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We have asked for your views, positive or negative, and those received are now shown below. We are keen to hear from more of you over the next few days. So please let us know what you think of the planned changes at both Turf Moor and Gawthorpe.
Just EMAIL them to us and we will add them below.
| Well, what can a say? The plans are tremendous and long overdue, I have no complaints whatsoever. I know a lot of fans are complaining about the capacity figures but what people are forgetting is we are still in the Championship and don't fill the ground as it is. I am 100% sure if we got in the prem they will have plans to extend the capacity again. I for one will be delighted to see a new approach way down Harry Potts Way because at the moment the front entrance to Bob Lord looks so outdated and dreary and best of all a new academy something Vince as been wishing for since he took the job on. The future is claret and blue bring it on Mr Flood and co. Andy Brown |
| I honestly beleve that Burnley FC has moved to the top level today. The plans both on and off the field for the Club and the Academy are nothing short of breathtaking. I have 100% confidence in the Board to produce their vision and make us once again a leading force in English football. Congratulations to those who have put their money and heart where their mouths are. Tony Yates |
| The news brings with it a great deal of momentum for the up and coming season and I fancy if promotion is gained sooner rather than later that the proposed 2500 seat will be increased. Mind you just look at the Chelsea stand in front of the hotel, not exactly the largest is it? The Retail element brings the use of business and generating revenue through it really is an excellent move for the club. I am sure the leasing for the retail outlets will bring with it much needed long term revenue. All in all excellent news my one moan is the lack of images more PLEASE ! Also the two silver corners why is one larger than the other is it for the car park? Garry Pickles |
| In all honesty, I'm still trying to come to terms with the news I have read today. It only seems like a few months ago since Marcus Stewart netted the first goal infront of Turf Moor's new North Stand (James Hargreaves, AKA Longside). Never in my wildest dreams could i have imagined that our home patch could receive such an extensive face lift, just a decade on. In all fairness, we all knew that the Cricket Field and Bob Lord Stands were 'on their last legs', but today's news is considerably more than the vast majority of Clarets could have envisaged. Messrs Kilby and Flood are about to breath new life into Burnley's community and with it, potentally open doorways to greater avenues for our town and club. Premiership football is something we all crave and when Mr Flood became a Director, i started to believe that we may, one day in the future, have a realistic chance of making a Premiership push. Today, those thoughts of 7 or 8 months ago have become very realistic aspirations and I'm confident that our turn in the 'Big Time' is not all that far away. Many of today's modern Stadia have facilities to accommodate the people of the local community, but with only rare exception, such developments are found miles from the heart of the town. Turf Moor, Burnley, is going to be one of those rare exceptions and we're going to have a ground and facilites, which will be the envy of many fans across the Football League. Our stadium will be unique and importantly, it will remain atmospheric. Burnley fans are hard to please at the best of times, but perhaps, just once, I have a feeling that ALL Burnley fans will be happy and more than content with the exciting proposals which have been made made public today. This is a very significant day for Burnley Football Club and my thanks go out Mr Kilby, Mr Flood and all of the club's other Directors. Thankyou for believing and sharing our dream! John Robertson |
| Having taken everything on board today I can only say how delighted I am by the ambition shown by the club. For us to be a Premiership Club one day and encourage decent players to come to Burnley we must make our product a lot more appetising than it is now. I know from meetings I have attended over the past few years that something had to be done to the Cricket Field stand.Never in my wildest dreams did I think of a development on this scale. We now seem to have an Operations Director who seems to know what he is doing. A stadium these days has to diversify so it can be used all year round and not just in the football season. Looking at the plans and what is proposed I must say this looks to have been a priority when putting them together. It really is exciting and I hope as the "New" ground takes shape that we can move forward on the pitch as well. Anyone with any doubts about Mr.Flood's committment to the club must have had them kicked firmly into touch. Building an Academy down at Gawthorpe shows forward planning and something we have needed for years. Thankyou Mr Flood and Mr Kilby for making all this possible. Lets hope the missing fans will see how serious the present board are and come back and help us get to the promised land....What a great day to be a Claret. Dave Wynne |
