Time to get behind the new man - Time to get behind Burnley

Last updated : 22 January 2011 By Tony Scholes

We all felt wronged a year ago and many fans were far from happy when, on just the thirteenth day of 2010, we appointed former Claret Brian Laws as our new manager. I've never known a new manager face opposition from day one from our own supporters in such a way. It was something we'd all seen at Bolton with Gary Megson but I really did hope it would never happen at Burnley.

It all led to a somewhat turbulent year in which just eleven of forty league games were won as we fell from the Premier League to almost half way down the Championship. It brought bickering and outright arguments as some attacked Laws and others backed him blindly with most supporters somewhere in between.

Now, it is a new time at our club. Laws has gone and, after four games under the caretaker charge of Stuart Gray, we have a new man at the helm in Eddie Howe. He's arrived from Bournemouth with his right hand man Jason Tindall, the new assistant manager, and Jon Dalzell who has replaced Tom Little as fitness and conditioning coach.

The appointment of Howe is an interesting one. A year ago we went for a manager with years of experience, albeit at a lower level than we were playing. Although it didn't work out it wouldn't have been a major surprise had we opted for the same again. Certainly names such as Phil Brown were heavily linked as we looked for a new man.

Even Paul Lambert, he who suggested he wouldn't consider leaving Norwich, has enjoyed a few years now in management with Livingston, Wycombe and Colchester as well as his current club.

But in the end we've opted for something similar to the route we took just over three years ago and gone for a manager with limited experience and, again at a lower level.

It's not a safe appointment by any means. Instead it's an exciting and imaginative appointment that seems to have given most Burnley supporters a real lift this week. Now it's time for those supporters to give the new man, the players and the club their support by getting behind them 100%. It's time for us all to pull in the same direction again.

It's time to get behind the new man - it's time to get behind Burnley Football Club.