Favourite promotion to the Premier League

[Anonymous Claret]

I know this has been done before but I am bored so I thought that I would waste a few minutes of my life posting this topic.

I have enjoyed them all and they are hard to separate but if I had to put them in order it would look like this.

1. 2009
2. 2014
3. 2023
4. 2016

Let's hope there is a 5th to add in a couple of months.

[dougcollins]

Yeah, the Coyle one was the most unexpected, and the best for me.

I wouldn't want to go through the play-offs this time though.

[Casper2]

1973 Division 1 as it was

[jrgbfc]

Has to be the Coyle season.

[Pickles]

Kompany. Easily. That season goes underrated.

[Goliath]

2009 by an absolute mile

[Milltown1882]

2009 by a distance, especially with the cup run that galvanised the squad to go all the way.

[tarkys_ears]

Idk, 2014 was a good one because after our first stint, I honestly didn't think we'd ever be back there, or so soon.

[martin_p]

2009 first, but then 2016 beats 2014 for me as it was close all the way to the end.

[MrTopTier]

2023 The football and winning the league at Deadwood
2009 Just because of what it meant to the club and the fans.
2016 23 Undefeated.
2014 Brilliant but not as good as the others.

[Tribesmen]

2009 , just had to be .
Never forget Wembley ,ever .

[ClaretTony]

2014 for me - astonishing that we were able to go straight up with the squad we had and with no money to improve it. Free transfers and then £450,000 on Ashley Barnes.

[IanMcL]

2009 by an absolute mile

A country mile?

[dougcollins]

1973 Division 1 as it was

That is a really good shout to be honest.

[agreenwood]

2009 and 2014 were brilliant because they were both so unexpected, but 2023 is my favourite.

Once we hit our straps, you’d sit game after game watching a team that was simply superior to nearly all of our opponents and victory seemed inevitable - I remember us just toying with PNE. Then to win the title at Ewood was fairytale stuff.

[Vegas Claret]

the VK season, superb football and won the league at your biggest rivals. Not beating that.

[Stalbansclaret]

2014…. Ings and Vokes both getting 20 plus goals, Trippier so brilliant and so many assists, that first win for years in the derby and a completely unexpected automatic promotion. We seemed to pick the same team week in week out and were a superb well-oiled machine. The final home game v Wigan was fantastic.

After that
2023
2009
2016
in that order I’d say. But they were all fantastic.

[Dyched]

2014…. Ings and Vokes both getting 20 plus goals, Trippier so brilliant and so many assists, that first win for years in the derby and a completely unexpected automatic promotion. We seemed to pick the same team week in week out and were a superb well-oiled machine. The final home game v Wigan was fantastic.

After that
2023
2009
2016
in that order I’d say. But they were all fantastic.

I’d agree with that. 2014 was simply brilliant. I left Ewood that day not only celebrating the win but promotion.

[Cajun]

As mentioned above, although not to the PL but to the top flight before rebranding, 72-73 will always be not just my favorite promotion, but also my favorite season - reasons being that football was the center of my world then and I saw so many games that season with my dad. Then from the other four, has to be 2009 because I was back in England in the early March to see the wins against Blackpool, Palace and Forest, then flew back to England again for the fantastic final victory at Wembley. Sadly was not back over to see any games in the other three promotion seasons.

[rosswallacefreekick]

2014 for me.

[Rowls]

2014 for me.

The clear togetherness in the squad
The style of football
Trippier and Ings
The rejuvenation of Dean Marney
Beating a number of big spending teams (especially QPR)
Those free signings! Heaton, Jones, Arfield
The arrival of Ashley Barnes
We were favourites for relegation at the start of the season
Pundits spent months explaining how we'd 'fall away'

[NL Claret]

2014
2016
2009
2023

[Conroy92]

2014
2016
2023
2009


At the time. I thought nothing would eclipse the Coyle season. But maybe the memories were tarnished with what followed. But out of them all when I look back it sits least favourably now.

The Kompany season was special for the Win at Ewood, the points tally and had many thrilled by the football.

But.

The togetherness under the Dyche seasons was captivating. Small squads giving there blood and guts every game. Same teams week after week. Nearly every one of those players became cult heroes.

