Burnley News 24/7Writer: turfmanphil 
Date:Sunday June 6 2010
Time: 4:06PM
UK time is: 05:32:00
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Rumour Mill-Blunting Sharp Blades?
Burnley were strongly linked with a move for Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp last week but it would appear now that both Leeds and Doncaster Rovers have entered the race to sign him.
Sharp according to The Star in midweek was set to complete a move to Turf Moor although the paper also stated that the Blades board of directors had denied receiving any offers from Laws.
Sky Sports even went one better announcing that a bid by the Clarets had been accepted.
So is Sharp now at Turf Moor? Er Nope!!
Sharp spent last season on loan at Doncaster Rovers and managed an impressive 15 goals in 35 appearances.
It was perhaps not surprising therefore that Doncaster Rovers had some interest in signing him permanently. It was reported in the Daily Mail that Rovers had a £450,000 bid rejected. Other media sources suggested the bid was nearer to £600,000.
The Daily Mail also suggested that the Clarets had offered the Blades £1 million this week to bring Sharp to Turf Moor.
Media gossip today though suggests Doncaster have come in with an improved offer of £1.4 million.
In addition it would also appear that Yorkshire rivals and Championship new boys, Leeds United have also entered the race with a £1 million bid of their own with some reports suggesting that Sharp had already agreed a move to Elland Road.
Let's be frank here though, if Brian Laws really wants Billy Sharp on his books, we should have the financial muscle after a season in the top flight to blow the likes of Leeds and Donny out of the water so let's do it!
Most Clarets fans after the loss of Steven Fletcher to Wolves this week would be delighted if Sharp became our third signing of the summer but the ball seems to be firmly in Brian Laws court. Let's hope if he really wants him, the Board have given him a cheque book to match. Surely too we can offer Sharp a better financial package than Leeds and Doncaster. If not something is seriously wrong.
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Your Comments
It will say a lot about this club if Laws really wants this player and he finishes up instead at either Leeds or Donny Rovers
turfmanphil
Who's to say we definitely bid for him and/or want him?
whentheballmoves
Who is to say we didn't bid for him and/or dont want him? Sky Sports who tend to be pretty reliable compared to the papers seemed to think it was almost a done deal?
turfmanphil
Where would you rather go if you were him ?? - Stay at Blades (and get to live in Hallam with all other blade players - the most afluent suberb in UK ouside London) - Move permanently to Doncaster where fans love you (and STILL get to live in Hallam etc) - Go to Leeds (By FAR biggest club in hunt for his services) or move to Burnley (really cant think of a positive on this one)
simonfire1
How about the one most likely to get back into the Premier League? How about a £16 million parachute payment sweetener coming our way which will I hope be used to bring the best players to this club on a decent competitive Championship salary? That's what I hope the club means by 'going down stronger' but if Sharp thinks going to Donny or Leeds is a better option then we clearly have some serious thinking to do!
turfmanphil
Do we really need another forward who's good in the championship we already have four of them, if we are looking for another why not go for someone for the Prem if we are planning to get back. I would like Laws to be looking for another winger and midfield players and a right back now Mears has joined the ranks of the rats leaving the sinking ship squad.
Fedupclaret
I think Fedup has a point. Billy would score goals at this level, but if we were to get promoted, could he do it 1 level up? I am not sure. As for getting the player if we want him - I think TMP we will have the financial power to beat the 2 clubs mentioned but this may not be the only issue. Sharp appeared to really enjoy his season at Donny and if they can offer him a reasonable deal, he may decide that playing every week ( something I am not sure he would at Turf - would it be similar to his time at SUFC?) and not having to uproot could be a big factor for him. Depends what he is looking to do!
Claretdale
Having lost Fletcher, I would think Sharp would be a virtual regular in the team and of course he also knows Laws from their time at Scunthorpe. I can't really see in this modern age how travelling between Sheffield/Doncaster to Burnley would be that much of a bind if the financial package spoke volumes but accept there may be issues other than finance involved. Surely Sharp though would accept his best chance of playing in the top flight must surely rest with the Clarets rather than Leeds and certainly Donny Rovers
turfmanphil
I would not be delighted to see Sharp come if it meant wasting money as tmp suggests, by blowing other people out of the water. simonfire you're a funny guy. Well done! I also don't go along with the critcism that we shouldn't be signing proven championship players. There seems to be an expectation we should sign proven premiership players, but where are we going to get these? They are already in the prem. We have to buy players like Sharp or Maynard because that is the best we can get.
