CLARETS chief Steve Cotterill has made the first appointment of his Turf Moor reign.
Cliff Roberts is to return to the club as chief scout, a role he held for five years before departing last summer.
He has spent the last 12 months with West Ham United, but yesterday agreed a Turf Moor return.
Roberts is no stranger to Burnley hav
ing worked here previously as Chief Scout for Stan Ternent.
Cotterill said yesterday: Cliff is someone I have known for a long time on the circuit and brings with him a wealth of knowledge.
He is an honest, hard-working and conscientious person and I am delighted to bring him back to Burnley.
Roberts is equally delighted to be rejoining the Clarets: I am very happy to be coming back to Turf Moor and excited about helping Steve to be a success.
Meanwhile, Cotterill is also hoping to shortly confirm the rest of his backroom staff.
The club announced on Friday the departures of reserve team boss Ronnie Jepson and first team coach Mick Docherty.
Physiotherapist Ian Liversedge has also left the club to take over a similar role at Conference neighbours Accrington Stanley, while fellow physio Nicky Reid left the club before the end of the season.
Docherty's departure is the end of a third stint at the club, after starting his playing career at Turf Moor, captaining the FA Youth Cup-winning side in 1968.
He was also Frank Casper's assistant departing to take up a similar role under Stan Ternent at Hull City before returning under Ternent as the former Clarets chief completely transformed the coaching set-up at Turf Moor.
Jepson was a free transfer signing from Oldham Athletic in the summer of 1998, just after Ternent took over the reins.
A massive influence in the dressing room as Burnley turned things around and won promotion to the First Division, he played 59 league games in three seasons before an Achilles tendon injury saw him retire, and take up a job on the coaching staff.
Meanwhile, Ternent is hoping to land the job at UEFA Cup qualifiers Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Premier League.
But he faces competition from former Burnley boss Adrian Heath's mentor, Javier Clemente.
Clemente, who managed Spain at Euro 96, is likely to emerge as surprise favourite for the East End Park job.
Pars chairman John Yorkston said: "Clemente wants back into management and the UEFA Cup is an attraction. It's intriguing as he must be one of the top 10 managers in the world."
