Twelve months ago, Lyle Foster's 95th-minute winner sealed a 3-2 victory for Burnley at Wolverhampton Wanderers, moving the Clarets five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone and delivering back-to-back top-flight wins for the first time in more than three years. The mood at Turf Moor felt bright. It no longer does.

Fast-forward to today and Burnley are relegated, sitting in the Championship's bottom three, and on the verge of setting an unwanted English record for the longest stretch without a home win. Supporter unrest over the ownership of Alan Pace and ALK Capital has added a bitter edge to what has become a miserable period in the club's history.

A difficult summer and a struggling head coach

After Scott Parker left towards the end of last season, Burnley eventually appointed Belgian coach Nicky Hayen — but only after a move for Wales manager Craig Bellamy collapsed, and with pre-season already under way. Hayen arrived inheriting leftover coaching staff, then watched his main striker, Zian Flemming, sold on transfer deadline day.

Joe Redmond, host of the Turfcast podcast, captured the mixed feelings among supporters: "There is an element of sympathy among the fans for Hayen but two things can be true at the same time — you can sympathise and also think he's out of his depth."

Hayen oversaw 11 arrivals and 10 departures during a busy summer transfer window. The results have been alarming. Former Watford and Reading midfielder Jobi McAnuff, now an EFL pundit, described the recruitment as "scattergun," adding that bringing in Jamie Vardy — who turns 39 — as a forward option placed unrealistic expectations on a player who could only ever offer a supporting role.

Turf Moor's home horror

Burnley's identity has long been rooted in their fortress home record. Before this season, they had lost just one of 46 Championship matches at Turf Moor, claiming 30 victories. That reputation is now in tatters.

Their last home win came on 18 October 2025 — a 2-0 defeat of Leeds United. Since then, Burnley have lost 10 and drawn 11 of their 21 league matches, scoring just 21 goals. Should they fail to beat Portsmouth on 31 October, they will surpass Sheffield Wednesday's unwanted English record of 376 days without a home win — a mark Sheffield Wednesday set between April 2025 and May 2026.

BBC Radio Lancashire commentator Scott Read noted that much of the winless run dates back to last season in the Premier League, but stressed that Burnley "should have won at home this season," having surrendered leads against Bristol City, Derby, Charlton, and Wolves. Boos greeted the final whistle after the latest home defeat, a loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers last Friday.

"The scary thing is they've been in really good positions at home in the past four games," said McAnuff. "They've had leads, conceded late, and you can feel the energy, tension, and nervousness around the stadium absolutely having an impact on those players."

Ownership under fire

Alan Pace and ALK Capital completed their takeover of Burnley in December 2020, financing the deal partly through a £65 million loan to buy out previous major shareholders. The club's relegation, the delayed head coach appointment, and the poor start to the current campaign have all intensified scrutiny of the ownership group.

Anti-Pace banners and chants were visible during the most recent home fixture. Read reported that there is no indication ALK Capital intend to sell, and that the level of debt the club carries would make any such process difficult regardless.

Hayen, aware of the turbulence surrounding his appointment, remained defiant after the Wolves defeat: "Our expectations are much higher but we are working really hard and 100% we can change it — but if we change everything into negativity in our support then we will be in trouble."

Redmond was blunter in his assessment: "It's going wrong absolutely everywhere at Turf Moor and the only way it changes is with changes in personnel, whether they be in the dugout, boardroom, or hopefully both."

With a trip to face Lincoln City on Saturday approaching, patience — both in the stands and at boardroom level — appears to be running dangerously thin.