A 2-0 win against Wigan Athletic at Turf Moor on Easter Monday was enough to take Burnley over the line and secure a Premier League return.
Having finished 11th in the Championship standings last season, there were few who expected the Clarets to enjoy such a strong campaign this time round. However, they have lost just five times, the fewest in the entire division, and they have been in the top-three since September and are now just four points behind leaders Leicester City.
The 2-0 win against the Latics, delivered courtesy of goals from Ashley Barnes and Michael Kightly, was their 25th of the season, and has ensured they will play top-flight football for only the second time since 1976 next term. Of course their last foray into the elite came during the 2009-10 campaign, yet ended in a swift relegation.
They enjoyed some memorable moments during that season, most notably of all when champions Manchester United visited Turf Moor in August. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, which contained the likes of Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, were expected to win comfortably, but a Robbie Blake goal in the first half gave the hosts a 1-0 win.
Their final game of that campaign saw them come back from 2-0 down to beat fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur 4-2, yet by this time their fate was already sealed. They will again be favourites for relegation when the 2014-15 season begins in August, but manager Sean Dyche has already proved that he is more than willing to rise to the occasion.