People forget the football we played in the championship under Dyche. At times it reminded me of United circa 2000. Direct but the ability to mix it up. Wingers hitting the lines. Strikers getting on the end of balls. When I look back there is a romanticism over the whole Dyche era more so than any other manager in my time watching Burnley.

We broke record after record at grounds we hadn't achieved results at. We turned relegated championship players into Premier league stalwarts. We got the first win against rovers.
It's hard to pick between the 2014 and 2016 promotions as the top spot in honesty.

[warksclaret]

That is a really good shout to be honest.

And your namesake played a pivotal role in getting us there

[Walton]

The Kompany promotion by a mile

[TsarBomba]

Not taking anything away from the 22/23 season, because we were fantastic, but we also spent the thick end of £40M and had Tella and Maatsen which at that level were ridiculous.

2009 for me, but there’s not much between that season and 2014. The football under Coyle was mesmerising.

[NottsClaret]

Another vote for 2014, absolutely nobody saw that one coming. It was more funny than anything being at the top at first, until the QPR game, then it got serious. Didn't really believe it was happening until that evening match in Barnsley.

[Poulton-le-Claret]

2023
2009
2016
2014 - I feel weird putting this last as it was also brilliant. Ask me on another day and I could make a good argument it was the best one

Overall, it's great to reflect that we've had so many wonderful seasons. How many other clubs our size have their pick of seasons like this. Long may it continue

[Rileybobs]

2009 - someone of my generation would probably never have believed they'd see their team in the PL, and to win at Wembley was just magic.
2014 - unexpected return to the big time.
2023 - i found the whole season strangely unfulfilling. It was just too easy and there didn't seem like any big games due to the lack of jeopardy. Lovely and enjoyable to watch though.
2016 - came a bit too soon after 2014 to feel really special.

[The Shire Claret]

2009 - Impossible in my mind we would ever be in the premier league ever .... I will never take where we are now compared to where we were when I first started going for granted (1993) ...

But

2023 - This is a close as I think we will ever get to having a perfect league season - Turning up to ever game 100% confident we would win and every team in the league wanting to play like us... Pundits fawning over the 'New Look' Burnley ...

[Dark Cloud]

Promotion via the play offs is such a lottery and the best teams over the season rarely win, so although it turned out well for us, I really didn't enjoy 2009 one bit until that final whistle blew and I definitely don't want to go through it again.
2023 was the best for me. A Rolls Royce of a team against a whole set of Ford Anglias which translates into fantastic football and everyone having a constant smile on their face whether it's players, coaches, chairmen or fans just walking round town! It could have been boring once it became inevitable barring Putin invading Kent, but it didn't. We all knew we were experiencing a rarity and just took the ride knowing this is football and these seasons doesn't happen often at The Turf!
Having said that we have to acknowledge that both of SD's promotions were miraculous in different ways. The first with no real money and a team which catapulted from literally nowhere to promotion and the second with a team in total disarray and written off after Boxing Day half way through the season and yet still rallied finished top of the pile. Brilliant stuff.

[gawthorpe_view]

2023, I was expecting a consolidation season with a few ins and outs.
What happened after the team clicked was extraordinary.
Absolutely rompted the league including destroying the Dollopers when, if they'd won, they would have been top for at least 4 weeks due to the winter World Cup break.

[bfcmik]

For pure emotion it would be 2009. I stood there with tears streaming down my face at the end, having believed our club was almost dead just 22 years earlier!

However for the football played, and the iconic "Winning the league at Ewood!" moment I have to say 2023 - though the outcome of that promotion was dire.

I really enjoyed the '23, 23, I say' season and the VINGS season was fantastic, too - which included the 1st win in a while at Ewood.

[Row x]

The Kompany promotion by a mile

2009 by a mile
I never thought my children would experience top flight football watching Burnley. Their highlight prior to this was scunthorpe away.

[Woodleyclaret]

Next 4 games will yeild 12 points and won't be beaten by DL or the Blades and we will finish top leaving Leeds in 2nd.

