Time to end a 35-year wait!

Burnley are out to bust another hoodoo at derby rivals Blackburn Rovers on Sunday.
Burnley are out to bust another hoodoo at derby rivals Blackburn Rovers on SundayBurnley are out to bust another hoodoo at derby rivals Blackburn Rovers on Sunday
Burnley are out to bust another hoodoo at derby rivals Blackburn Rovers on Sunday

The Clarets have not beaten the old enemy in 11 meetings, stretching back to 1979.

But in a season where they have already ended a 43-year wait for a victory at Ipswich Town, won at Bolton for the first time in 29 years and earned only a second win at Elland Road in 39 years, boss Sean Dyche is eager to chalk off another statistic.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Burnley go into the game second in the Championship, with a five-point cushion from Derby County in third, and go to Ewood Park aiming to keep their automatic promotion push on track, while Rovers are 10th, six points behind Wigan in sixth place.

Dyche said: “I’ve kept saying all along, there are no guarantees, the past doesn’t affect the future.

“I’ve made that clear as a group, we’ve done very well with that, and we’ll look to do that again at the weekend.

“It’s a good mentality to have.

“That sort of statistic applies pressure to whoever has that record, so Blackburn will be feeling that, while we have that freedom, with no expectations.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It’s 11 games over 35 years, the clubs have been in different divisions, but it’s a fantastic derby.

“They will try and keep the record going, but we look strong and have that energy about us, and feel confident about what we can do.”

Bragging rights might not be the be all and end all this season, with promotion up for grabs, but Dyche added: “It still means a lot! I’ve been made acutely aware and won’t be remotely underestimating this or any other game.

“But every point is vital for us.”

Dyche goes up against his good friend Gary Bowyer, who he came through the ranks with at Nottingham Forest, but he admitted: “That’s not something that bothers me, whether it’s someone I played with, coached with or it’s a former club.

“When the whistle blows, it’s just about getting a result.”