| As a fan of Burnley Football Club for 20 years, we've had lots of exciting news in that time, whether it be about a major signing (Ian Wright), potential takeovers (Kilby, Ingelby) and even the news about the Longside and Bee Hole terracing being replaced with new modern stands. But this date 23/07/2007 has got to be the most exciting time to be a Claret for many years. The current board of directors, especially Mr Kilby and Mr Flood have brought forward plans that is not only good for Clarets, or just for sports fans in general - but for the whole town. The development plans are going to bring much needed employment to the town through retail outlets, the Hotel, cinema etc. But for me, while all this is superb - for me personally, the investment into a youth academy is the best part of the whole package. Seeing what a small town club like Crewe have achieved over the last 20 years is something that we can do, and even surpass. Just look at the Middlesborough squad, Downing, Davies and Morrison. All of them quality players and all through a good youth academy. Hopefully we may be able to attract players from not only the UK and Ireland, but maybe from Europe? Who knows? The future is youth, the future is claret! Matt Stewart |
| In my opinion the external redevelopment looks fantastic,but it seems to me that the new stand is just an after thought. I understand the need for extra revenue but surely not at the expense of the stadium. 22,000 is not big enough for a club who claim to have premiership aspirations, and looking at the drawings will it be possible to extend the ground in the future as we appear to be getting boxed in. Scott Leigh Mason |
| As a proud Claret fan all my life, I've seen some big news, from the signings of Ian wright and paul Gascoigne right down to the news of Turf Moor hosting an England international friendly. This news has been expected for some time now and I'm extremely happy that I will be able to work at turf moor as all this goes on and see all the developments in the ground. When the Longside was rebuilt, people we're extremely happy, although they miss the long memories of the standing tier. But for a £20m redevelopment of Turf Moor, all the surrounding street as well as the Gawthorpe training ground, plus the creation of a Burnley FC academy, it is without a doubt THE biggest piece of news to come out of the football club since, well, probably ever. Things are looking up at Burnley. The future's bright, the future's claret. Kieron Duxbury |
| Like everybody else I took a step back when I heard the "new capacity" of the ground and thought why are we spending £20 Million to not actually gains extra spaces for the fans, but then when you look at the overall development you realise this is something from our wildest dreams. Football fans have to realise that football is not only about what goes on once a fortnight anymore it has to be a 365 day a year project and in a lot of cases what happens off the pitch ultimately shapes what happens on it. The ground will be the jewel in Burnley's crown and the cherry on top of the cake is the Academy at Gawthorpe. I've lost count of the number of talented youngsters from the local area who have gone to the local Premiership clubs and not to their home town team, this may go someway to bucking that trend. Overall 11/10. Steve Goodwill |
| Fantastic! Getting Brendan Flood on board has really given the club that final push to make Burnley FC a commercial and community success as well as pushing forward the footballing side of things. Burnley's great plus has always been that it is an integral part of the community, both in Burnley and the surrounding areas. However the ground surrounds have become shabby and uninviting. This looks brilliant and will not only improve its community and commercial capacity but it is a major signal that Burnley FC are ambitious and looking to a successful future. Having shabby surrounds and poor facilities sends a message of a club in decline - this does the exact opposite. Congratulations to Barry Kilby and Brendan Flood - Mr Kilby turned this club around and now Mr Flood is adding a thick layer of icing to the cake - what a huge turnaround from the bad old days of poor management and a board that was light years behind the times. Jean Thornton Perth, Australia |
| As Dave Wynne says a great day to be a Claret. This is truly something exciting. It's the community vision that is so impressive and the inclusion of the cricket club to make a huge sports area within walking distance of the town centre. The whole thing has taken vision, ambition and imagination. Congratulations to all concerned. Dave Thomas |
| I've had some time to read and digest the details of what's being proposed today. Firstly, the fact that we have secured significant investment from a director who is clearly a supporter is a fantastic thing - it guarantees the future of our club, which has, at points, been in doubt over recent years, so I'm delighted with that. The recent investment on the playing side seems to be a statement of intent and I'm more than happy with it. The prospect of bringing the ground into the 21st Century is equally exciting - and its ramifications for the town and borough generally, are truly excellent, as we are seeing Turf Moor evolve beyond the focal point of the town, into the focal point of the town's regeneration. The new revenue streams proposed for the club from the redevelopment are impressive and I genuinely want to see them succeed. Finally, the prospect of an academy producing talent that drives our