A fan's-eye view from Turf Moor, with Stephen Cummings

DERBY County it is then? Now, I don't mean to sound churlish here - after all we have pulled out a Premiership club - but it's hardly the draw to set the pulse racing is it?

You disagree? Okay. Lay your hands on a copy of the Premiership table, look at that table. Look at it long. Look at it hard. I now defy you to pick a team less interesting than Derby County. You see! It's impossible isn't it?

Yes folks, in the chocolate box that is the FA Carling Premiership, Burnley have been given a praline.

There is no glitz, no glamour, no superstars, no stroppy prima donnas. Instead there is Tony Dorigo. In fact casting one's eye over the Rams team sheet the only remotely diverting point of interest would appear to be manager Jim 'Bald Eagle' Smith's attempt to assemble not so much a team of world beaters, as a squad packed with silly names.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mart Poom. Or what about the sleepy sounding Stefan Schnoor? And my personal favourite, Rory Delap who, blessed with such a fabulous moniker would surely be more at home on a Hollywood casting couch rather than hauling his sorry frame the length and breadth of Pride Park. So what hope for the Clarets a fortnight on Saturday? Well, Derby are not exactly scaring the pants off people at the moment. Nor are they scoring too many goals. And, given that Burnley possess a defence every bit as stingy as Martin Edwards, the Clarets have a reasonable chance of getting a 0-0 draw bringing them back to Turf Moor, then who knows? A Ram raid may yet be on the cards.

Between then and now, however, lies a contest of far greater import. Saturday will see four and a half thousand Burnley fans make the short journey to the JJB Stadium, hoping the Clarets can put an end to Wigan's unbeaten run this season. It promises to be an intriguing contest. With five clean sheets from their last six outings, Burnley will not be brushed aside easily.

Ominously for Wigan, Andy Payton is due to begin a fresh scoring streak. That said, this will without question be the Clarets' sternest test of the campaign to date.

Taking three points from a struggling Reading side at the Madjeski Stadium tomorrow night would set things up nicely for the weekend. See you there.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.