New Burnley Coach Arrives with Legs not Wheels!

It was announced earlier today on the Official Partick Thistle website that coach John Henry(above) completed his last day at Firhill on Friday and that he will now take up a coaching position with the Clarets.

The Official Burnley website has now also confirmed the appointment stating Henry will link up with the Clarets on Monday after being persuaded to join the club by Owen Coyle, his former boss at St Johnstone.

Coyle had this to say about his new coach:

"I've known him for a long while and he was a player for me. He's been working as a coach at Partick Thistle and he joins us on Monday.He is an infectious character and he will be a tremendous acquisition to our staff."

Thistle Manager Ian McCall gave the following tribute to his former coach:

'First of all I would like to thank him for the great job that John has done here at Firhill over the last couple of years. When John came to tell me about the job offer he was white and asked me whether he should take the job or not. When he told me the offer he had been given I told him that it was a marvellous opportunity for him and that he shouldn't turn it down. From a professional point of view, just like the departures of Gary Harkins and Marc Twaddle, John's departure is a loss but we will work hard at bringing in a replacement for him. On a personal point of view John is one of my best friends, who worked tirelessly while at Firhill, and he leaves Firhill with the very best wishes of all associated with the Club.'

John Henry is the first of the new managerial signings to arrive at Turf Moor following the close season announcement by Coyle that he would be seeking to strengthen the coaching department in the light of our new life in the Premier League.

Henry had a dual role at Firhill combining the positions of First Team and Under 19 team coaches.

During his playing days he was a talented midfielder for first Clydebank and then SPL side Kilmarnock who he joined in August 1994 for a reported fee of £175,000.

He then joined Falkirk after a loan spell for a reported six figure transfer fee and he spent just over 3 years with the club before moving to Airdrieonians in October 2001.(Owen Coyle was a player there at the time!)

Following the demise of Airdrieonians Henry returned to Falkirk the following season for yet another three years helping them achieve SPL status.(Yep,you guessed it Coyle was a player there at the time!)

Henry left Falkirk at the end of the 2004/2005 season and had spells with St Johnstone(under manager Owen Coyle! Can you see a pattern developing?)and Queen of the South before ending his playing career at Dumbarton. In total as a player he made 434 appearances scoring 71 goals.

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