Members Newsletter – July 2026
In this edition of the BFCISA newsletter, we take a slightly different approach, by opening with an opinion piece, which focuses on the vacant managerial position at Turf Moor, before addressing concerns around season ticket Direct Debit renewal and offering an update on our membership offer.
Opinion Piece: ‘Pulling the Rabbit from the Hat’
In 1814 Louis Apollinaire Christien Emmanuel Comte, so wonderfully named, stunned his audience by conjuring a live rabbit from a top hat. Over two hundred years later our more modestly named Chairman is challenged with similar, as the clock ticks down. At the time of writing no appointment has been made, meaning limited time for the new incumbent to assess the squad, familiarise himself with key staff, transfers in and out and even acclimatise to a new area or even a new country.
Pulling a rabbit from the hat…will we?
The situation is far from ideal. Craig Bellamy appeared close, subsequently u-turning over the makeup of his coaching staff. Edwards, Gerrard, Cooper and Postecoglou have all been touted. It is therefore not unreasonable to speculate on the delay and whether the Club really needs to adopt a recruitment policy akin to Brentford’s. A policy that has succession planning and a template for playing style at its heart.
Of course, consistently good recruitment is a real challenge, whether it is in the wider business world, public, private, or voluntary sector. It can also be argued that the modern game has made recruitment ever more challenging due to most top-level coaches, managers and players being multi-millionaires, possibly lacking the motivation to take on a Championship Club with well-documented financial demands and a need for promotion to be achieved and achieved quickly. Both Steve Cooper and Rob Edwards were reportedly keen to have sabbaticals, the latter sacked 7 months into a 3-and-a-half-year contract, resulting in a healthy severance payment. This then means prospective coaches and managers are not under the same economic pressures to find employment as those who sit and watch from the stands. They have increased freedom to pick and choose, be more discerning, if you will, have and considerable strength when negotiating with prospective suitors.
Football, post Millennium, has created swathes of young millionaires, both beneficial to the treasury and the car dealerships of Alderley Edge, Prestbury, Solihull and Surrey. This economic strength and standing contrasts with many of their predecessors. The Charlton brothers went into management with relatively modest clubs, Preston especially. Alan Ball also managed clubs including Manchester City, Portsmouth, and Southampton. Gordon Banks worked for the Pools Panel; Roger Hunt in haulage; Geoff Hurst managed Chelsea and Telford, before enjoying a successful career in insurance, whilst Ray Wilson became an undertaker.
Roger Hunt – ‘Hunt Brothers’ [Haulage]
(family business, established 1929)
Most telling was Alf Ramsey, awarded a severance package of £8000, following his dismissal and a meagre annual pension of £1200 (£78000 and £11700 at today’s worth). Ramsey was subsequently forced to take jobs with Birmingham City and Panathinaikos.
From the same decade, Giants of the 59/60 Championship winning team transitioned into coaching and management. Jimmy Adamson (Burnley, Leeds United and Sunderland), Jimmy Mcllroy (Oldham Athletic), Brian Miller (Burnley). Whilst Trevor Meredith, Ray Pointer and Adam Blacklaw relied on teaching, civil engineering, and paper recycling, respectively.
Even in the decade before the start of the Premier League, many of its best players were dictated by the same economics that most of us are familiar with. Leading Division One scorers, Peter Withe (Thailand), Steve Archibald (East Fife), Luther Blissett (Chesham United), Ian Rush (Chester), Kerry Dixon (Doncaster), tried their hand at managing. Furthermore, I have been served chips by ex-Manchester City’s Paul Moulden; corporately entertained by the hugely decorated Pat Van Den Hauwe and share the same NHS Dentist with West Ham legend David Cross.
Ian Rush (Chester City manager, 2004-05)
The argument therefore is that the pool of ex-professional footballers, willing or needing to remain within and go on to build successful coaching/management careers, is under threat. Long gone are the need for testimonials, writing letters of application and appearing in beauty parades, certainly at our level. The media is another career option: Keane, Shearer, Neville, Wright, Dixon, Ferdinand and Carragher taking this lucrative and yet safer option. Even Sean Dyche appears to be heading in this direction.
Of course, there remain countless numbers of players, very wealthy players, who desire to coach and manage. The challenge is making your post an attractive option to ‘would-be’ applicants. Maybe, just maybe, by the time this piece is published, Mr Pace will have ridden down The Yellow Brick Road on a pastel-coloured Unicorn, clutching a large White Rabbit.
.Member Concerns Regarding Direct Debit Renewal Process
In response to concerns regarding the club’s transition to a new direct debit provider, we have contacted Russell Ball (Director of Fan Experience). The stated concerns primarily resulted from below par communication where supporters felt blamed for ‘failed’ direct debit payments. In addition, rather mixed messages emanating from the Club on the reasons why the first direct debit payments were unsuccessful for many season ticket holders.
These concerns were communicated firmly but respectfully to Mr Ball on the 18th of June.
In response, Mr Ball indicated that those existing issues had now been resolved and a new direct debit mandate had been established for affected supporters. In further elucidating, the fault lay with Ticketmaster and the Club have established additional processes with them to ensure further errors of this nature do not occur.
A full apology was also offered.
BFCISA will continue to monitor and where necessary act on supporter’s behalf with a sit-down meeting, proposed by Mr Ball, to coincide with the start of the season. In the meantime, we would like to encourage any of our members who are still encountering issues, to get in touch, so that we can further inform the club and get your issued resolved as quickly as possible.
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BFCISA Membership Until 2027
Existing members will automatically have their memberships renewed, taking them to July 2027. This will be at no extra cost.
Our organisation has a membership approaching 450 and is the largest of all the supporter’s groups. In its short existence, it has sought to represent supporter issues and concerns and has met with Club officials, including Mr. Pace, to raise, discuss and seek common ground.
BFCISA is well known to Club officials and appears to have its interest and respect. This position is encouraging, but we seek to go forward in building a mass movement of thousands that aims to work alongside the Club as a critical friend.
Please therefore try to encourage just one supporter you know or sit next to at games, to join this ever-growing movement. Unity is Strength!
Sign-ups can be made at the following link: https://membermojo.co.uk/burnleyfcisa
BFCISA is volunteer-led and open to anyone who would like to help. If you would like to lend skills in any way, please get in touch, especially if you can help us broaden the perspectives that we represent.
Up the Clarets
BFCISA Committee