Ian Bannister

[jedi_master]

Firstly, Apologies if I have the chaps name incorrect - I confess I never actually knew his name before today which is poor of me…

For those unaware, Ian has been reading the teams out/doing announcements etc at Turf Moor for (I think I heard this), 34 years before retiring after the game today.

I found this quite sad personally and I’ll really miss that voice. If it’s right that he’s been doing it 34 years then, as I’m 37 and my first match was in 1992, he’s been quite literally part of the fabric of my match going experience my entire time supporting Burnley.

Unsure if Ian reads/posts on here at all but thankyou for your sterling service at Turf Moor over the years. Things genuinely won’t be quite the same without that voice!

[deanothedino]

Ian is a top bloke and it’s never been the same since the club started having someone pitch side announce the starting line ups.

[Fretters]

I mentioned him on a post a while ago, but I had no idea of his name, only just that he's been the announcer in my entire time watching the clarets.

A true club stalwart and he'll be very much missed!

Thanks, Ian. Enjoy your retirement.

[jedi_master]

He should have dropped a few classics in today for a final time:

“The fourth official has indicated there will be a minimum of four minutes added time….this has been sponsored by GM Fitted Furniture Limited”

[Juan Tanamera]

It will be the end of an era now that he is leaving, he had that calm reassuring voice and said all he needed to say without prattling on.
I hope whoever takes his place continues in a similar vein.

I would have rather he stayed and Mr Shouty took the high road out, that way I might be able to hear myself think at half time.

[ClaretTony]

I didn't realise it was as long as that but I knew he'd been doing it for a long time - more of the shouting bloke now unfortunately

[jdrobbo]

“Ian in the stands” was part of the matchday experience. Best wishes and thank you! He read my birthday out three or four times as a kid. I too started in 92

[NewClaret]

Great announcer who will be sadly missed. Thanks for your unbelievable service, Ian.

[Row Z]

Ian’s voice and GM fitted furniture are synonymous with Burnley home games. Did appear he had stepped back to purely half time scores and announcements.

A more recent memory was announcing the Ashley Barnes substitution at his final game with the incorrect shirt number…….

[Clarets4me]

Ian's a great guy, related to " Mrs Clarets4me " through marriage to a cousin ... We see him occasionally at family functions, sadly, these days, more funerals than Weddings/Christenings, Ian and his wife, Anne, were at our Wedding in the late 1980's ..

A devoted Claret, I hope they've given him a " Season Ticket " for life, he deserves it for his service to the Club ..

[claptrappers_union]

He didn't get the ‘season ticket for life’, but he has bought one for next season.

Ian is a top, top bloke. No doubt we will hear him at Turf Moor again though, he said he’ll happily step in if cover is needed.

[ClaretTony]

I hope they've given him a " Season Ticket " for life, he deserves it for his service to the Club ..

He would have got one just a few years ago but that’s been stopped now since the change of ownership

[123EasyasBFC]

The guy on pitch side does the voice over for the FIFA games or whatever they are called now

[Penwortham_Claret]

How is nobody mentioning that he is the announcer on the most recent FIFA, FC24. Surely his biggest achievement

[Jambounchained]

How is nobody mentioning that he is the announcer on the most recent FIFA, FC24. Surely his biggest achievement

He isn’t, that’s the other bloke.

[Goliath]

He would have got one just a few years ago but that’s been stopped now since the change of ownership

Haha. Why am I not surprised. God forbid they gave something away without making money off it.
This is the kind of thing people feared with foreign ownership really isn't it?

[agreenwood]

Haha. Why am I not surprised. God forbid they gave something away without making money off it.
This is the kind of thing people feared with foreign ownership really isn't it?

Where I work isn’t owned by overseas investors and they don’t give away retirement gifts worth thousands of pounds either. I’ll get the pension I’ve been paying into and that’s it.

Be interested to hear from anyone on here who works for a company that gives away free, otherwise expensive, perks for life upon retirement.

