Yesterday we asked you whether you thought the appointment would be a good one or not and a total of 57% said yes with only 21% saying no in a poll that saw almost 1,000 of you voting.
Today we have asked for your views and they are shown below. Please continue to SEND us your comments on the new appointment.
| Ambitious appointment in my opinion. Steve was a highly regarded manager with excellent coaching credentials and I’ve seen or read nothing that would detract from that opinion. The one thing I have never doubted is Barry Kilby’s commitment to Burnley FC and having taken a brave decision not to renew Stan’s contract and, incidentally, doing it such that Stan was able to get a fantastic send off (the easier option would have been to leave it a week) I have confidence that he believes this is the best appointment for the club. It staggers me some of the negativity that is emanating, albeit from just a few. Of course it is a gamble – most things in life are. Whoever had been appointed would have left us all speculating on what the future would hold. All the best Steve – welcome to the Turf. Iain Macintyre |
| As a Cheltenham fan - and in the small minority of current Cheltenham fans who were actually turning up in the Southern League days before Cotterill arrived - I'd like to wish Steve and Burnley FC all the best. Having read most of the posts on this page, the word "brave" keeps popping up. Fair enough - Cotterill is not a "name" and is essentially unproven as a manager above Division 3 level. But he can make it. His attributes: Incredibly hardworking and focused His weaknesses: Has obvious "favourite" players - shows arguably excessive loyalty to them during long dips in form. His single greatest skill is his ability to inspire and motivate a team. On taking over at Cheltenham he inherited a squad of talented (by Southern League standards) but flippant underachievers. He made them overachieve hugely. He kept the same first-choice back four between 1996/97 (Southern League runners up) and 1999/00 (8th in Division 3). I agree there is a loyalty question following his departure from Stoke. His move to Sunderland was foolish, motivated by over-ambition and he himself has publicly regretted it. I would suggest he's too bright a bloke to make the same mistake again. Stoke fans will naturally be quick to snipe, but they overlook the fact that he actually didn't do a bad job in his dozen-or-so games there, stabilising a newly-promoted team in mid-table. They headed rapidly downwards after he left. He won't be an overnight success, but he'll do a good job for you in time. Don't be put off by his ridiculous accent! Up the Robins!!!! Tim Stamp |
| Good appointment, Cotterill has proven he can do well with no money, he should fit the post perfectly. Yes, the situation at stoke was a mess and he wasn't there for long however, that is all in the past humans are allowed mistakes and we should all give Cotterill our full backing. After hearing Mr Kilby on Sky Sports today say we have "money in the kitty" I hope enough money is made available for Cotterill to attract the quality of player needed to succeed in an ever increasingly difficult division 1. I think its a disgrace that a new man has come in and some "fans" are already talking about possible, and in many peoples eyes probable, failure. Give the man a chance, whoever came in would have been left with the same situation, only 8 players on the books and little money to build. It is our duty as fans to support the club through good and bad times (which many of us have seen). You fans who are rejecting Cotterill should remember the season we were one of the top Div 1 sides (2001/2002). You should remember who was in charge at Cheltenham Town when they embarrassed us in the FA Cup - remembered - yes that's right Steve Cotterill. Chris Cummings |
| A couple of years ago Steve Cotterill was one of the brightest rising stars in English club management, and seen as a certain Premiership boss of the future. His reputation and credibility has been dented by the Stoke/Sunderland experiences, so moving to Turf Moor represents a perfect chance to restore his reputation and prove himself again. If over the next 3 seasons he can turn us back into genuine promotion contenders, and lay the foundations for a youth system to start kicking in again, then we can both do each other a power of good. He was loyal to Cheltenham, and I don't think he would walk away if a 'bigger' club did come in for him again did in the upcoming season - once bitten twice shy. Lets back him all the way so that he has every incentive to want to stay for three years and make a success of this job. Lorne Hayhurst |
| Come on all you claret supporters of Burnley get behind the new manager. Do what I did, go out buy yourself a season ticket and put money into the club, therefore generating more cash for the club to spend on other players. We have seen the support Burnley Football Club can achieve so my message to the people of Burnley is put your money where your mouth is and lets wish STEVE COTTERILL all the best. Good luck and lets have a top 10 position in the first year. Craig Lancaster |
