I know why I support Burnley, born there and raised there but like a lot of posters on this board don't / no longer live there.

I'm interested to know how many of you wasn't born in Burnley, have never lived in or close to Burnley but support the Clarets and why you chose us?

My old teacher, proper cockney supported Oldham.

The reason being when he first got into football, Oldham were the bottom of the 4th division. So he picked them because they were rubbish and couldnt get any worse. He followed them all the way to the premier league

Yep! Wasn't born in Burnley, never lived there but chose to support Burnley because my Dad and Grandad do.

Not sure how much choice there was in it really. I was plied with a coca cola and chocolate bar (not a Twix) on my first match day.

Neither born or lived in Burnley. Dad was a BPA fan and chose Burnley after they packed in.

I played in the 1914 cup final with us beating Liverpool 1 - 0...met the King!

so kinda feel obliged!

Was watching I think Man U v Sheff Utd (I think) in a bar in Las Vegas many moons ago when a woman further down the bar suudenly yelled "Go Clarets, Burnley Rock!!" she must of caught my expression, as I had no colours on and raising a bottle continued " Rovers suck dk!" I nearly wet myself laughing. When I recovered I asked her why she supported Burnley (we were 4th division I think) it turns out she'd had a good night with some Clarets weeks before and had been following us ever since.

Wasn't born in Burnley. Dad and Mum were from Padiham. He was a Claret, as was his father and Grandfather. He started taking me on in the mid 70's, but I could have just as easily ended up a Rovers fan or Oldham fan based on where we lived. Peer pressure and all that, but I was hooked from day one. Moved to Padiham when I was 15, Lowerhouse when I was 20 and have had a couple of brief spells living in Burnley since. Always refer to it as 'home' even though I wasn't born there.

My dad's family all come from Hassy. Six brothers one sister, all Clarets, although only four of them followed with any seriousness. Still have lots of family there and miss the fact I don't go ad often now my dad's passed.
I know he'll be watching from that grandstand in the sky.

UTC

I was brainwashed by my father as a child.

From Skipton. It's the early 60s at primary school, and it's our break (playtime). To be honest, Burnley and Spurs were the glamour teams, and everyone in the playground played for Burnley and Spurs in the mass playground daily football match. I knew Spurs were from London and that Burnley was pretty near and in Yorkshire. So I played on the Burnley side and have supported Burney ever since. I was mildly miffed to find Burnley wasn't actually in Yorkshire, but later found out that my father was from Lancashire (Oldham), so as a Lancs/Yorks hybrid, I feel I have every right to be a Claret.

I was born on Browhead road and lived on Eastern Ave as a child and used to watch the people walking down to the turf on matchday's so there was no other team to support when I got old enough to go to matches...UTC

Not born in Burnley, never lived there, never even lived in Lancashire. Used to support Spurs in my young days, like my Dad. Then I met Mr. spades who was born in Nelson and grew up in Wheatley Lane. He converted me. In fact, he proposed to me at a match on t'Turf but there was a condition - I must always support Burnley. I promised. I take my vows very seriously

Born in Oswaldtwistle with dad a Burnley ST holder and mum a Rovers ST holder. First went to the Turf as a 5 year old in 1952 with my dad and continued from there. I used to go to Ewood with my mum if dad wasn't around but it was the Clarets that were my big love and have remained so. I joined the RAF in 1966 and since then have never lived nearer than 100 miles from the Turf but it hasn't stopped me going to matches and I still have a season ticket, even though it is almost a 300 mile round trip. Oldest son has never lived in the area and saw his first match when he was 5 years old at Bristol City. He remains a Claret although he only gets chance to attend when he is taking press photographs.

Born and lived in Bury man and boy. My dad moved from southport in the late 60s, burnley were the top team then and our neighbours were Clarets. Was taken to my first game aged 5 in 1977 (1-0 win v Charlton Kindon scored) so this December will be 40 years of watching the Clarets up and down the country through thin and thin!

