page_title: Burnley F.C.
section_title: Near oblivion and recovery (1976–2009)
hierarchical_section_title: Burnley F.C. / History / Near oblivion and recovery (1976–2009)
context_page_description: Burnley Football Club is an English association football club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Founded on 18 May 1882, it was one of the first to become professional, and subsequently put pressure on the Football Association to permit payments to players. The club entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1885–86 and was one of the 12 founder members of the Football League in 1888–89. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.
  Burnley have been champions of England twice, in 1920–21 and 1959–60, have won the FA Cup once, in 1913–14, and have won the FA Charity Shield twice, in 1960 and 1973. They have been runners-up in the First Division twice, in 1919–20 and 1961–62, and FA Cup runners-up twice, in 1946–47 and 1961–62. The team also reached the quarter-finals of the 1960–61 European Cup. Burnley are one of only five sides to have won all four professional divisions of English football, along with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Preston North End, Sheffield United and Portsmouth.
  The team have played home games at Turf Moor since 1883, after they had moved from their original premises at Calder Vale.
context_section_description: The team were relegated to the Third Division for the first time in 1979–80. Under the management of former Burnley player Brian Miller, they returned to the second tier as champions in 1981–82. However, this return was short-lived and lasted only one year. Managerial changes continued to be made in a search for success; Miller was replaced by Frank Casper in early 1983, he by John Bond before the 1983–84 season and Bond himself by John Benson a season later. Bond was the first manager since Frank Hill (1948–1954) without a previous playing career at the club. He was criticised by the fans for signing expensive players increasing Burnley's debt, and for selling young talents Lee Dixon, Brian Laws and Trevor Steven. Benson was in charge when Burnley were relegated to the Fourth Division for the first time at the end of the 1984–85 season.
  The team avoided relegation to the Football Conference, the highest level of non-league football, on the last day in 1986–87, after they won against Orient and their rivals drew or lost. The board had attempted to purchase almost bankrupt Welsh club Cardiff City and relocate it to Turf Moor, if Burnley were relegated, in what would have been the Football League's first franchise operation.
  In 1988, Burnley played Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Final of the Associate Members' Cup, but lost 2–0. The match was attended by 80,000 people, a record for a match between two sides from the fourth tier. The team won the Fourth Division in 1991–92 under manager Jimmy Mullen. He had succeeded Frank Casper in October 1991 and won his first nine league matches as manager. By winning the fourth tier, the Clarets became only the second club to win all four professional divisions of English football, after Wolverhampton Wanderers. Burnley won the Second Division play-offs in 1993–94 and gained promotion to the second tier. Relegation followed after one season, and in 1997–98 only a last day victory over Plymouth Argyle ensured a narrow escape from relegation back into the fourth tier. Chris Waddle was player-manager that season with his assistant Glenn Roeder, but their departures and the appointment of Stan Ternent that summer saw the club start to make further progress. They finished second in 1999–2000 and were promoted to the second tier.
  During the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons, Burnley emerged as serious contenders for a promotion play-off place. In early 2002, financial problems caused by the collapse of ITV Digital brought the club close to administration again. Ternent was sacked in 2004, after he avoided relegation with a squad composed of many loanees and some players who were not entirely fit. Steve Cotterill was then appointed as manager but was replaced in November 2007 by Owen Coyle. The 2008–09 season, Coyle's first full season in charge, ended with promotion to the Premier League. Sheffield United were defeated in the Championship play-off Final, which meant a return to the top flight after 33 years. Burnley also reached the semi-final of the League Cup for the first time in over 25 years but were beaten on aggregate by Tottenham in the last minutes of the second leg.
caption: Graph showing Burnley's performance from the inaugural season of the Football League in 1888–89 to the present