| When Stan left I posted on the message board that I hoped we would appoint Steve Cotterill. I believe that the board have taken a massive step forward and are attempting to usher in a complete new era for the clarets, and I for one completely back them on this. The King is dead, long live the King! Ian Warburton |
| I think this is a very ambitious appointment .I think they could have made a safer appointment but the Chairman is looking much further into the future with Steve Cotterill. He comes very highly qualified as a coach and I wish him every success in the job. I hope he can bring good players to the club but also concentrate on improving the Youth System too. Good Luck Steve – Up the Clarets Dave Wynne |
| Could be better but then again it could be worse. I'll still stand in that stadium and support them and so should you. Jamie Leishman |
| When Stan left, I had a profile in mind for the kind of Manager I would like to replace him. I was hoping for a younger candidate, well qualified with a certain degree of experience who could offer a fresh approach throughout the club. The 2 names from the list of potential, rumoured and sometimes outrageous applicants were Eric Black and Steve Cotterill. So, following the confirmation today that our new Manager is indeed Cotterill, I am more than a little happy with the news. With the appointment of the new Chief Executive and now a new Manager, hopefully Barry Kilby will begin steering the club towards the success we all crave. Up the Clarets. Mark Williams |
| Great appointment of a good manager. This can only be good for the football club as a whole. Anon |
| Brilliant appointment. Could hardly be better. One of the most highly regarded young managers in the game is coming to Burnley. Successful as a manager, and now with 18 months experience coaching in the Premier League, there can only be exciting times ahead. It's an appointment which gives us the opportunity to move forward together, with an ambitious man in charge, and one who has succeeded on his ability as a manager, not by falling back on former glories as a player, or by throwing tea cups in an attempt to motivate players. Steve Cotterill gives us the chance to fulfil Barry Kilby's aims for BFC. An ambitious young coach rather than a tired old hack off the managerial merry-go-round It will be interesting to see how things are different from when Stan was in charge, certainly with regard to fitness and teamwork. It's hard to imagine two more different managers but hopefully it will bring success just the same. Good luck Steve. Lets hope this partnership is profitable for you and Burnley. Crawford Scholes |
| Very impressed by Kilby with the appointment. I was sh*ttin it after Stan were sacked and Flynn said he wanted the job, but Kilby has done good in my opinion, and if he makes money available to Cotterill, then this young manager could take us places. Steve Cotterills Claret+Blue Army! Richard Tandy |
| Every managerial appointment is a risk whether it be Gerard Houllier, Claudio Ranieri, Arsene Wenger or Steve Cotterill. However many interviews you conduct it's a step into the unknown, and we're going to miss Stan and his passion for all things BFC. But I think Barry Kilby and his team have made a brave, bold and considered decision to appoint someone who, from what I've heard, appears to be totally different to Stan. I'm feeling quietly optimistic about the appointment and the coming season. This is a new beginning for BFC so let's give Steve our 100% support. He gets my vote! Up the Clarets. Ken Webb |
| This appointment is quite simply a big gamble. I speak regularly with two Stoke City supporters who think this appointment is laughable. Whilst I will do my best to look on the positive side I genuinely do feel that this is a big risk appointment. I have spent the majority of the last 25 years following the clarets being unhappy with the management situation etc. Yes Stan had several faults but I certainly would not swap him for Steve Cotterill. The last 25 years and the last 6 years speak for themselves!!! Mark Finnigan |
| It's an absolute rubbish appointment and a disgrace...his only achievements in the League are to dump Stoke after 13 games, take Sunderland down with Wilko and take Leicester down...hardly the credentials of a successful manager. He obviously doesn't fit the criteria laid down by the board as no one decent would take the job. We stood at a window of opportunity to get someone good in and blew this. The board are a disgrace and should consider their positions after this very seriously...6 of my family will not set foot inside Turf Moor until this lousy board are long gone. See you all at Northwich afterr the 3 year plan. Howard Shannon |
| Excellent choice. Right age and well-regarded in the game. Success in the lower divisions on a small budget counterbalanced by one spectacular failure. Needs to prove himself a Prem manager of the future, rather than a 'might have been'. Hopefully the appointment will be the catalyst for his - and our - renaissance. Ian Halstead |
