The following comments are from Tony Scholes who is the editor of Burnley's largest fan forum Clarets Mad.
"As you will probably know, Richard Eckersley was signed by Burnley from Manchester United in July 2009 following our club's promotion to the Premier League. He was a substitute in our first ever Premier League game (unused) but never featured in a match day squad again other than occasional cup matches when we rested players. The manager who signed him, Owen Coyle, wouldn't play him and neither would his successor Brian Laws. Current manager Eddie Howe was in place when Eckersley made the move to Toronto in April of this year.
He's still under contract to Burnley until July 2013 but since his move to Canada it is almost as if he doesn't exist any longer. There is never any mention of him at all yet, as I see it, he's due back at Burnley next month. At that point I would suggest something would have to happen. It looks obvious that he's not wanted at Burnley but maybe we are looking to get a fee for a player who cost us £500,000 when he transferred to Burnley,
I would think the best all round would be for Richard to be allowed to sign for Toronto FC. He's been popular there and from what I've read I'd say he enjoys it too. He clearly has no future at Burnley, but time will tell what happens next."
5 months ago
Dave Rowaan
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It’s rather stupid of Burnley to sign Ecks and then never play him…more evidence he is better off here.
Absolutely
Besides – this is more of the same in that Burnley don’t want him and/or care about his general existence. Truly hope this continues to tip the scales in TFC’s favour & we see him back in the new year.
It was a strange move on their part. He got more playing time at Manchester United, even if just in cup matches, then he did at Burnley. He literally made 0 official appearances for them after they spent 500k to buy him and then paid him nearly 400k a year.
Even his loans to lower division clubs in England proved to be rather unproductive so I think the best choice for him is to give up on England and move to the MLS. The style of play here seems to suit him better then the very north south style you find in the championship and below.
Writer for Toronto FC blog Waking The Red
http://wakingthered.com/
The view from Burnley
Good afternoon Toronto fans! As a Burnley supporter I feel I should give you the general consensus regarding Eckersley from a Burnley perspective. First of all its not really stupid of Biurnley to havce signed him and never play him, this happens all the time in European football, whne we signed Ecks it was a bit of a gamble, we took a chance and it didnt work out. For all the great sigings clubs make there will always be a couple that dont work out. I also think its unfair to suggest that Burnley dont care about him, we are a club that cares about all its employees, the club has allowed him to go out on loan because the club dosent want to stand in his way as a player. The reason, unfortunately for him, his career hasent worked out in England is purely because he isnt good enough. IVe seen play in the reserve league on many occasions and it was pritty obvious that he couldnt compete at championship level (and by the way he did make a couple of first team appearances, during the first of which he was sent off) I have nothing against Eckersley and neither does anyone else at the club and we all hope he succeeds in Toronto, where it appears he has settled, is happy and has found his level, but as football club and a business the club has to get the best possible deal for the club.
All the best for the future, I enjoy watching out for your results and have a great christmas.
by claretandblue on Dec 16, 2011 11:00 AM EST up reply actions
cheers
definitely a bit much to call it stupid, every club take a chance on a young kid with potential here and there, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t.
unlucky for eckersley he arrived at burnley when you probably had your best team in a good 30 or 40 years or so.
hopefully this whole thing can work out to both team’s satisfaction, I have good memories of burnley from back in the day, when they were crap and in division 4, saw darlington play there a few times.
Managing editor of SBNation's Toronto FC blog,Waking the Red .
by Duncan Fletcher on Dec 16, 2011 4:13 PM EST up reply actions
for a small price hopefully
Because we can’t really afford DP money, now can we?
In Canada our balls are bigger
Writer for Arctic Ice Hockey
no, no we can’t. let’s hope burnley are in ‘cut their losses’ mode, and eckersley is willing to take a cut.
Managing editor of SBNation's Toronto FC blog,Waking the Red .
by Duncan Fletcher on Dec 16, 2011 4:14 PM EST up reply actions
indeed, a big transfer fee kills it, as does a high contract. hopefully Ecks is willing to take a pay cut
In Canada our balls are bigger
Writer for Arctic Ice Hockey
by canadian texan on Dec 16, 2011 5:17 PM EST up reply actions
I can basically asssure you of two things. There will not be a transfer fee of any real amount. Toronto FC will have almost no allocation money left to play with by the time they finalize the Plata deal. Can also say for certain he is going to have to take a pay cut to come and play for TFC, otherwise his current number would be every last bit of cap space we do have and probably still some more
Writer for Toronto FC blog Waking The Red
http://wakingthered.com/
I imagine that being the case too. Hopefully a good relationship with the club and fans meaning he’s willing to take a pay cut to see the field. Because burnley seems content to let him rot. Well “”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tfmXzppx2Q" target="new">Burnley can fuck off"
In Canada our balls are bigger
Writer for Arctic Ice Hockey
by canadian texan on Dec 17, 2011 3:30 PM EST up reply actions
well that didn't work at all...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tfmXzppx2Q
In Canada our balls are bigger
Writer for Arctic Ice Hockey
by canadian texan on Dec 17, 2011 3:30 PM EST up reply actions
never seen that clip before, very amusing, and how convenient for this purpose.
would have thought they’d be singing about blackburn rather than preston though.
Managing editor of SBNation's Toronto FC blog,Waking the Red .
by Duncan Fletcher on Dec 17, 2011 9:10 PM EST up reply actions
not exactly letting him rot
gave him the big money, let him go out on loan all over the place rather than burying him in the reserves.
makes sense they’d want to get something back somehow, but hopefully they’ll view getting his contract off the books as a win at this point. But I think that’ll require eckersley agreeing to a big pay cut as well. who knows really.
Managing editor of SBNation's Toronto FC blog,Waking the Red .
by Duncan Fletcher on Dec 17, 2011 9:15 PM EST up reply actions
k...not letting him rot
just not relinquishing control of his career that he might further it elsewhere without their intervention
In Canada our balls are bigger
Writer for Arctic Ice Hockey
by canadian texan on Dec 18, 2011 3:02 PM EST up reply actions
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