Doug would have been special guest

Set to draw the winning numbers in the half time draw was former midfielder from the 1960s and 1970s Doug Collins who is on a short trip back to England from his new home in Australia.

Doug was signed from Grimsby after we had beaten them in the League Cup in the 1968/69 season and after a few weeks at Turf Moor he established himself in the first team.

However he lost his place and for three seasons was nothing more than a fringe player and spent more time in the reserves than he did in the first team. But it was Collins that Adamson turned to as he put together the side that walked away with promotion and won the Second Division Championship in 1972/73.

He was a vital part of the midfield in the promotion team and the team that over the next two years established itself as one of the best in England. Not the most of industrious of players at times but a brilliant passer of the ball. And it was Collins who was the architect of all the wonderful free kick moves we had at the time, it required his ability to hit free kicks of any distance with remarkable accuracy.

His time at Burnley came to an end, with many more, during and at the end of the 1975/76 season. It was our last in the First Division and the season that saw so many people leave after manager Jimmy Adamson fell out with Chairman Bob Lord.

Adamson and his coach Merrington eventually went to Sunderland and Collins (via Plymouth) joined them along with Colin Waldron and Mick Docherty who had left Burnley at the same time.

Doug then got the travel bug and played for a while in America before returning to England as player-manager of Rochdale. But that was short lived and he signed for Australian club Sydney Olympic.

He made Australia his home and lives there to this day where he owns a McDonalds franchise. A born again Christian he will be speaking at churches in the area over the weekend but he will not be able to make a return to the Turf for a game.

He played in the last quarter-final that the Clarets won in the FA Cup and I'm sure he will not only understand but will be delighted that the Clarets are otherwise engaged this weekend.