Burnley’s 1-0 midweek victory over Manchester United, followed by a 1-0 win over Everton today. gave a big boost to Clarets fans and their hopes of Premiership survival. But just the arrival of the club in the Premiership is giving a boost to a town that has had more than its fair share of problems. The old economy based on cotton and mining disappeared. The town became blighted by some of the worst scenes of urban desolation I have seen outside the United States.
Burnley’s 1-0 midweek victory over Manchester United, followed by a 1-0 win over Everton today. gave a big boost to Clarets fans and their hopes of Premiership survival. But just the arrival of the club in the Premiership is giving a boost to a town that has had more than its fair share of problems. The old economy based on cotton and mining disappeared. The town became blighted by some of the worst scenes of urban desolation I have seen outside the United States. The politics of the town have been the subject of a recent analysis in the journal British Politics. Perceived neglect by the local council formed a backcloth to race riots in 2001 and the emergence of the British National Party as the second largest group on the council two years later. However, now things are on the up. Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former spin doctor and one of the team’s most famous fans said that the mood of the town had lifted after Burnley’s promotion. Unemployment has doubled during the past year, but its manufacturing base, which employs a quarter of workers, and is predominantly in the aerospace industry, has held up well.
There are hopes of restoring a short stretch of rail track which would cut travel times to Manchester by 43 minutes and boost the town as a commuter location. There is a superb 19th century architectural heritage and some stunning surrounding countryside. Prince Charles has named Dame Julia Cleverdon, the former boss of Business in the Community, as his ‘Burnley Tsar’ to improve the town’s fortunes. Dame Julia says the football club’s success has raised morale: ‘The young believe they are not going to succeed. Burnley getting to the premiership changes that. You are part of a winning team.’ In 1987 Burnley was a game away from relegation from the Football League. Now the name of the town of 85,000 people is going round the world. As Paul Fletcher, chief executive of the football club and a former player in the 1960s glory days says, ‘We are being seen in more than 160 countries by an audience of 3bn. They won’t know Burnley is a small place.’ The magic of football can extend to the economy of a town that has seen some very hard times.