Kilby: 'Coyle was one of better decisions at Burnley'

He did, after all, oversee the Clarets’ return to the top division for the first time in over three decades.

“Some of us thought we’d never see that again,” smiled the 63-year-old, who admitted his meeting with Coyle came about by pure chance.

“Owen was a strange one, we’d never have met him, but I was at Gleneagles at half-term. He was just a name, but I met him there and it hit me between the eyes what a capable guy he could be.

“That was one of my better decisions and he did a great job for us.

“You can’t dispute that.

“Something that came from leftfield and was obscure.

“But I’ve been fortunate with all my managers,” added Kilby, whose first appointment was Steve Cotterill, with current boss Eddie Howe his last.

“They all gave it 100 per cent and their best for Burnley Football Club, with some success I would suggest.”

Chairman, arguably, stand and fall by their managerial appointments.

But there are other key moments that spring to mind as Kilby reflects on a memorable tenure, which comes to an end today; other big decisions which mean the reins he hands over are of a club in much better shape than the one he took over in late 1998.

He inherited Stan Ternent as manager, but the pair worked together to build Burnley up to be a strong Championship force which, for one season, punched above its weight in the Premier League.

That might never have been possible had it not been for Kilby’s careful handling of the ITV Digital collapse seven years earlier – not only the fall-out from it and its consequences on his club, but also his cautious approach to promised funds.

‘Don’t bet the ranch’ has become a saying synonymous with the Clarets chairman during his stewardship. But such a sensible attitude stopped his beloved Burnley going to the wall when the pay-TV service did, even though there was still a £4million deficit to make up.

Tough decisions were made at that time, but all with Burnley’s best interests at heart; all with the intention of keeping the Clarets in the second tier, at least.

And he is proud to have succeeded.

“Our only relegation has been from the Premier League in my time here,” said Kilby, who celebrated promotion with Ternent in his first season.

“We’ve had some tough times financially, just holding that together, trying to be the smartest kids on the block and not waste money is as big an achievement as getting into the Premier League.

“Things happen in football but ITV Digital was a massive thing.

“Those TV deals were a bigger percentage of our turnover than the bigger clubs that get 20-odd thousands gates, and the commercial revenues that come with sitting in a catchment area of a million people.

“The football deal was bigger for us to lose than the others.

“That hit us particularly hard. We had to entrench and dig in and fill the void – and at the same time keep in the division, and we did.

“I really do believe if the ITV Digital hadn’t collapsed we’d have had a strong team the next time to go forward. But we had to start then dealing with the loss of £4million worth of expected TV revenue within two weeks.”

The aftershocks led to two seasons’ worth of struggles. But Kilby always believed they would climb out of it, and backed his manager.

“It was a time of crisis. We were possibly looking like we might be candidates to go down,” he recalled.

“The bill had started coming through for the two newest stands and that was a big financial pressure on the club.

“I think it was the right decision to keep Stan on. I always tried to let my managers manage.

“I always thought these guys have to stand by their decisions and one day you might have to sack them, so make sure it’s their decisions that are up for scrutiny.”

The departing chairman added: “Changes have to be made, and we’ve had to make those decisions, but you don’t make them lightly.

“Maybe I’d suggest that’s why we have stability at this club.”