It's Burnley Not Barcelona: The Search for Champagne with Beer Money (Paperback)

The travels, hopes and joys of a long-suffering supporter, as well as the despair, the drenchings and the frustrations, are set out against the background of financial insecurity, threats of administration, and the ITV Digital reduced budgets of all Nationwide Football League clubs, one of which, Burnley, nevertheless still aspires to a play-off place.

Whilst David Thomas lay on a Greek beach anxious to be at Turf Moor, August 2002 was disastrous for Burnley, leaving them in bottom place, with scores of disgruntled supporters. From then on the Diary chronicles Burnley's progress through the season with wit, humour, pointed observation and a bit of education thrown in for free. It deals with games where points and goals were tossed away; to others where Burnley played football of such sublime delight that supporters were in ecstasy.

There were times such as the away game at Rotherham, from which fans returned home brain dead and suffering from both DVT and pneumonia, to home cup games where Tottenham were outplayed and mighty Man U were very nearly given one almighty shock.

Burnley supporters over the years have always been blessed, some might say cursed, with dreams of grandeur. How much easier it might be to be a supporter of Grimsby or Walsall, happy with a bottom half place with an occasional away win and thank goodness that's another season over.

Unfortunately Burnley missed a play-off place two seasons ago by one point and last season by just one goal. Because of this, ambition remains high, even with an injury-ravaged skeleton squad and a padlock on the cashbox.

It's Burnley Not Barcelona records these aspirations and the resultant disappointments when, for example, on Halloween Burnley lose 6-5 to the dreaded Grimsby, or at Brighton they give away two goals in the last two minutes and lose a 2-0 lead. It records the shock felt by all Burnley people when a Nottingham Forest supporter is tragically killed in the town.

It's Burnley Not Barcelona paints pictures of places wherever Burnley fans travel: Huddersfield and Gasworks Street, Rotherham - the new Milan of the north, Georgian Brighton, maritime Portsmouth, the smells of Grimsby and the concrete canyons of Sheffield.

It is pure conjecture but if ever Bill Bryson were to write a book about the places Burnley visit in a season, this is how it might be written whilst at the same time it draws on fanzine and website material from other writers who are equally dedicated to the Burnley cause.

About the Author
David Thomas spent his first twenty years in Todmorden near Burnley until College and matrimony took him away from his roots. His love however for Burnley Football Club has never diminished. Luckily marriage only took him as far away as Leeds where he has lived for over thirty years. In Leeds he was a Headteacher until he decided that he could do no more for the nation's ungrateful children most of whom thought it very funny that he was a Burnley supporter. His career as a professional footballer never really got off the ground. In his one season as school centre forward he scored just one goal. Sadly scouts flocked in the other direction. His one claim to fame is that he did actually teach Dean West, the current Burnley full back. As well as this book he has written many articles for The Times Educational Supplement, none of them serious, and had several short stories published about his (sometimes) hilarious time as a Head teacher in a small village school near Leeds.

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