Clarets and Swansea legends to meet for Lenny
Stan Ternent signed Lenny Johnrose three times for Burnley. He paid Bury a fee of £225,000 in February 1999 but he was hardly featuring by the time he was released at the end of the 2001/02 season.
Surprisingly he returned almost immediately, signing on a short term contract early in the new season, but by the time that season ended he was involved in Swansea’s battle to stay in the Football League, scoring the key third goal in a 4-2 win against Hull that saved them.
In March 2004, Swansea sacked manager Brian Flynn and almost immediately they terminated Lenny’s contract. Stan didn’t hesitate; Lenny was a Burnley player for a third time. He left at the end of that season and called time on his career which had seen him play over 500 games for six clubs which included 91 games for Burnley.
Always a popular player with the Burnley fans, he went into teaching but his life has now been affected by Motor Neurone Disease which he made public in an interview a couple of months ago; we learned the news while in Athens for the Europa League play-off game against Olympiacos.
Of course we are all thinking about him and his family and I learned yesterday, via his former captain Steve Davis, that a team of Burnley legends will play their counterparts from Swansea in support of the Len Johnrose Trust and his battle with this terrible illness.
A provisional Burnley squad has been named and they’re even bringing Lenny’s old management team back together. Stan Ternent will manage the team, assisted by Sam Ellis with Ian Liversedge returning as physio.
The playing squad is full of Stan’s players and Lenny’s old team mates. That provisional squad is Brian Jensen, Dean West, Charlie West, Graham Alexander, Micky Mellon, Steve Davis, Ian Cox, Mitchell Thomas, Paul Weller, Chris Brass, John Mullin, Andy Payton, Gareth Taylor, Alan Moore, Tony Grant, Paul Cook, Andy Cooke, Ronnie Jepson, Glen Little, Robbie Blake and Francis Johnrose.
And Mark Halsey is coming out of retirement to referee the game which will be played on Sunday 11th November at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium, home of Bamber Bridge with a 1 p.m. kick off. Admission is £10 Adults, £5 Under-16s and includes a programme.
I’m sure it will be a good day and, with no disrespect to Lenny and some of the other team members, I’m sure the main attractions will be Glen Little and Robbie Blake who it will be good to see entertaining the crowd again.
Our thoughts remain with Lenny and his family.
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