MX23RW : Wednesday, December 18 22:13:05| >> :600:261347:261347:

Sean Dyche insists Burnley's community work will not be "undermined"

Sean Dyche insists Burnley's community work will not be
© Reuters
The club have condemned the message which was flown over the Etihad Stadium on Monday night.

Sean Dyche is keen to ensure the actions of a minority do not overshadow the work done by Burnley in the community after a banner bearing the slogan 'White Lives Matter' was flown over the Etihad Stadium during their match against Manchester City.

The club have condemned the banner and promised to impose life bans on the perpetrators if they can be identified, and Dyche said the message stood in contrast to the club's principles.

"As a club all we can do is attempt to put out the right message and you know the amount of work done in the community here," Dyche said.

"What has been achieved in the community over the last five years has been nothing short of fantastic, in terms of the links in the community and the number of people affected, and we don't wish for that to be undermined by a few making a statement that is unacceptable."

Burnley manager Sean Dyche and his staff take a knee before the Manchester City game
Burnley manager Sean Dyche and his staff take a knee before the Manchester City game (Michael Regan/NMC Pool/PA).

In post-match interviews, Burnley captain Ben Mee said he was "angry and embarrassed" after seeing the banner, and Dyche said his comments reflected the thoughts of the dressing room.

He said: "A number of players felt very passionately. I want to make that clear to be fair to the players, they all have Twitter accounts but I said Ben will do the talking and I will do the talking.

"Ben spoke very well, very authentically as the man that he is. I played my part, as well as the chief executive and the chairman as well. We're united as a club.

"I can't speak for everyone in the town, but I'd like to think this is looked upon as the actions of a small number of individuals rather than the whole town and the whole club."

Meanwhile, Phil Bardsley has signed a new one-year deal, but Dyche indicated Jeff Hendrick, Joe Hart and Aaron Lennon had played their final games for the club.

Dyche was unable to name a full bench for Monday's 5-0 defeat, with three players out injured and uncertainty over those whose contracts were up, but the manager denied the frustrations he expressed in pre-match interviews indicated any broader problems behind the scenes.

"I had to chuckle because I heard somebody say the other night it's the first time that Sean Dyche has questioned the board," he said.

"I think most boards would be happy if they only got questioned every seven-and-a-half years."

ID:403681: cacheID:403681:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5552:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
A banner reading 'White Lives Matter Burnley' flies over the Etihad on June 22, 2020
Read Next:
"Embarrassed" Burnley fans launch fundraiser for black community
>
Read more about Sean Dyche Ben Mee Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd21145230111945
2Leeds UnitedLeeds21126337152242
3Burnley2111822681841
4Sunderland21117332171540
5Blackburn RoversBlackburn2011452517837
6Middlesbrough21104735251034
7Watford2010462926334
8West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom2171132416832
9Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds218582630-429
10Swansea CitySwansea217682322127
11Bristol City216962626027
12Norwich CityNorwich216873632426
13Millwall206772018225
14Derby CountyDerby216692626024
15Coventry CityCoventry216692730-324
16Preston North EndPreston2141162127-623
17Stoke CityStoke215792328-522
18Queens Park RangersQPR2141072127-622
19Luton TownLuton2164112337-1422
20Oxford UnitedOxford Utd2046102133-1218
21Cardiff CityCardiff2046101932-1318
22Portsmouth193882134-1317
23Plymouth ArgylePlymouth2045111942-2317
24Hull City2137111930-1116


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!