International Men’s Day

Club and community arrange activities to encourage conversation on manhood and masculinity

 2021 theme focusses on making a positive difference to the wellbeing and lives of men and boys

 We are proud to support International Men’s Day, which takes place on Friday 19th November.

 The International Men’s Day campaign is growing in the UK year-on-year, with over 200 organisations raising awareness of the cause over the past two years.

 As a Premier League club, Burnley Football Club, along with official charity Burnley FC in the Community, are committed to raising awareness of the campaign with the hope of increasing the focus on men’s mental health and wellbeing.

 This year’s theme is to ‘make a positive difference to the wellbeing and lives of men and boys,’ focussing on issues such as health and mental wellbeing, fatherhood, employment and education, isolation and loneliness, homelessness and all forms of abuse including domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Highlighting the importance of positive role models for boys and young men, we were proud to initiate conversation by facilitating a roundtable discussion with different male figures from across the club and community department, including participants of community projects and fans. We focussed on eight questions such as ‘what does it mean to be a man?’.

 Encompassing a range of backgrounds and job roles, the group included the club's Head of Matchday Operations Russell Ball, Operations & Facilities Intern Adrian Lecoustre, Burnley FC Inclusion Advisory Board Attendee & Green Party Councillor Scott Cunliffe and Burnley FC Youth Advisory Board Member Liam Williams.

 Male students from Coal Clough Academy and West Craven High School also gave a valuable insight into being a young male in 2021, highlighting the perspectives of different generations.

 Clarets+ commentator Phil Bird, who was in attendance on the day, said: “I come from a generation where you really didn’t open-up. You were told to be expressionless and get on with your life. Despite the trials and tribulations, you may have faced, you were expected to put a face on to hide those emotions. Thankfully, its different now.

 “Having a diverse age group as part of the panel today, really helped me in understanding how far we have come in understanding men’s mental health.”

 A key takeaway message from the discussion was how positive steps have been taken to encourage men to open up and talk about their feelings and their struggles.

 Burnley FC Women Manager, Matt Bee, said: “I think at times a male role model can come across as this perfect superhero.

“However, it’s important to remember we are all human. We all face adversity through different obstacles and at times we can get things wrong. Despite role models having some good aspects, there are also lessons we can learn from mistakes and unfortunate decisions, which is always inevitable.”

 In addition to the roundtable discussion, Burnley FC in the Community Primary & Secondary School Engagement Manager Gwilym Jones and Phil Bird recorded a Podcast with members of the group, to reflect on the roundtable, which is available for all to listen to.

Reflecting on the day, Gurpri Bains, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Lead for Burnley FC, said: “As a football club we are in a prime position to positively promote male conversation and encourage an open dialogue around International Men’s Day.

“It was so insightful to listen to the groups open discussion at the roundtable, it was important to bring together people from varied backgrounds, with different experiences and stories to tell. Opening the conversation on what expectations and values are attributed to being a man, the positive and negatives of male stereotyping and delving into the meaning behind the statement man-up.

 “The work International Men’s Day are doing in this area, to encourage conversation, is imperative and we wanted to help support their message that there is support and resources out there for men who may be struggling.”

 The work around mental wellbeing is ongoing at Burnley FC who recently organised mental health training for staff, with 16 staff from across the football club and charity trained as Mental Health First Aiders, the club also recently begun the recruitment for a newly created position of a club psychologist working across the entirety of the club.

 In further commitment to increasing awareness around mental health, Charity, Burnley FC in the Community, offer the Schools’ Mental Wellbeing Project, which is currently delivered in eleven high schools within Burnley and Pendle. The aim of the project is to support young people with their mental wellbeing by having a full time BFCitC Mental Wellbeing Worker, in each of the eleven schools. Find out more about the club and Mike Garlick here.

 Burnley FC v Rochdale match

Welcome to the Clarets fan blog. For all Burnley Football Club fans, we are here. Sean Dyche believes Burnley are better placed to compete on multiple fronts this season, as they prepare to host Rochdale in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

Dale did themselves proud on the evening at Turf Moor and went ahead against the Premier League side two minutes into the second half, but four goals from Jay Rodriguez put the game beyond Robbie Stockdale’s side, in a score line that arguably flatters the opposition.

The Clarets boss made six changes for the trip to Newcastle in the last round - a tie they won on penalties - and is expected to field a similar side against The Dale.

Players like Nathan Collins, Wayne Hennessey, Phil Bardsley, Erik Pieters, Jack Cork, Aaron Lennon and Jay Rodriguez will be hoping to start against League Two opposition.

After a corner was cleared as far as O’Keeffe, he crossed to Cashman who had a volley blocked. O’Keeffe then rattled a powerful effort narrowly wide of the upright from a short corner. A double Rochdale substitution followed, as Odoh and Dooley made way for Josh Andrews and George Broadbent in the 74th minute. 

