Name: Shaun Dyer
Current Home Town: Leicester
Birthplace: Bury
Overview of your club:
Favourite thing about your home ground: It’s a good old fashioned football stadium filled with tradition. It’s right in the heart of the local community not in some industrial estate near the motorway and if the football is bad you can always keep an eye on the cricket as Burnley Cricket Club are attached to the away end. It’s always a welcome sight coming down over the hills into Burnley and seeing the Turf lit up on a cold winter evening.
Favourite match played by your team & why: 1994, Wembley Stadium Burnley 2 Stockport County 1. It is one of my earliest memories of watching Burnley (I was only 10). Out of the 43,000 who made the trip 36,000 wore the claret and blue of Burnley. In typical Burnley fashion we made it difficult for ourselves going 1-0 down and our two goal hero from the last leg ‘Super’ Johnny Francis to an early injury. It looked like it would be one of those days but for a change ref did us a favour, sending off two County men. In the middle David Eyres scored a fantastic goal with our first shot on target and Gary Parkinson who had wandered forward from right back drilled home a late winner. An amazing day followed in traditional Burnley fashion by a swift and painful relegation…..
Favourite player of all time who played for your club: Without a doubt my absolute hero David Eyres. He signed for us from Blackpool in 1993 and went on to make 171 appearances scoring 37 goals – including that fabulous goal at Wembley in the play off final. A tricky left winger who we have never adequately replaced he also played a few games at left back, a couple at centre half and even one game in goal (he saved a penalty).
I have a shirt signed by him on my wall from when I was lucky enough to meet him after he had signed for Oldham. He came to the ground early to meet me and even got me tickets to the game. A real honest down to earth guy and he didn’t sign pro terms until he was 25, giving hope to many not so young players toiling in the semi-pro ranks. Absolute legend.
About our forthcoming match against you:
Your favourite current player in your squad and why: I’d have to say the evergreen, penalty king that is Graham Alexander. I used to hate coming up against him when he was at Preston, he always had a knack of scoring against us. Thankfully he has carried that on for us and there is no one else you would want on the spot than that man.
He is great leader on the pitch and a superb example to the youngsters coming through. A fantastic signing and a revelation in his new holding midfield role with a cool head and a great range of passing. He left Preston because they wouldn’t give him a two year contract back in 2007, the fools.
Player in your squad we must fear and why? Wade Elliott, he is simply one of the most dangerous players in the championship with the ball at his feet. He can pass, shoot and dance through defences without breaking sweat. Probably the best crosser of a ball I’ve seen at Burnley in my lifetime – he has spent the last two years keeping Chris Eagles out of the team so he can’t be half bad.
Player in our squad you most fear and why? If this was at the Walkers I’d say no-one because we always beat you there in a terrible 1-0. However, as it’s at the Turf I’d have to say Lloyd Dyer. He is a dangerous customer down the left with pace and goals in him. Were having a bit of trouble at right back at the moment so whoever we put in will have to be on his toes.
Up and coming prospects in your squad? For a change we have quite a few. The big one is Jay Rodriguez the Burnley born striker has real skill on the ball and a unshakable confidence in his own ability. He scored some fantastic goals (check out his goal against Forest a couple of seasons ago) and some important goals (Our third against Spurs in the cup) and this season is his real chance to break into the squad. We also have the likes of Alex Ray Harvey a battling midfielder who has impressed in the youth and reserve teams before breaking into the first team in pre-season.
Where do you think you will finish this season? Giving Brian Laws the benefit of the doubt I think we will finish top six. I think if we keep hold of our key players and invest a bit in January we could be looking at top two. However this is Burnley so I’d settle for being in with a shout of the playoffs come the end of the season. It doesn’t pay to get your hopes up too much when watching the Clarets.
How do you think you will do against us? I think we will win in a tight game maybe 2-1, which added to the inevitable drab 1-0 win at the Walkers would be six fantastic points for us against a top side. That said you will probably bring back Trevor Benjamin and he will get a hat-trick in a thumping 3-1 defeat…
Any other comments? If your going to the game grab yourself a high quality Hollands pie, much better than that rubbish you have down here…