club towards anything that mirrors the achievements of our illustrious past is something that can only be applauded. I've grown up listening to tales from my Dad and Granddad before him - not only did we win, we did it in style - and I hope to take my young children, as they grow up, to the Turf to see a Burnley side that we can be equally proud of. Having said all this, I've seen posts on the site today that are highly critical of dissenting voices, nevertheless, amidst all these genuinely good things, that I don't deny, take our club forward, I just can't bury my disappointment - whatever the most positive posters on Clarets-Mad may say. I'm disappointed with the prospect of the new stand being occupied by away supporters. I wanted to see a "Town-End" that puts the fear of God in visiting teams and the atmosphere back into Turf Moor (before my days in the JM lower, I was a season ticket holder in the cricket field stand). The prospect of a tiny stand, whatever else it brings to the club, is something that I'm not altogether comfortable with. I wanted to see an increased capacity for Turf Moor - 25,000 even 30,000. Those who say it can't be done, it can't be filled, assume we should inhabit our parochial, inward-looking and limited space. I say, Bollocks to that (excuse the French). When our club won the Championship, did it see itself as representing an insignificant backwater? When we were taking on Europe's best, did we have an inferiority complex? Of course not. We didn't then, why should we now? I've spent more than half my life living outside the area, so I'm afraid I don't share what I consider to be a collective lack of self-esteem that bedevils East Lancashire. I run my own business - a marketing and public relations company, and I believe that if a fraction of this £20 Million investment had been spent on communicating properly with Burnley FC's natural constituency (from West Yorkshire to Central Lancs), we could pack Turf Moor to the rafters with fervent Clarets. So, I'm pleased we're moving forward, but from me at least, it's a qualified approval. Julian Jordan |
| The first time I set foot on the Turf with my Dad in the early 50s I can just about remember standing on cinders at the Cricket Field end, before the concrete steps were constructed. Compare this to the state of the art proposed stadium. My only concern with a reported £20 million being spent is will admission prices be raised to the extent where more fans are priced out of watching football. Lesley Tattersall |
| I welcome the ground redevelopment as it shows commitment to the fans and also shows a desire to progress (upwards). What surprises me though is that we are building a new stand and giving it to away supporters. The Cricket field end has always been a good kop with good acoustics for singing fans, the roof sloping down towards the pitch seems to amplify sound whereas our 'new' stands seem to diminish sound (chants). Hence a good away following at Turf Moor always outsings the home fans. I always thought away fans should be put in the corner of the North (James Hargreaves) stand nearest to the Cricket field with access down the lane at the back of the Cricket field. If this were done now the new cricket field stand could be the new kop for Burnley fans and with a bit of planning (as is done in theatres) the acoustics could be made to amplify singing and bring some life back to the Turf. However if this is not to be so, access to the new stand for away fans should still be from the Cricket field lane and not Harry Potts Way. This would also be better as the away fans parking is to the north of the ground. Other than that gripe it looks like we are entering an exciting era for BFC and I applaud the directors and Steve Cotterill for their commitment to the club. Chris Dempsey |
| After supporting the Clarets for over 30 years, this has to be the most excited I can ever remember being. The club is undoubtedly moving in the right direction and maybe one day we will no longer be 'punching above our weight', but be where a club with our history, the potential support and the new look Turf deserves to be...in the top flight. Thank you Mr. Flood. My only regret is that no longer living in Burnley I won't be able to benefit from visiting the Turf that often, but this is great news indeed. Paul Somerville |
| I really don't understand the negative comments surrounding these plans. I'm not saying I would have been against Kilby and Flood announcing that we were going to build 2 brand new stands raising the capacity to 30,000, but when you think about it objectively we don't need a 30,000 capacity! Our average attendances over the previous 10 years show that a figure around 15,000 every home game would be a very good return. Therefore keeping the capacity around the 22,000 just makes sense. I mean why build another 8,000 seats just so we can probably sell-out when / if we get to the Premiership? It certainly hasn't proved to be the right choice in the long run for many other clubs. The rest of the redevelopment will rejuvenate and revamp the club. It will give us a more even playing field when being compared to our nearest and dearest (Rovers and PNE!) and will leave us with more than just 1 new stand. Mr Kilby and Mr Flood have stated their belief in this project and I fully understand why. The new look Turf and the new youth development academy will entice more high profile players and more quality youngsters. What more do you want? This is why I'm behind the plans 100%. The whole project will breathe new life into not only Burnley Football Club and Burnley Cricket Club, but the entire town. Well done Burnley Football Club; I'm more than just "Proud To Be A Claret!" Jonathan Lupton |
