The season started with Simon Weatherstone in charge; he'd replaced Blake in the role back in the autumn of 2012. He left in January to re-join Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall at Bournemouth with Blake stepping back into the position.
But Farrell, who has been working alongside Terry Pashley with the youth team, has now stepped up and will be in charge of the squad for the remainder of the season.
He probably won't want me reminding him but it is approaching 27 years since he first arrived at Burnley as one of Brian Miller's post Orient game signings in the summer of 1987. He cost us £5,000 to sign him from Colchester and in over seven years he played a total of 331 games for us, the last of which was the play-off victory at Wembley against Stockport when he came on as a substitute to become the first, and currently only, Burnley player to play there twice for the club.
He ended his playing career with Wigan and Rochdale and in more recent years was working within the club's centre of excellence before winning the permanent role of assistant youth team coach alongside Pashley during the time Vince Overson was in charge of the youth set up.
During the period since he also enjoyed a short spell with the first team, working alongside Pash for three games prior to the appointment of current manager Sean Dyche.
He's now been given the opportunity to take the development, or under-21 squad, and will be the man in charge tomorrow for our trip to Exeter when we will be hoping to progress to the semi-finals of the Under-21 Premier League Cup.