Clarets looking for link up with Fusion

Last updated : 21 July 2009 By Tony Scholes
We were in Cary last year for the first of two games and since we've formed a relationship with them, the team now called Cary Clarets rather than Cary Railhawks.

Now it appears that the visit of Brendan Flood and Paul Fletcher to our training camp is to potentially set up a link in California with the Ventura team.

Flood is quoted in today's California press saying: "We think there's some real talent here in the U.S. We know that that talent gets diluted by other sports. But we want to give it a route to European soccer.

"You see the increase of U.S. players coming into the British game, so probably other people have the same idea."

Calling Cary Clarets a franchise of the Burnley brand he added: "We feel like we'd like to franchise ourselves in the East Coast and West Coast and try and work more long term to source players here. In due time, we'd expect two or three players a year to be coming into the senior squad in Burnley from U.S. links.

"We're certainly building a good relationship with general manager Ranbir Shergill and coach Graham Smith with the Fusion. We'd like that to sort of go further, toward a franchise."

Shergill said: "It's something that we've spoken about and it's something that we'll continue to speak about. Burnley have had a great time here. We're looking to expand our relationship with them."