| I am delighted with the vision and passion of Mr Flood, epitomised in these plans. No longer will away fans and exiled home fans consider it a dreary walk to a semi dreary ground. We cannot underestimate how much exiles have to build themselves up to trek half way across the country for home games when they have other commitments in life - not everyone is a 46 game a season diehard. This will increase those attendances. I wish there were artist's impressions from inside the stadium from the pitch - I suspect the new stands will look far less impressive due to their size. Please let us have a full refurb not just a facelift. Remove the pillars from the Bob Lord for example and replace the roof. Otherwise it will not look modern from this angle. I am also concerned, regarding the capacity, that a trick has been missed here. In the Prem, TV money and commercial income (hotel etc) will mean turnstile income is less relevant, and halving the ticket prices would be a realistic option to generate a full ground, passion, helping the club to stay up (hence the Premiership Pledge). Though perhaps in fairness the Cricket Pitch and the Harry Potts Way are constraints and this is all that is possible. Let's hope Messrs Kilby and Flood come on to answer these concerns soon, keeping our enthusiasm buoyant. Steve Kelly |
| The plans unveiled today look very good indeed and we look like a serious club who are going places. It's good to see that it's not just the football fan who will benefit either with all the new amenities, there is something for the whole town to benefit from. I think we have the right mission and the right people in charge at the club at the moment and it's feels really good to have some excitement back at Turf Moor. Come on you Clarets. Mike Smith |
| Although I think the plans and the future of the club look fantastic, I do think that they should reconsider the capacity of the stadium. 22,000 just wouldn't be big enough, bearing in mind we would have to accommodate larger numbers of visiting fans plus the greater demand from our own supporters. Kevin Stokes |
| Incredible news, but from my home in Johannesburg I cannot help but recall my Lancastrian roots. 20m is a huge sum of money for a club that the Daily Mail has going into administration every week or so!! Making grounds multi purpose is clearly the way to go and the pictures shown so far seem a bit vague, I haven't been on the Turf for a few years now ( long way from South Africa) so my failing memory makes it difficult to see where everything fits. I am due in the UK in September, never realised this could be a nostalgic farewell to the "old" Turf Moor. The Cricket Field Stand was I remember state of the art in 1969, under floor heating and all. Even more delighted though to see the Youth Policy being beefed up, seeing youngsters coming through and making it to the top will do more to boost interest and hence gates than anything, I am old enough to remember a buzz at reserve games in the early sixties because the "2 Willie's" they were then about 17years old, were playing, that's Irvine and Morgan for anyone under 53!! A sobering thought though when comparing years gone by, in 1959 you could win the league on the profits of a few butcher's shops, in 1995 you needed to control basically the whole of Britain's steel stockholders but in 2005 you had to be an oil billionaire. However good luck to Messrs Kilby & Flood & all, I hope all the sums are correct. Peter Grimes |
| To say that I am exited is a complete understatement! In my opinion they have got this completely right, 22,000 capacity is more than enough at this current time and if we were to reach the promise land and establish ourselves, we can move on from their. The Plans look excellent and everything that is going to be put in place makes total sense. It''s up to us clarets to make it work by using the new facilities. Every time we watch a film in the new cinema, we will be doing our bit for Burnley Football Club instead of going elsewhere and likewise for everything else they are putting in place. This is one extremely proud Burnley fan. Daniel Dixon |
| Awesome designs. Really happy with the clubs ambition and desire to move the Club - OUR club - back to where it belongs! Fingers crossed that Premiership football isn't all that far away for Burnley FC! UP THE CLARETS Peter Davis |
| Absolutely delighted with the plans for the Turf but in particular the plans for Gawthorpe. I think that they have got the capacity about right for now, remember they have made assurances that the plans will include provisions to increase the capacity in the future should the need arise! Never been as excited about things as now! Up the Clarets Gary Storey |
| Absolutely delighted with the news. As many others have said this was well above and beyond my expectations of the redevelopment. The commercial plans for increasing the revenue of the club away from the football side are the main boost for me. This will help us in providing a long and sustained revenue stream allowing money to be spent on the playing side and the new academy. Alex Roberts |