ClaretClaude
Travelling from Sheffield to Burnley is a pain in the arse Phil, I certainly wouldnt like to do it every day and I have grown up loving the club. Sharp may be happy to do it though. I agree with you that Burnley is probably the best shot at getting to the PL and if that is his motivation, we will probably be his choice. We can probably offer the best wages, but if Sharp isnt motivated by money(greed?), the wages on offer elsewhere will probably be more than satisfactory. After his spell at SUFC, I think playing regular would be high on his priority list and I am not sure he would be a starter TMP. Will we start with 1 or 2 up top? Assume our frontline is Pato, Thommo, Iwelumo & Sharp. I think it is difficult to call. Either way you would imagine 1 of the big men. If it is 1 up top - I cant see Sharp playing in one of the wider supporting roles. If it is 2 up top, I wouldnt imagine Pato playing right in a 442, so that would leave Pato & Sharp fighting for 1 place. I also agree with Claude about not 'wasting' the money just because we have it. Thats the best way to ensure you dont have it for long.
Claretdale
We have to buy Championship level players that have the potential to play in the Prem. I think Maynard, Boyd and Sharp would all fall into that category. If we really,really, really want a player, rather like McCarthy wanted Fletcher, then we have to pay for him even if that means paying over the odds and even if that is defined as silly money. Every bugger else does so why not us?
turfmanphil
I agree that we need to buy championship players that have the potential as this is the best we can do. However the fact that paying over the odds is what everybody else does, is exactly the reason we should not. I don't want Burnley football club to follow the crowd and do what is expected. I want Burnley to decide what Burnley does and not simply conform to convention. This club isn't any other club. This club is unique. This is Burnley. We have proved we can get to the prem without big spending once and we will prove we can do it again.
ClaretClaude
are you lot ouside your minds?? - Burnley are below ALL 3 of his other options in - they never even tried to compete in Premier League last year - why would any player aspire to be in that situation?? - He lives in Sheffield - is loved in Doncaster and is wanted by Leeds who are prob the best long term bet of really getting somewhere - or he can go to Burnley and watch em fade into memory - He definately has a tough choice to make as to where he ends up - but Burnley is not part of it
simonfire1
HAHAHAHAHA!
ClaretClaude
I do want Burnley to follow the crowd and for once be the winners instead of playing second fiddle all the time even to the likes of Donny Rovers now potentially. All this moralising financial prudence is bull***** and has led to one thing relegation and failure. God forbid they carry the same stance into the Championship. Cant you see why Simon is laughing at us? I hate to say it he has a point and its embarrassing
turfmanphil
I do feel we need another top striker in the squad now Fletcher has gone at least as good as sharp or better if possible.
Grimsby Claret
I think Simonfire must be a Hallam estate agent! I live in Hallam and it's nice enough, but the main draw for any footballer will be money, pure and simple. All depends how much we want him or if he is down our list.
CrosspoolClarets
Sky spots have also reported that we put a bid in for Maynard as well. Now if you had a choice between Sharp and Maynard who would you pick? I can't see it being both so lets just see what happens. Phil we have been held to ransom over players in the past and paid the money Pato being the most recent example that took weeks of negotiating. Simonfire you are a typical Leeds fan. Arrogant, living in the past and convinced your the best side in England! Reality check for you, you have played last two seasons in league one, its years since you played in premier League. All you ever here is we are a big club, correction you were a big club. If you want to live in past lets all live in past Burnley were the best side in England in the past! Then Leeds fans wonder why everybody sings We all hate Leeds. Just so you are aware Simon, we have considerably more money than yewww!!
skutter169
Not to be picky Skutter but we have actually spent the last THREE seasons in League one. If you wanna slag someone off, at least make the most of the stats.
Think you hit the nail on the head when you said everybody (still) sings "we all hate Leeds" Six years out of the top flight and still you hate us. The day nobody gives a ***** is the day we are no longer a big club.
BTW Last year in L1 our average attendance was 24818. Your average attendance in the Prem. 20654.
Perhaps instead of splashing your parachute cash on players you should build a new stand or two.
You are perhaps as guilty as any of living in the past. Yours started with your last game in the premiership. And I honestly hope you don't have to go through the same nightmare as we have endured. 'Cos I doubt anyone will hate you after six years.