| I’m curious about the recent appointment of Steve Cotterill and think a balanced approach to the current situation will contribute to the fans’ support over the coming months. Cotterill’s scientific background should be seen as a major plus for the advancement of an improved youth system. Howard Wilkinson may seem a strange bloke at the best of times but one thing he advocates in his fellow professionals is the adoption of modern styles. Choosing Cotterill as his number 2 (albeit, retrospectively, ill-fated) at Sunderland appears to show the potential Wilkinson recognised: this from a man who has overturned many attitudes to coaching within the game. Combining the reality with the potential will be a tale that time can only tell: the extent of Cotterill’s contacts within the game at this level and his man-management with players, boardroom and fans alike presents a very complex challenge. Not something that can happen overnight, rather a maturing process in the real world where set-backs are part and parcel of his task (remember Stan’s determination and bare-faced honesty in dealing with a very shaky club all those years ago…). Patience from ourselves seems a good idea, although with everything the fans have done to rescue our mismanaged club the new boss needs to be part of the open dialogue we need with the club. The true worries centre firstly around the perilous finances. It cannot be true that we have money to spend and if that is so, what the hell have the board been doing to Ternent! Cotterill worked wonders at Cheltenham and deserved a chance to move upwards with a bigger club. His attitude to Stoke leaves doubts in the mind, though I personally do not know the situation he left to join Sunderland (a club that can attract many top names when needed). A Cheltenham fan I am at University with knows two of their players very well and they describe the new man as a ‘screamer and bawler’. This suggests that the playing targets coming in to the club could well be little different from the array of average players that we have seen respond stoically to half-time rantings from the late Stan. Quality footballers are sparse, but would they take any kind of chance with a ‘verbal abuser’? The real Steve Cotterill will step forward before long and whether it is science, passion or a careful mixture of the two that he espouses, let’s hope for at least three key factors: Development of a quality youth set-up A 1st team that can balance their play: no more let’s attack..no, wait..let’s defend No crazy financial adventures: if we can’t afford to stay up, guess what… Marc Butterworth |
| After all the huffing and puffing of the last 4 weeks we finally have our new man in place. That in itself is a relief. Now the hard work begins. On reflection, the time was right for a change. Things were becoming stale and we needed a new approach. I was concerned that having made the big decision about Stan’s contract, we should not appoint a manager with similar style and ideas. On that point I believe the board have probably succeeded. The proof of the pudding etc etc. In the meantime Mr Kilby, Mr Cotterill and the club deserve the full backing of us all. Exciting times indeed. Peter |
| I am satisfied with the appointment of Steve Cotterill and wish him the very best at Turf Moor. The club have shown their commitment by offering him a three year contract and I hope he will reciprocate that commitment. Steve Melling |
| Let's give the guy a chance and see what funds he will have available from the club. He has the coaching experience and knows the lower leagues and some people in the Premiership so we'll see who he gets in for the coaching and playing staff. New breed of manager with new ideas, see what happens. Lee Cross |
| Fairly happy. From what I've read, Cotterill seems to be the up and coming young manager that Burnley has been crying out for, and also has the Nationwide league experience to go with it. My only concern is that, noticing his habit of up and leaving clubs when a better offer emerges (e.g. Wilkinson's Sunderland from Stoke) he could repeat this feat with the first signs of any success. Also, considering the lack of money on offer, does he have the reputation to pull in the right quality of players considering the club cannot offer the same financial incentives of other clubs vying for signatures? However these concerns are entirely hypothetical, and only the coming months will tell whether he is the 'bright' new manager I have heard, and if he is capable of reforming a squad that can maintain first division status and push on for playoff glory. (a la Joe Kinnear). Also, has anyone else noticed that Cotterill has a particularly poor record with clubs fighting relegation (Sunderland, Leicester)? Obviously I realise he was not the manager of either of these clubs, and my observations are stupidly negative as this is an exciting and positive time for the clarets. All the best Steve- and sort out that defence! Andrew Hassall |
| Not the most inspiring appointment but far and away the best of a bad bunch of "available" managers and with our budget I have no doubt the best we could afford so lets get behind him and give him every chance. It could have been McMahon or Flynn and that would have been very disappointing. He's young enthusiastic and after the Stoke to Sunderland disaster will feel he has a lot to prove. Let us hope he does it at Burnley. I think the doubters (of which there are many) should see how the next few months unfold and who he brings in etc before getting to concerned. Also his mention of a quality player, I have a sneaky feeling that might be Steve Guppy but time will tell. Matthew Stansfield |
