LETTER: Clarets Trust welcomes Eddie Howe to Turf Moor

At the Trust board meeting at Turf Moor, as chairman Barry Kilby and the club were preparing to agree the final details with Eddie and Jason, the decision had the unanimous backing of the Clarets Trust.

He is clearly a young man and has done well at Bournemouth and is ready to take on this great club at Burnley. On behalf of the Trust I wish them both well in the challenge that faces them. Clearly with just half of the transfer window period remaining they will need to move quickly to do any strengthening of the squad they feel is essential. So they have to really hit the ground running – but they do have several at Turf Moor with the experience to help them in that task.

We do have a very good strong squad this season, clearly a team that in the current Championship is good and strong enough to challenge for promotion. Now is the time for all the fans to be 100% behind the manager and team – indeed it was good to see the signs of that support on Saturday.

We know we can achieve a play-off spot and if we can put together a good run of results we can still make the automatic promotion place just as we did on the final day when we beat Scunthorpe to secure an automatic spot in the Championship.

So that fight must really start now – there is no time to waste. At Boxing Day our position, games and points were exactly the same as two years ago.

We have the squad to do it and we now have the manager, and I have no doubt at all the fans – just as they were two seasons ago – can be worth an extra man as we fight again to get back that place in the Premier League.

Well done Barry and all the best to Eddie and the team. Up the Clarets.

PETER PIKE,

CHAIRMAN, CLARETS TRUST