Favourite ever Burnley manager / era

CyrilEbokiPoh · Post by **CyrilEbokiPoh** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 8:15 am

Speaking with a friend over the weekend about our memories of watching Burnley growing up and down the years as adults. Our memories, experiences and how it brought us together.

There’s no doubt that season under Coyle was an unexpected joy. And even parts of the prem too. Beating United at home when it peaked.

Dyche. Goes without saying. Winning promotion again twice. Beating rovers. Getting into Europe (had we made more of a fist of it perhaps that would top it!). But the modern era somehow just doesn’t quite hit the same heights. As much as I loved every minute of it. The scrutiny of the media. Knowing everything about everything.

Which leads on to Parker and Kompany. Both great managers for us. Good seasons that we enjoyed. With highlights like winning the league at ewood. Or even just going up under Parker after the decimation of his squad.

Stan was a good era. Unexpected signings and he turned us around. And some of his quips were great. Him living in Burnley was great too. With some proper characters playing for us topped off with a Burnley born hero striker.

But for me. Of all the decades watching Burnley, after several dreadful ones before it started to get good again. I have to say Jimmy Mullen. Everything about that era was incredible. Finally rising from the ashes. Taking thousands all over the country. Big cup days out. TWO promotions. Including Wembley.

Players you could relate to. A mystique about a lot of stuff that doesn’t exist today ( you often only knew about a player signing when they appeared on the telegraph back page!) the unbeaten run. The unexpected hero’s. Just the experience of the whole town loving the club again and travelling en masse.

Wrexham 6-2. Robbie Painter scoring after 15 seconds. Cardiff at the turf. Plymouth away.

Even games we didn’t win were great. Derby away. Sheff Utd away.

I would have to say Jimmy Mullen and specifically 91-94.

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:03 am

Only caught the back end of our Champions of England team but Harry Potts built a brand new side that were superb in ‘65-‘66 and as good the following season until Willie Irvine had his leg broken.
The best football was Jimmy Adamsons’ team from ‘72-March ‘75. So close to winning the title until injuries and weariness caught up with them.
Harry gets it for two top sides and then turning so many top pros out of our FA Youth Cup winning team.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:15 am

Potts just ahead of Dyche for me. No one else in the running.

MeeActon1 · Post by **MeeActon1** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:20 am

Jimmy Mullen era. The start of the renaissance. Absolutely no doubt.

Vincent'sCap · Post by **Vincent'sCap** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:22 am

I know it was a short period in our history but it has to be Mullen for me,I enjoyed that season more than any other culminating in that fantastic night at York.

CyrilEbokiPoh · Post by **CyrilEbokiPoh** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:28 am

MeeActon1 wrote: ↑
Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:20 am
Jimmy Mullen era. The start of the renaissance. Absolutely no doubt.

Exactly what I feel. Without Mullen who knows where we would be now. We’d possibly have got up at some point. But the way in which we did under Mullen and then getting another two years later. Showed us that we could get back to where we belong. The top two divisions of English football.

The enjoyment was something else too. On and off the field.

CyrilEbokiPoh · Post by **CyrilEbokiPoh** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:30 am

Vincent'sCap wrote: ↑
Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:22 am
I know it was a short period in our history but it has to be Mullen for me,I enjoyed that season more than any other culminating in that fantastic night at York.

Same. I think it’s the amount of coverage and over sanitisation of football these days that doesn’t give you that same buzz. For me anyway.

Plus the song. JMCandBA. No other manager had the same ring or rhythm to it.

We have been blessed. Since the Mullen era almost every managerial appointment has been a good one. Very few bad ones. And even they had some logic to them.

I imagine we have one of the lowest turnover of managers in the country (anyone got the stats?).

Clovius Boofus · Post by **Clovius Boofus** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:38 am

Mullen, Stan and Dyche - some banging memories, but it has to be Dyche if we are giving awards out for outstanding achievement.

steve1264b · Post by **steve1264b** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 10:29 am

Im 60 so missed the glorious 60s but got the 70s, when we got relegated i think everyone just assumed we would soon be back. 1980 saw us in the third tier (an unbelievable thought only 5 years earlier) then we had the joy of promotion in 82 with what we alll thought was the nucleus on a young team that could help stabilise us in the 2nd tier.

