Former loan player lands new coaching role
Andy Todd, who signed on loan for Burnley from Blackburn Rovers in 2003, has this week moved from his coaching role at Blackpool to become assistant manager at Northampton Town.
Todd, whose dad Colin had a hugely successful playing career with Derby and England, played for a number of clubs before turning to coaching. He was assistant manager at both Linfield and Newport before landing the role of first team coach at Blackpool in October 2016. Working with Gary Bowyer, he played his part in Blackpool winning promotion a year ago but he’s now taken a step back up in role as Austin’s number two.
The manager said yesterday: “Andy is a key addition and I am delighted to have him alongside me as my assistant. Andy is someone I know well, he has a wealth of experience in the game and has all the qualities to help us improve our talented squad.
“The fact that we have been able to bring him to the club is very much our game. He played a big part in what was generally a successful time for Blackpool as he helped them win promotion from League Two as recently as 2017 and then helped them consolidate in League One last season.
“He has great knowledge alongside that recent experience of getting out of League Two and he and I are both very excited by the challenge ahead of this season.”
Todd’s signing at Burnley certainly caused a stir, simply because of where he came from. Ahead of a game at Stoke, we’d signed Bolton pair Gareth Farrelly and Delroy Facey on loan with Glen Little going in the opposite direction. Now came Todd, a third loan signing.
There was a huge negative reaction to the signing from Burnley supporters too. Stan Ternent had his say on the matter and chairman Barry Kilby said: “It’s absolutely ridiculous that people should concern themselves with the fact Andy is a Blackburn player. We have been looking to add to the squad and we are now in a position where we’ve been able to strengthen again.
“We feel this move shows the careful planning done to ensure we get the best players possible for Burnley Football Club to flesh out the squad. Andy played quite a few games for Blackburn last season and I feel he is quite a coup.”
Facey hit a hat trick in one game, a 3-1 win against Walsall, but there is absolutely no doubt that Todd had the biggest impact of the three players and I was certainly disappointed when Blackburn said no when we tried to extend the loan beyond the first month.
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