Happy Birthday Kevin Long, 32 today. A brilliant and loyal servant for the club over the past 11 years. I wish him all the best, now it looks like he's moving on.

TonbridgeClaret wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 18, 2022 5:21 pm

Happy Birthday Kevin Long, 32 today. A brilliant and loyal servant for the club over the past 11 years. I wish him all the best, now it looks like he's moving on.

Yes happy birthday to a dependable loyal servant, and our 5th choice Centre Back.

TonbridgeClaret wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 18, 2022 5:21 pm

Happy Birthday Kevin Long, 32 today. A brilliant and loyal servant for the club over the past 11 years. I wish him all the best, now it looks like he's moving on.

The deal to sign him was agreed in November 2009, but couldnt be ratified till Jan 2010 due to the Transfer Window regulations, so he has actually been with us, incredibly , for over 12 and a half years.

randomclaret2 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 18, 2022 6:16 pm

The deal to sign him was agreed in November 2009, but couldnt be ratified till Jan 2010 due to the Transfer Window regulations, so he has actually been with us, incredibly , for over 12 and a half years.

Has he started 50 games in those 12 and a half years?
Burnley must have made this guy very wealthy for very little return....happy birthday though

Steve1956 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 18, 2022 6:20 pm

Has he started 50 games in those 12 and a half years?
Burnley must have made this guy very wealthy for very little return....happy birthday though

Indeed.....Great work if you can get it.

Great wealth for little effort.

Kevin Long has proven very able in the prem, when called upon. Those occasions have been rare and that only adds to his accomplishment.

During one brief spell, he caught the Ireland manager's eye and played a few time for Ireland, turning in some very solid performances

He has been great value for money.

Happy Birthday Kevin Long.

Spijed wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 18, 2022 6:23 pm

Indeed.....Great work if you can get it.

Great wealth for little effort.

Almost as good as Gareth Bale’s rewards for little effort. No, on reflection nowhere near as good.

He was there whenever asked.
We need players like KL.

Buxtonclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 18, 2022 6:48 pm

He was there whenever asked.
We need players like KL.

Cannot disagree with you. I was trying to argue Kev’s worth to the squad on another thread but got shot down TBH.

Jamesy wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 18, 2022 7:19 pm

Cannot disagree with you. I was trying to argue Kev’s worth to the squad on another thread but got shot down TBH.

Which is why I liked the opening point and came to the last post, with no intention of posting. I know it will be full of mocking posts from people who don’t realise he has done the job exactly as SD wanted him to do… and is worthy of praise for it,

Happy Birthday, Kevin.

A player that's been loyal to Burnley, but still gets trashed by some. Happy birthday Kevin.

On yer Longy

Fascinates me that Dyche was in charge nearly 10 years but Long has been around for 4 permanent Burnley managers.

Milltown1882 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 18, 2022 9:22 pm

Fascinates me that Dyche was in charge nearly 10 years but Long has been around for 4 permanent Burnley managers.

Says a lot of people on here may be somewhat inaccurate in their appraisals? Don’t you think.

My father in law is a Barnsley fan. Kev only played 11 times for them but he still says he’s the best Centre Half they’ve had in the last 10 years. Make of that what you will.

Jamesy wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 18, 2022 7:19 pm

Cannot disagree with you. I was trying to argue Kev’s worth to the squad on another thread but got shot down TBH.

Yeah well there are some miserable sods. Two on this thread. You kind of wish they would just shut up but haven't got the brains or courtesy to do that.

I'm sure he worked as hard as everyone else during training, possibly harder hence him being rewarded with new contracts.

A great bloke, dedicated professional and loyal player for Burnley FC.

I recall his great performance away at Newcastle then getting badly injured in the same match

Thanks for your loyal service Kevin

Happy Birthday

UTC

I consider myself a rational, fair and reasonable person. I don't post too often and when I do, I don't get involved in pointless tit for tat silly arguments. I'm sorry to hijack a well meaning thread but I've gotta say I strongly but politely disagree on any praise for loyalty coming Kevin Longs way. If you're lucky enough to be born with enough talent to play professional football and choose not to use it, it's a kick in the teeth to the millions of aspiring players that would sell their soul to play one game for Hartlepool. Make some good money for one contract sure by sitting on a bench. But a whole career?

