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More From Alastair Regards Owen Coyle's Departure
By Alastair Campbell
January 5 2010
As we trooped out of the stadium at Milton Keynes on Saturday, I bumped into Dave Burnley, one of our greatest fans. He has missed one game since the mid-1970s, changed his name by deed poll, named his daughter Clarette in honour of the club's colours, and written a terrific book about his life as an extreme football fan, called Got To Be There.

He was wearing his trademark ripped sheepskin coat and looking really happy, not merely because of the rare away win but because of his interpretation of Owen Coyle's salute to the fans at the end of the match.

"He's definitely staying, definitely," he said. "Big wave, thumbs up, that is not a man who is walking away from us."

Dave is a walking encyclopaedia on matters Claret, but that was one he got badly wrong. Unlike my son Calum, who had already decided that if Coyle had wanted to quell the rumours, he could have done so, and the fact that he hadn't meant he was already half-way out the door.

Right now, in common with many other Burnley supporters, Dave Burnley will be angry and disappointed, both at Coyle's departure, and the manner of it. Holding out the prospect of staying, after last night's "sleep on it" meeting with chairman
Barry Kilby, has simply added to the sense of disappointment, as only dashed hope can. As for Calum, he is telling his Arsenal mates how much he hopes they stuff Bolton tomorrow.

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More From Alastair Regards Owen Coyle's Departure
Posted by: TheLongside.co.uk (IP Logged)
Date: 05/01/2010 22:12

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Re: More From Alastair Regards Owen Coyle's Departure
Posted by: BBC 2 (IP Logged)
Date: 06/01/2010 09:09

Just imagine (and im cluching at straws here)

Coyle wanted and agreed to sign Nugent, the board agreed then realised it would cost more than they bargained and negated on the deal?

Coyle was told he would get X amount of money in the January Transfer window, only to be told that amount of cash wasnt avalible?

Coyle was told on gaining promotion money would be instantly ploughed into the facilitys and yoith set up, and now gets told we wil have to wait to see if we stay up?

Coyle worked closely with the "football in the community" staff, only to be told they were made redundent before Christmas?

Coyle may also have been told all the TEN players contracts will be sorted before the January transfer window opens, none have been offered (i dont think)?

Coyle then with a heavy heart, listens to promises from another chairman 'Gartside' a friend of both Coyle and Kilby (Remember it was Gartside who told us how good Coyle was). He then goes 300 miles north to talk to his family, keeping himself away from the public gaze, while Burnley had a 11th hour chance to honour all what was promised, Kilby and the Burnley board couldn't or wouldn't, so with his integrity intack (to his staff, to the players, to the comunity staff who are no longer in work, to his family) he takes the decision that in order to hold his head high within the football world, leaving is his only option??

All this is a feeling that Coyle is still a man of intergrity and didn't want to leave Burnley, but with goalposts moving maybe this was the only way?


There may be no truth in anything i have written, but even if there is an ounce of truth. Who knows.

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