A fan's view by Stephen Cummings

SO THEN - you think you are a committed supporter of Burnley Football Club, do you?

Always ready to rally around the Claret and Blue flag and give the lads a shout of encouragement whenever they need it, home and away? Always prepared to undertake that costly long-haul trip to Bristol on a wet, wintry Tuesday evening? Or perhaps you're one of that rare breed, in the mould of the truly astounding and locally famous Dave Burnley, who hasn't missed a Clarets fixture since we went decimal.

Whatever your level of dedication to the cause, you cannot fail to be impressed by a select band of six Dutch football fans who have taken Burnley FC to their hearts - so much so they have travelled from Holland on at least four occasions to witness the Clarets in action this season, not only at Turf Moor, but also at Fulham's Craven Cottage. This is commitment of a serious, some might say at best partially insane, nature.

So how did the lads from the country which has graced the footballing world with such stars as Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten and Johann Cruyff, come to be enamoured with the likes of Glen Little, Andy Cooke and Marlon Beresford?

Well - I understand that English football - and particularly the Premiership variety - is extremely popular in Holland. However, the Dutch Clarets (whose home team, incidentally, is ADC Breda - a top flight outfit), were amazed at Burnley's ability to attract gates of 10,000 upwards, whilst languishing in the hinterlands of the Football League. In many ways, ADC Breda's loss is the Clarets' gain. Because as well as adding another six on to the attendance of each game they attend, Burnley have yet to lose at Turf Moor this season whilst being watched by the lads from the low country. Having taken in fixtures against Walsall, Watford, Chesterfield and Brentford, their impressive record reads: played four, won two, drawn two, lost none, goals for five, goals against two, points eight.

If this is not the stuff of automatic promotion, then it is certainly enough to guarantee a play-off position. As the boys will be attending tonight's match against Wrexham, I feel confident that come full time the Clarets will have laid claim to all three points. In my opinion, Burnley Football Club should be laying on all-expenses paid trips for the Dutchmen to attend every home game next season. Success will surely follow.

Previous sport story

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