| I think the appointment of Steve Cotterill is a good one. He worked wonders for Cheltenham and got them three promotions with limited resources so let’s hope he can do the same for us. Liam Lord |
| Probably as good as we could hope for – but what do you think about the rumour that Mark Yates is coming as Cotterill's number 2? Richard Twigg |
| I think the appointment is an extremely interesting and positive one. Cotterill is one of the most highly respected up and coming managers in the game and has a superb technical knowledge of the game. His coaching qualifications are second to none and whenever I have heard him in interviews he has always spoken very intelligently and positively. I believe he is the right man for the job and is just what the club needed to move forward after Stan. Gary Lansdown |
| I am pleased with the appointment of Steve Cotterill as the new manager. He may or may not be a success, there is always a gamble in these situations. However, he is a young manager who is ambitious, he has a good track record previously and I hope that he has learnt from his previous moving jobs that the grass is not always greener on the other side. I hope the board can help realise his ambitions with ambitions of their own and together with the backing of the fans can drive Burnley Football Club onto greater success. David Smith |
| A good appointment who will hopefully build on what he achieved before the Sunderland appointment. He will bring the ideas of a 40 year old rather than those of a 60 year old which seemed out of step with the players of today. Let's hope that "throwing one in" is a thing of the past. Alan Porter |
| Steve’s young and ambitious. He could be just the breath of fresh air Burnley Football Club have been looking for. If he is given the backing by both the fans and the board then who knows what he can achieve. He’s already stuck one over on Burnley by knocking us out of the cup a few years ago. Show your support for the new manager and get your season ticket now. I can’t wait for the season to kick off now. Mick Worrall |
| Plus side: He is used to dealing with little cash, a situation he will face here. Minus side: He is proven only at lower levels and the appointment seems to indicate that that is where we are aiming to stay. What happened to Premier League in 5 years? Danny Magee |
| Let’s hope he doesn’t walk out on us – but good look to him. Yvonne Ross |
| Let me start by saying I was sad to see Stan leave, but the show must go on. Steve Cotterill is a brave appointment - Ronnie Moore would certainly have been a safer choice but Cotterills managerial record at Cheltenham was outstanding. He is obviously good at working with limited resources, and is reputedly an excellent coach. My only concern is his loyalty - IF he is successful at Burnley, will he walk out as soon as a "better offer" comes in? But this is always going to be a potential problem with good young managers. Overall I am happy with his appointment. Nigel Aspin |
| I think it is a great signing for Burnley obviously he has a point to prove in terms of loyalty to a club and ability to manage and coach a successful team as he did with Cheltenham. So lets hope that he is as successful here as he was at Cheltenham. I am looking forward to seeing some quality signings coming our way. Up the Clarets!!!! Andy Chaplin |
| I would say that Barry Kilby is a pretty good judge of most things. First and foremost, he places Burnley FC as the single most important matter and I would not think that he would appoint someone who he and his fellow Board members have no faith in. Similarly, I am more than sure that they have done their research in to him and taken enough references within the game. The job is clearly huge, not least because we have a small existing playing staff which he has to bolster fast. But, also he comes from the south and will quickly have to come to terms with the raw passion for success of the Turf Moor crowd. That said, I sincerely hope the supporters get behind him and the new side and make him very welcome - Steve Cotterill has a very big part to play and will need the back-up of everyone there. Richard Marshall |
| Good appointment. I read recently he is well thought of within the game, articulate, has his full coaching badges, very knowledgeable especially with regard to players. Apparently he can tell you who plays in what position for any club in the football and conference league. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is not afraid of letting people know what he thinks. I think we should not expect too much to soon and give the guy a chance to build his own team. Well done to Barry Kilby and Co. Joe Bedford |
