STAN TERNENT was last night hailed as one of the two greatest managers in the history of Burnley Football Club at the club's 104th Annual General Meeting.

And the board reiterated its determination not to sell star winger Glen Little or any of Ternent's other players as they plan for life back in the top flight.

Chief Executive Andrew Watson bracketed Ternent with the great Harry Potts as he told shareholders about the massive strides the club has made in the past three and a half years under his stewardship.

"Since Stan Ternent was appointed he has turned this club around," he explained to a meeting of 110 shareholders.

"Last season we reached our highest position in 25 years and he has taken us to 27th in the country from 64th.

"That record means he will go down as one of the two greatest managers in the club's history."

The issue of Little's future was raised by Bernard Rotherwell who told the meeting: "Everyone here knows that the team plays around Glen Little. If there was a post of president of his fan club, I would have it.

"The lad must be worth, four, five or six million and the affect of selling him could be quite dramatic."

But chairman Barry Kilby reiterated his determined stance that Little is not for sale.

"We don't want to sell any assets and we don't have to sell to survive," he promised despite the fact that the club had made a loss of just over £2million last year.

Kilby repeated that the board was happy to stand those losses from last year although the aim is to break even in the current financial one.

The club's wage bill rose dramatically after promotion to the first division and Kilby explained that was because they wanted to keep the likes of Little.

"We had to make a strategic decision to secure people like Glen Little," he said.

Watson explained: "We have signed deals for Glen Little, Paul Weller and Andy Payton while the manager himself was rewarded with a new contract.

"Kevin Ball, Nik Michopolous and Ian Moore have all been brought into the club but despite all of that we have achieved what we have with a wage bill of £6million.

"If you look at the two clubs that were automatically promoted last season, Blackburn and Fulham, they had wage bills of around £20million so it can be said we are over achieving and that is a credit to the manager and the staff."

The board insisted that after years of struggle the sights now are set firmly on the Premier League and plans have already been drawn up to turn Turf Moor into a 30,000 all seater stadium, an increase of around 7,000 on the current capacity.

Director Clive Holt, who has responsibility for the ground, admitted: "We have got plans to improve and increase the Bob Lord Stand with an extra tier seating 3,000.

"We are also still looking to develop the Cricket Stand but that is difficult because of re-siting the cricket club.

"Any plans will have to be carried out with consultation with local people and the council but we are planning for success."

Holt is a veteran of around 16 AGM's and he admitted: "That is probably the quietest one I have ever seen."

The civilized atmosphere and harmony was in stark contrast to some of the blood and thunder affairs of recent history and perhaps the clearest indication that the club is stable, sound and upwardly mobile.