Burnley dare to dream in exalted company
Two seasons after Leicester’s improbable title triumph, another football fairytale might be unfolding in the English Premier League.
They won’t emulate Leicester by winning the league, but the players, including Kiwi Chris Wood, and coach of unfashionable northwest club Burnley are starting to dream of playing in the Champions League next season.
Burnley scored an 89th-minute goal to beat Stoke City 1-0 yesterday and climb into the top four of England’s top flight for the first time since March 1975.
A supposed candidate for relegation after selling two of their best players in the off-season, Burnley have won nine of 17 games, conceded just 12 goals, and sat above Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham heading into this morning’s round of games.
They’ve already beaten Chelsea away, and drawn at Tottenham and Liverpool.
“Leicester blew the roof off the dreams of football,” Burnley manager Sean Dyche said. “Now, no bold statements from me about that, by the way, I must make that clear. But there’s an open-mindedness to the group.
“If you are going to dream, you have to be prepared to make the dreams come true. That’s what we are trying to do.”
A founding member of the Football League in 1888 and English champions in 1921 and 1960, Burnley haven’t finished a season higher than sixth since 1974. A downturn saw the club drop out of the top division for 33 years and, in 1987, almost fall out of the professional leagues.
Burnley are in their second season back in the top flight, having avoided relegation only because of their strong home form.
Now they are hard to beat home or away, with Dyche molding a hardworking, well-organised and defensively compact team.
All this after selling defender Michael Keane and striker Andre Gray for a combined $65 million over the off-season, helping the club return a profit of about $20 million when most of the rest of the Premier League was spending freely.
“I keep reality because this division will eat you alive,” said Dyche, who was a no-nonsense centre back as a player and is one of the characters of the Premier League with his distinctive gravel-toned voice.
“We’re having a real go at what we can achieve this season. I’m not being negative. I’m a realist. There’s a lot of challenges coming our way. The fans and the town have got to enjoy these times. Why wouldn’t you?”
Substitute striker Ashley Barnes scored yesterday’s late winner for Burnley, who are four points behind third-placed Chelsea.