Kilby’s pride at Clarets stability (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Kilby’s pride at Clarets stability

8:34am Thursday 9th February 2012 in Football By Suzanne Geldard, Burnley FC reporter

WINNING promotion to the Premier League, at Wembley, is an obvious highlight of Barry Kilby’s 13-year chairmanship.

But the 63-year-old describes establishing his beloved Burnley as a top two tier team is his biggest and best achievement.

The Clarets were struggling in the third tier – the old Second Division – when Kilby was welcomed on to the board in October 1998.

He was named Frank Teasdale’s successor two months later and appointed chairman.

On Valentine’s Day in his first full season, Burnley fans fell in love with their new leader as his £3million investment, which had made him the club’s biggest single shareholder, helped manager Stan Ternent tempt former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright to Turf Moor.

“In some ways that Ian Wright signing was the one that lit the blue touchpaper for the rocket to take off,” smiled Kilby.

Burnley have never looked back since winning promotion, as runners up to Preston, at the end of that 1999/2000 campaign.

“When I came on to the board of directors in 1998 and became chairman two months later I think we had something like 15 years in the bottom tier of English football – the famous one when we nearly went out of the league altogether (in 1987),” said Kilby.

“So it had been a long time in the lower reaches, scratching around a little bit.

“Obviously what I am proud of now is that we got promotion in 2000 and we’ve been in the top two tiers of English football since then.

“I think people think of us in those terms; people think of Burnley FC slugging it out with big provincial English cities. It’s just natural now, so we are grouped there rather than the lower reaches of English football, which we were.”

He added: “When I look back to those early times to who was in the leagues then it’s absolutely frightening that there’s a whole bunch of them dropped out of even the Football League.

“There’s a whole bunch of them also that were seen to be better than us like, Bury, Stockport, Crewe. They were all in the Championship when we joined and have come down when we’ve managed to stay there.

“It’s not a spectacular highlight, like getting to the Premier League was, or winning a league, but I think it’s an achievement.

“I’m quite proud of that.”

Had it not been for the collapse of ITV Digital, Burnley may have got to the Premier League sooner than 2009. Just one goal denied them a place in the play-offs in 2002, before the financial rug was pulled from under them the following season.

But under Kilby’s leadership, aided by his astute managerial and boardroom appointments, Burnley have built themselves back up.

With Eddie Howe in charge of team affairs – Kilby’s fourth and final managerial appointment – they are in a position to challenge for the promised land again, sitting just three points outside the top six with 17 games to go.

“I’d take that now if you gave it to me. That would be fantastic wouldn’t it,” beamed Kilby at the prospect of another walk down Wembley Way.

“It’s a tall order but we’ve a chance. I’d love that.”