Champions: The Story of Burnley’s Instant Return to the Premier League

Champions is the story of Burnley’s Championship title win of season 2015/16. In the world of the big city football clubs, Burnley remains the club from the small town that continues to defy the odds through its good management and careful budgeting. This is the third promotion to the Premier League in just seven years. It was a season that began tentatively, after relegation. Three key players had been sold, and the first month produced nothing too special. Two key additions were made, as Andre Gray was brought in from Brentford for a club-record fee and Joey Barton, to the surprise of most in Burnley. Gray’s goals and Barton’s leadership became the foundation for the promotion that followed. As ever, in the background, Sean Dyche’s man-management and motivational powers provided the bedrock of the success that came in the final week of the season, as a three-horse race went right to the wire.