Its was not to be and it all turned to ashes within season and were we then destined to some real dross. Dad and me travelled all over supporting them in those days and we always seemed to get beat away from home. Being in the 4th division really bugged me, we were too big a club to be stuffed by a 9 man Rochdale team etc.

The club was fighting to stay solvent and my support seemed more important then than it does today (ive still got my season ticket). 1988 and wembley was a joy, a dream come true, a real lump in my throat when they walked out.

Torquay away with our manager behaving really badly felt a low point.

So it the Mullen period for me, not because he was the best manager (he isn't fit to lace Stans or Seans boots) but because it felt great to watch the clarets again, there was a joy, expectation when we went away, finally getting out of the 4th division. It felt like the beginning of something.

Barry Kilby deserves a mention here, in all those years when he became the owner the club really developed with Stan as the manager. He has been the best Chairman at Burnley by a country mile.

Sean is second after Mullen because he bought a professionalism to Burnley and calmness ive never really experienced supporting Burnley, sometimes you would just know we would not concede a goal.

So the most fun was under Jimmy Mullen.

Luppy · Post by **Luppy** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 10:30 am

Dyche hands down in terms of what he did at the club overall - on and off the pitch. Training ground development etc is often overlooked.

The Mullen years were great because he really did just grab the opportunity and run with it. We were exciting to watch and he brought good times back to the club. But Dyche took us to another level

ArmchairDetective · Post by **ArmchairDetective** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 10:35 am

Dyche

boyyanno · Post by **boyyanno** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 10:45 am

Because of my age i didn't get to see some of our legendary teams so for me it's Dyche and the "Dyche" era.

We successfully competed at PL level and got in to Europe, we had an incredibly hard-working team, we beat loads of long standing records and we transformed the club.

But arguably my favourite thing about the whole era was watching us rattle a lot of the PL who struggled to play against such a tight knit organised and hardworking group. We were underapprecaited and unloved by many and it made it all the sweeter for me.

boatshed bill · Post by **boatshed bill** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 10:49 am

Era wise I think very fondly of Barry Kilby's tenure, this of course includes the Stan Ternent years when things really got exciting.

Silkyskills1 · Post by **Silkyskills1** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 11:15 am

Harry Potts and my time from 1958 on into the 1960's. Magical times, boyhood heroes. exciting football and a time when football didn't dominate your week. Friday evenings/Saturday lunchtime was team news, the match and then the report Saturday evening and Sunday papers. That was it until the next game. Wonderful era.

Inchy · Post by **Inchy** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 11:19 am

In terms of success it’s Dyche for me by a long shot.

In terms of favourite it’s between the Mullen and Coyle era.

That promotion season with Coyle was brilliant and came at the right time of life. I was young, going out drinking with my mates most weeks after the games. Playing football Saturday mornings before the games. Just a really fun season.

The Mullen era I was very young, 6-9 years old. My dad started taking me and my brother home and away. Remember many journeys up and down the country with Burnley supporters club. On the coach eating sandwiches and watching whatever VHS someone had brought, often a recording of the football league highlights from the week before. Drinking the cadburys hot chocolate which always seemed to be available on the coaches. Was a great time. The football was probably terrible, but it wasn’t about that

bobinho · Post by **bobinho** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 11:22 am

The Dyche era was something special - playing at a level I never ever thought we’d get to without the backing of a wealthy benefactor…

But there’s something about the Mullen era that plucks at the heart strings.

taio · Post by **taio** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 11:41 am

Dyche by a distance

fatboy47 · Post by **fatboy47** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 11:47 am

Potts, mid 60's.

Possibly the best footballing team in the land at times.

Adamson 72/4 gets a nod.

Dyche worked wonders but the football on offer wasn't in the same league.

