Bye Bye Burnley

Of course it's always good to see Liverpool win, and it's great to see Stevie score a goal - the one he unleashed at Turf Moor today was so exceptional that even the Burnley fans stood and applauded. It was Liverpool's first Premier League away win in 2010. That previous poor away form has not helped them in their quest for Champions League football. There is now a slim chance that they might make the coveted fourth spot, although I don't hold out a lot of hope.

The 4-0 victory, however, is tempered with a touch of sadness as it finally consigned Burnley to relegation - they'll be back in the Championship next season. Him Outdoors is fatalistic - he's seen it all (and far worse) before and is just happy that his boys got the chance to play against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and the Red Shite (whom they beat - hurrah!). Also, they don't have the financial woes of Hull or Portsmouth and with some shrewd spending they could well be back up again very soon. I hope so.

Burnley banner

Burnley used to believe that Owen Coyle was God. He raised them from the second division to play in the premiership alongside the footballing superstars. Now he has abandoned them and gone to Bolton. True, he used to play for Bolton and his heart is more likely to be there, but it's a bit of a kick in the teeth from the man who banged on about loyalty.

Burnley fans are understandably bitter, but they know money talks. After all, they were among the first clubs who introduced player's wages to the league in 1885. They've been paying for it ever since.

Him Outdoors says he's 'very disappointed' but he's ready to shrug it off and get on with it, but not without cheering on this banner, dsiplayed at the recent fixture between Bolton and Burnley. The one below isn't quite as witty, but it fits on the page.

Winning and Losing

Well thank goodness for that result. Liverpool beat Burnley 4-0 so harmony remains in our household and I can afford to be gracious in victory with Him Outdoors. It was a fantastic result for Benayoun scoring his hat-trick and Stevie G played brilliantly in his alternate position. Him Outdoors admits that his boys played well, but Liverpool are simply a class above, and I’m not exactly going to argue.

Meanwhile the All Blacks lost to South Africa allowing the South Africans to take the Tri Nations title. There is a lot of kicking and chasing and precision penalties in the South African game. Kiwis complain that this is boring – they prefer running the ball from the backs. Both of these versions of the game are equally exciting to me although at the moment, only one is proving effective. Guess which?

The All Blacks are the Man Utd of rugby – beautiful to watch when it’s going well, but ‘they don’t like it up ‘em.’ The penalties they gave away were often for ill discipline, brought about because they were frustrated on the field. Whether you like it or not, if you know you have the best kicking boots in the game, that’s a good tactic by South Africa.

The Weevil was waiting for her bags at the carousel in the airport when the All Blacks turned up, returned from their unsuccessful campaign and looking somewhat sheepish. She said she was excited to be in their midst and found herself grinning, although everyone else was looking away. No one had turned up to welcome them home.

‘Can you imagine being surrounded by the England football team?’ she asked me. I assured her I would have no self-control whatsoever if I were in touching distance of Stevie G, no matter what his recent results. She asked the husband of a friend, known to be a rugby fan, if he weren’t excited by the presence of his sporting idols. He replied, ‘Nah. I might be if they’d won.’ I think that’s indescribably sad.

Are our heroes not allowed to have bad days? Are we so capricious that we turn our backs after one tiny letdown? The All Blacks were beaten by the World Champions in formidable form. I don’t think that’s a disgrace. The only shame here should be attached to the fickle response of the so-called fans.

Burnley are back!

Congratulations to Burnley who have clawed their way back into the top flight of football after 30 years of trying.

Him Outdoors is delighted and wearing his colours to work (hat and scarf knitted by his grandmother almost 40 years ago) and a grin on his face. If he had any nails to bite, they would all be gone after sitting up this morning watching the play-off final and shouting at the TV - this helps apparently.

His dad first took him to the games in the '70s when they were still a force to be reckoned with. He has watched his team plummet all the way down through the divisions and he was there when they nearly slid out of the football league altogether. He has anxiously watched them rise back to the top and he and his town deserve a little footballing happiness.