Neil wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:31 am

I consider myself a rational, fair and reasonable person. I don't post too often and when I do, I don't get involved in pointless tit for tat silly arguments. I'm sorry to hijack a well meaning thread but I've gotta say I strongly but politely disagree on any praise for loyalty coming Kevin Longs way. If you're lucky enough to be born with enough talent to play professional football and choose not to use it, it's a kick in the teeth to the millions of aspiring players that would sell their soul to play one game for Hartlepool. Make some good money for one contract sure by sitting on a bench. But a whole career?

I’m certain he would have loved to play every game though. If a player doesn’t get used is it his fault? As someone pointed out he’s been given multiple contracts so he can’t be too shabby can he?

He will have been told many times, for over a decade, that he wasn't first choice. If he wanted to play regular football he could have dropped down a division and still commanded a decent wage. How many players can you name that have spent the majority of their career at one club and barely played? The vast majority of players not selected by their club move on. He's seen many centre halves sign and play before him and will have been under no illusion, so he was happy to be a rarely used back up and Dyche will have been happy to have one.

Neil wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:31 am

I consider myself a rational, fair and reasonable person. I don't post too often and when I do, I don't get involved in pointless tit for tat silly arguments. I'm sorry to hijack a well meaning thread but I've gotta say I strongly but politely disagree on any praise for loyalty coming Kevin Longs way. If you're lucky enough to be born with enough talent to play professional football and choose not to use it, it's a kick in the teeth to the millions of aspiring players that would sell their soul to play one game for Hartlepool. Make some good money for one contract sure by sitting on a bench. But a whole career?

Easy to say from the sidelines - if presented with game time at a club a division below for less money I bet not many would jump at that.

Not to mention that his diligence earned him a call up to the Ireland team to play 17 games due to his stellar performances when called upon around the 17/18 season.

Who’s to say he didn’t think that he could win a starting position anyway?!

In all likelihood he’s probably happy enough settled within a manageable distance to Gawthorpe - maybe a stable life is more of his preference?

I don’t think people realise how invaluable squad members like Longy are - till now basically never injured and always available for selection and never kicked up a stink.

Great servant to BFC

CoolClaret wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 19, 2022 8:35 am

Easy to say from the sidelines - if presented with game time at a club a division below for less money I bet not many would jump at that.

Not to mention that his diligence earned him a call up to the Ireland team to play 17 games due to his stellar performances when called upon around the 17/18 season.

Who’s to say he didn’t think that he could win a starting position anyway?!

In all likelihood he’s probably happy enough settled within a manageable distance to Gawthorpe - maybe a stable life is more of his preference?

I don’t think people realise how invaluable squad members like Longy are - till now basically never injured and always available for selection and never kicked up a stink.

Great servant to BFC

Game time? If I'd earned decent money from premier league contracts I think I'd rather be playing regularly and feel part of something. We all knew Tarky for example would be bedded in and would have to wait for his chance but would then become a regular. No way did Long think he could earn a first team place after all those years.
That's my opinion and the last I'll say on the subject as per my first post.
I respect the views of others that think differently but it's one I struggle to make sense of.

I wish him a happy birthday too as a Claret. Loyalty is often mentioned on here when talking about KL. The fact is he has been happy to be mainly 4th choice CH, currently 5th, rather than him and his agent find a new club, which does pose a question about his ambition. I am certain with his international and Burnley experience he could have found clubs and performed well there.If he is happy to stay with us this season, it absolutely confirms my point. If he does stay then his chances of finding a club next season will be similar to those of Pieters and Lennon.
In Burnley's case it shows a total lack of forward planning-happy to renew his contract rather than sign someone young that could be developed, who could have been 4th choice. Alternatively developed Jimmy Dunne who by all accounts is now playing well at QPR

Happy 32nd birthday Kevin, and thanks for your long service, however surely it's time to move on now, and find some regular footy in the final few years of your career, because I can't see how he's going to get a look in at Burnley under Vincent Kompany.

I'm not going to knock KL for making the most of what he's been offered...
but I wish some of the charitable attitudes shown to him could also be afforded to the often maligned Robbie Brady (81 games in 4 years) and Johan Berg-Gudmondsson (136 games in 6 years), both of them have had career damaging injuries whilst serving BFC.

Quite. Someone on here accused JBG of stealing a wage the other day, which is a remarkable thing to say about anyone, let alone someone who has had the injury issues he's had in the last couple of years. Nothing against Long, done an OK job when needed (no better than that, mind) but never been good enough to start regularly for us other than in an injury crisis and never will be. Obviously isn't arsed about playing, which is fair enough - think most of us would happily get paid to do half our jobs if we had the chance. And probably better to have a backup squad player like Long who accepts his role rather than someone who causes the manager a headache when they aren't in the team.