With the Championship season edging ever closer to the finishing line, Burnley are counting down the days till their promotion is sealed.
However, the Clarets will have something else on their mind, Reading’s record Championship points tally of 106.
With only 10 games remaining, Burnley sit on 80 points, needing a further 26 from a possible 30 to even equal the feat.
Ex-pro, Paul Weller, who made over 250 appearances for the Clarets, believes that breaking the record is going to be a very tough ask. He said: “There’s been some great teams in the Championship, and Burnley are certainly one of them.
“I think they will break the 100 point margin, but to reach 106 points is a very tough ask, but it’s a good challenge to have.”
Burnley’s high spirits were handed a minor setback yesterday afternoon, when the club was handed a transfer embargo by the EFL.
The sanction will stop the club from signing any players if it is not resolved swiftly. However, Burnley believe the EFL will have no issues with the details of their accounts other than their late submissions, which they say is down to changing their auditors.
On the back of a 3.0 demolition of Wigan Athletic at the weekend, the Clarets are in scintillating form, stretching their unbeaten league run to 16 games.
The total sum of money spent on transfers has raised a few people’s eyebrows, but when you factor in the money that Burnley brought in via player departures, they still come away with a £35 million profit this season.
Vincent Kompany has had to gel 21 new players across the course of the season, and the results happened almost immediately.
Weller added: “I doubt anybody expected this sort of immediate success from Kompany. He’s now a manager that the fans love, he’s got passion and his name attracts quality to the club.
“Burnley aren’t just the best team in the league, they’re playing scary football and the whole town is just loving what’s going on.”
Furthermore, Burnley are unbeaten at home in all competitions this campaign, scoring the most goals of any club in the top four tiers, whilst also conceding the least amount goals in the Championship. They have made Turf Moor into quite the fortress.
Weller continued: “When I was playing we built on the environment, Turf Moor is a close knit stadium and when the crowed get roaring it really gets the players up for it, making it a tough place for other clubs to come to.”
Jacob Horsfall is a lifelong Burnley fan who travels from Newcastle for every home game, whilst sharing his experiences with other fans on You Tube.
He believes Alan Pace and Kompany have played a huge role in packing the stadium for every fixture, saying: “Pace has given Kompany the freedom to implement his policies, and it has had a huge impact on the club.
“The fans feel much more connected and it shows in the fact that we’re selling out nearly every week, it’s ridiculous.
“It’s so much harder to travel and play a club when the fans are behind them and there’s so many managers that come to Burnley and say the same thing, that it’s a hard place to come to.”
Next up for the Clarets is a trip to Hull on Wednesday night in the league, followed by a visit to Kompany’s former club Manchester City in the Emirates FA cup.
Top five Championship point hauls
- Reading – 106pts (2005/06)
- Sunderland – 105pts (1998/99)
- Leicester City – 102pts (2013/14)
- Newcastle United – 102pts (2009/10)
- Fulham – 101pts (2000/01)