Billy B
Doncaster can laugh at us all they want. What have they done recently? I don't see Southampton or Norwich or Sheff Wed etc laughing at us. You know why? Because they have no money because they did exactly what you want Burnley to do. You might not be bothered about Burnley in 5 years time tmp but I am. You think Burnley is such a failure? I don't think getting to the Premier league is a failure myself. You may say getting relegated is a failure? At least we are talking about coming back. Hull and Portsmouth aren't.
ClaretClaude
Yes but whats the population of Leeds compared to Burnley? As a % of the population we are a far bigger club!!
turfmanphil
Doncaster for one thing have a manager that if Burnley had any ambition would have signed instead of the cheap option! We have had bloody loads of money that was the whole point of getting promoted. 33 years to get up and they go down without a whimper? Bloody disgrace! Saints, Norwich and Shef Wed have all tasted Prem football one or more times in the last ten years or so. Our amateur board and provincial town thinking had taken bloody 33 years to do so! Everybody talks about Hull & Pompey, why not talk about Wolves, Bolton, Wigan and all the rest of the Prem in the lower half of the table that have showed more bollox than our club has ever done in 33 years and reaped the benefit?
turfmanphil
For the record Phil - Im not laughing at Burnley - I never said you weren't a good side - think you were a neutrals favourite all season last year - its your ambition that cost you (or should I say the people upstairs ambition) - fans turn out - team play their nads off - you get to top flight and ... well nothing - it all just stopped while board eat well on the reward and let you become also-rans. and sadly I recon a lot of that " considerably more money than yewww!!" money ya got will be spent on field wages - its last year of big money for your directors and they're gonna cream off the best of it
simonfire1
I wonder if there's a League Table anywhere of what directors of various clubs cream off? Might Ken Bates, over his many years in the game, be sitting somewhere near its top? And where did all that Leeds money go before he arrived? And how big were the debts to local businesses and councils?
Couch Potato
Much as we hate to admit it though, CP Leeds will be playing Burnley in the Championship next season. The bricks and mortar are still there, their fans are still there and the club have recovered despite a trail of blood and anger along the way plus the unfairness of it all! Administration is viewed as eternal damnation when the reality is you get your debts wiped off, spend a season or two in a lower division and then if I may use a familiar sounding expression 'come back stronger'! Until the punishment for bad financial management fits the crime going into administration is not the end of the world and clubs are just as likely to drop down the leagues through lack of spending as they are going bananas with money. It is not black and white though and moderate spending could give you the best of both worlds
turfmanphil
Some days I just wonder why some people call themselves supporters and fans. Some people need to get a big mirror and a dictionary, whilst looking up the words supporter "a person who supports a sports team" and fan "a person who admires or is enthusiastic about a sport or hobby" take a long hard look in the mirror. Then you can comeback and be critics "a person who finds fault and criticizes", I often wonder why people pretend to be supporters when in reality they thrive on constantly criticizing everything and sadly imo that criticism is not constructive at all.
It would appear if we don't get Billy whizz then Laws is even more rubbish than some thought and the board are too.
If we don't get Maynard and end up with Billy whizzo then the Laws is rubbish and the board are too.
If we get Maynard but not Billy Whizz then we have payed over the odds and we are rubbish at negotiating so sack the manager and the board.
However as I am apparently in a Happy Clappy minority I will just wait and see what happens, turn up and support BFC whilst also counting myself as a fan. UTC
VinRogue
Would be very dull on forums if we just happy clapped though
turfmanphil
By the way it is because I am a fan and support my team that I want to see them win and be successful. When we are not successful like in any walk of life we are entitled to ask why and speculate about the reasons. Whats the point of being a fan blindly accepting everything the Board do without questioning and challenging their motives? Fans spend hard-earned money going to games,it is an entertainment business, if we are not entertained when we could have been then someone should be held accountable
turfmanphil
I think you can have a constructive debate with people who are happy to have a constructive debate, sadly imo some just want to criticise everything and win the argument by default because everyone knows if we hadn't sold Dobson and Trevor Steven we would now be challenging alongside Man U and Chelsea not Donny Rovers and Scunny.
VinRogue
We might have been for all we know, we certainly haven't learned from the mistakes of the past. There is only one criticism from me, the Boards lack of ambition. That effects their stance on managerial appointments, trying to keep managers, trying to attract managers, trying to keep players and trying to buy players! Ultimately it affects our chances of achieving higher rewards. It may look like a multi-criticism but there is one constant theme running throughout
turfmanphil
But presumably, as I was trying to infer earlier in my respnse to simonfire1, no-one on here is saying that Bfc directors, however ambitious or otherwise, are actually creaming off the club?