Burnley netted a fourth three minutes later, with Rodriguez bagging his fourth of the evening, as he turned home Lennon’s cross from a yard out. Soon after Lynch made a great double save. He firstly kept out substitute Matt Lowton’s fizzing effort before getting down to hold Wood’s strike. 

 Rochdale’s third and final substitution came in the 84th minute, with Liam Kelly replacing Cashman, as Burnley saw out the game to secure a 4-1 victory.

A win for Burnley would be their first at Turf Moor since January. Check back on our football blog soon for more Burnley FC news. Find out more about bosses Pace and Mike Garlick here.

Burnley Women

Welcome to the Mike Garlick Burnley FC News fan blog page. A dramatic extra time winner from the penalty spot earned Burnley FC Women a place in the FA Cup third round next weekend. Nic Worthington kept her cool late in the day to step up and score the only goal of a nervy clash with Fylde Women at Padiham.

And as a result of the momentous win - in the first game played since the Women officially came under the club banner - Matt Bee’s side will host divisional rivals Sunderland AFC Ladies next weekend for the right to face Manchester United in round four. 

Delighted Burnley Manager Matt Bee said: “Today’s performance was built on a clear work ethic, desire and togetherness.

“Irrespective of having months off due to lockdown, these are the things that I expect the team to have and I’m happy that the players executed the game plan to the letter and everyone played their part.”

The Clarets, back in action for the first time since November, started strongly and Fylde had a big let off as Worthington fed Evie Priestley, whose chip over the advancing keeper hit the post.

However, the Coasters also posed problems and Clarets keeper Lauren Bracewell saved well from Faye McCoy, before Bethany Donoghue slid in front of goal but was inches short of the target.

In the closing minutes of the first half, the Clarets regained composure with chances created by Lizzy Hamer and Katie Thomas. The second half of normal time proved equally tight, with chances for both sides at a premium, as Katie Thomas twice went close for the hosts before Faye McCoy almost won it for Fylde at the death, when her header smacked the crossbar. But with extra time looking unlikely to separate the Lancashire rivals and penalties looming, Priestley weas upended in the box and Worthington stepped up to spark joy in the home ranks.

Bee added: “We have to work hard this week to get ready for Sunday. Sunderland will be a tough game so it will be a challenge.

“However, we’re ready to work hard again this week to go again on Sunday and hopefully put in another positive performance in the competition.”

Check back soon for more updates!

 Crystal Palace v Burnley

Burnley Football Club News

Welcome to the Mike Garlick Burnley FC News fan blog page.  America has further expanded its footprints in UK’s Premier League with the recent takeover of the English association football club Burnley F.C. by Velocity Sports Partners, the sports investment arm of US management firm ALK Capital.

The Burnley deal adds to a slate of American-based majority ownership for fellow Premier League clubs Arsenal F.C., Crystal Palace F.C, Fulham F.C., Liverpool F.C., and Manchester United F.C. 

The completion of the deal follows prior reports in September that Pace and ALK Capital were in advanced talks to acquire Burnley following a failed attempt to buy Sheffield United. ALK Capital had previously invested last year in London-based sports technology businesses AiScout and Player Lens.

Wall Street expert Alan Pace – who is ALK Capital’s Managing Partner – is now the Burnley Club Chairman, succeeding Burnley’s outgoing Chairman and Director, Mike Garlick. 

Pace remarked, “Today marks a new era for Burnley as we become stewards of this historic football club and build on the impressive work that Mike Garlick, [Manager] Sean Dyche, and everyone at Burnley has done to make it a financially stable, established Premier League club that is a cornerstone of the local community.”

Garlick and former shareholder John Banaszkiewicz will remain on the reconstituted Burnley Board of Directors.

Continue to follow this page for latest updates on the Mike Garlick Burnley Football Club news. Read more about the recent Burnley take over here. Follow Mike Garlick Burnley here. Check out the Mike Garlick Sean Dyche updates here.

 Burnley 1 - 1 MK Dons

Welcome to the Mike Garlick Burnley FC News fan blog page. Goalkeeper Will Norris saves two penalties as Burnley scrape past MK Dons in FA Cup third round, with Cameron Jerome and Matej Vydra on target. The former Wolves keeper who joined the Clarets last summer  stood firm to save two spot-kicks after the tie had ended at 1-1. Goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell was a notable absentee, meaning a chance for summer signing Norris. 

Burnley boss Sean Dyche said: "I thought the performance was decent. Trying to balance all that and win a game was a bit tricky, and it was made even trickier by a good MK Dons side that tried to take the game on. The chances count is as high as I've seen for a while, and within that the chances on target, and within that the quality chances. You've got to take them."

The FA Cup schedule has been confirmed, with the final scheduled at Wembley on Saturday May 15.There will be no replays this season to help ease fixture congestion.

Check back soon for more news.

Mike Garlick is the Chairman of Burnley FC. Check out the Mike Garlick Burnley Medium blog here for the latest Burnley top stories. Read the latest Mike Garlick Sean Dyche news here. Watch the Mike Garlick video below.