Burnley FC: Alan Pace drops "proud" post-promotion message | OneFootball

Burnley chairman Alan Pace has spoken following the club's promotion back to the Premier League

Burnley concluded the 2024/25 Championship campaign as runners-up on Saturday afternoon, signing off with an emphatic 3-1 victory over Millwall at Turf Moor.

The Clarets' promotion was sealed nearly two weeks prior by claiming a 2-1 win against third-placed Sheffield United, a result which booked their place back in the promised land alongside Leeds United, leaving the final two games of the season as a mini-competition for the league title.

Leeds' superior goal difference always meant they were in the driving seat, however, and they claimed maximum points from their remaining outings against Bristol City and Plymouth Argyle to pip Burnley to the title. Mind you, the Clarets faithful did have one eye on the title all the way up until the 91st minute of Leeds' trip to Plymouth, where a late Manor Solomon winner ensured top spot for Daniel Farke's side.

Conclusively, both sides finished on 100 points but Leeds' +12 goal difference handed them the Championship title.

Nonetheless, Burnley have also returned to the top-flight at the very first attempt and can reflect on an impressive, record-breaking campaign at Turf Moor ahead of this summer, where Scott Parker will be looking to get to work and bolster his squad in a bid to re-establish the Clarets at Premier League level.

Alan Pace's Burnley FC promotion message

Although Leeds ultimately lifted the title, it was still a memorable afternoon in Burnley as goals from Josh Brownhill and Jaidon Anthony helped the side to sign off in style.

Chairman Alan Pace, who has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity among the Burnley faithful this season, took to his official Instagram account yesterday to publish an impassioned message in the wake of promotion.

Pace described his pride at Burnley's promotion, thanking everyone for their contributions ahead of the club's promotion parade tomorrow.

He wrote: "Clarets finish strong 💪🏼 I am so proud of this team and the way we wrapped up this record-breaking season.

"Coming away with 100 points is a massive achievement and I am so grateful to everyone who contributed. I can’t wait to continue celebrating this promotion season with all of you on Tuesday. UTC!

Alan Pace must back Scott Parker at Burnley FC this summer

Burnley will bask in the euphoria of their hard-earned promotion right now, but as time goes on, there will be natural trepidation at returning to the Premier League considering the plight of newly-promoted sides in recent times.

Over the last two seasons, all six of the teams to have gained promotion from the Championship have been immediately relegated with a whimper. It's a concerning trend which points to the increasing gap in quality and financial muscle between those coming up to the Premier League and those who are already established.

Burnley found that out for themselves during the 2023/24 campaign, as they were relegated straight back down under Vincent Kompany despite spending in excess of £100 million. That still pales in comparison to many top-flight budgets, however.

It could be easy for Pace to feel cautious about handing similar backing to Parker, but that's exactly what he may need to do in order to hand the Clarets a chance of staying up next season.

Burnley's promotion should give them a much better opportunity of retaining prized and coveted assets such as James Trafford, Maxime Esteve and talismanic midfield captain Brownhill. However, the rest of the squad still requires a lot of work and Burnley are going to need to get it spot on this summer if they are to contend for survival in 25/26