The Diary

17 January 2004: Pre-Claret Confusion.

Blimey, there?s been some right funny business going on with Ronnie Wallwork today! The first I knew something was in the wind was when I went out to pick up my Guardian this morning; there were headlines on the shop hoarding stating we?d let someone go out on loan. Full of curiosity, I then consulted the old mailing list, and the word on there was Wally Wallwork had gone to Bradford on a temporary basis. Although there was no confirmation on the club website, the indications from the local rags were that Bradford had expressed an interest, and it looked as though he was well and truly on his way. Given that we?d just signed Kinsella, there was currently a glut of midfielders at the club, he was well down the midfield pecking order, therefore Wally was allegedly keen on a loan move to get regular football, it seemed to make even more sense. Imagine my surprise, then, when I went to visit my sisters tonight and discovered that Bradford had flatly denied they were about to sign him!

When you hear something as stunning as that, something that completely flies in the face of all logic, that?s when you begin to wonder whether several of your marbles have suddenly made a collective decision to leave the premises. Ooer! On my return, I simply had to make some hasty checks, and it turned out the truth was even more bizarre. The story was that, sure, Bantams manager Bryan Robson was linked with the former Manchester United player, but he?d insisted that while Wallwork was a player he?d looked at, no move was imminent. However, earlier today, Kilmarnock boss Jim Jefferies claimed he had "lost out" to Bradford in a bid to sign Wallwork on loan, which makes the whole thing even more mysterious!

Jefferies said in the Daily Record: "We made a move for Ronnie, but we've lost out to Bradford. They are nearer to his home and he has decided to go there, which is a disappointment because we were quite far down the line with it. West Brom were happy for us to take him on loan but it seems Bradford have offered to pay more of his wages than we could, so we have lost him. Bryan Robson knew him from his days at Manchester United so there was also a connection there. It's a pity because we put a lot of work into doing the deal," Having read all that, will someone now please explain just what the bleedin? ?ell is going on out there?

Meanwhile, back at the ranch?. It appears that our trio of ?tame H-bombs?, Rob Hulse, Geoff Horsfield, and Lee Hughes, are fighting it out to provide our main armament tomorrow after Scott Dobie was ruled out for several weeks by that knee injury yesterday, and Deech went to Millwall. As it appears it will take the lad a number of weeks to recover, that now leaves us with a straight choice between the unholy trio mentioned above. Additionally, we?re waiting for a fitness report on Jason Koumas after he picked up that nasty-looking injury in last week's derby clash versus Walsall. Although he was stretchered off with a badly swollen knee after a clash with Saddlers defender Paul Ritchie, the damage was found not to be too serious, but we might well decide it?s not worth risking him tomorrow. This, I would understand perfectly, as we?ve then got a fortnight to get him properly right. If Scouse Jase doesn?t make it back in time for tomorrow's trip to Turf Moor, that could give AJ a chance to re-establish himself, and I for one wouldn?t argue. My prediction? I reckon we?ll just shade it, especially if we give Dyer another go on the flank.

As you might expect, in the wake of Jason Roberts?s departure for Wigan, there has been much said on the mailing list about the subject, especially with regard to his attitude towards supporters. Many said they felt he didn?t relate to our followers at all well, and also condemned him for his negative attitude on the field of play, with particular reference towards that habit he had of diving faster than a German submarine with a Royal Navy destroyer up its backside in the vicinity of the opposition?s box. My take on the subject? Sure, there were times when he did gild the lily a bit, and I did criticise him soundly for that sort of thing at the time, as it was proving somewhat counterproductive, but there were numerous occasions also when he was the victim of some extremely rough justice out there. Remember Liverpool? Newcastle? Charlton? All at their places, as well, and all subsequently shown by TV replay to be bona fide spot kicks. Those are the ones that come readily to mind, but there were others.

The bust-up business is well-documented, of course, but I will say this about Jason, now he?s gone. I can only speak as I find, and the GD interview apart, I remember another occasion when I bumped into Jason outside the Tom Silk building ? our ticket office etc. was located there, then. It was around the time Jason sustained the first break, and when I clapped eyes on him, he was on crutches, and the offending limb was in some sort of calliper-thingy. I said ?hello? to him, and had a bit of a natter, and as I had my camera handy, asked if he?d mind posing for a photo for the fanzine. Now the bloke was on crutches, and, as it couldn?t have been long since the injury, and therefore still painful, I would have understood perfectly if he had said ?no? ? but he didn?t. He was patience itself as I composed the shot in the frame, and couldn?t have been more pleasant while I clicked away. Compare and contrast that with the attitude shown by a few of our current performers ? who will remain nameless, of course ? and you?ll see one of the reasons why I?ve got a lot of time for the lad.

So what do we know about Burnley, then? Well, the place started in earnest around 750-800 AD, as an Anglo-Saxon settlement, of hamlet size (the place, not the cigar!) only. In 937, there was an almighty battle nearby; the locals led by King Athelston took on the Vikings and the Scots ? and won. Come 1294, the place was growing, so much that it was granted a market charter. At the same time, the coal industry got underway thanks to the efforts of a group of monks who mined coal for use in foundries locally; come 1500, the population was around 1200 people, and the town was beginning to grow, like Topsy.

