I couldn't help myself but I had to put pen to paper today (well fingers to keyboard) and write to Oliver Holt, the Mail on Sunday's Chief Sports Writer, after he said "Anyone who thinks there's any loyalty left in football is an idiot."

I thought I'd share with this board the email I sent to him and wondered if anyone actually agrees with me. Oliver Holt is a great writer and regularly bemoans how the modern game is changing beyond recognition. While he's not entirely wrong in what he says but I just wanted to tell him that when it comes applying such an accusation to Burnley FC and its supporters, he is most definitely mistaken.

Here's my letter:

Dear Mr Holt,

While I thought you were ALMOST right when you said in today’s MoS that there’s no loyalty left in football, I can’t agree with your claim that anybody who thinks there’s any trustworthiness and allegiance remaining in the modern game is ‘an idiot’. That’s because I follow Burnley FC, a club whose Board remained loyal to its manager even when the team was relegated. A club who yesterday fielded virtually (with just two exceptions) the same team in the Premier League that it did one year ago in the Championship. A club and supporters that welcomed a prodigal son back into the fold after he had mistakenly thought the grass was greener elsewhere and saw him repay that loyalty in bucketloads yesterday (yes, I’m talking about Joey Barton). And a club who warmly applauded ‘one of its own’ (Jay Rodriguez) in yesterday’s game even though he was doing his utmost to score for the opposition.

Burnley FC truly is an exception in English football. While, in a second interesting MoS article, you were drawing attention to the madness that is gripping Hull City, I thanked the Lord that Burnley FC has a Board that consists of local people who are true supporters of our team, who have taken this modest little club with a population of just 75,000 citizens to call upon into the top half of the toughest football league in the world, while also turning it into one of the ten most profitable clubs in world football.

As a counterpoint to all the misery, disloyalty and shabbiness in football that was reported in today’s MoS, perhaps next week you could deliver to your readers some true good news from the modern English game by popping up to North East Lancashire to tell the story of a modern-day contradiction, where people still believe there IS some loyalty left in football and where they are most certainly not idiots for doing so.

Yours
A Kent resident but still a LOYAL Burnley supporter

"I thanked the Lord ......".
That'll be Bob no doubt!

Excellent! Very well said.

If you get a response, you will repost it on here?

Top 5 wasnt it ??

Its all about net profit . Thats what matters

Lord Beamish wrote:If you get a response, you will repost it on here?

I certainly will but I won't hold my breath. It might mean that we have to buy the paper next week if he reacts positively to my suggestion!

This population of Burnley figure isn't really reflective of where our support comes from. It would be interesting to see how much support comes from Brierfield ,Nelson and Colne for example which basically annexe Burnley.

Is this a parody of that Sunderland poster bloke who's been knocking about on here trying to sell his joke book?

There certainly isn't any loyalty in football, the only ones who remain loyal are the fans. Lets not kid ourselves, Dyche and the rest of the players would be off in a flash at a wage rise. It's just how football is these days and you can't blame them.

He was tweeting about nobody respecting the passing of Graham Taylor earlier until he got shot down.

But then again it was job done, people getting angry with him and him drawing attention to his self. Banker

''And a club who warmly applauded ‘one of its own’ (Jay Rodriguez) in yesterday’s game even though he was doing his utmost to score for the opposition.''

This just backs up his initial point of no loyalty in football, ''one of our own'' p*ssed off as soon as he was given the chance.

Devils_Advocate wrote:Is this a parody of that Sunderland poster bloke who's been knocking about on here trying to sell his joke book?

KRBFC wrote:''And a club who warmly applauded ‘one of its own’ (Jay Rodriguez) in yesterday’s game even though he was doing his utmost to score for the opposition.''

This just backs up his initial point of no loyalty in football, ''one of our own'' p*ssed off as soon as he was given the chance.

If you were around in them days you might realise we needed to sell to keep afloat.

"who have taken this modest little club with a population of just 75,000 citizens"

It might be better if you hadn't rolled that often repeated drivel out - I presume you think that the residents of Pendle/Rossendale/Hyndburn/The Ribble Valley don't come into the equation as core local support living within what ? maybe 20-30 minutes of the Turf ?

Quickenthetempo wrote:If you were around in them days you might realise we needed to sell to keep afloat.

''them days''
You make it sound like it was 1970's, it was 5 years ago. We still had parachute payments coming in, 2 years after relegation or whatever. Name me one player who has remained loyal?

