All that matters is Burnley Football Club

Last updated : 14 May 2010 By Tony Scholes

The crowd stayed at the end of the game, incredibly staying off the pitch, to allow the players and staff to come back out and enjoy the applause at the end of what had become a difficult first season in the top flight for 33 years.

It didn't end the speculation though regarding manager Brian Laws, and that speculation increased over the next two or three days. There were rumours of a boardroom split on the manager's future, with some suggestions that only chairman Barry Kilby and one other director wanted him to stay.

Phil Brown, Paulo Sousa and Mark Hughes were already being linked with the job and it looked only a matter of time before the news came that Brian Laws was no longer manager of Burnley Football Club.

It didn't quite work out like that, and when the news did come, on Wednesday 12th May just before noon, it firstly hit out at the speculation, particularly from one local newspaper, and confirmed that Brian Laws' position was not under threat.

Was I surprised at the news? To say yes would have been an understatement. I was convinced we would be starting next season with a new manager simply because the odds appeared to be stacked against Laws, and I had reached the conclusion that it was the right thing to do.

To succeed he surely needs the backing of the board, his players and the fans and you would think given all the speculation that he hasn't really got any of them. If that's the case then he has one of the most difficult jobs in the game.

It is mere speculation that we believe he might not have the support of the board and the players, or not to the extent he will need it, but in terms of the fans it is a lot more than speculation, it is there for all to see.

Over recent weeks the anti-Laws comments on this site's message board have been there aplenty. Both television and radio phone ins have featured Burnley fans quick to say they want him out.

Even after the game on Sunday, speaking to staff at Turf Moor, he admitted that he was hated by some who support the club, and he knew he had a hell of a job on to turn things round.

Whichever camp we are in, and some do want him to have that opportunity whilst others have made it very obvious that they don't, he is going to be our manager at the start of next season and he is being tasked with trying to get us back in the Premier League.

"I hope we lose the first ten games," said one so called supporter on the message board when he heard there was a possibility that Laws would be given ten games to prove himself. What a ridiculous thing to say and you have to wonder whether this particular person has any real affection for Burnley Football Club whatsoever.

Much closer to my view was a comment I heard from a friend of mine yesterday. He said: "I hate the club getting all this bad publicity, it hurts me when people are having a go at Burnley."

Now we all have to decide what to do. I appreciate that a good number of people will be going through the turnstiles next season not wanting Brian Laws as manager. Those people might just hold the key.

Good manager or not, good players or not, I don't think we are going to succeed if there is so much negativity around the place. If there is then heaven help any new players who come in because there is no doubt that Leon Cort and Danny Fox have suffered at times just because they were signed by the current manager.

Was Laws a cheap option? Did we rush it? Should we have spent more and got better? Possibly, maybe and such words are my answer to that. Barry Kilby said recently that he was given a hospital pass and surely no one can disagree with that. Given that we had no staff at all, other than the youth development department, you could see why they rushed to bring someone in.

He came in after the Lying Scotsman upped in a disgraceful way with his entire backroom staff. He came in with the transfer window half way through and had to rush things. He was hardly given the easiest of starts.

Results haven't gone well, and no one could argue otherwise. We've been relegated but let's face it that was always a strong possibility for us this season.

Above all I want Burnley Football Club to succeed. I don't care who the manager is at all. If Brian Laws had gone I would have just got on with it and supported the next one. He hasn't gone though and I'm going to continue supporting him.

I'd love every other Burnley fan to do likewise because I want us to have a really good go next season at getting back into the Premier League. I'm not naïve enough to believe that everyone will, but please remember, all that matters is BURNLEY FOOTBALL CLUB.