| I think this is a brave appointment. Although Cotterill has previous experience it's hardly a long serving career and some of the early comments around manager's profiles led many of us to think that Barry Kilby was looking for a manager with more experience so it's certainly a bit of a risk, but then you never progress without taking some risks (something I think Stan had forgotten). That said, I think a young manager with ambition to do well, with a good coaching pedigree is just what we need now to breathe new life into our club which, lets face it had become rather stagnant. Ronnie Moore would in my opinion have been at best a sideways step and would not have been much of a change from Stan. Well done the board for firstly taking the brave (but necessary) decision to part company with Stan, despite his previous success, and well done again for taking a calculated risk here in an attempt to move the club forwards. Now we have our new leader I'm looking forward to the new season - we might get a few more season tickets sold too - and we can hopefully put the division behind us now as we all get behind the new manager and stop harping on about our last one. Mark Bailey |
| Well done Burnley Football Club and welcome to Turf Moor Steve Cotterill. I see this as a great opportunity to move forward with a young, enthusiastic and not to mention talented manager. I think this move will be like a breath of fresh air to Burnley, a new direction (hopefully onwards and upwards). I would love to see more young players brought through the system and feel that any new backroom staff that Steve can bring with him would improve on what has been a miserable time for youth at OUR club. All of a sudden I feel like walking 500 miles!! Roy Ellis |
| I feel that Steve Cotterill is the right man for the job, he is a young manager that will have a lot of ideas and hopefully make some changes. Not renewing Ternent’s contract was the right move because he was just going to take us back down into the 2nd division. Also you just need to look at some of the players he released and who he brought in for replacement and some of the players he’s bought. Steve Cotterill is a young manager and when you look at the other young managers like Iain Dowie and David Moyes they are successful managers. Cotterill to take us up!!!!!. |
| Our choice or not he’s now the manager and we should give him our full support. He’s young and enthusiastic and has a good background. Downside - loyalty question after his departure at Stoke. Keith Archer |
| I was disappointed when Stan got the boot, but honestly think Steve Cotterill could be a great appointment for the Clarets. Anthony Pearson |
| You don't become so highly qualified if you know nowt - got to be the best balance of skills there was available. Lets get behind the new man and his summer rebuilding – UTC Jonas Brown |
| IMO a superb appointment for the club. I'd like to think the Cotterrill will bring lots of new ideas to the Turf, as well as getting back some of the 'missing crowd'. His successes further down the league have been far overshadowed by the almost impossible standards he tried to set whilst in the Premiership. I'd like to think he'll take this chance by the scruff of the neck and start to make his presence known at the club as soon as possible, i.e. by starting to build our new squad. A great replacement for our recently departed claret legend, I have confidence that he will fill Stan's boots very well here! Good luck Steve, we're all behind you! John Robertson |
| After weeks of playing guess who it's Steve Cotterill who becomes Burnley manager. You've got to give credit to Barry Kilby, he has delivered someone who was tipped as the biggest young talent in English football management. He did an amazing job at Cheltenham and was ready for the big time, and it would've worked except he was sat next to Howard Wilkinson. Now he becomes Burnley manager with big shoes to fill. I expect a completely fresh approach from what Stan gave us and hopefully some refreshingly good football. I'm guessing he got the assurance from the chairman that some cash is available for new transfers and look forward to seeing who he brings in. It's going to be a busy summer for Stevie Cotterill's Claret and Blue army!!! Tony Collier |
| I'm not 100% sure what to think but I am excited. a total change of direction for our club and I wait eagerly to see what player's he brings in, who his number 2 will be and who he will keep from the backroom staff that are already there. LET THE GOOD TIMES BEGIN AGAIN AT TURF MOOR. Grahame Singleton |
| A young, highly-thought of coach with experience of working on a fairly limited budget. With good connections in the game, and the hunger and desire to prove himself after an unfortunate time at Stoke and Sunderland he looks like the perfect appointment for Burnley Football Club at this moment in time. Martin Barnes |
| I for one am delighted! When the dust settled on Stan leaving and the talk of who was going to succeed him started, what I felt we needed was one of these "new breed" of young ambitious managers with all the right bells, hooters and whistles! I think we have got one. John Finch |
| At the confirmation of Cotterill, realistically, I could not be happier. We have appointed a young manager who has been successful and a winner throughout his footballing career. I am now excited to see how he build the new team around the strengths of the current squad (?). Tim Spencer |
It's a very promising appointment in my view. Cotterill is young and well regarded within the game, so hopefully he will bring a fresh (and successful) approach with him. I hope he can bring the young lads on and also unearth a few promising youngsters from elsewhere. When was the last time we sold on a product of our youth team for big money? Austin Greenwood |