Branch 250 not out

He's been our longest serving player for some time, having joined the Clarets from Stockport County on New Year's Eve 1998 and then making his debut two days later in a 0-0 home draw against Walsall.

He signed as a left winger and that's where he played on his debut, as he did the week after in a 4-3 win at Bristol Rovers when he got his first goal for us. Since then he's played as a striker, in both central and wide midfield positions, at left back and of course in the centre of defence during the 2003/04 season that came close to seeing us relegated.

One position he hasn't filled is that of goalkeeper but he's come close to that having been the designated replacement goalkeeper on many occasions although on the day Brian Jensen was sent off at Luton, Branchy was out injured.

He's been moved from one position to another and was also the club captain for a time and now, at the age of 34, he's joined a list that was started by Billy Bowes just at the turn of the 20^th century.

Bowes was a centre-forward who took his total to 269 before he gave up the game to take up a job at Bank Hall pit and went on to claim a winners medal in the Hospital Cup for the local colliery team.

Only seven more players were to reach the 250 total before World War II but and that included some top names from our successful side just after the first World War, such as Billy Watson, Bob Kelly and goalkeeper Jerry Dawson who still holds the club record to this day with no fewer than 522 league appearances.

In today's football, the top successful teams are the ones that retain their players the longest and things weren't much different just over forty years ago. No fewer than eight of the 1960 Championship team went past the 250 and the three that didn't all made more than 200 appearances. No wonder we never needed to sign players with all those players commanding a regular place in the team for so long.

Prior to Branchy the most recent additions to the 250 group were three players who played during Stan Ternent's time as Burnley manager, his captain and now Turf Moor coach Steve Davis, goalkeeper Marlon Beresford along with Paul Weller.

With all the changes that have been made at the Turf in the last couple of years it is safe to say that there is no one else close to joining this group, in fact only goalkeeper Brian Jensen has passed the 100 total.

Well done Branchy, but with another 270 to go to pass Dawson's record I think you might not quite become number one.