They may indeed be Turf Morons but it will be good to welcome them to the top grounds around the country next season. I've seen Liverpool play at Turf Moor at many a cup game and it's a fine addition to the North West venue circuit. Just stay out of the pubs - some of them are less than desirable and full of 80s 'fashion' throwbacks. People will be going to Burnley and leaving in stunned amazement - they won't know what has hit them. There are still pockets of the North West with fanatics (in the true sense) supporting (again, in the true sense) teams you never knew existed. Good luck to the town.

They are under no illusions and know that the toughest job will be just hanging in there. They will receive a much-needed cash injection but with a squad of a mere 23 players, it will be hard going against the glamour boys. Less than an hour after they won promotion, bookies have already released odds on them going straight back down, as has happened to 10 of the last 17 teams to reach the Premier League through the play-off final.

This may all come to pass. I don't know why I've gone all biblical there, except there is something stirring about one of the founding teams of the best football league in the world finally making it back. This is their moment. Let them enjoy it.

The end of the dream... is just the beginning

Okay, so we didn't win the title and it's all our fault. Those draws against just-promoted sides early in the season have come back to bite us in the bum. Of course it is disappointing to (possibly) be the only side ever to have lost just two games and not won the title.

With a defensive record to be proud of and Reina's golden gloves on the line, Carragher lost it with Arbeloa, which wasn't pretty but showed a determination in the defensive lines that bodes well for next season - yes I'm looking to next season now; it's hard to dwell on the past.

Liverpool have also beaten the club record in terms of Premier League points, but still not won the title. Apart from the early losses, the main reason for this is, obviously, Manchester United. They should be congratulated for their consistency. The fact that Benitez will not congratulate Ferguson only adds fuel to his fire, and makes Rafa seems churlish.

Even if you don't like their manager or some of their players (which I don't) there is no denying that they have won the games they needed to win with a toughness of spirit that is essential to a champion team. Man Utd have now equalled Liverpool's title-winning triumphs, which makes for a great contest next season if nothing else.

But there is a bright side to all this. Stevie G is the Football Writers' Player of the Year (despite Ferguson publicly questioning his credentials) and he has, in fact, played superbly. My favourite was, naturally, the goal against Man Utd in the 4-1 drubbing at Old Trafford.

We'll be back. Meanwhile, I'm supporting Burnley for the Championship. We are buying the lottery tickets but Him Outdoors says how disappointing would it be to get all the way over there only to see them lose - very, I should imagine.

So he too is looking forward to next season where he's hoping he'll be supporting his side playing in the top-flight once again, and actually getting to see them on TV in this country. There may be one or two frosty silences in our house. Bring it on!

It's a funny old game

It's not been a good week for our household football-wise. Late goals have crushed us. All the ones in the Premier League went against Liverpool, particularly at Anfield where the snow sluiced down and even Captain Fantastic couldn't save the mighty reds their position at the top of the table.

And it all came down to an 87th minute goal by an Australian - blatantly not pictured. I still believe, however. Liverpool will rise again to the top of the table.

Meanwhile, Him Outdoors is devastated. The highs and lows of football supporting have never been so graphically illustrated as this semi-final of the Carling Cup.

Even the Guardian drew a prophetic parallel - "Four-one up and coasting towards a final date with Manchester United, Spurs were left bedraggled as Owen Coyle's emerging Burnley team produced a comeback that, in Turf Moor folklore at least, will be compared to Liverpool's miracle in Istanbul in 2005 as the Championship club took their wealthy Premier League visitors to extra-time and were within two minutes of going to Wembley."

He thought they couldn't and then he thought they could, and then he thought they couldn't, and then... Well all this thinking was quite exhausting and the result was not the one he wanted. After sending euphoric messages at the end of 90 minutes, he was reduced to shell-shocked grief by 120. He had practically booked his plane ticket home but this little claret and blue engine simply couldn't.

He is proud but he is gutted - so near... 'We've never made the final' he whispered and there is nothing I can say. I really don't know how he feels - my team will pick themselves up and carry on. All I know is that it hurts. 'The poor little town, how are they going to come back from that?' he asked. Fortunately he wasn't expecting an answer. Bill Shankly could probably have given him one.

So for Burnley supporters everywhere, I'm thinking of you. It was a great story while it lasted, but the Hollywood ending was not to be.