Goliath · Post by **Goliath** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 12:02 pm

Favourite era Coyle

Favourite manager: Howe/Dyche. I prefer Howe as a person but Dyche was far more successful for us. Kompany was also great but it didn't feel like Burnley.

ashtonlongsider · Post by **ashtonlongsider** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 12:09 pm

It's hard to look past Harry Potts as he managed our greatest side. However I thought Jimmy Adamson as a coach, was ahead of the game. He was very creative and transformed the way we played with his thinking in the early seventies.

BurnleyFC · Post by **BurnleyFC** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 12:15 pm

Jimmy Mullen’s Claret and Blue Army!

colner · Post by **colner** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 12:16 pm

In terms of success,its Dyche. In terms of fun its Stan for me

LincsWoldsClaret · Post by **LincsWoldsClaret** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 12:23 pm

Mullen for me - made us believe again

martin_p · Post by **martin_p** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 12:48 pm

For anyone not old enough to have seen us in the 60s it’s got to be Dyche surely? Mullen may have made us believe we didn’t belong in the bottom tier, Coyle may have given us top flight football for the first time in over 30 years, but Dyche made us believe we belonged in the top flight and we could compete against most of it as equals. That’s something I certainly never thought I’d see in my time as a claret.

Claret86 · Post by **Claret86** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 12:58 pm

Dyche and Stan are my favourite managers

billyhamilton82 · Post by **billyhamilton82** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 1:35 pm

All animosity and anything that left a bitter taste aside:

1. Mullen (Out of the fourth division and into the Championship, the start of the resurgance)
2. Coyle (My first time in the top league and cup runs)
3. Miller (My first promotion, Billy Hamilton, Trevor Steven and the Orient game)
4. Dyche (Premier promotions x2 Premier league stability and Europe)
5. Parker (Premier League promotion and records - 100 points )
6. Kompany (Premier League promotion - 101 points)
7. Stan (League One promotion Championship stability, Ian Wright, Gazza)
8. Potts (1977 - Anglo Scottish Cup, keeping us up 77-78, Steve Kindon and Leighton James)

Mullen wins for me as he brought back the meaning of Burnley Football Club.

We had the Orient game which brought huge momentum but we stuttered along with no real direction.

Mullen arrived and we believed once more.

That promotion was the sweetest of the lot, it meant so much, with Coyle's to the Premier League running it as a close second.

If the thread was the most successful then Dyche wins hands down, 1977 onwards, but that doesn't neccessarily correlate to being the favourite.

Tribesmen · Post by **Tribesmen** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 1:42 pm

Sean Dyche

claretonthecoast1882 · Post by **claretonthecoast1882** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 1:48 pm

From 1980 onwards - Dyche and by some distance.

I get people saying getting out the 4th division felt good as did winning at Wembley, we then lost over 20 games in 1 season under Mullen in the equivalent of the Championship and got relegated, we then lost 19 games and finished 17th in the league lower.

Can anyone really honestly say that that spell was more favourable or enjoyable than finishing 7th and 10th in the top division competing against what we were.

Herts Clarets · Post by **Herts Clarets** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 3:12 pm

Sean Dyche by the proverbial country mile. 2 promotions,1 as champions, regular top flight football beating the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal etc, European football for the first and only time in my life. Plus the investment at Gawthorpe and the Turf. No one else comes close.

mdd2 · Post by **mdd2** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 3:12 pm

Potts, Dyche, Adamson, Coyle, Stan.
I think the Alan Brown/BL era started the Youth movement and training ground and under his watch we signed Blacklaw Angus Miller Connelly Pointer and Robson who played a lot in the 59-60 campaign and Ian Lawson Meredith Furnell and White who played a few games that season all signed when Brown was manager.
Adamson and Cummings were signed when Britton was manger, Mac, Pilky,Seith and Marshall signed when Hill was manager. Only Elder and Bomber Harris, who both played games in 59-60 season signed under Potts.
Not for the first time would we achieve success by a manger whose players were not his signings.
I think Coyle and certainly Sean to begin with got success with players already here; different from VK and Scotty both of whom started virtually from scratch with their successful teams

jedi_master · Post by **jedi_master** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 3:14 pm

My favourite season is the 08/09 Coyle promotion, I think it always will be. I never expected to see in the Premier League and ending at Wembley was just a perfect day.

