Chairman's Programme Notes: Man City

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2021-02-03T14:00:00.000Z

Chairman's Programme Notes: Man City

2021-02-03T14:00:00.000Z

Welcome back to Turf Moor.

A week ago, I had my very first opportunity to experience a matchday here, albeit behind-closed-doors, and I can only imagine how the stands would have been rocking when Chris Wood headed home the winner to complete a fantastic victory against Aston Villa.

It was a spirited second half performance from the team and another resilient display that capped a fantastic week for the club, with three victories in seven days.

While Saturday’s game at Chelsea proved to be a bridge too far, we can take great pride from the team taking six points from its last five Premier League fixtures, all against clubs currently sitting in the top 10 of the table.

Those results provide a great platform to build on, as we prepare for two home games against the Premier League leaders tonight, and the visit of Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

Alan Pace's latest programme notes ahead of City visit

Away from the fixtures, I recently met with the club’s Supporters’ Board to introduce myself and hear directly from representatives of the fanbase. It was clear to me just how much energy and enthusiasm there is for this club, and how much you are all missing the enjoyment and social interaction that matchdays bring.

It has now been just over a month since my team and I took over the club, and it was great to update the Supporters’ Board on some of the work that has been going on in the background, as we begin to implement the sustainable growth plan I talked about when we first took charge.

A key focus over the last few weeks has been reviewing the commercial strategy of the club, with it being no secret that our commercial revenues are currently amongst the smallest in the Premier League. That is something I believe we can change, as we develop a new commercial proposition aimed at attracting new brands who share our family ethos and enthusiasm for creating innovative content and experiences.

Another priority is investing in the club’s infrastructure, and we have already begun to evaluate immediate ways to update facilities at Turf Moor, as part of a long-term goal to improve the matchday experience. It was great to read many of your suggestions on social media and I look forward to further engaging with supporters in due course about how we can make matchdays more memorable for you.

Over the last few weeks, I have also enjoyed the chance to sit down with members of the media and communicate more about our plans for the club. It has been great to start to tell Burnley’s story to some new audiences both here in the UK and overseas, with media interest from all over the world in some of the news coming from the club.

I particularly enjoyed the interview with Jordan North for the BBC’s Football Focus programme last weekend. It was great to finally meet Jordan, who has been a fantastic ambassador for this club in recent months and raised significant funds for our friends at Pendleside Hospice.

Just like our win against Liverpool, Jordan’s exploits on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here provided a great case study for how – even for a few seconds – we can get the whole country thinking about Burnley Football Club positively, and bring in new audiences.

Another victory against the odds this evening would certainly do the same!

Alan

@AlanPaceBFC