| The plans are very exciting and are a declaration of ambition. The only concern I have is that the club's focus (and funds) will be heavily focused on facilities development which may jeopardise the development of a squad capable of taking us into the Premiership. The last thing we want is a magnificent stadium and facilities but League 1 football! Therefore, the most important aspect of the plans unveiled yesterday is the intention to upgrade our youth development facilities at Gawthorpe. A lot of us still remember that wonderful conveyor belt of talent in the sixties & seventies that made Burnley what it was - a byword for youth development. Congratulations to the board for its vision and purpose and good luck to BFC. Rennie Gould |
| These ideas are amazing something the fans have longed for. Finally we can compete with the self confirmed 'bigger better' clubs in this league and the lower half of the Premiership. The only question I have is should the away fans get to use the brand new stand?? Stick them in a corner somewhere, Premiership teams only gain 2000 tickets on average for away games yet as the ground stands at the minute away supporters coming here can have up to nearly 4000 a full stand and that generates such a noise specially when our 'friends' from Deepdale make the trip here. Adi Moore |
| I think it is obvious the Club is now in safe hands. Ivan Tattersall |
| I have been watching the clarets since 1954. I think I am lucky because I have seen the glory years, winning the Championships, FA cup Final, playing in Europe, seeing Jimmy Mac work his magic. Then came the fall and the not so good times. Some friends have said why do you watch Burnley? My reply is always they are my club, now this latest announcement has come along and it appears we have directors who also think about doing the best for my club and putting their money where their mouth is. Not only with the new stand development but creating an academy at Gawthorpe to get back to our roots and produce more of our own players. This I think is a really positive move and Vince Overson must be delighted. Really delighted with the announcement we are looking like a really professional set up, fantastic news. Terry Walton |
| Not since we were inspired by Bob Lord and his vision for a new stand with all the latest innovations, have we been so privileged. The directors are showing leadership on and off the pitch. If the players respond to the manager in the same way, we will have a team to match our new destiny. One wee request. The view to the Pennines from the Longside should be retained or featured wherever possible. The setting is also part of the heritage of Burnley Football Club. Up the Clarets and long live Turf Moor. Ian McLennan |
| I think this will be a big change for the club, I hope it will push us forward Jake |
| Fantastic and long overdue news! It's great to see Burnley taking the next step forward. We always knew that the atmosphere of the terraces would be lost forever but if the new stands can improve on the sound in the 'new' Longside and Bee Hole end than I think we could be onto something great.. Especially looking at the new plans; it looks like the corners are filled in which could help retain the atmosphere on match days! It's great to see the club thinking about the future, about increasing income without relying solely on attendance. A new distinctive stadium that doesn't entirely like unlike an airport terminal. Brilliant stuff! More images please!! Mark Laycock |
| If the club has long term Premiership ambitions then I'd have thought a bigger capacity would have been better. The new stand should also have Burnley fans in it like other clubs do half and half. A town the size of Burnley only needs 1 cinema and I hope this and the hotel are going to be as profitable as the club think. The academy is fantastic news though, a step in the right direction. Andrew Sturdy |
| For a stadium development where half of the ground is completely changed, what is odd about this proposal is that we have no pictures of what it will be like inside the ground. From a fans perspective that's what we really want to see isn't it? My concern with a 2,500 seater stand that includes both corners is that it will be small and not fit with the North Stand and the Jimmy Mac. My other concern is that the Bob Lord will still look like a conference club's main stand. An artist's impression of the interior of the stadium would be great to see. The fact that we can't see the inside is surely because the main focus has been on how best we can improve the non football services attached to Turf Moor and how best to exploit the unused space in a commercial manner. I do think that it is great that Turf Moor is going to be improved but I do feel that the minor improvements to the Turf Moor "Arena" are well overshadowed by the development of the Turf Moor retail park. I'm sure that the additional revenue from these developments will more than compensate for the revenue that would have been generated by the occasional use of a few extra seats. I am intrigued that the designers thought that a stand for away fans was the right place to put extra corporate entertainment facilities and I do worry about the damage that away fans could do with a building containing so much glass but I'm sure the club and the Police will have thought this through. What I do think is hugely positive is that the club are at last moving forward again. Since ITV digital the club have been talking about consolidation and survival. Finally the right vibes are coming out of the board room and the fans can start to realistically believe that we might just push on to the next level. Andy Braid |