My favourite 'era' though (as that felt too short lived to be called as such) would have to be Dyche, for much of the same reasons as many above. How can it not be?

Woodleyclaret · Post by **Woodleyclaret** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 3:19 pm

Sean Dyche his Burnley against the World attitude and our promotions

JohnMac · Post by **JohnMac** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 3:19 pm

Harry Potts was the Manager when I started going and we really were a big player in the top division. That era was very different with sweat on the shirt for the love of the game. No bench full of players earning a fortune, if you weren't ready it was the Reserves.

Sean Dyche brought a bit of that feeling back and until being let down in the transfer market the Club actually competed with the majority of the Premier League as well as smashing the Championship.

1. Potts
2. Dyche

Bow · Post by **Bow** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 3:25 pm

The Coyle promotion season. Great fun, some great football, the cup run, and the unexpected promotion. Went to loads of away games that season too and had some amazing trips.

brexit · Post by **brexit** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 3:34 pm

Coyle always entertaining

Darnhill Claret · Post by **Darnhill Claret** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 3:51 pm

Best manager Dyche easily. Controlled passion
Favourite Stan easily, uncontrolled passion.
Harry Potts, I was too young to appreciate, obviously brilliant, first time around.

mdd2 · Post by **mdd2** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 4:25 pm

Herts Clarets wrote: ↑
Mon Jun 23, 2025 3:12 pm
Sean Dyche by the proverbial country mile. 2 promotions,1 as champions, regular top flight football beating the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal etc, European football for the first and only time in my life. Plus the investment at Gawthorpe and the Turf. No one else comes close.

But of course Gawthorpe came about with Alan Brown as manager and Bob Lord as chairman I think

ollieclarets8 · Post by **ollieclarets8** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 4:28 pm

Everything from 2008-2009 onwards.

Robbie_painter · Post by **Robbie_painter** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 4:52 pm

Will always be Stan for me.Loved Dyche but not on the same level as Stan.

Goliath · Post by **Goliath** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:11 pm

Inchy wrote: ↑
Mon Jun 23, 2025 11:19 am
In terms of success it’s Dyche for me by a long shot.

In terms of favourite it’s between the Mullen and Coyle era.

That promotion season with Coyle was brilliant and came at the right time of life. I was young, going out drinking with my mates most weeks after the games. Playing football Saturday mornings before the games. Just a really fun season.

The Mullen era I was very young, 6-9 years old. My dad started taking me and my brother home and away. Remember many journeys up and down the country with Burnley supporters club. On the coach eating sandwiches and watching whatever VHS someone had brought, often a recording of the football league highlights from the week before. Drinking the cadburys hot chocolate which always seemed to be available on the coaches. Was a great time. The football was probably terrible, but it wasn’t about that

I bet we are of a similar age, there was definitely something really special for people born around the early 90s in that Coyle season. Town was absolutely buzzing every weekend towards the end of the season with a lot of the players out as well

All we'd seen was mediocre mid table crap for most of our lives without a whole lot of excitement. I don't think it will ever be topped for me and it's probably more to do with the context surrounding it. The comebacks, attacking football with flair at a high tempo, the atmosphere at the ground and in the town..

Steve1956 · Post by **Steve1956** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:19 pm

Jimmy Mullen

Inchy · Post by **Inchy** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:23 pm

Goliath wrote: ↑
Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:11 pm
I bet we are of a similar age, there was definitely something really special for people born around the early 90s in that Coyle season. Town was absolutely buzzing every weekend towards the end of the season with a lot of the players out as well

All we'd seen was mediocre mid table crap for most of our lives without a whole lot of excitement. I don't think it will ever be topped for me and it's probably more to do with the context surrounding it. The comebacks, attacking football with flair at a high tempo, the atmosphere at the ground and in the town..

