Burnley will play at home AND away

Last updated : 03 February 2005 By Tony Scholes

Coach Terry Pashley will need to be in two places at once
In a farcical situation the youths will play Oldham away on Saturday morning as scheduled but at the same time they will be kicking off at Gawthorpe against Rochdale in a rearranged fixture.

This means that it will be possible for the Clarets to pick up six league points on Saturday whilst we could suffer two defeats within minutes of each other. Just who is going to play is anyone’s guess but the suggestion is that the usual squad will go to Oldham whilst the team that plays Rochdale is likely to be made up of schoolboys and trialists.

It’s all down to the fact that, as usual, we have been unable to fulfil our fixtures and with the Youth Alliance League coming to a close we are now scrambling around for points to try and qualify for the top division of the Merit League when in all honesty we should have been marching in their as Alliance League Champions.

When we beat Tranmere 2-1 on 11th December it left us clear at the top and a trophy was beginning to look more than a reality. Sadly, through no fault of their own, the youngsters haven’t picked up a point since.


We’ve had four league games and fell to a controversial defeat at Wigan in the only one away from home but the home games against Preston, Rochdale and Bury were all postponed and that has all seen us drop to 3rd place some five points behind Tranmere.

Defeat at Oldham on Saturday would see the Latics climb above us and this would then keep us out of the top Merit League – that is why we have arranged this second match in the hope that we can pick up points there just in case they are needed.


The lads have worked tremendously hard this season, they have turned in some terrific performances. It is still hard to work out just how they were beaten in the FA Youth Cup against Norwich but to add to that they are now almost certainly going to miss out on a title because we couldn’t fulfil our fixtures as well as being forced to go to Rossendale to play the Lancs Youth Cup tie.

I just hope we can win one of them at least on Saturday to at least ensure we get into the top Merit League – but they really should have been lifting the champions trophy.

Youth Team Fixtures

Youth Alliance League Table