[Beaver]

He loves his black chewing gum private joke between Ian and mr beaver

[Goliath]

Where I work isn’t owned by overseas investors and they don’t give away retirement gifts worth thousands of pounds either. I’ll get the pension I’ve been paying into and that’s it.

Be interested to hear from anyone on here who works for a company that gives away free, otherwise expensive, perks for life upon retirement.

It's more the withdrawal of existing benefits. It's not exactly a way of getting people on side and creating a positive spirit within the club.

[ashtonlongsider]

Top bloke Ian who will be sadly missed. To put the 34 years into perception he'd have been announcing the likes of Eli, Deary, Frances, Pender and Davis to name a few back in the day when he first started.

[IanMcL]

So just the loud bloke left.
Pity.

[CaptainKirk]

It's more the withdrawal of existing benefits. It's not exactly a way of getting people on side and creating a positive spirit within the club.

I have heard some ridiculous stories over the years of people getting freebies to matches because they are mates down the pub with people who used to know someone who used to play for the Club etc
Apparently, Gordon Hill, who played for Man Utd in the 70s is aggrieved because his freebies have been stopped 40 odd years after he played for the Club - and he didn't even use them but dished them out to mates.
Maybe, if there weren't so many freeloaders and their mates, they could keep the prices down!

[Ric_C]

Speaking of which, remember Jeff Brown doing the mic stuff? Ears bleeding. How come he stopped? Did he fall out of favour, or did he move on to do other stuff?

[Goliath]

Speaking of which, remember Jeff Brown doing the mic stuff? Ears bleeding. How come he stopped? Did he fall out of favour, or did he move on to do other stuff?

Start me up followed by 500 miles with Geoff Brown screeching down the mic. It livened up those sleep Tuesday might games when we only had about 10000 fans on to be fair!

[helmclaret]

Speaking of which, remember Jeff Brown doing the mic stuff? Ears bleeding. How come he stopped? Did he fall out of favour, or did he move on to do other stuff?

When Jeff left that role, the club said if he bought at season ticket he could get one free.

[deanothedino]

Speaking of which, remember Jeff Brown doing the mic stuff? Ears bleeding. How come he stopped? Did he fall out of favour, or did he move on to do other stuff?

He was a match day host after (one of the jobs that was mentioned in the news reports when he got done for tax evasion) so presumably someone just realised it didn’t work.

[criminalclaret]

When Jeff left that role, the club said if he bought at season ticket he could get one free.

I misheard you there. Did you say he bought one and he gone another for free?......

[ClaretTony]

Speaking of which, remember Jeff Brown doing the mic stuff? Ears bleeding. How come he stopped? Did he fall out of favour, or did he move on to do other stuff?

Jeff moved from the pitch into the old Centre Spot but he left not too long after we were able to start going again in 2001/02. He wasn't what the new ownership wanted.

[Goliath]

Jeff moved from the pitch into the old Centre Spot but he left not too long after we were able to start going again in 2001/02. He wasn't what the new ownership wanted.

Not sure that's right. It was under Cotterill he was doing the 500 miles stuff on the pitch for about 2 seasons.

[ClaretTony]

Not sure that's right. It was under Cotterill he was doing the 500 miles stuff on the pitch for about 2 seasons.

And then he moved into the Centre Spot and did that for years - it was definitely at the time of Dave Edmondson's 500 miles stuff that he first did the stuff on the pitch. He was still doing match day up to the pandemic but then not for long afterwards although I think he did the Blackburn game two seasons ago.

[ianabd]

Top bloke Ian who will be sadly missed. To put the 34 years into perception he'd have been announcing the likes of Eli, Deary, Frances, Pender and Davis to name a few back in the day when he first started.

First game was vs Halifax Town in November 1990, won 2-1, goals scored by John Francis and Peter Mumby!

[ClaretTony]

First game was vs Halifax Town in November 1990, won 2-1, goals scored by John Francis and Peter Mumby!