Absolutely no connection with Burnley or England.
Born in Ohio and live in North Carolina.
Started watching the Premier League in 2014, decided I needed to follow a team, and randomly picked Burnley.
Never heard of the town before I picked them.
Didn't know a single player on the squad.
Took me about 6 months later to realize that Blackburn were rivals.
Started watching in 2014 and was hooked.

AshevilleNCClaret wrote:Absolutely no connection with Burnley or England.
Born in Ohio and live in North Carolina.
Started watching the Premier League in 2014, decided I needed to follow a team, and randomly picked Burnley.
Never heard of the town before I picked them.
Didn't know a single player on the squad.
Took me about 6 months later to realize that Blackburn were rivals.
Started watching in 2014 and was hooked.

Glory seeker

I like to consider myself that I am a "bandwagon" burnley fan. Hopped on the bandwagon as just the right time.

Squarepusher wrote:I was brainwashed by my father as a child.

This is why fathers exist.

Born in Irvine Ayrshire

Moved to great harwood aged 14 at the start of the waddle season as my dad had bought a pub (merrie England) bus was leaving one day with a spare ticket 2-1 home win v Walsall and the rest is history


Moved back to Ayrshire aged 16 and still get to as many matches as possible


Proud to be a claret

Rawtenstall born, from a long line of Clarets.

Born in Halifax (that was where the hospital was), raised in Tod. Lived all over NW since then but now settled near Bury. Started going on with Dad and Grandparents in the late 60's. Season ticket holder and have even converted my Southern-born husband into a Claret. He doesn't sing and swear at the ref though, unlike me!

I'm not 100% convinced this thread is aimed at the Rawtenstall, Hassie, Bacup gang.......

My Dad was Scottish with no interest in football whatsoever, Mum is from Burnley and we moved here after Dad left Army (1943-1965).

I went to my first game in that 1965/66 season and have been a fan ever since despite leaving the area myself in 1971.

We moved to the area last year after I took early retirement. As I spent my 'formative' years here and my Mum is still here, I have always referred to Burnley as my Home Town.

Never lived in Burnley...
Lived over the border in Yorkshire all my life,Burnley is the closest pro team to us and my Dad is a lifelong Claret who took me to my first game in the 80's.

Proud to be a Yorkshire Claret but the many dirty Weeds fans I know around here can't grasp why

September 19th 1964 clarets 3 whu 2,aged 7 lived in whitworth, but my dad used to live on barden lane.Been a claret ever since,so are my 2 lads.Two grandsons,also wearing burnley kits,so its looking good.UTC.

My dad was born in Burnley, I was born in Derbyshire, the family moved to Devon (Plymouth) when I was still a toddler. Grew up listening to my Dad doing the pools and talking about Burnley to anyone who came into his post office in Union Street and was from up north. I became hooked. I didn't get to see a game until the mid 70's when I was teaching just north of Warrington - I think it was against Wolves. Now retired and back in Devon but try and see as many matches as possible.

Born in Shropshire so miles away from Burnley. Father used to watch either Port Vale or Stoke that were the sort of local teams. First game he took me to see was at the old Victoria Stadium, Stoke. Guess who they were playing? The rest is history and I've had season tickets for the past 40 odd years or so, despite being at sea for a lot of them. It was my way of supporting them even in the darkest years of Div 4. I can't imagine how much money I've spent on petrol travelling to just the home games

My lad was born in Basingstoke and lived in the Isle of Wight, Hemel Hempstead and now Watford.
I dragged him and his sister all over the south of England during the traumatic days of the 4th Division, some of the lowlights that stick in the mind were New Years Day at Portsmouth when it was so cold on the open terrace we had to find cardboard to stand on to act as insulation, and a Halloween Night at Peterborough........there were many more of which I'm sure he has better memory.
He used to say to me "thanks Dad, all my mates support Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham but because of you I support Burnley."
Then at Wembley at the end of the play off against Sheffield Utd, when the board lit up and said "The Premiership welcomes its newest team.....Burnley", he just looked me in the eye and said "Thanks Dad"......it still brings a lump to my throat and a tear to me eye every time I retell the story.
I'm 48 years this November 15th a supporter.....a 0-0 draw at home to Coventry City.......still more then enough to get me hooked, but I was born and bred in Burnley, as was my dad and his dad.

