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Burnley fan Steven Elliott's poem about Burnley and Turf Moor

2022-10-05T15:00:00.000Z

OUR LANCASHIRE HOME

Burnley fan Steven Elliott's poem about Burnley and Turf Moor

2022-10-05T15:00:00.000Z

Burnley fan Steven Elliott's poem about Burnley and Turf Moor

Steven is a Burnley poet and has self published a book called 'The Poems of Steven Elliott'.

Here, he shares his poem - Our Lancashire Home.

The Clarets together again

Hear earth-shaking roars, across mills and moors

Our choir for the beautiful game

Chimneys watch on, a pastime they hold

Alike with ancestors and dreams

Terraces and mines, echo old times

As the aces outdo rival teams

Set upon by many

Expecting an easy ride

Underestimating our underdog blood

We are Burnley, super Burnley

A claret and blue storm of passion and pride

We are Burnley, super Burnley

A new era for the everlasting Longside

Our town, our Turf, we’re Claret to the bone,

our community, our family,

Our Lancashire home

Steven Elliott, Burnley fan

Steven's story: "I was baptised into Burnley FC at the age of 5 against Plymouth Argyle. Stood on the Longside with my Dad surrounded by giants shouting "Go on Ted" everytime Ted McMinn bolted down the left wing. It felt like I was in the midst of an earthquake. I grew up at the turf and the joy of being a mascot has stayed with me for life.

"At the age of 11 my family moved down south, however you can take a boy out of Burnley but you cant take Burnley out of the boy. Being away from what I will forever consider as my Lancashire home, only strengthened my burnleyite roots. At 14 I had pocket money to travel to matches and over the course of 20 years I clocked up over 30 stadiums and explored the breadth of the country supporting The Clarets. Unlike many an underdog football fan, I was able to experience true glory as The Clarets climbed the football league to reach the dizzy heights of Europa football.

"All personal attachment aside, over time it became clear to me that the essence of Burnley is truly unique within England's dominion. The town's population is pint-sized yet prevailing. The team, modest yet defiant. The passion overriding, everlasting and ferocious. Our history and culture is totemic, ancestral, forthright and jovial. Burnley has stood strong and got on with the job without significant financial might. The feelings of elation when we first started to overcome the big dogs in this modern era, like beating Chelsea away in the Carling Cup in 2008 are totally unforgettable and those memories will forever give goosebumps.

"This unique lifeblood of Burnley town inspired the poem 'Our Lancashire Home', alongside the importance to remain connected to our roots. The poem gives tribute to those ancestral mothers and fathers who helped shape the community we have in Burnley today. The miners, the weavers, the football players, the fans, the characters and the grafters. Also to remember the towns icons that are interwoven with its pedigree; the northern soul music, the working men's clubs, the towering chimneys, the accent, the directness and the power of Burnley songs. The personality of people and icons echo through time, and when in our Lancashire home, the zest is eternal, you don't have to look too far to be reminded of it, it's around every corner. And if you're lucky enough to follow Burnley away from home, that undying ember still shines through the noise and camaraderie in the pubs or the away end. Whether you have a Burnley accent, pretend to have a Burnley accent or don't have a Burnley accent, this towns special resonance reaches out to many and welcomes all to our Lancashire home.

"Our poetic haven cradled within the gulping green moors and waterways, filled with a population that comes alive even more so on a matchday. An aura and atmosphere that many a big city envies. A friendliness and approachability that is impossible to manufacture. We are all part of a historic and special place if Burnley has a seed within us, no matter where we are in the world or where we are from. The football club is our passage to that root, its through The Clarets that we remain connected to a long line of love, passion and personality. Keeping firm to this source of identity, whether it be following them like crazy all over the country, making the odd match or just following the scores, it keeps you in the warm clutch of our nest in East Lancashire. During a time of considerable global change, Burnley FC gives us an authentic grounding in a trustworthy heritage and can help grant us confidence to steer our lives and our communities."