THE STORY BEHIND ‘MISSION TO BURNLEY’ MURAL

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Lifelong Claret John on his special Sky documentary mural

2023-08-10T11:00:00.000Z

THE STORY BEHIND ‘MISSION TO BURNLEY’ MURAL

Lifelong Claret John on his special Sky documentary mural

2023-08-10T11:00:00.000Z

Lifelong Claret John on his special Sky documentary mural

Those walking close to Turf Moor may have noticed a new addition on Higgin Street recently. To promote the release of Sky Documentaries Mission to Burnley, a mural of Clarets manager Vincent Kompany, Chairman Alan Pace and Jack Cork has proved popular with fans far and wide!

The wall in question belongs to Burnley fan and season ticket holder John Ashworth who has followed the Clarets for 58 years, and living a stone throw away from Turf Moor, was the perfect canvas for the street art.

“The painters that Sky commissioned contacted me as they were looking for a wall. I think the fact that it was already white, and the windows were out of the way worked for them.

As an avid Burnley supporter John was open to the mural, but naturally was cautious of what Sky and the painters had in mind…

“They sent me a mock-up, because obviously I said I want to know what you’re putting on! They sent me a picture of what it would look like and it’s exactly that, you wouldn’t differentiate the picture they sent me as a mock-up, and that. It’s exact in every way.

THE STORY BEHIND ‘MISSION TO BURNLEY’ MURAL - Image 1

“They started on the Tuesday and by Thursday it was done. I got home from work on Thursday and the Sky cameras were here filming it. I didn’t think it would get finished in that time!

“Then it snowballed, they contacted me with a contract to say that in twelve months if we want, they’ll put it back to what it was.”

The offer may be there, but John is more than happy with the addition to his home.

“I’d leave it forever. Unless something drastic happens!”

A behind-the-scenes documentary is a fascinating prospect and John is excited by the series and the progress his Club has shown both on and off the pitch in recent times.

“I’ve been going to watch Burnley for 57/58 years. I’ve seen a lot over the years, I’ve seen loads of changes, from being in the old first division, right down through to the fourth division, nearly going out of the league and then rising back up, slowly, but we got there.

“I go with groups of friends and we’re like, we couldn’t even imagine it’d be anything like this. Everyone we speak to now are just like wow.”

Commissioned by Sky earlier this year, Mission to Burnley is produced by Ad Hoc Films and follows the Club’s American owners ALK Partners and Chairman Alan Pace.

THE STORY BEHIND ‘MISSION TO BURNLEY’ MURAL - Image 2

With behind-the-scenes access, the series follows the inner workings of the Club from final-day relegation in the 2021/22 season, to a triumphant return to the Premier League under the leadership of Vincent Kompany.

“Now they’ve started advertising the documentary, they’ve started showing players in the clips and you think, we’d never have had this before.

“It ties in well with the start of the season. I’ve seen the bit with this on when they filmed them painting the wall which I enjoyed.”

The mural’s proved popular with fans too, with John more than used to seeing the side of his house become quite the photo opportunity!

“We like it, the amount of people that we’ve seen having their photo taken with it. When they had home shirt launch, from the living room where the settee is, you can see down the road, and the amount of people that were coming up with their new shirts. You could see them; the parents were there, and they’d bring their children and say, ‘right there stand there next to the wall’. They are still coming now.

“On Friday night for the Manchester City game because the chippy’s open and it gets busy round here, really busy, I think they’ll be a few looking at it. It’s been really popular.

“It’s fantastic, I really like it.”

All episodes of Mission to Burnley are available as a boxset on Thursday 10th August, with weekly episodes on Sky Documentaries and NOW.