Letter of praise from football fan puts Burnley on the map

A letter, praising Burnley fans and the town for its hospitality and sportsmanship, is putting the town on the map.
The Mayor of Burnley Coun. Charlie Briggs, with his Mayoress Patricia Lunt, has  said a letter from an Aberdeen fan praising the town is a "great advert" for Burnley.The Mayor of Burnley Coun. Charlie Briggs, with his Mayoress Patricia Lunt, has  said a letter from an Aberdeen fan praising the town is a "great advert" for Burnley.
The Mayor of Burnley Coun. Charlie Briggs, with his Mayoress Patricia Lunt, has said a letter from an Aberdeen fan praising the town is a "great advert" for Burnley.

The letter was sent to Burnley Council by an Aberdeen fan following last week's match between his team and the Clarets.

An historical moment as it was Burnley FC's first European cup match in half a century, which it won 3-1, the town was swamped with home and away fans.

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And while police may have been bracing themselves for trouble, it seems this was minimal as the letter writer said he felt compelled to write to Burnley Council to say how much he had enjoyed his first visit to the Burnley and how the away fans received "the warmest reception I have experienced in my life."

An Aberdeen fan said he received the "warmest reception of my life" when he came to watch his team play BurnleyAn Aberdeen fan said he received the "warmest reception of my life" when he came to watch his team play Burnley
An Aberdeen fan said he received the "warmest reception of my life" when he came to watch his team play Burnley

The letter said that fans make the game of football and this was where Burnley "excelled" and was "so much better than Glasgow or Edinburgh."

And the fan added that even though he would be unlikely to visit Burnley again he would never forget the town and would follow the fortunes of the Clarets in future.

The Mayor of Burnley, Coun, Charlie Briggs said the letter was a "great advert" for Burnley and its residents.

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A lifelong Clarets fan he said: "It's great to get something like this and we really appreciate it.

"Football often gets a bad press but this shows the positive side of the game.

"The town was buzzing 24 hours before the match and the atmosphere just built and built until kick-off.

"On the day the town centre was full of fans from both sides, swapping chants and enjoying a bit of good-natured banter, all in the proper spirit and it was brilliant to see and be part of.

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"I walked around town and spoke to a few of the Aberdeen fans and they told me how much they liked the town and how all the people had made them feel very welcome.

"It was a wonderful occasion, made even better by the fact we won!"

Here is the letter in full:

As an Aberdonian I would like to let you know how much I enjoyed my first ever visit to Burnley.

As someone who has followed the Dons home and away since the seventies I can honestly say we received the warmest reception I have ever experienced in my life on Thursday. Absolutely everyone we met both at Turf Moor and in the town centre was very friendly and a credit to Lancashire.

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From the barstaff and doormen in The Swan to the chef in The Boot who laid on a special dish of the day of haggis, neeps & tatties to make us feel welcome. In both pubs the local fans were very friendly and great company. This great atmosphere continued at the ground where everyone from stewards to catering staff gave us cheerful, good natured service.

At the end of the day football is not about the few on the pitch but the many who travel to follow their team. It's the fans who make the game and this is where Burnley excelled: so much better than either Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Aberdeen are statistically unlikely to meet Burnley in a competitive match again in the near future, and my holiday time is normally spent elsewhere but from now on I will always look out for the Burnley result and remember the great people of Lancashire for the rest of my life.