Chairman's Notes: West Ham

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Chairman Alan Pace on the Clarets' return to Turf Moor

2021-05-03T15:01:19.414Z

Chairman's Notes: West Ham

Chairman Alan Pace on the Clarets' return to Turf Moor

2021-05-03T15:01:19.414Z

A warm welcome from Turf Moor as we host West Ham United this evening for an all Claret and Blue bank holiday clash.

Our reverse fixture at the London Stadium in January was a tight encounter, and the Hammers have since been on a fantastic run of form, which has defied pre-season expectations and taken them to the verge of European football.

A great example – if ever one was needed – of the competitive nature of the Premier League, and the excitement that the race for European qualification can generate.

As I wrote recently in an open letter, the plans for a breakaway Super League did not treat fans or the game’s history with the respect they deserve, and I was pleased to see the six Premier League clubs formally withdraw from the proposals.

As your chairman, I look forward to working together with the wider football community to ensure that all voices are heard in the discussions that will now follow and helping find a better collective solution that addresses the governance and financial challenges our sport faces.

On the field we still have plenty to play for this season, with the team seeking to continue our rise up the table after a stunning victory at Molineux on Sunday.

After an unfortunate run of results despite strong performances, it was great to see the team bounce back with our best performance of the season. The dominant 4-0 win was our biggest away victory in the top-flight since 1965 and saw Chris Wood become just the third player in Premier League history to score a first half hat-trick away from home.

While Chris rightly took the plaudits, it was an impressive team performance, both solid defensively and ruthlessly in attack. The fact that our team outran Wolves by over six kilometres tells you a lot about the hard-working ethos Sean has created at this club, and the will of the players to go the extra mile, even as we reach the dying embers of a long, gruelling season.

Away from action on the pitch, Friday, May 7, is a significant milestone for the club as we celebrate the centenary of Burnley being crowned English champions for the first time.

To celebrate this landmark, the club has sympathetically restored a special plaque which was believed to have been made in the 1930s to celebrate the 1920-21 team’s 30-match unbeaten league run, a Football League record which stood until Arsenal’s invincible 2003-2004 season.

The plaque has not been displayed at Turf Moor for several years but will now take pride of place in a special new lounge that will be opened as part of our wider renovation of hospitality facilities at the stadium. I look forward to sharing more about those plans in the future.