| These plans are fantastic for all to see. Thank you to Mr Kilby and Mr Flood for all their hard work and investment in our club. The plans will surely propel us forward and attract more investment and players, there aren't too many clubs who can boast a stadium with a complex of facilities like these. Surely every supporter can only see this being a positive step forward. For the moment we just don't need more than a 22,000 capacity. Maybe as the seasons roll on and we have achieved promotion, our football on the pitch and our new developed ground will attract the clarets from all corners of the country. For now I just can't see how increasing the capacity to what some people are suggesting should be 30,000 would be beneficial now. We would never generate an exciting atmosphere which the away teams would find intimidating with 10,000 to 15,000 empty seats!!!! The new stadium plans and the premiership push show the ambition and with the investment in players it really is a good sign. Maybe when we start pulling 20,000 supporters every other week, then consider extending the capacity, we have plenty of space to do this, just build upwards like at Old Trafford for example. Added to this the academy, this above all others shows massive ambition for the future. Where else better than to look at and develop the skills of our own grow talent and keep them with us rather them going to our local rivals. All these show a bright future for Burnley F.C, and as I am writing this we have just had 5 minutes of coverage on Sky Sports News showing our new plans, this can only be a good thing as we very rarely get a mention in the media. Even clubs in lower leagues get more coverage than us when they sign a player!!! Its not just about the capacity, it's about investment in the youth system, the infrastructure and the facilities that Turf Moor will be providing on a 365 days a year basis. Personally I think that all other clubs in our league will be envious of the plans and so will most Premiership clubs too. Paul McLeister |
| Really exciting times at The Turf! The investment in an Academy is truly magnificent and the directors should be applauded. Hopefully money will spent on a scouting network to bring youngsters to the Academy. The ground plans are very imaginative but I think that the away fans should be in the worst stand not the best! I hope that the stay away fans now come and join the rest of us on this exciting new Claret road. Pete Toner |
| The plans offer the opportunity to continue the often disregarded progress of the club under Barry Kilby. We now have one of the acknowledged better coaches in the Football League as our manager we have for the first time in years three teenagers of real promise in the first team squad and a board of Directors who not only support the club but have a realistic plan to modernise the club. It's a far cry from when Barry Kilby almost single handed prevented any further decline, and saved us from just looking backwards at our glorious past with no thought of further success. The progress has not been as fast as many have wanted but now appears sustainable and we have a real opportunity to plan for a future rather than some of the head in the cloud plan the like of which dragged us down for 30 or more years. Let us applaud the work of the Directors and support the efforts of the manager and the playing staff as we progress towards a successful and sustainable club that displays realism and plans to move at a speed that is realistic to ensure that we have a future. Michael Derbyshire |
| When I first heard about this I didn't believe it, but then when I heard it again and saw it on the back of the Burnley Express and on Granada News I was over the moon. This is very exciting stuff for a town like Burnley, small may be but has got a big fan base definitely. With the modernisation of the ground and training facilities this can only attract youngsters to come and other players from other clubs to join us and with news that they are to develop the academy for youngsters is good. English talent is something that needs to help the future of English football for sure and this is very, very promising. Come on you Clarets!!!! Gary Murgatroyd |
| What brilliant news. Everything about it is just fantastic. Major credit must go out to Mr Kilby, Mr Flood and the rest of the board. A Fantastic new stadium, a new Burnley Academy and lets not forget the few million they has spent on players in the past 18 months. And if that's not enough - the Premiership Pledge. These are very exciting times for all Clarets Fans. We have a top Board, a top coaching team and let's hope a top team. All you fans without season tickets - GO AND GET 1 - THESE ARE EXCITING TIMES FOR BURNLEY - DON'T MISS OUT! David Nutter |