This is the sort of thing that happens when you read to Mail on Sunday.

Just say no, kids.

I think you have missed Oliver Holt's point of ''no loyalty in football'' I'm guessing he was talking about footballers and managers lacking loyalty, not fans. If he meant fans aren't loyal then he's an idiot.

Blackrod wrote:This population of Burnley figure isn't really reflective of where our support comes from. It would be interesting to see how much support comes from Brierfield ,Nelson and Colne for example which basically annexe Burnley.

Most towns/cities are not isolated so I think the point still applies.

You've been a prem club for less than 1 season, give it time..

Quickenthetempo wrote:If you were around in them days you might realise we needed to sell to keep afloat.

Disappointingly, despite having the secret steward on my foe list -not you quicken- (which means I don't have to look at his inane drivel) when someone quotes him, I can see it.

Can the mods sort this so the shite is screened out in quotes also???

Saxoman wrote:You've been a prem club for less than 1 season, give it time..

And here's the REAL steward.... no we haven't.

ralph wrote:"who have taken this modest little club with a population of just 75,000 citizens"

It might be better if you hadn't rolled that often repeated drivel out - I presume you think that the residents of Pendle/Rossendale/Hyndburn/The Ribble Valley don't come into the equation as core local support living within what ? maybe 20-30 minutes of the Turf ?

It’s called a comparison and contrast point – a tactic often used by journalists where they put across an argument about the subject to their readers without it being meant to be taken 100% literally. I was making that point in terms that a tabloid journalist, who knows little of the area, could relate to.

Saying that Burnley has “just 1,449,300 people to call upon” (population of Lancashire) would not have made the same ‘punching above our weight’ argument as effectively or put our performance into true perspective.

Not sure he will be that bothered about the views of a Burnley supporter. Oliver Holt, apart from being Emily Bishop's son, is a Stockport fan and they don't like us.

bobinho wrote:And here's the REAL steward.... no we haven't.

Yes you have..

ClaretTony wrote:Not sure he will be that bothered about the views of a Burnley supporter. Oliver Holt, apart from being Emily Bishop's son, is a Stockport fan and they don't like us.

Emily Bishop's son!? Seriously? That's an ace piece of trivia!

....but surely journalists are supposed to be neutral aren't they?!

Stan Tastic wrote:Most towns/cities are not isolated so I think the point still applies.

Totally correct. In fact many clubs have a far wider area from which to draw their support and greater surrounding population than we have.
I think I would be correct in saying that there isn't another localised area in the country which has to support so many teams.
Within about a 20 mile radius:
Burnley, Accy, B******s, Preston, Bury, Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham
And not much further afield the big city clubs of Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.
Compare this to say Brighton. Until Crawley joined the league the next nearest club was Crystal Palace, and a population of several hundred thousand separating the 2.

Man of Kent wrote: Saying that Burnley has “just 1,449,300 people to call upon” (population of Lancashire) would not have made the same ‘punching above our weight’ argument as effectively or put our performance into true perspective.

Another potential way of giving it some context is to divide the 1,449,300 by the 12 Lancashire league clubs. It's not a particularly scientific way of supporting any point, but it reveals that there would be a potential 120,500 supporters for each club. An average attendance of over 20,000 in that context is remarkable.

Leicester has a population of 200,000 plus the nearest club to the north is Nottingham over 30 miles away, tio the east its the Posh at 40 miles to the south its Northampton 50 miles and west its Villa or the Blues at 40 miles plus unless you count Cov which nobody does these days. So the point holds.

In comparison the population of Burnley is 60,000 of which approximately 25% are unfortunately not culturally aligned with the club. Remarkable, all of we prodigals and the Norwegians just add flavour. UTC

levraiclaret wrote: of which approximately 25% are unfortunately not culturally aligned with the club. Remarkable, all of we prodigals and the Norwegians just add flavour. UTC

If you are referring to Asians, then it's about 10%. If not, who are the 25% to whom you refer?

I think this was a well written letter, but I'm quite sure there's some idiots in or around this town and club too...

I stand corrected, point still holds. BFC has smallest local support base in PL. Remarkable support from the town.

Your point is?

levraiclaret wrote:I stand corrected, point still holds. BFC has smallest local support base in PL. Remarkable support from the town.

Your point is?

The one you've just acknowledged, I assume.
I am in total agreement with you, except your figures for the demographics of the town were rather too far out not to be questioned. Had you said up to say 15%, then I wouldn't have commented.