It was packed every Saturday. Even after away games I’d go out in town and it would be buzzing. I remember after the reading home leg, outside walksabout, what seemed like a few hundred people just drunk singing Burnley songs. One big party season.

Like you say all we had known was struggle. Pi55 taking from rovers fans. Felt like things were changing…..and they did

blatherwickstattoos · Post by **blatherwickstattoos** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:26 pm

Jimmy Mullen. Without him we could have been in the lower leagues for many many more years. He wasn’t quite championship (old div2) standard after his promotion there via the great day at Wembley but he got us promoted twice in 4 years with some fantastic footballers and very exciting football.

The club really need to do something to try and get him back for us to show our appreciation which we never got to do.

Inchy · Post by **Inchy** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:45 pm

Inchy wrote: ↑
Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:23 pm

It was packed every Saturday. Even after away games I’d go out in town and it would be buzzing. I remember after the reading home leg, outside walksabout, what seemed like a few hundred people just drunk singing Burnley songs. One big party season.

Like you say all we had known was struggle. Pi55 taking from rovers fans. Felt like things were changing…..and they did

aclaretinstevenage · Post by **aclaretinstevenage** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:45 pm

I'm another in the Jimmy Mullen camp on this.

For success at the highest level Sean Dyche is out on his own, but to get there we needed to stay alive and get out of the basement dross. Jimmy Mullen's tenure provided that in spades, a reawakening in fans following the team everywhere, positive media coverage for a change - Derby in that Cup match, York Away great times.

So favourite has to be Jimmy Mullen- most successful has to be Sean Dyche.

Anonymous Claret · Post by **Anonymous Claret** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:52 pm

I know that it all turned sour but for 18 months or so Coyle was my favourite manager by some distance. Without him there would have been no Dyche, Kompany or Parker who I believe are all better managers but for 18 months or so Coyle was The Messiah.
It is very easy to forget those halcyon days but how many of us thought that we would never see us in the top league?
And the cup runs weren't too shabby either.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:53 pm

MeeActon1 wrote: ↑
Mon Jun 23, 2025 9:20 am
Jimmy Mullen era. The start of the renaissance. Absolutely no doubt.

But with Mullen the reverse was happening and we were heading back down.

Taffy on the wing · Post by **Taffy on the wing** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:58 pm

'73/'74 for me.

mdd2 · Post by **mdd2** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 6:18 pm

Things improved briefly with Heath until his assistant John Ward left ? for Bristol City. Then we had the debacle of Waddle who restarted the decline under Mullen and Stan fared no better until Barry and a few million £ started the revival taking us back to the top flights for a quarter of a century.
With BK we were runner up in League one (tier3), two good seasons in tier 2 until ITV Digital crashed just missing play offs and then a slow slide until Cotts with no money steadied us.BK oversaw the League cup SF and promotion to the Championship with OC. Had he not had another problem to fight we may have seen him as Chairman in the glorious seasons since 2013-14 which has been an amazing period considering our resources in £ s d.Four promotions two as Champs 2 as second place and six consecutive seasons in the Perm after 16th,then 7th and Europe, 15th, 10th, 17th then out. But we are back for our 5th stint in 17 seasons
Cotts had quite a few of the squad OC used to get us up likewise Eddie Howe for Sean and VK and SP have put together their own squads of necessity. Perhaps Brian Laws was the only manager since Waddle who left the club without adding much. Others may differ.

Goliath · Post by **Goliath** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 6:26 pm

Inchy wrote: ↑
Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:23 pm

It was packed every Saturday. Even after away games I’d go out in town and it would be buzzing. I remember after the reading home leg, outside walksabout, what seemed like a few hundred people just drunk singing Burnley songs. One big party season.

Like you say all we had known was struggle. Pi55 taking from rovers fans. Felt like things were changing…..and they did

Thought it was after the Bristol City game outside walkabout unless it was more than once, wouldn't surprise me.
However well Dyche did, I don't think he ever generated an extended period of excitement like that.