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The team news was that all of the squad were available and would be involved with one exception, the returning prodigal son Robbie Blake who was suffering from a thigh strain would play no part. The teams came out on cue with the visitors sporting the first dreadful looking kit of the season, a white and mustard affair, the Clarets finally getting to wear the full new kit for the first time.
Steve Cotterill received an excellent ovation from the crowd ahead of kick off, the manager as popular as ever with the bad run now of last season now consigned to history and everyone looking forward to the new season with some real anticipation.
Goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly was the only new signing in the starting line up and although he wasn't put under too much pressure during the first half, he did make to good saves and give us a hint of things to come with his distribution.
Jeremie Aliadiere gave us some problems with his pace but we were handling the Premiership side very well and posing them more problems than they were posing us. At times they got frustrated and there was one unnecessary incident when the very impressive Fabio Rochemback appeared to elbow the equally impressive Wade Elliott.
Wade wasn't the only one to impress during the first half, there were good performances right across the pitch, and outstanding contributions from some, none more than captain Steven Caldwell, Joey Gudjonsson and Andy Gray who was on as an early substitute for Kyle Lafferty, forced off with a back injury.
There will be one or two Middlesbrough players who will remember Gudjonsson from this game, and one in particular who decided to get in the way of one of his shots. I'm still working out just how he managed to get up so quickly from it.
It was Joey who was involved when we took the lead. He'd had a couple of shots just wide of target but this time hit a shot from the edge of the box following a corner. It was deflected up by a defender for Michael Duff to head down for Andy Gray who turned it in from close range.
We deserved the lead and had Ade been a couple of inches taller we might well have doubled it a couple of minutes later when he just couldn't quite reach yet another superb ball into the box from Wade.
It stayed at 1-0 until half time and then we got the customary substitutions ahead of the second half from both sides with more to come. Some ten minutes into the half Middlesbrough drew level after a mix up in the Burnley defence. There seemed a lack of communication with Foster looking at fault giving James Morrison the easiest of chances to equalise.
The scores level, and now some drama. For us it started with a text message that simply read 'Fire'. We hadn't noticed the press having departed the Longside Upper but we soon learned that there had been a fire and that area of the ground (not open to the public for this game) had been evacuated.
The odd fireman was spotted and then the announcement that supporters leaving the Longside Lower would have to take care because there were two fire engines in the car park. I'm not so sure anyone would have needed a warning to spot them, that is unless they are a lot smaller than they were when I last saw one.
Back to the football, and we continued to play some good stuff, and apart from one very good save from Brian Jensen we never really looked as though we would lose the game. At the other end, if we have to be critical, then we perhaps failed to always get shots in at goal when we could have done.
Overall though, there was much to be pleased and impressed with, and not anything as much to concern us. It is only a friendly that we drew 1-1, but there have been some really positive signs and the football so far has been very pleasing on the eye.
It's Yorkshire clubs next - Bradford first and then that League One outfit, that is if they are still in existence by next Saturday. And there might just be another new player or two by next Saturday, and Robbie will probably be fit enough to make his second home debut.
Bring it on.
The teams were;
Burnley: Gabor Kiraly (Brian Jensen 45), Michael Duff, Stephen Foster, Steven Caldwell (Wayne Thomas 64), Jon Harley, Wade Elliott (Alan Mahon 64), Joey Gudjonsson (James O'Connor 45), Chris McCann (John Spicer 45), Steve Jones (Besart Berisha 45), Kyle Lafferty (Andy Gray 15, Jay Rodriguez 83), Ade Akinbiyi (Stephen Jordan 74).
Middlesbrough: Ross Turnbull, Andrew Davies, David Wheater, Andrew Taylor (Josh Walker 67), Sanli Tuncay (Graeme Owens 75), George Boeteng (Lee Cattermole 45), Fabio Rochemback (Jason Kennedy 67), Adam Johnson (James Morrison 45), Jeremie Aliadiere (Craddock 67), Yakubu (Jason Euell 70). Sub not used: David Knight.
Referee: Jonathan Moss (West Yorkshire).
Attendance: 4,328.