KRBFC wrote:''them days''
You make it sound like it was 1970's, it was 5 years ago. We still had parachute payments coming in, 2 years after relegation or whatever. Name me one player who has remained loyal?

Michael Duff.
UTC

Vince Fontaine wrote:Michael Duff.
UTC

Through choice though? Did he reject a bigger wage at another club? I don't remember anyone ever bidding for him, I may be wrong though but I'm almost certain no-one would have bid for him during his early years when he was playing full back or upfront with Gifton

You asked for the name of ONE player.
You got an answer.
If you wanted anything else you should have asked for it.
UTC

Man of Kent wrote:Emily Bishop's son!? Seriously? That's an ace piece of trivia!

....but surely journalists are supposed to be neutral aren't they?!

He certainly is - her real name is Eileen Holt.

Great letter Man of Kent - being an exiled Burnley supporter also living in Kent I agree totally with you. It is a great time to be a Claret for all the reasons you mention - but I think Burnley are the exception - in general I believe that it is only the supporters of clubs that are loyal - we are bucking the trend as the directors and SD have bought in to the one club,one town ethic and long may it continue.

KRBFC wrote:'' Name me one player who has remained loyal?

There have been a few recently who have taken wage cuts to stay with the club.

Loyalty can be judged in many different ways.

Wage cut.
Seeing out all their contract, that they signed.
Signing a new deal so the club that trained them up got a decent fee.


Footballer's will be as loyal as you and I when it comes down to our employment and wages.

MACCA wrote:There have been a few recently who have taken wage cuts to stay with the club.

Loyalty can be judged in many different ways.

Wage cut.
Seeing out all their contract, that they signed.
Signing a new deal so the club that trained them up got a decent fee.


Footballer's will be as loyal as you and I when it comes down to our employment and wages.

So remaining loyal is seeing out a contract despite no opportunity to leave? really?

If you agree a contract with certain terms and see it out, I would say you've been loyal to the agreed terms yes.

Better than doing a Costa or Payet that's for sure

MACCA wrote:If you agree a contract with certain terms and see it out, I would say you've been loyal to the agreed terms yes.

Better than doing a Costa or Payet that's for sure

But how is your loyalty tested if you are forced to see the terms out.....

Michael Duff has said in previous interviews he had a couple of opportunities to leave Burnley with other teams interested in buying him and he chose to stay.

Micheal Keane has been loyal - I think it's clear he could have moved.

Loyalty is not defined just by a player staying with one club regardless of what happens to him or his club - that simply does not happen in football anymore (or very rarely).

Loyalty for me is the way you act when you are with that club. Costa and Payet perfect examples of players who have no loyalty to any club - but so is someone like Ya Ya Toure. At his peak every summer his agent would drum up rumours and threats he was going to leave and he was unhappy at City....and nearly every summer he would get a wacking new contract. To me that shows zero loyalty to his team mates, his managers and the supporters.

Our players seem to have a lot of respect for Dyche and conduct themselves in the most like their boss. Of course some of them have ambitions to leave and join bigger clubs or move for other reasons - Dyche has said many times that the only thing for certain with his own job is that at some point it will end.

So I think the point here is that footballers are on the whole mercenaries and the days of a player staying at one club in the top couple of divisions at least are all but over. Loyalty in its loosest definition is probably more about how the players conduct themselves whilst at their current club. At Burnley we seem to have more harmony and less unrest with our players than other clubs.

Bit early in the transfer window to be getting teary eyed about this!

KRBFC wrote:So remaining loyal is seeing out a contract despite no opportunity to leave? really?

Do you not think Danny Ings had opportunities to leave before his contract expired?

Tall Paul wrote:Do you not think Danny Ings had opportunities to leave before his contract expired?

I don't recall any bids being accepted, no.

Saxoman wrote:I'm no lunatic..

No you aren't,you have a certificate to prove it.

conyoviejo wrote:No you aren't,you have a certificate to prove it.

That just proves I'm an oddball..

What is loyalty though? How do you measure it? With Payet he was paid a loyalty fee so West Ham think he's been loyal and Payet himself does. Maybe he wants too see out his career in France in a city he loves. What his family loves. Growing up he may have dreamed of living in London for a couple of years. Before being loyal to a football team, you got to be loyal to your family and your own dreams first.

Only supporters are loyal in football, thats it.

"He certainly is - her real name is Eileen Holt." I thought it was Derbyshire or is Holt her maiden name?