| I think the new ground will be very impressive and is long overdue, but would prefer funds being put in place for better players rather than a hotel and cinema. It's no point having a Premiership ground but only Championship players. Last year showed the problems with the team, only having a small squad, Burnley's suffered from this for a few years, of course the ground needs modernising but you need a squad capable of challenging for promotion for as well. Not sure it's wise not to increase the capacity at this moment, if Blackburn and Bolton can get crowds of 25,000 plus every week, surely Burnley would attract such crowds as well if they were in the Premiership. About signing Robbie Blake, good player 4 years ago but is this a step back??? Give Steve Cotterill some more money instead. I can remember Stan Ternent signing two million pound players within days of each other, could Cotterill do this? Could he also make the headlines by signing another big name like Ian Wright as Ternent had the money to do so? Good news about replacing the stands and the academy, not happy about the money being spent on the cinema and hotel, think most fans would rather see the club generating extra income from increased crowds watching Premiership matches than earning rental income from an Odeon and Holiday Inn!!! Bob Holmes |
| What can I say about the new plans for Burnley is not a lot as I am speechless. I cannot believe this is going to happen to the club I support. All I can say is well done to Kilby and Flood taking us to the next level. The only problem I did have was the capacity but when I heard the press conference about the plan to expand if needed that topped off everything about the plans. This is an exciting time for all us fans with a good team on the playing field bar two players short which we all know, these development in the future on stadium and a new academy to bring though better quality youth player. I cannot wait. UP THE CLARETS Chris Monkhouse |
| I think that the plans for the new David Fishwick stand are great. I hope it isn't that long before it is built and ready for action. I can't wait. Carl Bolland |
| It's very hard to comment on the designs as you haven't shown them much on the site nor described the changes in any detail. You don't mention what the changes are to the Bob Lord stand for example, or what the new capacity would be. I think we need another tier on both the Bob Lord stand and the Cricket Field stand, but also I think there's room for a third tier on the James Hargreaves stand. Peter Stott |
| Will we be able to increase capacity if needed? Burnley are going places that's for sure. This has to be the biggest news to come out of Turf Moor ever. We will be in the Premiership within 5 years. Alan Grosschmidt |
| Brilliant news, a really exciting prospect. Just one thing occurs to me (and many others I'd guess) - is this the opportunity to reassess the location of away support, such that the Cricket Field end can revert to be a Claret stand. The change to infrastructure and match day planning required to cater for this would be small in comparison to the overall upheaval - next season would be a good test of how things go with away support in the JML (a location in which I'd suggest they remain). Can't wait to see it start! Colin Wood |
| As a Leicester City fan (my dad is the ardent Claret!), I'm very impressed with the developments for the Turf. Hopefully you won't lose the atmosphere with the new developments though (The Walkers Stadium is like a library compared to Filbert Street- it certainly is when you lot come and take your usual 3 points each year!) Anyway, City for champions, Clarets in second place and here's to the Premiership! By the way, we hate the B******s too! LCFC Tim |
| I have read all the posts on the website and am as excited as most and think that Brendan Flood is a true Claret and has the club future firmly in his thoughts. This investment assures the future of the club and just fills me with thoughts of the Premiership. But, I agree completely with Julian Jordan and his thoughts on a reduction in capacity and why oh why are we putting away fans in what could be an imposing "Town End" as he calls it. We have tried a singing section in other stands but a pre-arranged manufactured area like that never works, you need passion and belief and true feelings for your club. We need a "Kop" a Stretford end to suck the ball into the net, an area that intimidates the opposition. I don't like the fact we are reducing our capacity I also think it shows a lack of ambition. Don't get me wrong this is one of the most exciting times I have ever known to be a Claret and wets my appetite for the next season, bring it on we can do this and why not next season!! Julian Booth |
| Thankyou Messrs Flood & Kilby for putting your hard earned money into the club, new plans look tremendous. Premiership here we come! Gavin Jolly |
| This news is fantastic and really makes me start to think that happy days may be here again for BFC. I have seen the criticism of the 22,000 capacity on the message board, but personally I would prefer to see a Turf full or near to its capacity generating an intimidating atmosphere, than one with thousands of empty seats. This plan is well thought out and completely realistic. Well done. Francis Woodword |
| Good news from Turf Moor. Can only agree that the new stand should be for home supporters. Put the away fans in one of the lower stand areas and have us behind both goals. Michael Wright |
| Give the new Cricket Field Stand to the home fans Mark Asten |
| Brilliant, as someone who is old enough to have stood on the Cricket Field End every fortnight I am very, very happy at this news, lets bring Turf Moor into the 21st century. Ray Love |