The year 1612 was a very bad time for any eccentric elderly ladies in the area, especially those owning scruffy-looking black felines and/or possessing extensive knowledge of herbal medicines. Why? The Pendle Witch Trials, that?s why. What happened? This was England?s answer to the Salem Witch trials, I reckon, although the events chronicled took place well before those of Salem, USA. There were 13 people involved, several of whom were members of an extended family, the Devices ? and I swear I wasn?t making that name up. The evidence was that they sold their souls to the devil, and in return they were given the power to murder or maim as they pleased through the use of witchcraft, in this case 17 unfortunate people, who happened to live in the area, then ? erm ? didn?t.

The whole thing eventually came to trial, and of the 13, Alizon Device, Elizabeth Device, James Device ? the sole bloke involved ? Anne Whittle, Anne Redfern, Alice Nutter ? no, I?m not making that one up either ? Katherine Hewitt, June Bulcock, and Elizabeth Rowey were the ones hanged. Elizabeth Southerns died in Lancaster Gaol while awaiting trial, but was considered very witchy anyway on the basis of the confessions extracted from the others, Jennet Preston was tried in York and hanged there, on the basis that she lived there, therefore should swing there, while Margaret Pearson was found guilty of witch craft but not of murder and let off lightly ? only one year inside for her.

In 1751, two local justices, Richard Whitehead and H.T. Blackmore, issued the following statement, which given the tendency of modern day Burnley supporters to act in a distinctly hostile manner towards those of visiting sides, does have a familiar ring about it! ?Idle persons practice leaping, football, quoits, bowls, hunting, tippling in alehouses, swearing and cursing, and profane the Sabbath and absent themselves from Divine service.? In an early example of what might now be called ?deterrent sentencing?, they proposed a fine of 3s 4d (around 30p) for offenders (quite a nasty fine in those days) or three hours in the stocks if they didn?t cough up.

In 1812, the Leeds-Liverpool Canal opened for business, and just as well because by then, there were around 12 pits in the town centre, the population now stood at around 4,000, and the beginnings of the town as a centre of the mill industry were beginning to show. Not that this was universally popular; as elsewhere, The Luddites struck with a vengeance, and there was much rioting and wreckage of machinery in the area. All in vain, though; by 1886, Burnley was the biggest producer of cotton cloth in the world, had loads of coal-mines in the area, and the town now boasted sewage works, electric lighting, and a tram network.

As with all the Lancashire towns, the First World War hit the place badly ? a lot of Lancashire regiments were decimated during and after the first day of the Somme battle, in 1916 ? but the mill industry still remained prosperous, as did coal mining. Problems arose after the finish of the second global conflict when outlets for the manufacture of cheaper woollen goods began to arise elsewhere; this caused considerable hardship, as there had been much recruitment from the Asian subcontinent to provide workers for the industry. When the mills closed, there was much unemployment among both the indigenous and the migrant community, and this has since led to the proliferation of extreme right-wing political groups in the area, and unpleasant tensions between the two communities.

Famous people? Those wretched witches apart, all I can come up with readily is Sir Ian McKellen, actor. He was nominated for an Oscar for his role in "Gods and Monsters". As far as I know, McKellen was the first openly gay actor to be nominated. His films? Scandal (1989), Gods and Monsters, Apt Pupil, Lord Of The Rings. By scraping the bottom of the barrel, I?ve also come up with Sir Jonas Moore, scientist and mathematician, born 1617. Oh, and there?s Alistair Campbell, of course, but is he, or is he not a son of the area? I dunno. What I do know is he?s a season-ticket holder at Turf Moor ? when he?s not acting as a strictly-unofficial eminence grise to Tony Blair, of course - and he does use a local pub near the ground as a pre-match haunt. Which one? That would be telling, wouldn?t it!

And finally?? Oh, dear. When at my sister?s tonight, I learned of some very bad news indeed. My nephew?s going to tomorrow?s game ? but in the Burnley end. Apparently, when we last encountered Preston at their place, my relative (he lives quite near) did similar, which is fine and dandy ? but wearing an Albion shirt? Quite. As I?ve said before, common sense, tact or diplomacy aren?t his prime attributes. Regarding the Preston thing, it appears that some of his mates were at the game also, but in the Albion end. Suddenly, they spotted a ruckus going on in the home seats, and at first, assumed the locals were fighting among themselves. Nope ? what had happened was the police had seen my nephew in his stripy finery, and the rozzers, unsurprisingly, then tried to eject him. The problem was, my relative had his kids with him, but they were wearing Preston shirts, and Lee?s argument was as he was responsible for them, how could they throw him out? As I said, our lot couldn?t understand the reason for the ruckus at first, then someone with very sharp eyes indeed spotted their erstwhile chum engaging in meaningful discussions with The Law. ?Oh ? it?s only Gabby!? was the remark, and once the realisation sunk in, peace descended upon our away support once more!

 - Glynis Wright

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