Bally back at the Turf

It was December 2000; we were trailing 1-0 with fourteen minutes to go when a mis-timed tackle on David Dunn led to Bally getting a red card from referee Fraser Stretton and the Clarets eventually lost the game 2-0.

Ian Moore and substitute John Mullin are the only two Burnley players from that day still involved in league football whilst from the opposition team, Dunn is still in the Blackburn side whilst they also boasted Brad Friedel, Martin Taylor, Damien Duff, Marcus Bent and Alan Mahon who are still playing in the leagues.

For Ball, he retired at the end of the following 2001/02 season and is now involved with the youth set up at Sunderland. He rejoined the Wearside club to work with Howard Wilkinson and Steve Cotterill during the 2002/03 season and had a spell as caretaker boss following the departure of Mick McCarthy in 2006.

Tomorrow he won't be watching Sunderland at Anfield but will be at Turf Moor as the half time guest. He's sure to get a warm reception from the home supporters but perhaps not quite so from the visiting fans in the cricket field stand.