[bfcmik]

Next 4 games will yeild 12 points and won't be beaten by DL or the Blades and we will finish top leaving Leeds in 2nd.

But what about the 4 after those 4?

[Swizzlestick]

Has to be 2009. Astonishing season resulting in something I never thought we’d do in my lifetime. Very emotional. 2023 not too far behind for the football we played and winning it at their gaff. 2014 close to that for the sheer surprise element. 2016 was great too!

[JohnMcGreal]

We've been very fortunate to have 4 promotions to the PL and each one has given us something a bit different.

But the first one in 2009 was so unexpected and dramatic. It has to be the best for me.

That season, with the incredible cup runs, was phenomenal, at a time when it felt like we were destined for mid-table Championship mediocrity at best for years to come. It was against the odds.

[Woodleyclaret]

2009 we were unstoppable the last six games and with decent investment and a proper manager we would have gone far the following season but our board contrived to throw away our progress .

[4:20]

All of them. I can't split them. Each had their own distinct greatness made up with many moments and narratives that stand on their own. Even if you put a gun to my head, the answer would be any one of the four dependent on nothing.

[KRBFC]

Not close for me, 2009. The first and most unexpected of the lot, the football was brilliant, the cup run and being at Wembley with over half of the town to see us win will be something I’ll never forget.

[claretonthecoast1882]

22/23 As dominant a team over a full season in this league you will struggle to beat, over 100 points and winning the league there.

15/16 A season with 3 teams all going for the title, remarkable turnaround after boxing day

13/14 Ings and Vokes was a very enjoyable watch that season

08/09 An unexpected promotion that for me is rated more for the League Cup run and winning at Wembley, there were spells that season we were pretty poor, started poor and were terrible around Christmas. The football wasn't that good in spells either. The Fa Cup saw us play in front of less than 4000 and 7000 so the football on display wasn't making people turn up either. We lost 12 games this season and 13 in the other 3 put together.

[NewClaret]

2023 The football and winning the league at Deadwood
2009 Just because of what it meant to the club and the fans.
2016 23 Undefeated.
2014 Brilliant but not as good as the others.

Incredible that we’re 25 undefeated and counting this season and hardly a word is spoken about it.

[AlargeClaret]

2009
2016
2014
2023

[manuelbenny]

2014 is my favourite, completely unexpected. We won promotion at a canter with a wafer-thin squad. Any other year, we would have prob won the league but had to contend with Leicester who won the Prem two years later. We had two of the best players I have arguably seen in my 40 years watching the Clarets in Trippier and Ings. The first win over Wovers in years on their own patch, when Wovers actually had a decent team.

2016/23 can't really split them. 2023 was great by the sheer dominance and the fact we beat Wovers to win the league on their own patch, but 2016 was great in the fact we responded after relegation and when early season we were poor at times. Another win over Wovers too

2009 was a bit of a fluke as going up in the play-offs always is. But a great season capped off by Wembley. Some great players like Blake and Alexander, etc

[Venkys4eva]

2009! Totally unexpected, my favourite moment supporting the clarets.

[Row x]

Not close for me, 2009. The first and most unexpected of the lot, the football was brilliant, the cup run and being at Wembley with over half of the town to see us win will be something I’ll never forget.

I agree with most of that, but half the town is pushing it. 15 of our group went, none of us have ever lived in Burnley, and from posts on here since, many out of towners went that day

[KRBFC]

I agree with most of that, but half the town is pushing it. 15 of our group went, none of us have ever lived in Burnley, and from posts on here since, many out of towners went that day

You’re right, I do underestimate how big our out of Burnley following is. Still a town of just over 80,000 people to sell 37,000 tickets for a football match in London is quite remarkable.

[andyh]

2009 just because I was sure we would never get back to the top division.

2014 next. Both squads were full of players I consider true legends with most of the players being well established or going on to be well established.

Not sure there is much in the other two. 2023 was great at the time but too many of the players ended up as one season wonders so I don’t have as much affection for them.

[BurnleyFC]

All great, but if I had to pick:

2009 - so unexpected
2014 - almost as unexpected
2023 - we won the league at Ewood!
2016 - we were brilliant in that second half of the season