Contract and takeover news as Stan settles in
New Burnley boss Stan Ternent had got his feet under the table during his first week in charge and that included trying to sort out the contract issues of a number of out of contract players.
The new Bosman rule was being introduced in the summer of 1998 and that meant we would get no fee whatsoever for five of the six out of contract players should they choose to move on. The five free to go were Gerry Harrison (pictured), Jamie Hoyland, Damian Matthew, Chris Vinnicombe and Mark Winstanley. The exception was Paul Weller for whom we would be entitled to a compensation payment with him being just 23 years of age.
All six of the players had been offered new deals and Ternent was keen to speak with them to find out where they stood. “Most of the players are away on holiday at the moment,” he said. “I will talk to them when they are ready. We will take it from there.”
He said it would have been preferable to see them in pre-season action before deciding who he wanted to stay but that wouldn’t be possible with their contracts ending before the start of pre-season. He said it wasn’t a problem: “If players want to leave, they can leave,” he added. “If they want to stay, we will try and sort something out. I have no pre-conceived ideas of who I want to stay. I might want people to stay, and find out that they don’t, so there is no point prejudging anything. But the contracts will be sorted out in double quick time once I have spoken to the players.”
Andy Cooke and Glen Little were two other players to have been offered new deals although both would remain Burnley players for the forthcoming season with both having one year remaining on their existing contracts.
Off the field, there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel regarding the Peter Shackleton takeover. The deal had been rubber stamped in March with the subsequent wait bringing the club close to becoming a laughing stock. Now came news that the deal should be completed within seven days with the money then available to the club and in particular to the manager for squad improvements. Shackleton, who had become as popular as a blue and white halved shirt in Burnley, was now days away from becoming the club’s new chairman.
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