That was a hell of a big game to start with - Halifax.

[Colburn_Claret]

That was a hell of a big game to start with - Halifax.

Was Vardy playing for Halifax, he looks about 55.

[ianabd]

Firstly, Apologies if I have the chaps name incorrect - I confess I never actually knew his name before today which is poor of me…

For those unaware, Ian has been reading the teams out/doing announcements etc at Turf Moor for (I think I heard this), 34 years before retiring after the game today.

I found this quite sad personally and I’ll really miss that voice. If it’s right that he’s been doing it 34 years then, as I’m 37 and my first match was in 1992, he’s been quite literally part of the fabric of my match going experience my entire time supporting Burnley.

Unsure if Ian reads/posts on here at all but thankyou for your sterling service at Turf Moor over the years. Things genuinely won’t be quite the same without that voice!

I appreciate your kind comments, I have enjoyed my stint with the mic, and for the first time ever I will watch a game sat in the stand next season, as when I last had a season ticket I was on the Longside!

[ianabd]

He should have dropped a few classics in today for a final time:

“The fourth official has indicated there will be a minimum of four minutes added time….this has been sponsored by GM Fitted Furniture Limited”

I said that twice on Sunday!

[ianabd]

He would have got one just a few years ago but that’s been stopped now since the change of ownership

It was in my contract that if I did 20 years would get a season ticket, but it was re-written recently!

[jedi_master]

I said that twice on Sunday!

I must have missed that Ian whilst listening to my Dad moaning haha!

All the best to you in your retirement - I’ll always think of your voice when I drive past The Rose and Bowl (I never did win a meal for two).

[Im_not_Robbie_Blake]

Thank you for all your hard work!

[ClaretTony]

It was in my contract that if I did 20 years would get a season ticket, but it was re-written recently!

I knew about others in a similar situation.

[IanMcL]

Bit if a cheapskate club, nowadays, then. Loyalty not valued.

[Grimsdale]

If anyone fancies filling Ian's shoes for the next 34 years, you can apply for the Stadium Announcer job here: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3959054426

[Goliath]

It was in my contract that if I did 20 years would get a season ticket, but it was re-written recently!

Surely if you've done the 20 years they should abide by the original contract. Sounds like a pretty sh1tty thing to do but nothing surprises me with this lot.

[beddie]

Surely if you've done the 20 years they should abide by the original contract. Sounds like a pretty sh1tty thing to do but nothing surprises me with this lot.

No loyalty anymore. I’m still of the belief that they (the owners) won’t be around for that long. They like us when we pay money buy after that they’re not really interested in us. I feel sorry for Ian after such loyal service, it’s an awful thing to do.

[Awayfromburnley]

His voice reminds me of standing in the Longside with my Dad as an early teen.

Absolutely dire football but an assured and warming voice at halftime.

Whenever I hear Rob Orbison it reminds me of those early nineties matches and Ian's voice. We didn't seem to be blessed with too many song choices if I remember rightly.

[Jel]

I recognise your name Ian, did you go to school in Barrowford or maybe Walton High?

[martin_p]

If anyone fancies filling Ian's shoes for the next 34 years, you can apply for the Stadium Announcer job here: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3959054426

Pretty sure that if I applied for and got the job I’d be sacked within a few weeks for making inappropriate comments over the tannoy about the ref’s parentage!

[JR1882]

“Let’s hear it….FOR IANNNN”

[BurnleyFC]

Did I miss something, or was it Ian doing the halftime readout stuff again yesterday?

[martin_p]

Did I miss something, or was it Ian doing the halftime readout stuff again yesterday?

Yep, not sure if the retirement is postponed or it was just a one off but it was definitely him.

[wilks_bfc]

Did I miss something, or was it Ian doing the halftime readout stuff again yesterday?

“Mr Shouty” made a comment about it being a “short lived retirement” when he handed over to “Ian in the stand”