason, according to the stay-aways, was simple: ticket prices were prohibitively expensive. And though the club argued that the prices were below average for the division, the streets of Burnley are not exactly paved with gold and people have more important priorities than football. For those who don’t have massive amounts of money, twenty pounds is a bigger outlay than for those who do. Fair enough, then, that football should be sacrificed whilst it remains an expensive hobby.
So where were they on Tuesday night? The club slashed admission prices, in the hope of filling Turf Moor. They were rewarded with the lowest attendance for a Burnley game since we returned to English football’s second tier a little over two years ago. In fact, assuming the vast majority of season ticket holders turned up, then there were less than a thousand who took advantage of the special offer. If I were Barry Kilby, I would be feeling something approaching betrayal.
Eight years ago, I witnessed a phenomenal spectacle, the most remarkable of my twelve years as a Burnley fan: the best part of 40,000 flag-waving clarets at Wembley for the play-off final. It is not yet five years since almost twenty thousand turned up to roar Burnley to second division survival after Chris Waddle’s estranged style of management had taken us to the brink. Two springs ago, there were back to back gates of twenty thousand at Turf Moor after Ian Wright arrived to capture the public imagination and inspire the clarets to promotion; later that year the club comfortably sold out Turf Moor for the visit of Blackburn Rovers. There are Burnley supporters out there, but they chose to watch Tuesday’s game down the pub.
All this has been said before, a year ago. But this time there is one crucial twist – Burnley Football Club desperately need the cash. What was a matter of pride twelve months ago has now become a matter of grave necessity.
And it doesn’t just stop at buying a ticket for a match. Get the new shirt, join the Clarets Foundation, go out of your way to put a bit of money into the club. I for one don’t believe the situation is as grim as some suggest, but it is just possible that you might regret keeping that tenner in your pocket more than you ever realised.
If everyone who was at Wembley on that memorable afternoon – or, more pointedly, everyone who professes to be a Burnley supporter - finds a reason to invest an extra £10 this season, then Burnley would be between 350,000 and 400,000 better off. We might not all hold shares – although one route to financial salvation might give us an opportunity to do so – but it remains our club. The desire to ensure there is a future is felt by all of us. And that responsibility is awesome.