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Burnley secure promotion

Burnley secure promotion

Published: Monday, 25 May 2009, 10:47PM

Owen Coyle's Burnley have secured promotion to the Barclays Premier League following victory over Sheffield United in the Coca-Cola Championship play-off final.

The Clarets are back in the top flight for the first time since 1976 courtesy of Wade Elliott's 13th-minute strike.

Burnley, who were so close to reaching Wembley in both cup competitions this season, stepped up when it counted most to land the estimated £60 million booty for reaching the promised land.

For United, another season in the Championship beckons, two years after they were relegated amid the controversy of the Carlos Tevez affair.

The Blades maintain they, and not a Tevez-inspired West Ham, should have stayed up in 2007.

Burnley chairman Barry Kilby described the win as "the pinnacle" of his ten years as Burnley chairman.

He said: "I'm absolutely delighted. We've been out of the top flight for 33 years so today is the pinnacle of my ten years as chairman.

"We've hung in in the Championship for ten years, through good times and bad. We got our chance today and we've taken it.

"I think we'll be the smallest town to have ever been in the Premier League - and half the population has turned out here today to see it."

The Lancashire club avoided relegation from the Football League by the slimmest of margins in 1987 and Kilby added: "The club nearly went out of existence that day but we've clawed our way back today."

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