Burnley Women out to end the season on a high back at Turf Moor, with a pledge of more to come

The Clarets finish their National League North campaign back at Turf Moor on Sunday, for the second time in a matter of weeks, with a clash against seventh-placed Derby County.

Whatever the result, Rebecca Sawiuk’s side are guaranteed to finish in second place, ultimately missing out on the club’s objective of winning promotion.

Title winners Newcastle United, a full-time outfit that has been heavily backed, have just been too strong this term.

But while Sawiuk isn’t 100 per cent satisfied, she’s still able to reflect on an impressive season that has seen them lose just three times.

“When we spoke as a group of players and staff at the start of the season, everyone was aligned with our number one objective which is to get promoted,” she reflected.

“Whether that’s this year, next year or the year after, that objective isn’t going anywhere because of the overall trajectory of the football club.

“It’s no secret that the ownership team here wants to have a WSL club and I feel that’s just a matter of time. It’s just how long is it going to take?

“But everyone is committed to that in terms of the building and we all know what our job is here.

“Second place is a club record, so that’s great. I was checking the league statistics and we’ve scored a lot of goals. For the North and South I think we’ve conceded the third fewest across both leagues, so there are so many KPIs to be proud of alongside the brand of football we play, because we want to do it in a certain way.

“Me personally, I would have liked to be in around 54-56 points (Burnley are currently on 48), that’s just a personal reflection point because historically that’s the amount of points you’d need to get promoted.

“But Newcastle, what they did, they changed the game. For them to invest such a huge amount of money and infrastructure, going full-time, I think it caught everybody off guard and there’s this legacy hangover now.

“As you come to the end of the season, players’ expectations have changed because of what Newcastle have done.

“The way we think about football in the North is different now. I know Burnley in their development trajectory have kicked on, but so have Wolves, so have Stoke, so have West Brom, so have Nottingham Forest because of what Newcastle did.

“What they did was unprecedented and they had a fantastic campaign, but I don’t think it makes our campaign any less. But equally, if you ask me: ‘are you 100 per cent happy?’. The answer is no because we haven’t got the trophy and that’s what excites everybody in the building, going after that trophy next year.”

Over 2,000 supporters attended Burnley’s 3-0 win against Liverpool Feds last month, which was only the second time the women’s side have played at Turf Moor in the club’s long history.

It was also Sawiuk’s first time leading out the side at the Turf and it’s one she feels strengthened the bond.

“It’s like it’s enabled us to connect with the football club and community. It gave people a real sense of belonging,” she said.

“It was just nice that everybody you encountered on that day wanted you to do well. From the groundsman, to the staff coming into the changing room to sort out the food.

“We even had a speaker, I invited Pearl from the kit room to come and do a speech and she did a fantastic job talking about what Burnley meant as a fan and as somebody who’s been at the club for eight years. Even the players walking out with their mascots, it’s these moments that make football special. Everybody felt that.

“In terms of the fans, we’d just love to get as many people down as possible to support Burnley Women, wanting to be a part of it.

“The players we’ve got are fantastic role models. When you look at the end of the last game, the young girls and what it means to them and their families to have the Women on the pitch is mega and really special.”

The Clarets will at least end the season with one piece of silverware after claiming the LFA Senior Women's County Cup with a 9-1 thrashing of West Didsbury and Chorlton.

“It was great,” Sawiuk said. “The County Cup final is important to a lot of people in Lancashire, it’s a really good accolade for everyone to have.

“It was nice to see the players, especially for someone like Danielle [Deehan] – who is our longest serving player – to lift the trophy and have that moment. It was brilliant.

“Not only that, but for the staff team to have that photo, there are so many different people that contribute to this team’s success, so it was just nice to not only lift that trophy, but it’s all about the people you share it with.”

Sunday’s game kicks off at 2pm. Tickets are priced at £10 for adults and £5 for juniors if purchased in advance. Tickets on the day will increase to £15 for adults and £10 for juniors.

The club are also offering a group ticket option. Should you purchase 10 or more tickets in advance in a single transaction, each ticket will be charged at £5 regardless of your age.

For more information on how to purchase tickets, click here.