Born in Bolton, lived in Farnworth and now Atherton. Dad was born in Whalley. Best thing he ever did was take me to watch the Clarets, especially now with lots of friends being Bolton fans.

I was not born in Burnley, I was born in Rochdale, but started going on the Turf in 1975 with my BFF and his dad, pretty much to keep us out of the pubs on Saturdays as under-age drinkers.

I did live in Burnley for twelve months as a retail management trainee as Burnley was a training store, so that was rather convenient.

But that's it, and I'm as passionate about the Clarets as it comes..... well almost

I support Burnley MY LOCAL TEAM although I have always lived just over the border in Yorkshire

Borne in colne live in colne I'm a Wright colner but always a claret utc

I was born in Portsmouth and have lived most of my life in the Fareham area. However my Dad was born in Burnley and one of my older brothers nobbled me in the early 70s. Before I realised what was happening it was too late. How lucky am I? If I was, say, an Arsenal fan I would never have known the exhilaration of a promotion season! UTC.

From Beijing so a bit away from burnley

Quicknick wrote:From Skipton. It's the early 60s at primary school, and it's our break (playtime). To be honest, Burnley and Spurs were the glamour teams, and everyone in the playground played for Burnley and Spurs in the mass playground daily football match. I knew Spurs were from London and that Burnley was pretty near and in Yorkshire. So I played on the Burnley side and have supported Burney ever since. I was mildly miffed to find Burnley wasn't actually in Yorkshire, but later found out that my father was from Lancashire (Oldham), so as a Lancs/Yorks hybrid, I feel I have every right to be a Claret.

I can really relate to this, me, like Quicknick hail from Skipton and I guess we are of a similar age, I too can recall playtime at primary school and some of the "big" lads (aged about 10) came up to me grabbed me by the throat and asked " Burnley or Spurs?" I hesitantly replied er Burnley and they let me go, right answer!
Been a claret ever since and will always hate Leeds!
UTC

AshevilleNCClaret wrote:Absolutely no connection with Burnley or England.
Born in Ohio and live in North Carolina.
Started watching the Premier League in 2014, decided I needed to follow a team, and randomly picked Burnley.
Never heard of the town before I picked them.
Didn't know a single player on the squad.
Took me about 6 months later to realize that Blackburn were rivals.
Started watching in 2014 and was hooked.

Where in Ohio out of interest?
I've converted one, my wife, but in return I have to follow Ohio State and have to have a hatred of Michigan!

My Dad wanted to watch a Lancashire team. Didn't like either the Mancs or Scousers.
So he had a season in the late 50's watching Blackburn one week and Burnley the other.

He decided on Burnley, and 3 generations of his are season ticket holders.
The next generation will be too, we have 3 so far.

Wigan born and bred Claret through and through.
I can say that for his 5 children, Grandchildren, and if we have anything to do with it every generation after.

Born in Milton Keynes.
Dad's side of the family all Burnley. Mum's side all Blackburn.
Got taken to my first game 17 years ago. All my friends at school supported United and Liverpool.

I see them enjoy their club's success so often but I wouldn't change things for the world. It may well end up being the death of me but I love being a Burnley supporter.

box_of_frogs wrote:I'm not 100% convinced this thread is aimed at the Rawtenstall, Hassie, Bacup gang.......

Probably not but it's all good.

Great thread.

Born raised and lived all my life in Hertfordshire! Big brother chose to support Burnley because he liked the colours( circa 1960 he would have been 10). I recall seeing him upset in May 1962 and have hated Spurs ever since.

We lived near Potters Bar at that time 15 minutes by train from Arsenal. So in May 1963 me and he went to see Arsenal V Burnley. The Clarets won 2-3 and I have been a supporter ever since. Obviously back then Geography was not our strong point.

My first game at Turf Moor was V Arsenal (David O'Leary's debut August 1975 0-0) when I drove my recently purchased 1600E Cortina up and back with 3 mates on board, the game as I recall was very dull with O'Leary spending most of the game hoofing the ball long upfield or out of play. Have been a season ticket holder but nowadays the 13 hour round trip makes that less appealing.

