Burnley 'abuzz' with football fever

It's been 33 years since Burnley were last playing top flight football. Now that the Clarets are back in the Premier League, the team's players and local fans are hoping they are there to stay.

There's been lots of activity at Turf Moor, Burnley football club's home ground.

Fresh grass has been laid down and brand new advertising boards have been erected.

There are even plans afoot for a new variety of Lancashire pie to be added to already much loved menu.

But as the club prepares itself for the rest of the season in the Premier League, are Burnley back for good?

Defender Clarke Carlisle is full of confidence.

"We showed last season in the cup runs that when we play to the best of our ability we can beat these teams.

"So if we are playing the best of our ability, we will beat them week in week out."

Goalkeeper Brain Jenson, otherwise known as "the Beast", agrees. He says the players will stick to what they know best.

"All the stuff that we did last year, position wise, crosses, finishes, everything. It worked last year. Why should we change it?"

Burnley undoubtedly had a fantastic run at the end of last season.

The club beat both Arsenal and Chelsea in the Carling Cup and their victory against Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final sealed their return after more than three decades.

Fans have been delighted by the team's success.

In May, thousands of people lined the streets to watch a victory parade pass through the town on open-top buses.

Mick, who runs a local taxi company, says getting back into the Premier League is "probably the biggest thing that's ever happened to Burnley".

"It's really massive. The town is really, really buzzing and looking forward to time in the Premiership. Everyone you speak to, there's still a lot of 'I can't believe it' around. It's such unfamiliar territory."

Burnley manager Owen Coyle says the fans have been incredible. He says half the town travelled down to Wembley to cheer the team on for the play off final.

"By percentage of population that comes to support Burnley, we'd be the best supported team in the world. That tells you itself, how much the football means to the fans."

But the Burnley boss is realistic about his team's chances.

"It's going to be tough. No doubt about that. I mean, we're playing absolute quality pace and power every week.

"What we're going to have to do is make sure that we raise it on a game to game basis, because we will be the underdogs - and big underdogs at that - in each game.

"It's something that sits comfortably with us. And what we want to do is do ourselves justice."

The team are away to Stoke on Saturday and it is their first opportunity to turn promises into points.