Couch Potato
Oh and another point!!! I don't see administration as hell and damnation for BFc. But I think it could be for the town. I also think, for the same reasons, it would take longer for Bfc to bounce back than for a club in a bigger, wealthier place. Folk who buy out administered clubs look at things like the size of the TV audience and whether they can make a profit from that, once the debts have been reduced, or sell it on to someone else who thinks they can. Some, of course, see it more as a tax write-off or a status symbol. But the anxiety there is what happens when they get bored or die.
Couch Potato
I would hope not CP. Although I have been generally critical of the Board there is no doubt they have put money into the club to prop up our survival over the last few seasons. I did find their timing in taking back their loans from the promotion money a little odd but even then they were only taking back what they had put in. I suppose when they said they wanted to be debt-free that would also include their own loans to the club?
turfmanphil
Preston have just been saved and I don't think they are much better placed than Burnley-BBC Sport:A deal has been agreed for a takeover of Preston North End by Lancashire businessman Trevor Hemmings.
Deepdale PNE, the company owned by Hemmings, has acquired 51% of the shares in the Championship club.
The agreement must first be accepted by the other shareholders or, as DPNE have stated, the offer will be withdrawn.
Preston North End plc was served with a winding up petition by HM Revenue and Customs on 14 May and all shares in the company were suspended.
DPNE initially held 28% of the shares in the club but that has now increased to 51.4%, triggering a mandatory offer for the remaining shares.
Hemmings, who has already loaned £13.28m to Preston, made a five pence per share offer to the club's other stakeholders
turfmanphil
Believe it or not, there was actually a piece on BBC Radio 4 Today today explaining why Preston's economy has done really well in recent years, while Burnley's and Black****'s have not! (As far as I could gather, it's because it's on a major north-south motorway.) Also, PNE did not go into administration, and no-one is saying anything - or are they? I don't know - about Preston businesses, schools or charities being shortchanged. Moreover, if DPNE don't pay the taxman, the winding up order will quite probably continue. Or has the Tax agreed to forgive DPNE some of what's owed them? From what you're saying here, the only people not getting what they think they're owed are the other shareholders. If so, this is just a Boardroom Putsch, by someone who was already deeply involved, and who, in effect, used the threat from the Tax to wrest control. Don't think Bfc currently has anyone similarly placed, do they?
Couch Potato
And another point :) Haven't Bfc said recently that they are open to new investors?
Couch Potato
I don't believe for a minute the board are creaming the club. Let's not forget that the vast majority, if not every single one of them, used to come to the Turf as a kid. They are fans of the club, not some big fat cat with too much money and time. I fully agree with you about your sentiments on supporters vin. That is why I never boo our team or anyone associated with it.
ClaretClaude
Just in case anyone has misunderstood any of my posts in this thread, I want to make clear that I agree with ClaretClaude.
Couch Potato
Just in case anyone has misunderstood I will remain a critic of the lack of investment at Gawthorpe for quite a long time. Without a decent place to train the squads we are doomed......Managers and players expect a certain standard and we are short of that. Who do you blame? Managers or board? Do you always have to blame someone? Do we look forward or back? We all have choices to make.......nurse
VinRogue
Gawthorpe is being renovated this summer. I'm not fully up to date with the exact plans, but next time I'm down there I will find out what is being done and pass it on. Last I was told however was that an indoor facility was being built.
ClaretClaude
The Astro pitch has been dug up and a new 3G is being layed , also a new indoor 60x40 3G is going to be putin , covered by a dome & thedressing rooms are being done , work should be finished by August !
All you had to do was ask Claude !
Bernie Lee
Sorry November , NOT August !!
Bernie Lee
Just to answer some of the Leeds fans, we actually did do a 'Leeds' went from Champs to just staying in the football league in 27 years I believe. Also in a clubs people hate poll I think in the Sun, Leeds were 1st and I think we were about 9th. That was before Susan though, think were a bit more popular now. Anyway when are the Leeds Board going to identify themselves? They have to do that this season as part of the premier League money deal. I actually work in Leeds and its starting to do my head in. The championship is not easy like alot of Leeds Fans seem to think, it will be hard for both clubs, however at the minute we are in the better position having just been relegated. Its nice to see that were getting better training facilities that is money well spent.
skutter169
I'd prefer to see us increase our bid for Maynard, but as mentioned above let's hear about interest in defence and midfield as well. At this rate we're going to be more gung ho than we ever dreamed possible.
WelshClaret
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