The Clarets started preparations for the new season, which would kick off against Queens Park Rangers, with friendlies against Accrington Stanley, Bury and Bolton before heading off for Italy.

There was a strong reaction to the home defeat against Colchester, fans saying we shouldn't have lost what should have been the easiest game of the season, and now we faced another promoted club in Barnsley.

The win against Preston had left us fourth in the table and now we faced a tough away game at Luton, but as we awakened on the morning of the game there was devastating news for members of our message board.

There had been a lot of debate about the way we'd dropped two late points in that 2-2 home draw against RK Sunderland and now we were facing a potentially more difficult game with in form Derby coming to the Turf.

The return home from QPR was something of a depressing journey. It really had been a poor performance, but there was perhaps some light at the end of the tunnel with Sheffield Wednesday due next at the Turf.

That home draw against Luton had left us in a real mess. We sat just three points above the bottom three, albeit with games in hand, and three days later we had to take on Plymouth at home.

The Clarets ended the 2004/05 season just below half way and manager Steve Cotterill was soon moving to strengthen his squad after the retained list had reduced us to nine players.

Bottom of the league, only one win from nine games, we desperately needed to beat Brighton at home to get our season moving forward as supporters were discussing the distinct possibility of relegation.

Remember, remember, the fifth of November – and for those of us at Luton I'm sure it is something we always will, it was one of those special days watching Burnley.

The Clarets got Christmas week off to the best of starts with what turned out to be a comprehensive 4-1 victory against play off chasing Watford at the Turf.

It was the last day of January as we headed for the Withdean Stadium, we had no Ade and had replaced him only with a loan signing and there were rumours of problems with the manager.

Things were looking bleak for the beleaguered Clarets as we prepared for the televised home game against Norwich. The only good news was the form of strugglers Brighton, Crewe, Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday.

The 2003/04 season hadn't ended when the club decided on a change of direction as news broke that Stan Ternent wasn't to be offered a new contract to continue as the Clarets' manager.

The Clarets we ready to return to action after the international break with Richard Chaplow, Danny Coyne, Michael Duff and Micah Hyde all back from their exploits with their respective countries.

We'd just picked up one point from two home games and now we had Premiership Aston Villa arriving for a Carling Cup tie, and a Villa side that was at full strength too.

Burnley had something of a quieter Christmas and New Year period than most clubs as the weather intervened and took away almost half of our fixtures.

We returned from the dark side after our cup defeat to find ourselves with over a quarter of the season still to play, eight of the last thirteen games still to be played were at home.

Having finished seventh for two seasons in Division One the Clarets' supporters were looking forward to another push for promotion as the season got under way last August.

After the worst start to a season imaginable things could only get better and thankfully they did as the Clarets went on an unbeaten run.

Our unbeaten run was set to come to an end and how as we conceded more goals in a week than we had in our last ten matches. Suddenly goals against the Clarets were easy to come by.

It's bad enough having to play Wolves at home no matter what time of year but it was most unfair of the Football League to force us to play this fixture over the Christmas period.

After throwing another one in against Reading we really needed to get some form back before the big cup tie at Fulham and where than one of our very favourite grounds, Highfield Road Coventry.

The second weekend saw the Clarets in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with supporters even talking about the possibility of two trips to the Millennium Stadium in May.

The 2001/02 season has come to an end with the Clarets finishing just where they were a year ago, in seventh place. Today we start our look back at the season.