| For a football club of long-term ambition, in terms of a full sporting remit for any future stadium development, one would have thought that the priority for any rebuild would be to maximise the capacity of the stadium to the fullest extent possible within the architectural footprint of the existing stadium and its environs, for the benefit of the fans. The new developments for Turf moor do not follow this remit at all. Instead they are planning to reduce the capacity of the Cricket field End from 4000 to 2500 and instead use the space for shopping-type and other associated leisure activities. I consider this a profound insult to football. I support a football team, Burnley F.C., not a shopping team. How dare they use up fan space for such things? I am utterly enraged to the point of quitting my support. If Turf Moor eventually becomes Turf Moor Shopping Mall, as suggested in the planned development, then that represents a significant shift in the geography of Burnley in terms of land usage. If indeed this became the case, I am not convinced that this would benefit Burnley as a whole, regardless of the lessening of the reputation of the club, to this fan at least. Would it not be better, if it proved to be the case that Burnley F.C. had to kow-tow to current trends, that Burnley F.C. re-locate to the actual town centre and build a state-of-the-art 30,000 capacity stadium in the shopping district of the town, with all that shoppers desire included in the build? One possible area for full development is the area of land from Parker Lane up to and possibly including the canal. That part of Burnley could be developed all the way from (and including) the Keirby to the Thomson Centre. I suggest that the plans for the re-development of Turf Moor be put on hold and an architectural competition be organised for an in-town dedvelopment, so that good design can enrich the town if indeed football has become a slave to commercial interest. As a fan's choice I'd prefer Turf moor to be re-developed on a maximising-capacity remit, with a promise of cheap and affordable admission prices. Peter Stott |
| Congratulations to all concerned in this fantastic development plan, its exiting and very much looking to the future. At present our ground looks a mixture of old and new sending out the message that we don't really want to move onwards and UPWARDS well we do----BRING IT ON! Peter Neville |
| New ground capacity 22,000. Away supporters get 2,500. That leaves 19,500 seats for our fans, an actual increase of 1,500 on the present figure as I see it! Tony Parkinson |
| What brilliant news the Turf being brought up to date. The players coming out between the home fans, the old replaced and updated, the capacity is not an issue till we can fill the Turf. Just a shame the new stand is for the away fans. Here's to the future Paul Haworth |
| After years of following the Clarets, and for a lot of those years wondering if I suffer from some strange madness, along comes some good news. I applaud the board for there foresight and vision for our club. We have had to wait what seems like a lifetime for the directors of Burnley to show any interest in making us a top club. My thanks and appreciation goes out to the board, soon we can watch football at the Turf and be proud to say "Come on you Clarets". Bob Speake |
| Fantastic news. Wonderful that the club is being moved forward and upward in a progressive way, but with very sure and firm steps rather than trying to bounce upward off a trampoline of big transfer fees and then being left grasping at thin air and unable to hang on. Magnificent that the training facilities are to be developed and academy investment made. A big attraction in bringing new signing and recruits to the club. I feel so happy that my club appears to be in good and Claret hands for the foreseeable future. Waves of enthusiasm and optimism in the build up to the new season. I'm delighted we are staying at the Turf and not moving out of town. Great for the club and the community. Stadium will look great, and 22,000 capacity is perfectly OK for now. This can be the springboard for success and regeneration. In my 42 years of watching the Clarets, there will not be too many more positive people than me about Burnley FC, and I would give these plans the highest possible marks - apart from one aspect. This new stand is the centerpiece, the gleaming landmark, of the new Brendan Flood era. So on reading the plans I admit to feeling disappointed that the 10 million pound stand will be housing visiting fans. Would we Clarets prefer the chance to sit in: the brand new, futuristic 1 tier, and presumably properly roofed 2,500 capacity stand; or the 2,600 capacity lower tier of the Jimmy Mac with no cover and where everyone gets soaked? I think I know the answer. We can look at the wonderful new stand but not use it. Sure, we have been over this time and again, but a senior police officer told me the police can only advise and recommend in such matters, not dictate and order. The new CFE could have been a natural focal and gathering point for those of us who want to support the lads vocally. (Liverpool's new ground is to be designed around a cornerstone of a new kop). So overall a magnificent Turf Moor in store, a solid business/retail/financial foundation to grow from with lots of year-round revenue generators in place, and an exciting new era ahead - with just one disappointment - just the way I see it. COME ON YOU CLARETS!!! Lorne Hayhurst |