WHEN Frank Teasdale took over as the Burnley chairman, succeeding John Jackson in May 1985, he was charged with helping a then struggling giant back on its feet.

Mr Teasdale and his fellow board of directors had been left to pick up the pieces following the failed John Bond experiment.

Financially, Burnley were in a mess.

And the side had been relegated to Division Four for the first time in their long history.

Gates slumped alarmingly and things got quickly worse before they got better.

Mr Teasdale had been in charge less than 12 months when the team faced the prospect of relegation from the Football League - which would have almost certainly been the end of the road for Burnley Football Club.

The Orient game was probably the lowest point of his long reign but even in the intervening years he was the target of the boo boys who wanted instant success.

The fruits of his hard work have only just started to pay off.

But relegation out of the First Division last May was a major blow for the club.

Yet, in this brutal hire and fire world of professional football, he has loyally stuck with his manager Jimmy Mullen, who delivered two promotions to Burnley before the setback of relegation. Mr Teasdale is not an outspoken chairman and is a private man who chooses to keep a relatively low profile.

Yet his love for Burnley, the club he has supported for 50 years, shines through.

Frrom the outset, sticks and stones never seemed to hurt him as he stubbornly refused to be shifted from his path of rebuilding his favourite club.

By the time he went in for his heart by-pass operation in January 1994 the focus was firmly on the playing fortunes of the club.

Promotion from Division Four was achieved in 1992 despite a necessary, if sometimes tight grip on the purse strings, but for Mr Teasdale that was just the beginning of his long-term dream.

In the interview he admits he still has work to do at the club before he considers hanging up his boots.

But whatever transpires, he will go down in history as the Burnley chairman who created the launching pad for improvement and success.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.