BURNLEY are the best supported club in Division Two.

The Clarets boast a healthy league average of 10,142 - with promotion rivals Bristol City breathing down their necks on 10,013.

Remarkably, that gives Burnley a bigger average home gate than 10 clubs in Division One.

The Bristol club boast the biggest attendance in Division Two so far, when the city derby attracted 18,674 to Ashton Gate in December.

But 172,420 fans have flowed through the Turf Moor turnstiles this season to watch Burnley's 17 league games.

And the Clarets' current average is bigger than gates at Barnsley, Grimbsy, Oldham, Oxford, Port Vale, Portsmouth, Reading, Southend, Swindon and Tranmere Rovers.

Manager Adrian Heath remarked: "Once again it proves that Burnley have some of the most loyal fans in the country and the giant potential that exists at Turf Moor.

"Many clubs in the First Division can only dream about an average gate like that." Lancashire neighbours Preston are just behind Burnley on 9,529, Watford 9,296 and Millwall, who this week sacked manager Jimmy Nicholl and transfer-listed ten players, on 7,934.

Burnley's best home gate this season was for the Lancashire derby clash with Preston, which attracted 16,186 to Turf Moor last month. The lowest league gate was 7,903 for the rearranged game with Chesterfield.

The lowest attendance in any competition was 2,884 for the Coca-Cola Cup, first round, second leg clash against Mansfield Town.

Meanwhile, it will be another fortnight before striker Andy Cooke will be fit enough to join the Clarets first team squad again.

Cooke is still battling to shake off a hamstring injury and has not featured since the 3-1 Sky TV victory over Bury nearly a month ago.

Heath added: "We've missed Andy Cooke because he can offer us a variation and another option in attack. He is a striker with an awful lot of potential."

Welsh international Lee Nogan-brother of Clarets striker Kurt-has joined Second Division strugglers Notts County on a month's loan from first division Reading.

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