I know a few other people who have no family ties with Burnley but are fans and have been since I've known them.
Southern softies, tourist fans?............heard all of that but it is what it is.

BertiesBeehole wrote:Where in Ohio out of interest?
I've converted one, my wife, but in return I have to follow Ohio State and have to have a hatred of Michigan!

I grew up outside of Cleveland. Can't stand the Steelers.
I also can't stand Michigan.
Now in North Carolina, its Duke and UNC which I can't stand

Its actually funny though, because I believe I have gone "Full Claret" with my hatred of Blackburn.
Hatred might be too strong of a word, but I'm certainly taking a small satisfaction on their recent demise these last few years.

Well born in Ireland but spent 16 years living in Burnley , got my first season ticket when i was 7 never any doubt i will always be a Claret in good times and bad .
Hey still make it one or twice a year for a game .

Keighley born and bred, say no more 48 years a Claret.

I am born and raised in Bury. My father was from Morpeth in Northumberland and started taking me to Burnley largely because of the number of Geordies in the team.

I'm in the Dad following camp. Born and raised in Salford, surrounded by Utd fans. When me and my Dad played football he would say, are we playing at Turf Moor or Old Trafford? I would always say Old Trafford. I was a Utd fan because my friends were but didn't really understand football.

My first match was against Wycombe in 96 when I was 8, a 2-1 win. I cant even say I was hooked from that, my Dad was annoyed because i preferred iwatching the birds flying around the building site that used to be the long side (yep i missed it by weeks). But then one day and a few matches later all wanted to do was to go and stand on the dingey bee hole end and listen to men shout Mullen out, even if I didn't know what it meant.

My Dad wasn't from Burnley either. He had two Brothers, one was a Burnley Fan and the other was a Liverpool fan, we played Liverpool and won so he picked us.

Standing in the Away End last year when we drew with Utd was a proud moment coming from my Utd saturated Salford background.

Born in Malta – lived in Malta all my life.

In the early ‘60s Malta was polarized between English team supporters (plenty of coverage in the local papers because Malta was a British base) and Italian team supporters (Italian TV waves picked up in Malta). It was also a political thing between Anglo and Italo philes.

Anyway in my secondary school days I supported Juventus (mainly because of John Charles and Omar Sivori) and the England national team. My classmates said that that was not allowed – I either had to support Italy as a national team or find an English team.

I used to get one of those weekly boys mags at the time and it ran features on English soccer teams. I read that Burnley was a small town team holding its own against big city clubs (what’s changed?) and I was hooked on this romantic David vs Goliath scenario.

Have supported Burnley ever since with my first “live” match being vs Fulham in August 1972 in the old second division at Craven Cottage. I was the Club’s guest and still have the match program autographed by the whole squad as one of my most treasured possessions.

In the bad old days of the 4th division it was impossible to get news of the Clarets locally (no internet!) so I subscribed to the Burnley Express – had to give it up when the cost of postage became greater than the cost of the newspaper itself!!!

So Burnley + England over Juventus + Italy? Wrong choice you might say - but no definitely not, at least as far as Burnley is concerned!

Amazing jtv.

Another Keighley born and bred.

As a young pup in the 80s I edged towards Liverpool (glory hunting) for a couple of years until my dad (a claret due to the 1962 cup final and his neighbours) took me on the turf for the first time at the age of 7. Despite a 3-0 defeat at home to wolves I was swayed and haven't looked back since.

My dad introduced me to Burnley. He has never lived in Burnley. Accrington and Rishton most his life and like him I have never lived their. Rishton and now Huncoat.

Respect jtv.

Can't claim this applies to me, I spent the first 28 years living in the town and the last 40 years out and about.

However, in the last promotion season at Derby ( 0-0) I sat next to a former NCB mechanic from Grendon or Dordon, John is his name ,he chose Burnley as his team at the time of the 1962 Cup final coz all his mates chose Spurs. Supported us ever since.

Respect to all our supporters with the perspicacity to choose to be Claret, I salute you all.